When one is tailoring a college football schedule for a run at the national title, one generally invites Ball State, Northern Illinois and Akron to come to campus for all-expenses-paid drubbings.
One doesn’t even think about playing Alabama or Michigan.
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But that’s what UCLA did this month. And in a mere 15 days the Bruins have used a couple of games arranged more than decade ago as a springboard to national championship contention. If UCLA had played a tamer schedule, it might not even be in the Top 20.
“I think this proves we’re No. 1 in the nation,” UCLA quarterback Ryan McCann said after the Bruins stung the Wolverines 23-20 last weekend in the Rose Bowl. “I don’t know who else we can beat or what else we can do.”
The Bruins, unranked in August, have rocketed to No. 6 in the AP (media) poll, and it’s a wonder they aren’t ranked even higher. They have the classiest resume among schools clamoring for a slot in the Orange Bowl, site of the national title game.
“We beat the SEC’s best and the Big Ten’s best,” senior guard Brian Polak said. “Now all we have to do is beat the Pac-10’s best. If we do that, there should be no denying us a shot at the national title.”
UCLA’s astounding month has a lot of athletic directors across the country taking a new look at their schedules. If the Bruins can run the table in the suddenly rugged Pac-10–their first test is Saturday at Oregon–they will have succeeded in turning Bowl Championship Series logic on its ear.
When the BCS took effect two years ago, it wasn’t entirely clear how the system would affect regular-season scheduling. Because schedule strength accounts for a quarter of a team’s BCS ranking, it was assumed that national title hopefuls would upgrade their opponents to score points in the rankings. But because losses also count for a quarter of the BCS ranking, contenders had to be careful not to overdo it.
Alabama and Michigan in the same year? That would qualify as overdoing it.
Likewise, Notre Dame seemingly had overloaded when it scheduled Texas A&M, Nebraska, Purdue, Michigan State and Stanford to start this season. But after three games the lone blemish on the Irish ledger is an overtime loss to No. 1 Nebraska.
If Notre Dame wins the rest of its games, its powerful early-season slate will give it a lofty BCS ranking. An upset or two could pave the Irish’s way into the Orange Bowl.
Steady, Mrs. O’Leary.
College football scheduling always has required finesse, but the stakes soared when the BCS was adopted. Most schedules are drawn up years in advance, so it’s often hard to tell when a game is signed whether it will be a gimme or an 800-pound gorilla.
National title contenders have to walk a fine line and several have decided to fall on the side of safety.
Two years ago, Kansas State slaughtered Division I-AA Indiana State, Northern Illinois and Northeast Louisiana on its way to an 11-0 start; only a loss to Texas A&M in the Big 12 playoff kept K-State out of the BCS title game. But as the Wildcats piled up the lopsided victories coach Bill Snyder was pilloried for his schedule. Perhaps in response, he has signed up for a home-and-home series against USC. It opens in Los Angeles next autumn; the rematch in Manhattan, Kan., hasn’t been set.
Last year, Virginia Tech rode the donut express all the way to the Sugar Bowl, feasting on Division I-AA James Madison and UAB. But give coach Frank Beamer credit. Tired of taking flak for his schedule, Beamer agreed to play Michigan in a preseason game this year. When the Wolverines chickened out, Beamer signed up for a meeting with Georgia Tech. That Aug. 27 game was canceled because of lightning in the Blacksburg area and the Yellow Jackets have said they will not come back for a makeup.
Texas opted for safety when it canceled a trip to Hawaii this season; Longhorn coach Mack Brown decided it was too risky to face a team that had swung a nine-game improvement in 1999. By the time Texas’ 27-24 loss at Stanford had ended Saturday night, it was obvious Brown had ducked the wrong opponent. Hawaii lost its opener to Division I-AA Portland State by 25 points.
UCLA may decide to go the E-Z-Sked route in the future. It probably won’t ask for input from the players, but their preference is clear. They want to play the best.
“I loved it,” wide receiver Brian Poli-Dixon said. “I loved these games.”
So did college football fans everywhere–except, perhaps, for those in Ann Arbor and Tuscaloosa.
Speaking of tough schedules . . . No. 22 Southern Mississippi knows how UCLA feels after whipping Alabama 21-0 in Birmingham. The Golden Eagles also played respectably in a 19-16 loss at Tennessee Sept. 2.
The difference between Southern Mississippi and UCLA is that Southern Mississippi can’t demand home-and-home dates with the big kids. It has to be content to go on the road. The Golden Eagles are among only five Division I schools playing their first three games away from home.
Southern college football observers long have respected Southern Mississippi, which has won three of the first four Conference USA titles. But national recognition has been slow. Defeating Alabama, even in its decrepit state, figures to raise Southern Mississippi’s profile.
“I hope we don’t write about what’s wrong with Alabama,” Southern Miss coach Jeff Bower told reporters afterward. “I hope you write about what a good football team we had.”
Done, coach.
Gator baiting: Hearing Steve Spurrier complain about trash-talking and taunting is a lot like learning that Bob Knight lectured a teenager on manners.
It’s unexpected, to say the least.
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But Spurrier had harsh words for Gator receiver Jabar Gaffney after Gaffney’s game-winning catch in No. 3 Florida’s 27-23 victory at 13th-rated Tennessee Saturday. There was controversy over whether Gaffney even made the catch–referees said yes and 108,768 Orange fans said no–but no debate at all over whether Gaffney crossed the line with his conduct after the play. He reportedly grabbed his crotch and turned to television cameras and made a throat-slashing gesture.
“I didn’t see the crotch-grabbing,” Spurrier said Sunday. “I saw him do the cut-throat thing on TV, which was embarrassing for him, his parents, his teammates, his university. It was terribly embarrassing. We’ll handle it the best we can. That was a terrible thing for Gaffney to do. If he did the other thing, that was terrible also.”
That begs a question: does a coach bear responsibility for his players’ actions? Spurrier, a native Tennessean, is notorious for needling his home state’s football powerhouse. When Tennessee made a succession of trips to the also-ran Citrus Bowl a few years back, Spurrier joked that it was impossible to spell “Citrus” without a “u” and a “t.” He also jokingly congratulated the Volunteers for winning the Knox County championship in a year they lost the mythical state title game against Memphis. Perhaps that’s why the Gators seem so mouthy during Tennessee week each year.
“As a coach you don’t want to put a gag on them,” Spurrier said. “But we try to encourage them to say the right things. But somehow they get going and they like to talk. It’s really just mainly the Tennessee week.
“I’m sick of it,” Spurrier said. “I think our athletic director, our president and our fans are sick of it. It’s not beneficial to the Gators.”
Spurrier refrained from trash-talking after Saturday’s game. Instead, he told Tennessee coach Phil Fulmer that the poorer team had prevailed.
“I’ll say this: I appreciated coach Spurrier’s comments at midfield,” Fulmer said. “Everybody wants to make a big deal about . . . our rivalry, and we do have a very competitive rivalry, but he’s a class guy and has been.”
Fourth and inches: UCLA’s victory over Michigan may have been costly. The Bruins lost defensive end Kenyon Coleman for the season. Coleman underwent surgery Tuesday to repair torn cartilage in his left knee. It’s unclear whether the 6-6, 280-pound senior will return, though he played most of Saturday’s game with the injury, according to coach Bob Toledo. “We lost probably our best player, maybe for the season,” Toledo said.
How ’bout those Rutgers Scarlet Knights? One week after ripping Buffalo 59-0, they turn around and roll over for Virginia Tech 49-0. That’s a 108-point swing. . . .
Is 3-0 Iowa State for real? Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz thinks so after the Cyclones beat the Hawkeyes 24-14 in Iowa City last weekend. “You look at [coach Dan McCarney’s] football team right now, they’re on the way,” Ferentz said. “They’re a veteran team now. My feeling after seeing them on film is that they’re developing that confidence that’s necessary to win football games.” A fast start doesn’t necessarily bode well for the Cyclones. They have been 3-0 three times since 1978 but failed to draw a bowl invitation each time.
When Louisville visits Florida State Saturday, it will mark the third time a Conference USA team has met the defending national champion. The first two games were tight: Memphis lost to Tennessee 17-16 at Knoxville last year and in 1997 Florida pulled away from Southern Miss for a 21-6 victory. . . . Former Illinois State coach Todd Berry has had a tough start at Army, losing his first three games. But Berry already has made an impact at West Point. He has replaced the academy’s traditional ground attack with an air-oriented offense. Last weekend, Army senior quarterback Joe Gerena threw for 305 yards against Houston, becoming the first Cadet in 23 years to throw for more than 300 yards. Gerena led Army down the field in the final minute but Houston blocked a field goal on the game’s last play to preserve a 31-30 victory.