MICHAEL KIRAL / L’Observateur / November 4, 2000

Louisiana may be in for some foggy days this month but the Bowl Championship Series and conference championship picture begins to clear up this weekend.

Close to home, LSU can take its first step toward a SEC West championship with a win over Alabama today in Tiger Stadium. But as they say, that firststep can be a doozy. The Tigers have not defeated the Crimson Tide in TigerStadium since the days of the Amazing Mets, Woodstock and the Apollo moon landing, back in 1969.

The Tigers’ job may have gotten harder this week with the firing of Mike Dubose as the Alabama head coach. History has shown that teamstraditionally do well in such situations. Just go back to the last game of lastseason when LSU rolled past Cotton Bowl-bound Arkansas after Gerry DiNardo was let go.

These are two teams whose seasons have gone differently than what was expected before the season. LSU, picked to finish in the lower half of theSEC West, is in the thick of the race after upsetting Tennessee and Mississippi State at home. The Tigers have won two straight and three out oftheir last four games. They can play in their first SEC Championship Game byrunning the table and having Auburn lose once.

Alabama, on the other hand, has been one of the season’s biggest disappointments. The Crimson Tide were ranked third at the beginning of theseason and expected to play in their second straight SEC Championship Game as well as contend for the national title.

But losses to UCLA and Southern Miss earlier in the season dashed the national championship hopes and defeats to Arkansas and Tennessee have faded the SEC dreams. But the loss that did the most damage was the one toCentral Florida this past weekend.

Amazingly, Alabama still holds the SEC West title in its hands. The CrimsonTide can win the West by winning its last three games. That could lead to thequite unusual situation of a team playing in a major bowl with a lame duck coach.

While both LSU and Alabama have chances to play in major bowls this year, neither will be a factor in the national championship race.

Top-ranked Oklahoma and No. 5 Nebraska, fresh off their “Game of theCentury,” both have breathers this week. Oklahoma travels to Baylor whilethe Cornhuskers host Kansas.

But there are two games on tap that could be even better than last week’s match-up of top five teams. Second-ranked Virginia Tech travels to theOrange Bowl to face third-ranked Miami (Fla.). The Hurricanes know a thingabout playing highly-ranked teams, having beaten then-No. 1 Florida Stateand losing to now-No. 8 Washington earlier this season.The Hokies have struggled in recent games against West Virginia, Syracuse and Pittsburgh and may start today’s game without quarterback Michael Vick. But Virginia Tech has also shown lately they can win without Vickplaying anywhere near his best game. For the second time this season, aHurricanes’ game against a highly-ranked opponent could come down to a late field goal.

The team that Miami beat the first time, No. 4 Florida State, hosts No. 10Clemson in the Bowden Bowl II. This game has everything on the line, the ACCchampionship, the Seminoles’ national title hopes and who has bragging rights across the Bowden family table.

Clemson quarterback Woodrow Dantzler is battling an injured ankle. Butremember when Tigers coach Tommy Bowden was at Tulane in 1998, his quarterback, Shaun King, was also hurt before the Green Wave’s major game that year against Southern Miss. King overcame the injury to lead the GreenWave to a victory on its way to an undefeated season.

But don’t expect lightning to strike twice. Bobby Bowden teaches his son athing or two in staying in the hunt for another national title.

The Rose Bowl will not have a say in who wins the national title this year but a couple of games that will have a major impact on who will play for the roses are on tap today.

Seventh-ranked and Pac-10 leader Oregon travels to Washington State.

Across the state, No. 8 Washington hosts Arizona, a team that was in thehunt as recently as two weeks ago. And No. 14 Oregon State travels toCalifornia, a team coming off a victory over USC.

In the Big 10, No. 12 Michigan travels to No. 21 Northwestern, the biggestsurprise in the league this season. Ohio State, ranked 16th but riding a two-game losing streak, hosts Michigan State.

First place in Conference USA is on the line as conference leader Southern Mississippi hosts second place Louisville. The Golden Eagles, ranked just 13thdespite a 6-1 record, are a good example of why a playoff system is needed.

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