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Coaching, not snafus, lost games

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Posted: Tuesday November 30, 1999 12:24 AM

By Stewart Mandel, CNN/SI

	• BCS Forecast • Bowl race at a glance • Bandwagon Watch • Storylines • Brutally honest, gratuitously early previews • Ask the Glance

The dramatic circumstances behind Nebraska and Georgia Tech's overtime wins both taught us an important lesson: No matter how many 300-pound linemen or 4.4-speed receivers you recruit, college football is often decided by what you do with them.

Contrary to public perception, neither Jeremy Aldrich's pooched field goal for Colorado nor the referees' controversial fumble call against Georgia directly decided the outcome of their contests. Neither team would have come to such heartbreaking ends if not for some highly questionable coaching calls leading up to them in the first place.

The Huskers don't surge to the big lead if Gary Barnett doesn't hand them the ball at midfield with one of his now-predictable, game-opening onside kicks, or relegate his obviously dangerous offense to off-tackle runs the entire first half. The problem for Georgia was just the opposite: Despite the fact teams have been able to run up the gut on Tech all year -- like the 'Dawgs did on their fumble-marred last drive -- Jim Donnan fell behind thanks to a bevy of sweeps (one resulted in turnover-on-downs at the Tech 9) and mistimed passes.

Isn't a shame when coaching ego cancels out even the most spirited play?

Each week, the Glance offers its projected BCS lineup based on current standings. Full bowl projections.
Sugar: Florida State vs. Virginia Tech	Orange: Florida vs. Michigan
Rose: Wisconsin vs. Stanford	Fiesta: Nebraska vs. Tennessee
The bowl race at a glance:
Michigan wrapped up a BCS at-large bid this past week and defending national champ Tennessee is destined for the other. That means this week's SEC (Florida-Alabama) and Big 12 (Nebraska-Texas) title games are BCS do-or-die for all teams involved. There is the slight chance that if the Huskers lose, the Orange could select them or Kansas State to meet the SEC winner, pushing Michigan in and Tennessee out of a Fiesta date with Texas.
ON: Texas A&M. Hard to tell what was more enthralling: the dramatic finish or the emotional halftime show..
ON: Virginia Tech. For those keeping track, that's Hokie redshirt freshman QBs: 1, Nebraska's Sugar Bowl chances: none.
OFF: Defense. Judging by Stanford and Georgia Tech, you no longer need one to win eight games.
OFF: Conference championship games. At least 10 schools must wait an extra week to learn their bowl destinations so two conferences can pad their wallets.
ON: Hal Hunter. Hurry up and join Louisiana Gov. Mike Foster on the Hunter-for-LSU-coach train.
OFF: Notre Dame. Too easy.
Happy in Hokieland
Start practicing now, old-schoolers, because it may take the full five weeks to fully come to grips with these distinctly possible words: Virginia Tech, 1999 national champions.
Revenge is sweet; Double-defeat is a bitch
Both major conference championship games this week involve rematches of regular-season "upsets." Florida and Nebraska are thinking redemption, but what will the rest of us think if they both lose again?
Thundering toward perfection.
Marshall will finish 12-0 if it beats Western Michigan on Friday, but there seems to be no real outcry about its likely BCS snub. Perhaps that's because the Herd's opponents this season went a combined 44-71, compared with 68-54 for Florida State.
Texas vs. Nebraska, Saturday
Major or Eric? As previously stated, we take Major. But we also think there's no way Big Red falls to Texas yet again.
Florida vs. Alabama, Saturday
Who will win? Who cares. Wake us up when it's the Sugar Bowl, and when Steve Spurrier has stopped acting like a circus sideshow.
Army vs. Navy, Saturday
As if this year's rivalry games haven't been stunning enough, on comes the 100th installment of the fiercest of them all.
* Three games selected at random
Ask the Glance and you shall receive.
Remember: this column is updated on Sundays, so don't be that guy who asks, "Is my team gonna win this weekend?" Rather than answering any particular question this week, the author would just like to take a second and thank you for your interest all season long. The Glance will take a sabbatical the next few weeks but return in time for the bowls, so keep those questions -- and hate mail -- coming.

 

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