14A - The Michigan Daily - Thursday, November 16, 2000
Rivalry games factor in BCS
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RECORD PTS
Strong Brees may
blow into Pasadena
By Seth Klempner
Daly Spors Writer
Hamlet and Claudius, Hamilton
and Burr, Itchy and Scratchy. All are
rivalries that ended in bloodshed.
The final
week of the Across the
regular sea-
son is upon TOP 25
us and that
means that old hatreds and bitterness
over past losses will be renewed in
rivalry week.
No: 4 FLoRIDA (9-1) No. 3
FLORIDA SIATm (10-1): No one loves
a cordial Southern bloodbath more
than these two teams, and this week-
end will be no different.
There are two scenarios for this
game.
Scenario one: Sports imitates poli-
tics and after playing to a double-
overtime tie, Steve Spurrier and
Bobby Bowden will decide to let the
voters of Palm Beach County decide
the outcome of the game.
Some voters are too feeble to
punch out the entire hole on their bal-
lot while others confuse Central
Florida for Florida and Florida State
wins.
Scenario two: A winner is deter-
mined on the field. Using the always
dangerous two (if not three) quarter-
back system, Florida will have trou-
ble handling the Seminoles' blitzing
schemes.
Florida will be able to answer
Florida State's offense with the help
of freshman receiver Jabar Gaffnev,
who had 168 yards against South
Carolina.
On offense, the Seminoles will be
thin in the backfield, having lost two
of their running backs to injury,
which will allow the Florida defense
to focus on Chris Weinke.
While statistics may not mean any-
thing in this game, the one statistic
that haunts coach Spurrier is his
record in Tallahassee (0-4-1).
If the Gators are to win this game,
they must find a way to score against
the nation's best defense. This game
is also Weinke's last chance to
impress Heisman voters.
The winner of this game will likely
vault over Miami and get a spot in the
Orange Bowl, unless the standings
are not to the liking of Al Gore, in
which case he may challenge the
final BCS ranking.
Florida State 36, Florida 33
No. 5 ORM:oN (9-1) vs No. 8
OREGON SrxTf (9-1): Normally this
game is between two teams with los-
ing records and is played in obscuri-
ty, overshadowed by the bigger
games of rivalry week.
But this year is far from normal.
Both teams are in the top 10 in the
nation and have a chance of going to
the Rose Bowl.
Oregon has only one loss this sea-
son but has given up 79 points in it's
last two road games.
Unless they fix their problems on
defense this game is going to be a
long one for the Ducks as they head
to Corvallis.
Compounding Oregon's defensive
problems is its poor performance
against the run - Oregon's rush
defense ranks 40th in the nation. This
Saturdav the team has the task of
stopping junior running back Ken
Simonton, who averages 136.1 yards
per game.
Oregon controls its own fate and
can go to Pasadena with a win, while
Oregon State needs a win coupled
Question: Where can
you get the most
affordable class rings
and graduation
accessories?
Answer: Visit
WWW.GRADWEAR.COM
Graduate for Less!
1. Oklahoma (70)
2. Miami (Fla.)
3. Florida State
4. Florida
5. Oregon
6. Washington
7. Virginia Tech
8. Oregon State
9. Kansas State
10. Nebraska
11. Notre Dame
12. Ohio State
13. Mississippi State
14. Texas
15. Texas Christian
16. Clemson
17. Purdue
18. Auburn
19. Michigan
20. Georgia Tech
21. Texas A&M
22. Georgia
23. Northwestern
24. Southern Miss.
25. South Carolina
9-0
8.1
10-1
9-1
10-1
9-1
9.1
9-1
9-2
8-2
7-2
8-2
7-2
8-2
8-1
8-2
7-3
8-2
7-3
7-2
7-3
6-3
7-3
7-2
7-3
1.774
1,690
1.629
1,551
1,490
1,429
1.328
1.263
1,124
1.101
1,006
957
896
725
679
662
603
599
543
469
328
322
284
238
121
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r
Dropped out: none
with a Washington defeat before the
Beavers can return to Pasadena.
Oregon State 38, Oregon 29
No. 16 Souti CARoLINA (7-3) AT
No. 25 CumisoN (8-2): The last time
anyone outside South Carolina paid
attention to this game, Jesse Helms
was still fighting against the Civil
Rights movement.
Both teams are coming off two
consecutive losses, but Clemson's
fall from the top 10 and 47-point loss
to Florida State leaves the team more
demoraIized.
Quarterback Woodrow Dantzler
will be slowed by tendinitis of the
ankle, which will slow the Tigers'
fast-paced spread offense.
Clenson's offense has enough
weapons that -it will not be disabled
by Dantzler's injury, but the injur y
will allow the already fast
Gamecocks to cheat up on the line
and play receivers tight.
The South Carolina defense is 16th
in the nation in total yards and has
given up under 16 points per game.
In the end, Dantzler's sore ankle
will be the difference and no recounts
will be needed.
South Carolina 30, Clemson 25
By Nick Kacher
Daily Sports Writcr
Saturday marks the end of the Big
Ten football season, which makes this
rivalrv week. Besides having various
weapons and tools turned trophies on.
the line, many
t e a m s' Across the
chances of' a
bowl game BIEN
hang in the
balance. The way the Big Ten season
has gone thus far, no one really knows
what's going to happen.
INDIANA (3-7 BiG TEN, 2-5 OVER-
ALL) r No. 17 PURDt E (5-2, 7-3):
Purdue has a chance to clinch the Rose
Bowl for only the second time in
school history -- the first time being in
1967. The Boilermakers hope to turn
around a bio loss at the hands of
Michigan State last week.
In a big game you want to put the
ball in the hands of vour team's leaders,
so expect Drew Brees to connect with
wide receiver Vinnv Sutherland as
much as possible to put this game
awav.
For Indiana to win, it will need a big
game from its one-man team, Antwaan
Randle El. Indiana has an explosive
offense that averages 450.6 yards per.
game. Indiana is extremely effective in
the redzone - scoring 87 percent of
the time, but can they get there ?
Purdue wants to keep the Old Oaken
Bucket and take it to Pasadena.
Purdue 44, Indiana 32
ILLINOiS (2-5, 5-5) xr
NORTiwEsTERN (5-2, 7-3):
Northwestern is hoping to gain a piece
of the conference title, as well as the
traditional Tomahawk Trophy with a
victory over in-state rival Illinois. After
last week's less-than stellar perfor-
mance at lowa the Wildcats definitely
want to end the season on a positive
note. Quarterback Zak Kustock and
running back Damien Anderson hope
to spark the Wildcats' offense and
return it to the form that averaged 36.3
points per game.
Illinois lost another heartbreaker last
week when the ball split the goalpost
on the last play to lift Ohio State to- a
24-21 victory, putting the Fighting
Illini in a must win situation if they
want to become bowl eligible.
Unfortunately for them, quarterback
Kurt Kittner will have to watch it from
the sidelines after suffering a concus-
sion in last week's game. Don't expect
the Tomahawk to be making its way
back to Champaign when it's all said
and done.
Northwestern 38, Illinois 24
MICIGAN STrAVE (2-5, 5-5):vi, PENN
STXTE: (3-4,4-7): Michigan State hopes
to keep its momentum as it roles into
State College after a huge upset oveE
Purdue. The Spartans hope again to
prove that a good defense is the best
offense and grab the cherished Land
Grant Trophy.
Penn State just wants the season over
with. The seven losses it has acquired is
the most ever by a Joe Paterno team.
What does. he have to say about it ?
"We're just not that good, really."
With their lack of confidence start-
ing from their coach to their field-goal
kicker - whose glory days ended with
kickball at recess - don't expect'the
Nittany Lions to end the season on a
good note.
Michigan State 24, Penn State 15
IoNA (3-4, 3-8) mMINNEsMrA (3-4,
3-8): Rumor has it that Iowa and
Minnesota are also going to play foot:
ball this Saturday -- not that anyone
really cares.
Minnesota has a chance to become
bowl-eligible. But it has to win, which
it hasn't done in three games. To win,
the Golden Gophers will have to pound
the ball down the middle with their
running back Tellis Rednion, who is
second in the conference in all-purpose
vardage.
lowa has won two straight games for
the first time since 1997. Iowa strug-
gles with one of the worst defenses in
the country, but Minnesota's offense is
nothing to write home about either.
Look for Iowa to complete the nira-
cle and win three in a row.
Iowa 20, Minnesota 13
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Olson, expectations return for Blue
By Nathan Linsley When lie returned, Olson had a hew
Daly Sports Writer knee, the number one preseason ranking
for his weight class and the same goals
When the IMichigan wrestling team he left on the mat his junior year.
November 15th and 16th
invades last Lansing for its
second and final unattached
meet of the season, all eves
will be on senior 174-
pounder Otto Olson.
Expectations for Olson
were high last season after
finishing second at nation-
als as a sophomore. But a
knee injury ended his junior
season in early January.
THIS WEEKEND
JENISON FIELD HOUSE
Who: Michigan at Michigan
State Open
When: 10 a.m. Saturday
and Sunday
Latest: Otto Olson carries
No. 1 national ranking to
final preseason meet
"I'm happy that I have
another chance to get
what I rightly deserve,"
Olson said.
After a tune-up two.
weeks ago at the Eastern
Michigan Open - where
he won his 100th career
match en route to a tour-
nament championship -
Olson and his teammates
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are anxious to wrestle.
"All summer, it's been all of' us
wrestling, so it will be real good to get
out there and wrestle someone else,"
senior Joe Degain said.
Degain, the 197-pounder, also won
two weeks ago in Ypsilanti. As a team,
the Wolverines were dominant, winning
eight-of-10 weight classes.
But this weekend should provide
some more challenges with more Big
Ten teams including two top rivals, Ohio
State and Michigan State.
"The Eastern Michigan tournament
was a good starter for us, and got us
some good competition," Michigan
coach Joe McFarland said. "This will be
another step up.
The last tournament showed promi
especially at the low weights, where red-
shirt fireshman Foley Dowd captured the
title at 133 and sophomore A.J. Grant
was victorious at 125.
The Wolverines have been working on
their conditioning and their individual
technique and are anxious to see if their
time in the weight room has paid off..
While some wrestlers, such. as Degain
and Olson, have already solidified th.
spots in the lineup, most of the wei
classes are still up for grabs. Though the
team is in the midst of wrestle-offs,
McFarland insists that the results at this
meet will not substitute for those
intrasquad matches, unless two wrestlers
meet head-to-head.sT
Regardless of whether or not two
Wolverines meet, the competition can
count on the intensity that has become a
benchmark of McFarland's crew.
"We're all going to get geared up foAL
it," Degain said.
"We pay the price in the weight room,
and we pay the price in the practice
room" Olson said. "When we're on the
mat, they're going to have to go through
seven minutes of pain."
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