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The week worth a year
Posted: Wednesday November 17, 1999 04:20 PM
Click here to send your college football questions to SI's Ivan Maisel. Admit it, this is the week you live for. This is the week that makes the other 51 in the deck tolerable. The greatest rivalries in the sport are here again, the ones you want to win so bad your teeth hurt. As usual, they each have a compelling story line. Florida State must win in the Swamp for a Sugar Bowl berth. The last time the 'Noles won in Gainesville, they won it all (1993). Alabama can take the SEC West but must do so by winning at Auburn for the first time ever (record: 0-4). Stanford can go to the Rose Bowl by beating Cal. Ohio State can salvage a season and ruin Michigan's shot at a BCS berth by winning in Ann Arbor. It's great stuff. Anyone wondering about the importance of football in the South should understand that LSU agreed to pay Gerry DiNardo the last four years of his contract ($2 million-plus) if he would clean out his desk. Incredible.
Do you feel the strength-of-schedule component is weighted too heavily in the BCS rankings? Since the voters account for their perceptions of schedule strength when they vote (e.g., the reason undefeated Marshall isn't in the top three) and the computer polls generally account for it in some manner, a team can either be doubly rewarded or penalized by adding strength of schedule as a separate BCS line item. James, I understand your frustration in that a school like Marshall receives a double whammy. The fact is that until Marshall finds a way to play big-name schools, it's going to remain frustrated. Building a reputation takes longer than building a team.
Major Applewhite of Texas had his 21st straight game of more than 200 yards last Saturday. He is now within six of the all-time NCAA record held by Ty Detmer. Will you give him consideration as the best QB in the Big 12 South when the season ends? No, I won't. I'd consider him as the best quarterback in the whole conference.
With the Badgers accepting the Rose Bowl bid, it made me think about something. Now, this is a very optimistic idea, but with the Badgers currently ranked fifth, and likely fifth in the BCS, what would happen if they could move up to No. 2 in the BCS? Virginia Tech could very well lose to B.C., Florida could likely lose to FSU, and Nebraska could fall to Texas again in the Big 12 championship. This could lift Texas, but it could also lift Wisconsin to the No. 2 spot. Could the Badgers play in the championship game if they got up there? Well, Wisconsin finished sixth in the BCS this week. For your scenario to work, Alabama would have to lose to Auburn or Florida. It could happen. After last season, when K-State and UCLA lost on the last Saturday of the season, I'll buy anything.
Ivan, what's up with the flip-flopping of Va. Tech for the last three weeks -- from No. 1 two weeks ago, to No. 2 last week, back to No. 1 this week? The Hokies came up big in a big game against Miami. Also, they share three common opponents with FSU and went 2-0-1 (beat Clemson and Miami by greater margins than FSU, Virginia was a draw). If FSU beats Florida, I may change my mind again.
What in the world is it going take for Illinois to earn any respect from you sportswriters? Probably about nine months. I bet the Illini will be ranked very high next August.
What's with the pollsters' double standard? Marshall and Virginia Tech are both undefeated. One is ranked second the other 10th. Neither one has played a team that is in the top 25 now. How does one benefit from a weak schedule and the other doesn't? Why are they both not ranked No. 2 and No. 3 or No. 9 and No. 10? Actually, there is a big difference in strength of schedule. You don't want to hear that, Thomas, but playing the Big East and Virginia is tougher than the MAC.
Marshall was No. 47 in the Billingsley preseason ratings (a BCS computer rating). Now, after going 9-0 so far this season, Marshall has obtained an impressive No. 48 rating. So, for going 9-0 and handling opponents with ease Marshall has actually fallen in the Billingsley rating. I think it shows that this computer rating should be dropped from the BCS. It is clear that it uses strength of schedule as 80% or more of the total points a team can get in it. With computer ratings like these, how can the BCS add in its own S.O.S. to the final BCS points? That's crazy. I'm tired of seeing ratings with Clemson (which has four losses, Marshall gave them one) rated 25 spots ahead of Marshall. I agree that the computer rankings are maddening. Who are those guys? It seems like anybody with a laptop and a satellite dish can pick a national champion. I've said it before but I believe that each conference should appoint one rep to a committee that would in turn vote on which teams play for No. 1. It works for March Madness.
As a Seminole fan, we know what a tough place the Swamp can be for visiting teams. Some experts foresee a Gator win this week because FSU is on the road in the unfriendly confines. Do you think Chris Weinke will be able to effectively communicate to his receivers/backs, which he frequently does with audibles, in spite of the crowd noise? I see this as the key to the game. Hey, Chris, you get Fan of the Week. God bless you. Are they many Seminoles fans in Slovenia? Weinke and the offense seem to have reincorporated Peter Warrick into the system. More important, the way the Florida offense is foundering, the fans may not be in the game for very long.
I find it truly sad to see the media awarding Ron Dayne the Heisman Trophy already. The award is supposed to go to the best player in the country. Although he broke the NCAA Division IA rushing record, the difference between him and Ricky Williams is greatly evident. When Williams broke the rushing record, he also set or tied 15 other records. In addition, he also happened to be the leading rusher in the nation for the year (2,124 yards) and was also second in scoring (15.3 PPG); neither of which Ron Dayne will do this year. It is pathetic to award Dayne the trophy simply because he had good performances while being the featured tailback for four years. It is a disgrace to the past winners of the Heisman and in my honest opinion cheating Joe Hamilton, Chad Pennington, and Thomas Jones. What is your take on all of this? You're trying to argue with facts. They rarely work in a Heisman race. It goes to who has the biggest name and does the best. Dayne started out ahead of the other guys and did nothing to lose. It will be interesting to see what happens when Hamilton plays two more games while Dayne sits and drifts to the backs of the minds of the voters. Assuming they have minds.
Well, Don't look now but Tim Rattay just had another 400-plus, five-TD performance. How is he continually left out of Heisman Trophy conversations? I have two questions for you: 1) Have you actually seen him play? If so, how can you not say he is one of the best players in the country, if not the best? 2) Just look at the quotes from every opposing coach, including Central Florida's; who happens to be an ex-NFL quarterback. He said that Tim's performance was "the greatest performance he has ever seen by a college quarterback." No, I have not seen Tim Rattay play in person. I don't question anyone who attests that he's the greatest thing since file gumbo. I'll still vote Hamilton first-team All-America, though. Send a question to Ivan Maisel, and check back each week during the season to read more of his answers.
Sports Illustrated senior writer Ivan Maisel covers college football and appears regularly on CNN/Sports Illustrated.
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