MONDAY, DEC. 10, 2001
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SPORTS
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN = 7A
HOROSCOPES
Today's Birthday (Dec. 10).
today at a birthday (Dec. 10).
As friends mature, sometimes dependencies develop. Although you may find these uncomfortable at first, they're not always bad. You provide something you do well, and others do the same thing. It's OK to have a niche, as you're about to discover.
Aries (March 21-April 19). Today is an 8.
Ames (March 2-4 April) Today is a day:
If you've been playing Lone Ranger, you may discover that it's nice to have a sidekick — somebody who can help you come up with good ideas and carry them out. Look around. He or she is nearby.
Tournus (April 20, May 20) Today is a
Yours truly, I'm work out for you, and there's plenty of it. Your work is cut out for you. Enough practice on an assistant? Perhaps. First, get the routine down. Interview helpers tomorrow.
[May 21, June 21] Today is a 9.
You always express yourself well, but today you’re especially brilliant. You’re practically irresistible, too. It’s your dry sense of humor that hooks ‘em. Use it wisely.
Cancer (June 22-July 22) Today is a 5.
You may be pooped, but not quit yet. You can still scratch a few things on your lists. Something you've been worrying about will be easier to handle today than it will be tomorrow. Find it, then do it.
Lee July 23-25, 2021. You isn't you have a front-row seat for all the action. Volunteer to be part of the steering committee. Something you were afraid might happen, could. If you know in advance what action to take, it won't be an insurmountable problem.
Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22). Today is a 5.
Something you learn at work proves to be helpful at
home. Actually, working at home is an option you
might want to consider if you are not there already.
Libra (Oct. 27- Oct. 21). Today is an 8.
Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 22). Today is an arc.
Make contact with all your informants and find out what's happening. Sort through all the gossip, and separate fact from fiction. Having trouble making sense of it? You have a better chance of figuring things out than most.
Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 21). Today is a 5.
**Scorpion (Oct. 23-Nov. 21) Today is a 5.**
You have an idea of how things should turn out, but there may be a gap between that and where things actually are. Modify your plans slightly, and you'll be more effective tomorrow.
Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21). Today is an 8.
You're not coming up with all the good ideas, but you do seem to be a magnet for them. Make sure everybody gets credit where it's due, then hurry to try a new way. This one can be quite successful.
Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19). Today is a 5.
Conditions will change in your favor, but you might feel like it's taking eons to get there. Actually, it'll take only a couple of weeks. Keep slogging toward victory. Follow a warrior for peace.
Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 18). Today is a 9.
Did you get today off, too? You may be in a holiday mood, even if at work. You can probably get away with it. The boss won't be watching till tomorrow.
Please (Feb. 18, March 20) Today is a 6.
Pisces (Feb. 13-March 20). Judy is a
If you could just get through all that paperwork, you
might find some time for yourself. That's just what
will happen. The fun is coming tomorrow. Better
hurry.
year's Day in Killeen, Oregon's Mike Bellotti, who rarely shows anger on or off the field, fumed at the BCS rankings, calling them a "travesty."
"I liken the BCS to a bad disease, like cancer," he said before the Ducks' practice in Eugene. "Not to take anything away from Nebraska
The second-ranked Ducks (10-1, No. 4 BCS) will meet the third-ranked Buffaloes (10-2, No.3) in the Fiesta Bowl. And judging by the coaches' reaction yesterday, the teams should be ready to take out their frustrations on each other New Year's Day in Tempe, Ariz.
Colorado, Oregon criticize rankings
The Associated Press
Both feeling jilted by the system, Oregon and Colorado will get their chance to prove that the BCS computer brain had its wires crossed by choosing Nebraska instead of them.
or Colorado — they're great football teams — but one has two losses and the other didn't win their conference championship. We're No. 2 in both polls, but those things don't have a lot of merit, obviously."
Colorado coach Gary Barnett couldn't understand how Nebraska, which was thrashed 62-36 by the Buffaloes in Boulder on Nov. 23, could be ranked ahead of his team.
"It's hard to be gracious at this moment." Barnett said.
There could be more at stake than just a philosophical debate over the embattled BCS system when Oregon and Colorado play. Should Nebraska, ranked fourth in the Associated Press and coaches' polls but No. 2 in the BCS, beat consensus No. 1 Miami in the Rose Bowl on Jan. 3, the 72 voters in the AP poll could choose the Fiesta winner as the
national champion. The coaches are obliged to cast their vote for the Rose Bowl winner.
"Absolutely," he said. "I'm always the eternal optimist, thinking of possible ways to kind of sneak in the back door here. But I think we had a great season, and I do think we have a shot, a legitimate claim to possibly be playing in Pasadena."
Asked whether the Fiesta winner should be crowned the champion if Nebraska pulls off the upset, Oregon quarterback Joey Harrington didn't hesitate.
The only blemish for Oregon, the Pac-10 champion, was a 49-42 loss to Stanford on Oct. 20 in which the Cardinal blocked two pints in the fourth quarter and scored 21 straight points.
The Ducks responded with four consecutive wins, but they moved up just one spot in the BCS over the
.
rmat three weeks, even after five teams ranked ahead of them lost.
"I know we could play with Miami," said Oregon tight end Justin Peele.
Colorado perhaps has a stronger case: The Buffs played a tougher schedule than Oregon, and their only defeats came to Fresno State and Texas. After beating Nebraska, they avenged the Texas loss with a 39-37 victory over the Longhorns in the Big 12 title game.
"They say the computer is right," Colorado running back Bobby Purity said. "We're just going to have to go out and play well against Oregon and prove to the nation how good we really are."
When the final BCS standings came out, however, the Cornhuskers were ahead of Colorado by a mere five hundredths of a point.
Nebraska to play in Rose Bowl, not Colorado
The Associated Press
Nebraska will play for a national title after all.
In an astounding turn certain to send out a cry for a playoff or changes in the Bowl Championship Series, the Cornhuskers squeezed into second place over Colorado in the final BCS standings yesterday.
Even though the Buffaloes routed the Huskers 62-36 three weeks ago, Nebraska won the points battle that counted most and will play undefeated Miami in the Rose Bowl on Jan. 3.
Thanks to LSU's 31-20 upset of Tennessee in Saturday night's Southeastern Conference title game, the Huskers were the BCS computer's choice — by a scant five hundredths of a point. A win by the Vols would have sent them to Pasadena instead.
In the final ranking, Miami finished first with 2.62 points, Nebraska second with 7.23 points, Colorado third at 7.28 and Oregon fourth with 8.67 points.
Solich said. "Anytime you don't have two clear-cut, undefeated teams, you're going to have controversy."
"Colorado and Oregon are great teams." Nebraska coach Frank
Nebraska (11-1) was No. 4 in both the AP media poll and the USA Today/ESPN coaches poll yesterday, but held a sizable edge over No. 2 Oregon (10-1) and No. 3 Colorado (10-2) in the computer portion of the BCS formula.
The final margin was so close that if the Buffaloes were one spot higher in any of the computer ratings they would have been off to the Rose Bowl instead of the Huskers.
The BCS standings were devised by SEC commissioner Roy Kramer in 1998 in hopes of ensuring that the top two teams play for a national title. The rankings use a formula that incorporates the AP media and the coaches polls, eight computers, strength of schedule, won-lost record and bonus points for big wins.
The bonus award — new this season — is based on a sliding scale from 1.5 points for beating a first-place team down to .1 for a win over
the 15th-place team. The bonus is awarded after the other elements are calculated.
Heisman Trophy winner Eric Crouch and the Huskers, in fact, didn't even win their conference — Colorado took the Big 12. But Nebraska will go to the Rose Bowl as an at large team, the first time that's happened in the BCS' four-year history. The winner of that game is automatically crowned the coaches' champion.
"How you're playing at this point — seems to me that should be thought of." Colorado coach Gary Barnett said.
Oregon and Colorado will play in the Fiesta Bowl on Jan. 1, with the possibility of split national champions with the winner claiming the No.1 ranking in the final AP poll.
AP voters will turn in their ballots right after the Rose Bowl, and all teams are eligible for the title.
"I think controversy comes into play when the final BCS standing differs from the AP poll and the coaches poll," BCS chairman John Swofford said. "With the kind of year
we had, you're going to have three. four or maybe five teams feeling they're as good as anybody in the country and should have a chance to play for the national championship."
The Ducks and Buffaloes seem to have legitimate gripes about being left out of the Rose.
■ Oregon won the Pac-10 Conference title and finished No. 2 in the polls, part of the BCS' complex method for determining its top teams.
Colorado took the Big 12 with a 39-37 upset of Texas on Dec. 1, a week after beating Nebraska, and finished No. 3 in the polls.
Tennessee's loss was a costly one, dropping the Vols (10-2) out of the BCS picture and into the Citrus Bowl against Michigan (8-3). If that wasn't enough, the Orange Bowl chose Florida (9-2) — 34-32 losers to the Vols on Dec. 1—to play Atlantic Coast Conference champion Maryland (10-1) on Jan. 2.
The Sugar Bowl will match SEC champion LSU (9-3) against Big Ten champion Illinois (10-1).
ATTENTION ALL TRADITION KEEPERS!
FREE your mind with a FREE meal.
Finals Dinner Thursday, Dec.13 | Adams Alumni Center Stop by anytime between 5 p.m. & 8 p.m.
Caterer extraordinaire Steve Maceli will dish up gourmet cuisine so mouthwatering your finals stress will vanish. Choose meat or veggie lasagna with salad and bread sticks, followed by an irresistible dessert. Relax with a free shoulder massage and take home your very own stress ball. RSVP to ssa@ku.edu or call 864-9779 by Dec.11
RSVP to saa@ku.edu or call 864-9779 by Dec.11
(If you haven't already received your Tradition Keeper benefits package,you can pick it up at dinner)
Stop by the Adams Alumni Center at 1266 Oread Avenue if you'd like to become a Tradition Keeper. Finals Dinner is one of the many benefits of membership.