Ranked teams put records on the line
Saturday
By Richard Rosenblatt
The Associated Press
Will he or won’t he?
Not even Michael Vick knows for
sure.
A sprained right ankle threatens
to keep Virginia Tech’s flashy quar
terback on the sideline when the
second-ranked Hokies visit No. 3
Miami Saturday in what boils
down to a national title elimina
tion game.
“I think Michael is getting better,
but I don’t know if there’s enough
time,” Hokies coach Frank Beamer
says. “He’s still questionable, and
it is going to be a last-minute deci
sion.”
Although Virginia Tech (8-0, 6-0
Big East) pulled out a 37-34 win
over Pittsburgh last week with Dave
Meyer replacing Vick for the second
half, the Hurricanes (6-1, 3-0) pres
ent bigger problems.
Miami, the nation’s top scoring
team at 45 points per game,
knocked off a then-No. 1 Florida
State to end a five-game losing
streak against the team and would
like nothing better than to end a
five-game slide against Virginia
Tech, which routed the Hurricanes
43-10 in ’99.
The winner of this Big East Con
ference showdown moves a giant
step closer to the Orange Bowl,
this year’s site of the Bowl Cham
pionship Series’ national title
game Jan. 3. The Hokies are second
and the Hurricanes fifth in the BCS
standings, which determine who
plays in the title game based on a
formula using polls, computer
rankings, schedule strength and
wins.
Vick, among the top Heisman
Trophy contenders, has 1,023
yards and seven TDs passing and
584 yards and eight TDs rushing.
The Hokies are fifth in scoring at
42 points per game.
The Hurricanes are led by Ken
Dorsey, who has thrown for 1,675
yards and 14 TDs, and running
backs James Jackson — 185 yards
last week — and a healthy Clinton
Portis.
If Vick plays, he will wear a spe
cial brace molded to his foot. “I’m
better, but I’m still not able to do
what I do,” he says.
In Tallahassee, Fla., Bowden
Bowl II convenes Saturday night
when No. 10 Clemson (8-1, 6-1
ACC) plays No. 4 Florida State (8
1, 6-0) in a game with national title
implications only for defending
champion Florida State.
Tommy Bowden’s Tigers lost their
title chance with a 31-28 loss to
Georgia Tech last week, a game
quarterback Woodrow Dantzler left
after reinjuring his left ankle. If
Dantzler can’t go, freshman Willie
Simmons gets his first start. Sim
mons, who passed for 131 yards and
ran for 25 against the Yellow Jackets,
also replaced Dantzler two weeks
ago and matched a school record
with four TD passes in a 38-24 win
over North Carolina.
But Tommy’s Tigers can end
Florida State’s bid to repeat and
make poppa Bobby Bowden an un
happy coach. Last year, Florida
State rallied for a 17-14 victory as
Bobby Bowden claimed career win
No. 300.
Florida State, coming off a 58-14
win over North Carolina State, fi
nally has a healthy Chris Weinke.
Weinke, another top Heisman can
didate, has been recovering from a
sprained left foot since it was first
injured against Maryland on Sept.
28. Despite the injury, Weinke has
thrown for 2,969 yards and 23
TDs.
Florida State is scoring 43.3
points per game, the Tigers 41.4.
Bowl Championship Series
Rank Team
1
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14
15.
Oklahoma
Virginia Tech
Florida State
Nebraska
Miami (FL)
Florida
Oregon
Washington
TCU
Purdue
Oregon State
Michigan
Gemson
Notre Dame
Miss. State
Poll
1.0
2.0
4.0
5.5
3.0
5.5
7.5
7.5
9.0
12.0
14.0
12.0
10.0
15.5
18.0
Comp
1.00
4.43
2.29
3.00
5.57
4.57
7.57
8.57
10.57
10.71
11.43
15.14
16.43
14.21
15.07
Sked
0.46
0.72
0.64
0.68
0.80
0.26
0.60
0.24
4.44
0.92
1.75
1.44
3.68
0.32
0.16
Loss
0
0
1
1
1
1
1
1
0
2
1
2
1
2
2
Total
2.46
7.15
7.93
10.18
10.37
11.35
16.67
17.31
24.01
25.63
28.19
30.58
31.11
32.03
35.23
ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll
Record Pts. Pvs.
Rank Team
1. Oklahoma
2. Virginia Tech
3. Miami (FL)
4. Florida State
5. Florida
6. Nebraska
7. Washington
8. Oregon
9. TCU
10. Clemson
11. So. Miss
12. Michigan
13. Purdue
14. Oregon State
15. Kansas State
16. Notre Dame
17. Georgia
18. Miss. State
19. Ohio State
20. Texas
21. Colorado State
22. Auburn
23. Northwestern
24. So. Carolina
25. Texas A&M
7- 0 1,470 3
8- 0 1,403 2
6- 1 1,324 5
8-1 1,289 6
7- 1 1,217 7
7-1 1,180 1
7-1 1,076 9
7-1 1,047 10
7- 0 984 11
8- 1 964 4
6-1 805 13
6- 2 779 15
7- 2 777 16
7-1 646 1 7
7-2 590 8
6-2 489 19
6-2 486 12
5- 2 445 21
6- 2 444 13
6- 2 426 20
7- 1 233 24
7-2 222 25
6- 2 201 NR
7- 2 184 18
6-2 151 NR
Associated Press Top-25
Record Pts. Pvs.
Rank Team
1. Oklahoma
2. Virginia Tech
3. Miami (FL)
4. Florida State
5. Nebraska
6. Florida
7. Oregon
8. Washington
9. TCU
10. Clemson
11. Purdue
12. Michigan
13. So. Miss
14. Oregon State
15. Notre Dame
16. Ohio State
17. Georgia
18. Miss. State
19. Kansas State
20. Texas
21. Northwestern
22. So. Carolina
23. Auburn
24. Texas A&M
25. Georgia Tech
7- 0 1,749 3
8- 0 1,633 2
6- 1 1,602 4
8-1 1,539 6
7- 1 1,425 1
7-1 1,395 8
7-1 1,378 7
7-1 1,262 9
7- 0 1,150 11
8- 1 1,071 5
7-2 1,017 16
6-2 925 15
6- 1 897 14
7- 1 893 18
6-2 674 19
6-2 563 12
6- 2 544 13
5- 2 515 20
7- 2 443 10
6- 2 399 22
6- 2 391 23
7- 2 283 17
7-2 274 25
6-2 240 NR
6-2 178 NR
In other games involving top-25
teams, it’s No. 1 Oklahoma at Bay
lor; Kansas at No. 5 Nebraska; No.
6 Florida at Vanderbilt; No. 7 Ore
gon at Washington State; Arizona
at No. 8 Washington; No. 9 TCU at
San Jose State; No. 12 Michigan at
No. 21 Northwestern; Louisville at
No. 13 Southern Mississippi; No.
CC I think Michael is
getting better, but I don’t
know if there’s enough
time. He’s still question
able, and it is going to be a
last-minute decision.
Frank Beamer
Hokies coach
14 Oregon State at California;
Michigan State at No. 16 Ohio
State; No. 18 Mississippi State at
Kentucky; Iowa State at No. 19
Kansas State; No. 20 Texas at Texas
Tech; and No. 24 Texas A&M at
Oklahoma State.
One of the more intriguing
matchups features the nation’s top
two rushers — TCU’s LaDainian
Tomlinson against San Jose State’s
Deonce Whitaker.
Tomlinson, who leads the nation
with 184.7 yards per game, could
have a field day against the Spar
tans, ranked 108th of 115 I-A
teams in run defense at 220.6 ypg.
Whitaker averages 178.7 yards per
game for San Jose State (6-3, 4-1
WAC). The Horned Frogs (7-0, 4
0), one of only three remaining un
defeated teams, are ninth against
the run at 93.1 ypg.
Oklahoma (7-0, 4-0 Big 12) plays
its first game as the No. 1 team
against Baylor, one of the nation’s
weaker teams. The Sooners are led
by Josh Heupel (2,194 yards, 12
TDs), who threw for 300 yards and
a TD in last week’s 31-14 win over
Nebraska. The Bears (2-6, 0-5)
scored their first points in four
games last week — a 48-14 loss to
Texas.
Nebraska (7-1, 4-1 Big 12),
meanwhile, is likely to take out its
frustration on Kansas (4-4, 2-3), a
team it has beaten 31 years in a
row. On Nov. 11, the Huskers are at
Kansas State and with a win in
Manhattan, coach Frank Solich’s
team may find itself back in the na
tional title chase — with a rematch
against Oklahoma looming in the
Big 12 title game on Dec. 2.
In another game of note, Alaba
ma (3-5, 3-2 SEC) is at LSU (5-3, 3
2).
In Mike DuBose’s first game as
the Tide’s lame-duck coach, the
Tigers will try to end a 15-game
winless streak (0-14-1) against Al
abama that back to 1969.
DuBose will resign at the end of
a rocky season, one in which Al
abama started out No. 3 in the AP
preseason poll but faltered badly,
including an embarrassing 40-38
homecoming loss to Central Flori
da last Saturday. The Tide need to
win their final three games to qual
ify for a bowl berth.
II"Elegant Thai Cuisine
' Authentic Vegetarian,
Curry, & Seafood Dishes
Voted Best Asian Restaurant of its Kind In Cnflene
Inside the 5th Street Market
“37 years of Quality Service9
Mercedes • BMW • Volkswagen • Audi
German Auto Service
342-2912 • 2025 Franklin Blvd.
Eugene, Oregon, 97402
y/e*/ f>tofft. fu*. y/«V
Don't miss out.
Work for your college paper.
For more information on how to freelance for the Oregon Daily Emerald call 346-5511.