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Athletes to decide FSU-Clemson game
Posted: Thursday October 21, 1999 11:34 PM
Every coach I talked to this week admitted that from here on out in college football, every team knows what the other will do. It just comes down to who has the better athletes. In the family matchup between Bobby Bowden of Florida State and son Tommy of Clemson, the better athletes belong to the Seminoles. Tigers defensive coordinator Reggie Herring told me "We don't have a single starting player on our defense that would make Florida State's second team." and says about the only way Clemson will win is if the Seminoles make a ton of mistakes. Expect the Tigers to play press defense to force Florida State to at least execute its offense. But the Seminoles will remain undefeated with Bobby Bowden getting his 300th career win. After playing Michigan, Ohio State and Michigan State, the Purdue Boilermakers get -- you guessed it -- Penn State. Nittany Lions defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky says his defense was undisciplined in the first half of the season. and that "guys were trying to make all the big plays and failed to make the routine plays." There is nothing routine about trying to defend against Drew Brees. Sandusky feels you can't sack Brees with the blitz -- pressure must come from your front four -- which means he'll need a big effort from all-world defensive end Courtney Brown. Purdue has a chance if it can protect Brees, but in the end, Eric McCoo and the Lions offense will keep Brees off the field. Penn State in a close one. For the first time in nearly 70 years, Tennessee-Alabama will be played in Tuscaloosa. The Crimson Tide is the hottest team in college football right now because of its offense. 'Bama offensive coordinator Neil Callaway told me things clicked about 4 weeks ago when the Tide's recievers started to catch the ball. The key to this game is Vols linebacker Raynoch Thompson versus Alabama running back Shaun Alexander. Alexander was thrust back into the Heisman race after last weeks 200 yard rushing performance.. but this is the first week he'll face an opposing backer who can run with him on pass routes. I like the emotion that Alabama is playing with right now. The Tide will use it to knock of the Vols at home. Trev Alberts is a college football analyst for CNN/SI and appears on CNN's College Football Preview, Saturdays at 11:30 a.m. ET.
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