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 Tuesday, October 30, 2001
Miami can overcome a Big 12 block
By Brent Musburger
Special to ABC Sports Online
The run for the Roses is starting to take shape.
It's clear that if Nebraska wins out, the Cornhuskers will wind up playing for a national championship on the night of January 3 in the Rose Bowl presented by AT&T on ABC.
|  | | Eric Crouch and the Huskers appear to be on their way to running to Pasadena. |
But like UCLA and Kansas State a few years back, there are a few bends in the way. This week, the Huskers are a prohibitive favorite at Kansas. A week from Saturday, they come home for a game against dangerous K-State. The Wildcats have been a disappointment this season, but Bill Snyder's team is slowly improving.
On Friday, Nov. 23, the day after Thanksgiving, the Huskers face their toughest road test prior to the conference championship. They must find a way to beat Colorado in Boulder. Never easy. Like Kansas State's Snyder, Gary Barnett would like nothing better than to upset Nebraska's championship dream.
Then on the night of December 1 in the Big 12 Championship game on ABC, it will be Nebraska against either Oklahoma or Texas. The Sooners would have gotten the nod here except for the knee injury suffered by sophomore quarterback Jason White. Bob Stoops says that White will miss this week's makeup game against Tulsa, but he could be back in time for the Nov. 10 meeting with Texas A&M.
Stoops says White didn't tear his ACL, but that he has sprained knee ligaments. That means he is just one hit away from tearing that ACL. Given the problems of OU's offensive line, this is a major task ahead for Stoops and his staff to find a way to protect Jason. Remember, the coaches said he won the starting position over Nate Hybl because of his mobility. But with a damaged knee, it isn't likely OU will be running the option if, and when, White returns.
What I am saying is that Nebraska stands a good chance to sweep Oklahoma because of the huge question mark surrounding the Sooners' quarterback position. And if the Sooners stumble against the Aggies, Texas Tech or Oklahoma State, that would move Texas in all likelihood into the Big 12 Championship game.
The Longhorns are pulling hard for this scenario. No conference can send three teams to the four big-money BCS bowl games. Texas' best chance is for another Oklahoma loss, either before the conference championship game or in it. What Texas doesn't want is for Oklahoma to go unbeaten the rest of the way and leave Nebraska with one loss. That would likely leave the Longhorns as the odd team out.
Which brings us to Miami. Or as Yogi Berra might say, it's déjà vu all over again.
Here are the mighty Hurricanes, ranked No. 1 in both the Coaches and AP polls, but trailing Nebraska and Oklahoma in the all-important Bowl Championship Series standings. It's clear that Miami's strength of schedule is keeping the 'Canes down. Their schedule is ranked 76th in the country. Compare that with the Huskers' eighth and Sooners' ninth-rated schedules. But it says here that Miami can overcome that with an unbeaten run in its final four games, which includes road games at Boston College and Virginia Tech and home dates with Syracuse and Washington.
But like Texas, the one scenario that could nip Miami at the wire is for Oklahoma to go unbeaten the rest of the way and hand Nebraska its lone loss.
Quick hits …
Why not Stanford coach Tyrone Willingham as the coach of the year? He's played the toughest schedule in the country, won big games on the road and right now his Cardinal are ranked higher than any other team in the Pac-10 in the BCS standings. He can flat-out coach and we haven't been giving him credit.
He beat up on UCLA last week with a backup quarterback. This was after all of us had praised the Bruins to the sky, insisting that they were finally playing tough defense. And then they went out and gave up 38 points.
Brent's Heisman Ballot
Following UCLA's upset loss, I really feel that the Heisman race is quickly narrowing to two quarterbacks -- Nebraska's Eric Crouch and Miami's Ken Dorsey.
What Crouch did against Oklahoma is worthy of a trophy. With his run game shut down by the tough Oklahoma defense, Crouch led the Huskers to one touchdown, passing for 68 of the 80 yards on the drive. He then came back and caught the 63-yard touchdown pass which will linger as one of college football's plays of the year.
But Dorsey is the prototype throwing quarterback, and if the 'Canes continue their unbeaten championship run, his numbers are going to be Heisman worthy.
Defensive player of the year
There are four players who are certainly worthy of this honor. Two of them play for Oklahoma -- linebacker Rocky Calmus and safety Roy Williams. Both are big-play guys who are keeping OU in the thick of the championship hunt.
North Carolina defensive end Julius Peppers could well wind up being the first player selected in the NFL Draft. The athletic ability that this one-time basketball player brings to the defensive end position makes him an overpowering force for John Bunting's Tar Heels. Peppers is the primary reason the Heels have a chance to win the wide-open ACC and play for some big bucks.
The fourth player in this group is Syracuse defensive end Dwight Freeney. Despite facing constant double teams, he has wracked up 14.5 sacks and one of the reasons the Orangemen knocked Virginia Tech out of the national championship race last weekend. Ironically, Freeney is helping Miami's championship chances. The 'Canes have to win and also pull for their fallen opponents.
This week
I am off to see a battle between two of best wide receivers of the game -- Marquise Walker of Michigan and Michigan State's Charles Rogers -- this Saturday (ABC, 3:30 p.m. ET). All Marquise did last week was make the catch of the year in Iowa with his leaping, one-handed grab for a Wolverine touchdown as they pulled it out and kept their BCS title hopes alive. Meanwhile, Rogers was dancing up and down the field against Wisconsin (5 catches for 206 yards and 2 TDs).
This is an annual neighborhood feud. Spartan coach Bobby Williams is as uptight as you can get. He is the only coach this season that has banned Gary Danielson and me from practice. Obviously, Williams is under pressure to beat Michigan.
The Spartans are decimated at defensive back, and they will have their hands full with Marquise and the Wolverines. This will be your usual heavy hitting Big Ten rivalry game. I can't wait to see how Lloyd Carr and Michigan are doing this season.
Remember, a few weeks back that people laughed when I said they were very much in the thick for the Rose Bowl race. Funny thing that nobody is laughing anymore. This team is only a couple of upsets away from heading to Pasadena. And the way this season is going, no team is safe. This is one of the wackiest seasons I can remember. I can't wait to get to East Lansing.
Brent Musburger is a play-by-play announcer for ABC's coverage of college football. He writes a column every week for ABC Sports Online.
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