Postseason Outlook in Limbo : College Football: Bowl representatives are feeling the pressure as deadline approaches for accepting invitations. But, it all hinges on what Notre Dame decides to do.

Those fluorescent polyester jackets worn by bowl officials everywhere are taking a beating these days, what with all the sweating going on. It seems there’s not a dry underarm in the house as Nov. 18, the date bowl representatives actually begin turning the screws on each other, fast approaches.

According to an understanding with the NCAA, official bowl invitations are to be extended to participating teams no sooner than Nov. 25. Of course, unofficial deals already are being negotiated, with mixed success.

As usual, coveted Notre Dame is the team on which this delicate house of cards is being built. It is also the reason these bowl representatives keep reaching for their antiperspirant.

Notre Dame does things its own way when choosing a bowl and right now, no one is absolutely sure where the Fighting Irish plan to be New Year’s Day or evening. You can, however, forget about Coach Lou Holtz’s threat of bypassing a bowl because of final exam conflicts. Even storied Notre Dame needs its ledgers to be printed in black, not red ink. With that in mind, multimillion-dollar payoffs become a bit hard to decline.

So do opportunities to repeat as national champions, a little fact of life that not even Holtz can pretend to ignore. Finish the regular season undefeated and Notre Dame will have that chance again.

And there’s the rub. What happens if the Fighting Irish stumble against Penn State Nov. 18? Or worse yet, what happens if Notre Dame beats Penn State, but then loses to Miami a week later? A third possibility involves Colorado. What would happen if the Buffaloes were upset Saturday by Oklahoma State at Stillwater?

Well, for starters, Orange Bowl officials would race for any open upper-story window, the better to launch themselves. Meanwhile, Sugar Bowl officials would be dancing on Bourbon Street.

Because so many key games were played early in the season, bowl officials are finding the competition for teams more heated than usual.

“We’re not pushing any panic button but it’s too aggressive this year,” said an official from one of the major bowls.

Tensions should ease considerably Nov. 18. By then, Colorado and Oklahoma State, Penn State and Notre Dame, Nebraska and Oklahoma, and Michigan and Illinois will have played, to name a few. Until then, here are the early favorites for bowls of note:

ORANGE BOWL

Best-case scenario: No. 1 Notre Dame vs. No. 2 Colorado for the national championship.

Worst-case scenario: Colorado loses to Oklahoma State and Notre Dame goes elsewhere, leaving the Orange Bowl to fight a prime-time television battle without the country’s biggest drawing card.

If you had to bet the house: Count on Notre Dame vs. Colorado. The Orange Bowl selection committee would take the Fighting Irish today, even if it knew Notre Dame would lose its next two games. As for Colorado, it’s a team possessed. No way do the Buffaloes lose to Oklahoma State or Kansas State the next week.

SUGAR BOWL

Best-case scenario: Alabama vs. Notre Dame.

Worst-case scenario: Previously undefeated Alabama loses to LSU or Auburn, and Florida State, the other Sugar Bowl invitee, loses to Florida on Dec. 2.

If you had to bet the house: Alabama vs. Miami, but only if Michigan isn’t available. Rumors are that ABC is putting pressure on Sugar Bowl officials to stay away from a regional matchup, which would seem to rule out an Alabama-Florida State game. Miami is considered more of a national draw and could be an attractive team should the Hurricanes beat Notre Dame that final week. Michigan ensures television ratings, fans and Bo. Alabama is in as long as the Tide finishes in at least a tie for the Southeastern Conference championship.

COTTON BOWL

Best-case scenario: Arkansas vs. Michigan.

Worst-case scenario: Texas vs. Tennessee.

If you had to bet the house: Arkansas vs. Nebraska, although the Cotton Bowl would like nothing better than to have Michigan grace its field should the Wolverines lose to Illinois. A Schembechler-coached Michigan team has never been to Dallas, which reportedly appeals to Bo. Nebraska, in a bit of surprise, will look hard at the Fiesta and then take the Cotton. The word is that Cornhusker Coach Tom Osborne is tired of the Arizona experience.

FIESTA BOWL

Best-case scenario: Do you have an hour? If Colorado is upset by Oklahoma State and Kansas State, Nebraska loses to Oklahoma, Alabama loses to LSU or Auburn, and Michigan loses to Illinois or Ohio State, then, ta-da, the Fiesta would feature Notre Dame vs. Florida State.

Worst-case scenario: Tennessee vs. Florida State, with FSU losing its regular-season finale against Florida.

If you had to bet the house: Florida State vs. Penn State. This one is a bit of a reach. Conventional wisdom has FSU playing Nebraska or even Tennessee, but Penn State is quickly gaining favor and will really earn friends if the Nittany Lions beat Notre Dame and finish with a victory over Pitt.

ROSE BOWL

Best-case scenario: USC vs. Michigan.

Worst-case scenario: Arizona vs. Illinois.

If you had to bet the house: Pity the Cotton or Sugar bowls. Neither one is going to get Michigan as the Wolverines find a way to beat Illinois and then Ohio State for a trip to Pasadena. Meanwhile, USC will dispose of Arizona in Tucson.

The other selected envelopes, please . . .

CITRUS BOWL

Tennessee, 6-1, vs. Illinois, 7-1.

GATOR BOWL

Clemson, 8-2, vs. Pitt, 5-1-1, or, if the stars are aligned properly, maybe Ohio State, 6-2, in a rematch of the teams that produced the infamous Woody Hayes punching incident.

HALL OF FAME BOWL

Auburn, 6-2, vs. West Virginia, 6-2-1.

FREEDOM BOWL

Washington State, 6-3, vs. Michigan State, 4-4.

LIBERTY BOWL

Air Force, 7-2, vs. Mississippi, 6-3.

HOLIDAY BOWL

BYU, 7-2, vs. Syracuse, 5-3.

SUN BOWL

Ohio State, 6-2, vs. Texas A&M;, 7-2.

CALIFORNIA BOWL

Eastern Michigan, 7-2-1, vs. Fresno State, 9-0.

ALOHA BOWL

Duke, 6-3, vs. Hawaii, 7-2.

PEACH BOWL

Virginia, 8-2, vs. Minnesota, 5-3.

INDEPENDENCE BOWL

Tulsa, 5-4, vs. Texas Tech, 6-2.

ALL-AMERICAN BOWL

Florida, 6-2, vs. North Carolina State, 7-2.

COPPER BOWL

Iowa, 4-4, vs. Arizona, 6-3.

Of course, circumstances can change. And will. In fact, about the only sure thing right now is the Shrine Game on Jan. 21. The teams never change: East vs. West.