Sooners set for Sugar Bowl,
ready for Big 12 title game
Top-ranked Oklahoma
should go the BCS title
game even if it loses in the
Big 12 Championship
By Randall Melf
South Florida Sun-Sentinel (KRT)
These are crazy times for Southern
California football fans who spent
the weekend scoreboard watching.
After a Saturday that fell mostly
their way, the Trojans should hold
firm to the No. 2 spot in the Bowl
Championship Series poll when it's
released today. Still, it's too early to
book travel to the Sugar Bowl na
tional championship game Jan. 4 at
New Orleans as No. 3 LSLJ still has
hopes of squeezing out Southern
California.
On the other hand, fans of No. 1
Oklahoma may as well make their
travel arrangements. Win or lose in
Saturday's Big 12 championship
showdown with No. 13 Kansas
State, the Sooners are almost as
sured of a trip to New Orleans.
"Barring something unforeseen,
I consider Oklahoma a lock to play
for the national championship,"
said Chicago-based BCS analyst Jer
ry Palm.
Oklahoma's hold on the No. 1
spot in Sunday's Associated Press
poll was noteworthy. The Sooners
(12-0) have now held the top spot
95 times, tying Notre Dame for
most ever. A victory Saturday will
give the Sooners the record. Ohio
State has been ranked No. 1 third
most (73) followed by Miami (68)
and Florida State (60).
Even if Oklahoma loses next
weekend, the Sooners have accumu
lated so much staying power in the
BCS poll, it's unlikely they would
drop lower than No. 2 when the
BCS matchups are announced next
Sunday, which means the Sooners
will play for the national champi
onship even if they don't win their
conference title. The seven BCS
computers love them so much, they
should remain No. 1 even with a
loss. So, the only question now is
whether they'll wear red or white in
the Sugar Bowl (No. 1 gets the first
choice of uniform colors).
USC (10-1), which concludes its
season Saturday hosting Oregon
State, had some big games fall its
way over the weekend in strength
of-schedule implications, the
biggest being wins that sent Geor
gia to the SEC title game to play
LSU. Now, if LSU beats Georgia, the
Tigers still lose a little something. A
Tiger win should drop Georgia
from the No. 6 BCS poll spot,
meaning LSU will lose the quality
win advantage it gets from the Bull
dogs being so highly ranked. In
fact, if LSU whips Georgia so thor
oughly that the Bulldogs drop out
of the top 10, LSU will lose all of its
quality-win component.
The outcome of the Oklahoma
Kansas State game affects the other
BCS bowls more than it does the
Sugar Bowl. A Kansas State victory
thrusts the Wildcats into the BCS
mix, likely bumping Texas.
The Orange Bowl is hopeful of
hosting Miami-Ohio State, with an
eye still on Florida State. Florida
State, suddenly a Rose Bowl possi
bility against Michigan, could still
end up in the Fiesta Bowl against
die SEC champ.
"There is still a lot that can hap
pen," Orange Bowl Chief Executive
Officer Keith Tribble said. "We're
fortunate we have both Miami and
Florida State in the pool. I've always
said if we can have one of our great
Florida teams, where there are a lot
of local fans and local interest, and
match them up with a team from
another part of the country that will
bring a lot of fans to South Florida
and spend a lot of money in our
community, that's good for us."
(c) 2003 South Florida Sun-Sentinel.
Distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune
Information Services.
on campus
Every Thursday only in the
Oregon Daily Emerald.
The Packers' Sylvester Croom
could become the 15th head
football coach in Mississippi
State's 70-year SEC history
By Jim Mashek
Knight Ridder Newspapers (KRT)
BILOXI, Miss. — The wait for Sylvester
Croom has begun at Mississippi State.
The Green Bay Packers' assistant
coach left Bryan Field in Starkville Sun
day with an offer to become State's
15th football coach of the Southeast
ern Conference era, and the first black
head coach in SEC history.
Croom boarded a university plane
for Green Bay, Wis., without speaking
to reporters, but all signs point to the
former Alabama All-America center
succeeding Jackie Sherrill. Croom visit
ed the State campus on Sunday, spend
ing much of the day with MSU athlet
ics director Larry Templeton.
Templeton said he expects to hear
from Croom as soon as today, but it's
uncertain what sort of timetable the two
men are considering in the process.
"Well, I'm comfortable with the deci
sion we've made," Templeton said.
"We've answered all his questions. He's
certainly answered all of ours. I'm opti
mistic that it's done."
Templeton and MSU president
Charles Lee traveled to Green Bay on Fri
day, meeting with Croom one day after
State completed a dismal 2-10 season
with a 31-0 loss to archrival Ole Miss.
Croom, 49, became the focus of
State's search last week when LSU offen
sive coordinator Jimbo Fisher an
nounced he was no longer a candidate
for the job. Templeton declined to dis
cuss Fisher or any other potential candi
date for the job, but it's clear he believes
Croom is the man to get State off the
mat. The Bulldogs have lost 23 of their
last 26 SEC games.
"When we started looking at the differ
ent criteria, in reviewing the candidates,
(Croom's) name kept coming up," Tem
pleton said. "We talked with a lot of foot
ball people, in college football and the
NIT, and he was passing with flying col
ors. I haven't talked to anybody yet that
has a negative word to say about him."
There is some uncertainty surround
ing the Mississippi State program.
MSU officials are still awaiting the re
sults of an NCAA investigation into the
program for possible rules violations
from 1998-2002. Templeton said these
issues have been covered with Croom,
who last coached in the college ranks in
1986 with the University of Alabama.
Alabama is one of three SEC teams
currently on NCAA probation.
"I think we've been very forthright and
open with him," Templeton said.
Croom was a finalist for the Alabama
job that unexpectedly came open earlier
this year. Former Alabama quarterback
Mike Shula, an assistant coach with the
Miami Dolphins, got the job instead. Al
abama closed a 4-9 season Saturday night
with a 37-29 loss to Hawaii in 1 lonolulu.
Alabama came under criticism from
civil rights activists, including the Rev.
Jesse Jackson, because Croom had more
experience than the 38-year-old Shula.
Still, Templeton said the significance
of State possibly hiring the first black
football coach in SEC history was not a
factor in the school's decision.
"He was the best available coach for
Mississippi State, and he happened to be
a minority," Templeton said.
(cj 2003, The Sun Herald (Biloxi, Miss.).
Distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune
Information Services.
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expected to be first
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