Section B · Page 8
The University Daily Kansan
Monday, December 8, 1997
Bowl alliance chooses competitors
Nebraska to play in Orange Bowl
The Associated Press
Unable to match up the top two teams in the nation, the Orange Bowl yesterday went for the next best game — No. 2 Nebraska vs. No. 3 Tennessee.
With No. 1 Michigan playing No. 8 Washington State in the Rose Bowl on Jan. 1, the Orange Bowl could turn into a national title game only if the Cougars (10-1) upset the Wolverines (11-0).
The Orange Bowl is this year's top bowl alliance game and went for the highest-ranked teams available.
The Sugar Bowl will match No. 4 Florida State (10-1) against No. 9 Ohio State (10-2), while the Fiesta will pair No. 10 Kansas State (10-1) vs. No. 14 Syracuse (9-3).
"It was a very close decision," said Keith Tribble, the Orange Bowl's executive director. "We had an undefeated and No. 2 Nebraska, and we needed to get the No. 3 team, and that was Tennessee."
But just barely. The Volunteers (11-1) got four touchdown passes from Heisman Trophy hopeful Peyton Manning and edged Auburn 30-29 in the SEC title game Saturday night. The result allowed the Volunteers to retain the No. 3 ranking.
Automatic bowl alliance bids to the ACC, Big East, Big 12 and SEC champions, with two at-large bids available.
The conference title winners were Florida State (ACC), Syracuse (Big East), Nebraska (Big 12) and Tennessee (SEC). Ohio State, second in the Big Ten, and Kansas State of the Big 12 were the atlargе picks, leaving No. 5 UCLA and No. 7 North Carolina out of the alliance.
"There will always be a little controversy, but I'm not sure that controversy shouldn't be a part of this game," said Roy Kramer, the bowl alliance coordinator and SEC commissioner. "That's what
"There will always be a little controversy, but I'm not sure that controversy shouldn't be a part of this game."
Roy Kramer bowl alliance coordinator
makes it great. We'll have a little bit of that, but most years we've always ended up a consensus No. 1 vs. No. 2, and we've seen that in the last two or three years, and I think we'll have that in the future."
Next season, the Rose Bowl, Big Ten and Pac-10 conferences will become part of the alliance. If that had been the case this season, a true national title game would have matched No. 1 Michigan against No. 2 Nebraska (12-0).
But for the second straight year, the top two teams will play games 3.000 miles apart.
Last year, Ohio State beat Arizona State 20-17 in the Rose Bowl and spoiled the Sun Devils' national title hopes. The result also turned the Jan. 2 Sugar Bowl into a true title game when Florida, ranked third at the time, beat a No. 1 Florida State 52-20 for its first national championship.
This time, the No. 1 team has to lose in the Rose Bowl to give Nebraska or Tennessee a title shot.
Huskers coach Tom Osborne, whose team is 59-3 the past five seasons with national titles in 1994 and 1995, knows all about the twists and turns of winning a championship.
"In 1994, we were fortunate to be voted No. 1 and Penn State was undefeated and didn't get that opportunity," Osborne said. "Sometimes it happens that way, and all we can control is our own level of play and hope we play well on January 2 and then see what people think when it's finished."
A look at the rest of the bowl lineup, with several spots still not
The Top Twenty Five teams in The Associated Press college football poll, with first-place votes in parentheses, records through Dec. 6, total points based on 25 points for a first place vote through one point for a 25th place vote and previous ranking:
AP TOP 25
rank team rec pts pvs
1. Michigan (69) 11-0 1,749 1
2. Nebraska (1) 12-0 1,681 2
3. Tennessee 11-1 1,570 3
4. Florida St. 11-1 1,536 4
5. UCLA 9-2 1,386 5
6. Florida 9-2 1,356 6
7. N.C. Carolina 10-1 1,293 7
8. Washington St. 10-1 1,292 8
9. Ohio St. 10-1 1,246 9
10. Kansas St. 10-1 1,194 10
11. Penn St. 9-2 994 12
12. Georgia 9-2 966 13
13. Auburn 9-3 952 11
14. Syracuse 9-3 778 15
15. LSU 8-3 715 16
16. Arizona St. 8-3 610 17
17. Purdue 8-3 578 18
18. Colorado St. 10-2 510 20
19. Missouri 7-4 471 19
20. Texas A&M 9-3 460 14
21. Washington 7-4 304 21
22. S. Mississippi 8-3 277 22
23. Air Force 10-2 216 23
24. Oklahoma St. 8-3 184 24
25. Michigan St. 7-4 140 25
Other receiving votes: Iowa 59, Mississippi 45, Marshall 44, Wisconsin 38, Virginia 37, Louisiana Tech 25, Cambridge 16, Notre Dame 13, Mississippi St. 7, New Mexico 4, N. Carolina St. 2, Miami 0, Ohio 1, Virginia Tech 1.
filled, including the Independence, Peach and Outback bowls. The Independence is expected to select Notre Dame (7-5) to play LSU (8-3) in a rematch of a regular-season game won by the Irish.
Las Vegas. ATL Force (10-2) vs.
Oregon (6-5), Dec. 20.
Motor City: Marshall (10-2) vs.
at-large team, Dec. 26.
Aloha: Michigan State (7-4) vs.
Washington (7-4), Dec. 25.
Bridgeteam, D.C.20.
Heritage: South Carolina State
Insight.com: Arizona (6-5) vs. New Mexico (9-3). Dec. 27.
- Independence: at-large team vs.
  Sec No. 5, team. Dec. 28.
Humanitarian: Utah State (6-5)
vs. Cincinnati (7-4). Dec. 29.
The Top Twenty Five teams in the USA Today/ESPN college football poll, with first-place votes in parentheses, records through Dec. 7, total points based on 25 points for a first-place vote through one point for a 25th-place vote, and previous ranking:
ESPN/USA TODAY
rank team rec pts pvs
1. Michigan (53) 11-0 1,541 1
2. Nebraska (8) 12-0 1,494 2
3. Tennessee 11-1 1,355 3
4. Florida St. 11-1 1,354 4
5. N. Carolina 10-1 1,230 5
6. UCLA 9-1 1,192 6
7. Washington St. 10-2 1,185 7
8. Florida 9-2 1,134 8
9. Kansas St. 10-1 1,102 9
10. Ohio St. 10-2 1,067 10
11. Georgia 10-2 842 13
12. Penn St. 9-2 834 12
13. Auburn 9-3 772 11
14. Syracuse 9-3 725 15
15. LSU 8-3 653 16
16. Purdue 8-3 533 17
17. Colorado St. 10-2 532 18
18. Arizona St. 8-3 457 19
19. Texas A&M 9-3 391 14
20. Missouri 7-4 391 20
21. Air Force 10-2 285 21
22. S. Mississippi 8-3 254 23
23. Washington 7-4 232 22
24. Oklahoma St. 8-3 185 24
25. Michigan St. 7-4 103 —
Other receiving visits: Wisconsin 61, Iowa 64, Clemson 40, Mississippi 32, Virginia 29, Michigan 26, Notre Dame 20, Louisiana Tech 19, New Mexico 17, West Virginia 16, Oklahoma 15, South Carolina 14, Tennessee 9, Utah 8, Georgia 9, Ulaanbao 4, Navy 6, Cincinnati 4.
- Carquest: Georgia Tech (6-5) vs. West Virginia (7-4). Dec. 29.
- Holiday: Missouri (7-4) vs. Colorado State (10-2), Dec. 29.
Alamo: Okahoma State (8-3) vs. Purdue (8-3), Dec. 30.
Purdue (d-3), Dec. 30.
Sun: Arizona State (8-3) vs.
Liberty: Pittsburgh (6-5) vs. Southern Mississippi (8-3), Dec. 31
Outback: Wisconsin (8-4) vs. Georgia (9-2) or Auburn (9-3). Jan. 1.
Gator: North Carolina (10-1) vs. Virginia Tech (7-4), Jan. 1
■ Citrus: Penn State (9-2) vs. Florida (9-2), Jan. 1.
Cotton: Texas A&M (9-3) vs. UCLA (9-2), Jan. 1.
Peach: Clemson (7-4) vs. Georgia (9-2) or Auburn (9-3), Jan. 2.
Focused'Huskers regain Big 12 title
The Associated Press
SAN ANTONIO - Now that Nebraska has settled the score in the Big 12 title game, the Cornhuskers can turn their attention to other things — such as rooting for Washington State in the Rose Bowl.
"That's a given that we'll be rooting for Washington State." "Huskers quarterback Scott Frost said Saturday night after No. 2 Nebraska (12-0) defeated No. 14 Texas A&M 54-15 for the Big 12 title and a berth in the Orange Bowl. "But we can't control that. We just have to win our last game."
That last game will be against No. 3 Tennessee, which beat No. 11 Auburn 30-29 Saturday night in the SEC championship game.
For Nebraska to win the national title, the Cornhuskers must win the Orange Bowl and hope No. 8 Washington State upsets No. 1 Michigan (11-0) in the Rose Bowl Jan. 1.
"I'm not rooting for anyone," said "Huskers coach Tom Osborne. "We'll just wait and see what happens. I'm just glad we won today."
Still stinging from last year's 37-27 ambush by Texas in the conference title game, Nebraska scored on its first seven possessions and led 37-3 at halftime.
Scott Frost threw for 201 yards and ran for two touchdowns, Ahman Green had three touchdowns and 179 yards, and Kris Brown kicked four field goals. The 'Huskers amassed 536 total yards against the Aggies (9-3).
"We had a chip on our shoulder about what happened in St. Louis," Nebraska defensive end Grant Wistrom
said of the loss to the Longhorns. "This has alw, ys been our battle cry over the summer.
"I know that was the only thing I was thinking about when I worked, practiced or was in the weight room," he said. "We weren't going to let down. That loss is one I'll remember the rest of my life."
Texas A&M, the Big 12 South champion, found itself in the wrong place at the wrong time Saturday against the North champion Cornhuskers and probably will end up in the Cotton Bowl.
With a sellout Alamodome crowd of 64,824 watching, the 'Huskers had 353 first-half yards and held Texas A&M to just two first downs.
Frost, just the 12th player in NCAA history to top 1,000 yards running and passing in the same season, scored on a 6-yard run, while Brown kicked field goals of 27, 26 and 31 yards, giving Nebraska a 16-0 first-quarter lead.
Green, the nation's second leading rusher, followed with touchdown runs of 25 and 1 yards. He also had a 6-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter.
Frost hit Matt Davison with a 51-yard pass just before half-time and set up his own 2-yard touchdown run.
Texas A&M coach R.C. Slocum said, "They beat us offensively, defensively and every possible way."
"I'm disappointed in the way we played. Our offense has to bear some responsibility for the loss. They didn't make many first downs and stay on the field so our defense wouldn't have to work so hard."
Applications for Admission to the School of Education teacher education, community health and sport science programs are now available in 117 Bailey Hall.
Students who are accepted will be admitted for the Fall 1998 semester.
Applications and all supporting materials are due on February 15,1998.
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