Monday, October 07, 2002
Parity strikes college football
By RICHARD ROSENBLATT
AP Football Writer
Texas by 2. Oklahoma by 7. Ohio State by 11. And Tennessee by 3 — in six overtimes.
Four of the AP's Top 10 teams struggled mightily to win games that weren't supposed to be struggles at all. In fact, 12 of the week's 18 games involving ranked teams were decided by seven points or fewer — 10 by three points or fewer.
We know this won't be easy to accept, but ... are you sitting? Parity has arrived in college football.
Yes, the most popular word in the NFL has reached a game known more for superior teams piling on points rather than relying on trick plays to beat huge underdogs.
Of course, there's an exception — No. 1 Miami.
“From what I see,” Florida State coach Bobby Bowden says, “it's Miami and the rest of the world.”
Can you guess who the Seminoles play next Saturday?
While the Hurricanes (5-0) rolled to their 27th win in a row — 48-14 over Connecticut — those below in the rankings were thankful for small miracles.
To wit:
— No. 3 Texas (5-0), playing at home, edged Oklahoma State (2-3) 17-15 after Rod Babers' goal-line tackle stopped a 2-point conversion try with 4:04 left. The Longhorns, who fell one spot in this week's AP poll, came into the game averaging 42.5 points.
— No. 2 Oklahoma (5-0) turned a fake field goal into a game-winning 14-yard TD pass play with 6:33 left to beat Missouri (3-2) 31-24. The Sooners, who have yet to thoroughly dominate an opponent this season but swapped ranking spots with Texas this week, were two-TD favorites on the road.
— No. 5 Ohio State (6-0) overcame three fumbles by freshman whiz Maurice Clarett for a 27-16 win over Northwestern (2-4), a team that entered the game with one of the worst run defenses in the country (308.8 ypg).
— No. 10 Tennessee (4-1) kept its SEC title hopes alive with a six-overtime, 41-38 home win against Arkansas (2-2). This comes a week after the Vols trailed lowly Rutgers before winning 35-14 and two weeks after a loss to Florida — both in Knoxville.
Florida wasn't as fortunate Saturday. Double-digit favorites, the Gators (4-2) lost at Mississippi 17-14 and dropped from No. 6 to No. 16. The Rebels (4-1) made the poll at No. 25.
Four other Top 25 teams lost to unranked teams. California beat Washington 34-27, Colorado defeated Kansas State 35-31, Texas Tech topped Texas A&M 48-47 in OT, and Fresno State beat Colorado State 32-30 on Friday.
Texas A&M and Colorado State dropped out of the poll, while Washington fell 10 spots to No. 22, and K-State six places to No. 19.
For a few years now, coaches have been claiming scholarship limitations and tougher academic requirements are the reasons why second-tier teams such as Missouri, Mississippi and Oklahoma State can stick with — and sometimes beat — national title contenders.
“I think there's definitely parity because of it,” Miami coach Larry Coker says. “There's a lot of players we would love to sign that maybe we don't have a scholarship for. Those are good players that are going to go somewhere. I know there's receivers that we looked at last year — one's actually starting at Auburn right now.”
Then again, maybe it's just an illusion. This year, close scores won't matter when the computer rankings of the four-tiered BCS standings are calculated. The final BCS ratings determine which teams play in a national title game at the Fiesta Bowl on Jan. 3.
The computers count 25 percent in the BCS standings — the other elements are the AP media poll and the coaches' poll, strength of schedule and won-loss record. The first BCS standings will be released Oct. 21.
Before those numbers mean something, the upcoming week is filled with games that should help sort out who stays in the national championship race.
The topper is Oklahoma vs. Texas in the Red River Shootout at Dallas. The Sooners have won the last two meetings, 63-14 in 2000, and 14-3 last year. The winner takes control of the Big 12 South.
Florida State (5-1), up to No. 9 this week, has to beat Miami to keep its title chances alive. Coker says the 'Canes won't have it easy, even if others do.
“Florida State is just as talented as we are,” says Coker, still undefeated as a head coach at 17-0. “That's why we really have to do things right and practice well and play well.”
Says Bowden: “You're only playing the king. If you whip the king, you're back in something.”
Parity, indeed.
———
UNBEATENS: Of 117 I-A teams, 11 are undefeated — Air Force (5-0), Bowling Green (4-0), Georgia (5-0), Miami (5-0), North Carolina State (6-0), Notre Dame (5-0), Ohio State (6-0), Oklahoma (5-0), Oregon (5-0), Texas (5-0) and Virginia Tech (5-0). There are three games on the schedule matching current unbeatens — Oklahoma vs. Texas on Saturday, Notre Dame at Air Force on Oct. 19, and Virginia Tech at Miami on Dec. 7.
———
GOOD BEARS: Nice work, Baylor Bears and California Golden Bears.
Baylor ended a four-year, 29-game Big 12 conference losing streak with a 35-32 win over Kansas. Daniel Andino kicked a 33-yard field goal with a second left. As fans swarmed the field, Baylor kicked off, and Kansas tried to lateral its way into the end zone but failed.
Bears coach Kevin Steele held his breath. “If they would have run it back, I would have tackled him,” he said.
California, meanwhile, ended a 19-game losing streak against Washington with 34-27 win in Seattle.
Kyle Boller threw for 266 yards and five TDs in “the best game I've ever played, high school or college.”
The win also ended Washington's 17-game home winning streak.
“It was the best feeling to look up in the stands afterward,” Boller said. “I saw my mom jumping up and down. It was awesome.”
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Parity strikes college football
