From the Sidelines

Published 12:00 am Saturday, November 11, 2000

MICHAEL KIRAL / L’Observateur / November 11, 2000

Unlike the presidential election, the race for the national championship will actually clear up this weekend.

The Bowl Championship Series has been as confusing, and as unnecessary, as the electorial college lately. Victories, and the vote of the majority, of thepeople used to count for something. Now it’s about how big you win andwhere.

But enough ranting. There are a number of important games in collegefootball today, many of which have a direct impact on conference championships, bowls and the national title.

At home, LSU and Ole Miss look to keep their hopes for the SEC West title alive when they hook up in Oxford. Both teams are coming off impressivewins, LSU over Alabama at home and the Rebels over Arkansas. Both teamsneed to win out and receive some help in order to win the West.

LSU broke one losing streak last week, defeating Alabama in Tiger Stadium for the first time since 1969. Now they will be out to snap a 10-game losingstreak on the road. In order to do so, they have to slow down Ole Missrunning back Deuce McAllister, who is being projected by some to be the first overall pick in the NFL Draft next April.

Tulane faces a must-win game against Navy in order to keep its hopes alive for both a winning season and a bowl bid. The Green Wave needs to defeatboth the Midshipmen and Memphis in order to achieve those goals. Navy haslost its first eight games this season but defeated Tulane, 45-21, last year.

And it was a winless Army team that upset the Green Wave two weeks ago.

Southern can keep its hopes for a winning season alive with a victory over Texas Southern at home.

Each of the top 10 teams in the country face tough competition today. Top-ranked Oklahoma has its fourth “are they for real?” game this season at Texas A & M. The Sooners have done quite well in the previous three,defeating Texas, Kansas State and Nebraska, all top 10 teams, by a combined margin of 135-59. But the fans in College Station, the famed”12th Man” are geared up for this one. There could very well be a shakeup atthe top spot after this one.

Second-ranked Miami (Fla.) doesn’t have a cakewalk either. The Hurricaneshost Pittsburgh, a team that has defeated Penn State and taken Virginia Tech down to the wire this season. The Canes could fall further behind in theBCS standings behind Florida State, which should have an easier time at Wake Forest.

Fourth-ranked Nebraska cannot overlook its game at No. 16 Kansas State.The Wildcats would love to spoil the Cornhuskers’ national title hopes like Nebraska has done to them in the past and Manhattan is a tough place to play.

Fifth-ranked Florida welcomes No. 21 South Carolina and Lou Holtz to theSwamp. Who would have predicted before the season that this one would befor the SEC East title? Holtz should be a runaway winner for coach of the year but even he will have a tough time beating the Gators at home.

Also tough to beat at home is No. 6 Oregon which hosts California. Ditto forNo. 7 Washington which gets UCLA at Huskie Stadium. Both games will beclose but both should go to the home squads.

No. 9 Purdue can set itself up for the Rose Bowl with a victory at MichiganState. Ditto for No. 10 Oregon State at Arizona. Eleventh-ranked NotreDame faces one of its final major challenges to a BCS bid at home against Boston College. But remember, it was the Eagles that ended the Irish’snational title chances just a few years ago.

In the SEC West, No. 22 Auburn can maintain its lead in the division with a winat home over No. 14 Georgia. But the Bulldogs would love to avenge a blowoutloss at home last year to the Tigers.

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