Notre Dame entered the season as more of a curiosity than a contender. Air Force wasn't even favored in its opener against Northwestern.
Yet after nine weeks, the seventh-ranked Fighting Irish and the 18th-ranked Falcons are both 6-0, and their late-night, mountain jam is our Saturday spotlight, more alluring than any mid-day matchup in the Midwest. And ironically, on the weekend before the first BCS standings are released, the only non-BCS conference teams with a shot at a BCS invitation are going head-to-head in Colorado Springs.
Not to say that ND and Air Force are on equal footing: An undefeated Falcon team would need a miracle and a crowbar to crash the BCS party, while an undefeated Irish team would be the Fiesta Bowl's dream.
A school must finish in the top 12 of the BCS rankings to be eligible to play in its other three bowls -- the Orange, Rose and Sugar. While an eligible Irish team -- even at 10-2 -- would be a hot commodity, Air Force won't get in without a guaranteed spot, which, according to the rules for at-large teams, means the Falcons need to finish in the BCS' top six.
Jerry Palm, who runs CollegeBCS.com, ranks Air Force at No. 12 in his latest BCS projection, with Notre Dame at No. 6. The Falcons will need an impressive win over the Irish to kick-start a miraculous climb up the BCS rankings, but even then, can Air Force maintain the respect of media and coaches' poll voters with nary a ranked opponent on the remainder of its schedule?
"I think [Air Force] has an outside chance," Palm said. "But strength of schedule will hold them back, and they'll have to make it up in the polls. Even if they win out, I don't completely trust the voters to put them in the top six."
Notre Dame, meanwhile, can afford to drop a game or two along the way, but is better off doing so in the next two weeks -- on the road at Air Force and Florida State -- than ending its season on a down note with a loss to USC.
"I don't think a 9-3 Notre Dame team is good enough to make [the BCS]," Palm said. "Even if the computers like them, they'd have to be 15 to 17 in the voter polls. Realistically, ND can have two losses and stay in the top 12."
There are, however, two interesting BCS scenarios that involve the Irish -- one that could pull a 9-3 Irish team in and another that could potentially keep a 10-2 team out.
Scenario 1 -- Pulling ND in: From the BCS rule book: "If one or more [at-large] teams other than Notre Dame qualify for automatic selecton, Notre Dame shall also qualify, provided it is ranked in the top 10 in the BCS Standings or has a record of at least nine wins." That means if Air Force were to run the table and somehow be in the BCS' top six, then Notre Dame would be guaranteed a BCS bid as long as it had at least nine wins. And yes, Notre Dame is the only team with its own BCS rule.
Scenario 2 -- Pushing ND out: This is a bit more complicated. If the No. 3 or 4 team in the BCS standings -- say, Virginia Tech -- isn't a conference champion, then it still would receive an automatic at-large BCS berth. If Iowa and Ohio State were to both run the table, finishing 11-1 and 12-0, respectively, then the Hawkeyes would win a tiebreaker for the Rose Bowl while the Buckeyes would be in the Fiesta Bowl. And a Notre Dame team at 10-2 -- or maybe even 11-1 -- would be left out. Scandalous, but possible none the less.
Umm, no ... he doesn't work here
An Associated Press photo taken immediately after Florida State kicker Xavier Beitia missed "Wide Left I" showed what appeared to be a young member of Miami's sideline crew taunting a shocked Beitia. Miami athletic director Paul Dee issued an official apology to Beitia on Tuesday, but he called the taunter a "former student volunteer" who happened to be on the sidelines. Take a look a the photo -- since when do "former student volunteers" still 1) wear the customary sideline getup and 2) carry around a coach's headset?
Family matters
When Tennessee coach Phil Fulmer pulled fill-in starter C.J. Leak from the Georgia game after only two series, he did more than hurt the QB's feelings. Fulmer may have hurt his standing with one of the top high school quarterbacks in the nation: blue-chip recruit Chris Leak, C.J's younger brother. "The gap that Tennessee [had over other schools] is just an edge now," Chris told The Charlotte Observer. "We were all disappointed."
HOT: Seneca Wallace, Iowa State Best underdog-for-Heisman story in years. How can you not root for him against Oklahoma?
NOT: Phil Fulmer, Tennessee
Despite knowing Casey Clausen was injured, the big ballcoach didn't have backups C.J. Leak and James Banks prepared to face Georgia.
HOT: Bashing Chris Simms
There can't be an easier target this week than the Longhorn QB, who sealed his dubious place in Texas history by throwing three INTs and no TDs against Oklahoma.
NOT: Anti-coach Web sites
Web sites like FireRonZook.com and GregDavisSucks.com are amusing, but each one's shameless hawking of hats, shirts, fleeces, mugs and mouse pads is pathetic.
Other than Notre Dame-Air Force ...
No. 9 Iowa State at No. 2 Oklahoma, 3:30 p.m., ABC
The Sooners are favored by more than a touchdown here, deservedly so after manhandling Texas in the Red River Shootout. But signs point to this being a real dogfight: 1) OU may still be in big-game hangover mode, 2) Sooner Trent Smith is on this week's SI cover, and 3) Seneca Wallace, unlike Chris Simms, comes to play in big games.
No. 4 Ohio State at Wisconsin, 3:30 p.m., ABC
In the past three meetings between these two schools, the road team has come out on top. In 2000, John Cooper's Buckeyes danced on the "W" at Camp Randall after a 23-7 win; Wisconsin returned the favor last year after a 20-17 win in Columbus. No dancing is expected in 2002, but judging from the Badgers' poor showing at Indiana last week, look for the road team to win again.
No. 22 Washington at No. 19 USC, 3:30 p.m., ABC
With starting running back Rich Alexis nursing an ankle injury, Washington coach Rick Neuheisel may go with a three-headed running attack against the Trojans. Whether backups Braxton Clemand and Chris Singleton can boost the Huskies' lackluster ground game (ranked ninth in the Pac-10) remains to be seen, but one thing is for sure: Neuheisel desperately wants to avoid slipping into Ron Zook territory at 4-3.
How this week's big games played out on EA Sports' NCAA Football 2003.
Ohio State 46, Wisconsin 10; Washington 39, USC 24; Texas 20, Kansas State 16, Oklahoma 42, Iowa State 28; and finally, Air Force 17, Notre Dame 13.
Is there anything less exciting in the world of video games than a "Flexbone" offense? Notre Dame's defense ate Chance Harridge alive at the beginning of the game I played; even the staple of any running team's offense, the play-action pass, was ineffective due to Harridge's weak arm. To beat ND, rule out the pass altogether and run up the middle for 4 yards over and over and over again. And try to stay awake.
If the season ended today ...
Fiesta:
Miami
vs. Oklahoma
Rose:
Ohio
State vs. Oregon
Sugar:
Georgia
vs. Notre Dame
Orange:
Florida
State vs. Virginia Tech
Each week during the season, this space will
be devoted to your comments on a particular issue.
Last week's topic: At this point in the season, is Heisman talk worthless or is it a worthwhile debate -- and why?
Worthless! The Heisman Trophy has lost its meaning since the media and individual teams started an all-out effort to promote their so-called candidates like car companies competing for the Motor Trend Whatever of the Year trophy. We hear worn-out conversations on TV and radio and see T-shirts, bumper stickers and Internet ads touting this person and that person for the Heisman. By the time the selection is finally made, we're as relieved to have it over as we are when a public office election campaign finally ends. Forget the hype, let the players play and then let the chips fall where they may at the end of the season!
Chris Smith,Dover, Del.
Is Heisman talk worthless at this point? I don't think so. There always seems to be a few players who enter the year as early candidates. It's up to them to live up to and justify that hype. As an Ohio State fan, we have played a few games where the QBs were Heisman candidates. I'm not sure they left as serious candidates. It's good for the game. It hypes the game as much as it hypes the player.
Andy Bott, Columbus, Ohio
This early talk is pretty worthless. I rarely agree with the voting, anyway. There's too much emphasis on skill positions -- especially quarterbacks -- and the hype generated by the publicity departments at rich schools keeps the voters busy and unable to see the big picture. Without a supporting cast, the 1,000-yard rusher drops to 100 yards, the great quarterback goes back to bagging groceries.
Chuck Federal, Charlotte
The better question is why are candidates identified before the season even begins, almost negating breakout performances? Football fans have had the chance to see rising college stars like Penn State's Zack Mills and Missouri's Brad Smith decidedly dominate their top-ranked opponents with more heart and talent than anyone out there, but since they weren't preseason picks, they won't get a single vote. Remember, everyone, it's the award for the nation's best player, not the award for "average player on the country's best team" (enter Mr. Dorsey).
Bill Pentz, Exton, Penn.
This week's topic: Does Virginia Tech have what it takes to take down Miami? Be sure to explain your argument.
Luke Winn is college football producer for
CNNSI.com. To send him a comment or question, click
here.
