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Ivan Maisel's Burning Questions
Posted: Tuesday November 20, 2001 7:40 PM
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Each week Sports Illustrated's Ivan Maisel tackles three questions that matter to fans:
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| 1 |
Is Nebraska vulnerable against Colorado? |
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Bobby Pesavento will start for the Buffaloes against Nebraska. Brian Bahr/Allsport |
Absolutely. Colorado won't be intimidated. First of all, the Buffaloes play a physical brand of football that is similar in style, if not in scheme, to that of the 'Huskers. Second, Colorado has been competitive with Nebraska even when the Buffaloes have been mediocre. Two years ago, Colorado made up a 24-point deficit in the fourth quarter, only to lose in overtime, 33-30. Last season, when the Buffs came into the game 3-7, Nebraska kicker Josh Brown had to make a 29-yard field goal as time expired to give the Huskers a 34-32 victory. Nebraska has won nine straight against Colorado, but the last four have been by a total of 10 points. I think the 'Huskers will win again, because senior quarterback Eric Crouch is in charge of Nebraska, while senior quarterback Bobby Pesavento, the backup for injured sophomore Craig Ochs, is starting for Colorado. But this contest should be excellent preparation for a Big 12 championship game rematch against Oklahoma.
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| 2 |
Does Florida have a chance of overtaking Miami or the Nebraska-Oklahoma winner and getting into the Rose Bowl? |
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Jabar Gaffney and Florida still need Miami to lose to play in the Rose Bowl. AP |
Not without a lot of help. The Gators, with 9.95 points, are in fourth place, nearly two points behind Oklahoma (8.13). Florida still must play Tennessee (seventh in the BCS) and then, if the Gators win, the SEC West champion (Auburn, LSU or Arkansas, none of which are in the top 15 of the BCS). That's not nearly enough to inflate their strength of schedule to overtake Oklahoma, which, if it beats Nebraska, will have beaten the No. 1 team in the BCS. If Colorado beats Nebraska and Oklahoma or if Miami slips against Washington or Virginia Tech, then the Gators have a great chance of getting to the Rose Bowl. But the Gators can't escape the effect of the loss to Auburn and the lack of a boost from beating Florida State.
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| 3 |
What is Been Down So Long, Shreveport Looks Up to Me? |
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Dennis Franchione's debut season took a strong turn upward with last week's rout of Auburn. AP |
A suggestion for a new country song at Alabama, which, with a win over Southern Mississippi on Nov. 29, will qualify for a bowl at 6-5. The most likely destinations: the Independence Bowl in Shreveport, La., or the Tangerine Bowl in Orlando. A prospective rebound-of-the-year award for the Tide may have to be shared with USC, which won four straight to finish 6-5 and get a bid to the Las Vegas Bowl, and Penn State, which, with victories over Michigan State and Purdue, will have rebounded from an 0-4 start to finish 6-5 and qualify for a bowl invitation. It seems like just a few weeks ago that we were wondering what happened to these traditional powers. Now that they're back among the living, they deserve a salute.
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| Bonus |
Name the top turnaround artist in Division I-AA. |
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That would be Jim Fleming, the second-year coach at Sacred Heart (Conn.) University, which plays non-scholarship football in the Northeast Conference. Sacred Heart went 2-9 in 1999. Fleming, an assistant at Villanova, came in, installed a passing offense led by 5-foot-11 quarterback Justin Holtfreter (remember, there is a place for 5-11 quarterbacks), and Sacred Heart has gone 20-1 over the last two seasons, including 10-0 this year. Sacred Heart will play Duquesne, champion of the MAAC, in the ECAC Bowl on Dec. 1 for the "mid-major" national championship.
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Sports Illustrated senior writer Ivan Maisel is the co-author of A War in Dixie: Inside Alabama v. Auburn, College Football's Fiercest Rivalry (HarperCollins). Make sure to check out his Top 25 every Sunday, the Heisman Watch on Mondays, his Burning Questions on Tuesdays, and his weekly chat each Friday.
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