COLLEGE FOOTBALL : Main Ingredient for This Bowl Formula Is Reality

Another week, another list of bowl possibilities.

Using the bowl alliance’s easy-to-understand matchup formula (sure it is . . . if you’re physicist Stephen Hawking), the major games would be:

Rose--No. 3 Michigan vs. No. 2 Washington.

Sugar--No. 4 Alabama vs. No. 1 Miami.

Orange--Nos. 8 Nebraska or Colorado vs No. 10 Notre Dame.

Cotton--No. 5 Texas A&M; vs. No. 6 Florida State.

Fiesta--No. 11 Boston College vs. Nebraska or Colorado.

That’s if the bowls were played this weekend. Now for a reality adjustment.

1--There’s no way an undefeated Texas A&M; team will play Florida State in the Cotton. Not that Seminole Coach Bobby Bowden has anything against another trip to Dallas and a chance at the higher-ranked Aggies; he doesn’t. It’s just that the Cotton Bowl would be committing television ratings suicide if the Fiesta Bowl winds up with a Pacific 10 entrant.

Here’s why: According to the alliance agreement, the Fiesta would have to switch its TV time slot so it wouldn’t compete with the Rose Bowl and another Pac-10 team. In the Fiesta’s place would be the Cotton, which would get hammered if it offered America Texas A&M; vs. Florida State, a rematch of last season’s game.

The solution? Cotton Bowl chairman Jim Brock would pass on the higher-ranked Seminoles, take Notre Dame and hope that the Irish’s national TV appeal would attract viewers.

2--Florida State would then play Nebraska or Colorado or, miracle of miracles, Kansas, in the Orange Bowl. Considering that FSU hasn’t played in an Orange Bowl game since 1981, the Seminoles wouldn’t be too upset. Remember that the South Florida area is prime recruiting territory for Bowden and that the Orange Bowl payout is $1.2 million higher than the Cotton’s.

3--As expected, the Fiesta’s matchup possibilities are the most unpredictable. That’s because the bowl has no conference tie-ins and, barring an unlikely national championship scenario, will pick fourth in the coalition draft. Boston College vs. Nebraska or Colorado? Doubtful. If USC can keep winning, look for the Trojans in Tempe on New Year’s Day.

The three great issues of our time: trickle-down economics, trickle-down government and now, trickle-down bowl selection.

Waiting semi-patiently for the season to play out is Freedom Bowl executive director Don Andersen, who will get the Pac-10 third-place team and an at-large selection.

Andersen can afford to be patient, thanks mostly to the new bowl alliance. Of all the so-called “lower tier” bowl games, the Freedom might have benefited the most from the coalition.

Right now, the Freedom would feature Washington State, USC or Stanford vs. wish list nominees Brigham Young, Utah, Kansas or Oklahoma.

A guess: Washington State vs. BYU.

The reasons: Stanford played in the Pigskin Classic earlier this season and didn’t draw as well as hoped. Nor did Cardinal fans rush down from the Bay Area.

As for USC, it is probably bound for the Fiesta. That leaves Washington State, which would probably bring more fans, to say nothing of quarterback extraordinaire Drew Bledsoe and an 8-3 record.

Oklahoma is a big name with a so-so team. In fact, the Sooners must win three of their next four games to qualify for postseason play. The NCAA requirement is six Division I-A victories. Kansas would be nice, but the Jayhawks are probably going to the Aloha Bowl. Utah has zero name appeal, which leaves BYU.

The Cougars, thanks to a 12-game schedule, have four games to win two and reach the NCAA requirement. A possible 6-6 record isn’t great, but consider the aerial show if BYU faced Washington State.

Of course, for the Freedom Bowl to have a legitimate chance at BYU, it needs Air Force to win the Western Athletic Conference. Why? Don’t ask. It would take too long to explain.

The bottom line is this: If a WAC team (Hawaii, San Diego State, Utah or BYU) is available, look for Andersen to take it. The WAC guarantees that it will purchase one-sixth of the available seating at a bowl. In the Freedom Bowl’s case, that would be 11,800 seats. The Big Eight Conference, were it to send Oklahoma, has no such arrangement.

From the ever-growing Lou Loses It File:

--Call us old fashioned, but Notre Dame Coach Lou Holtz should have been jettisoned from last Saturday’s game against BYU.

Everyone understands why he was upset with the officiating. After all, TV replays clearly showed that a blitzing Irish player was wrestled to the ground by a BYU lineman, a penalty missed by officials. But to storm onto the field and place a mock headlock on a referee, as Holtz did to a stunned Thomas Thamert, is, using a George Bush word, nutty.

Holtz deserved an early shower and a course in stress management.

“It wasn’t a smart decision,” an apologetic and embarrassed Holtz said Tuesday.

Contrary to earlier reports, Holtz wasn’t penalized for the headlock. That came earlier, when he angrily threw his baseball cap to the ground. Once the unsportsmanlike conduct penalty was called (his first since 1970), Holtz decided to begin his remedial refereeing clinic a la Randy (Macho Man) Savage.

“If I’m going to get 15 yards, I’m going to get my money’s worth,” Holtz said.

He did. He also looked the part of the village idiot.

“When (Thamert) came over, I was not out of control,” Holtz said. “I lost my poise maybe, but I wasn’t out of control.”

Holtz has since explained his actions to Notre Dame Athletic Director Dick Rosenthal and has also sent a letter of apology to Thamert. Thamert and Holtz have also spoken by phone. And despite assorted rumors, Holtz has not been disciplined for the performance, nor has he been asked to resign or other such nonsense.

If anything, Holtz has tried to have a tiny bit of fun with the situation. When asked to sign an autograph last Saturday night at a South Bend pizza restaurant, Holtz wrote, “Hope we wrestle sometime.”

Autographs aside, Holtz’s on-field actions provided an unsettling glimpse of the pressures endured by big-time coaches. So did this parting shot by Holtz: “(Referees are) not held accountable publicly, coaches are.”

Even more reason to keep your headlocks to yourself.

Maybe this isn’t such a boring Heisman Trophy race, after all.

In halfback Marshall Faulk’s favor: Five games, including a season-ending contest against Miami, left on the San Diego State schedule. Easier opponents (Colorado State, Wyoming, Hawaii, Fresno State). The likelihood of bigger statistics.

In halfback Garrison Hearst’s favor: Voters from the South and the East will probably fall in love with the Georgia star’s numbers. Tougher conference--Southeastern Conference vs. the WAC. A perceived tougher schedule. More TV exposure.

Longshot: Miami quarterback Gino Torretta, who has led the Hurricanes to a 21-1 record as a starter, one national championship in 1991 and perhaps another national title in 1992.

“When it gets right down to it, it’s the games that he’s won,” Hurricane Coach Dennis Erickson said, doing a little pre-Heisman stumping. “I don’t know how you can judge it right now. If Gino can win all four of those (remaining) football games, there’s got to be a tremendous consideration (given to Torretta).”

Sorry. It won’t happen. This a two-man race.

With the blessings (as if it would have mattered) of Kansas Coach Glen Mason, ecstatic Jayhawk fans tore down the goal posts after last Saturday’s victory against Oklahoma, only the third Sooner loss to Kansas in the last 29 seasons. On Tuesday, university maintenance workers returned a three-foot piece of a goal post to Mason’s office. The piece was found in nearby Potter’s Lake. “I’m going to have all my players sign it and I’m going to keep it,” Mason said. So moved was Mason by the victory, that he ordered about seven former Kansas players into the locker room after the game to share in the celebration. The former players were survivors of Mason’s early and gawd-awful Jayhawk teams.. . . Tom Coughlin, a former New York Giant assistant coach who has since revived Boston College’s program, is the center of NFL rumors galore. The most obvious one has him succeeding embattled Giant Coach Ray Handley. “I’m not going to get involved in that at all,” Coughlin said. “I’m really not interested in talking about that, commenting on that, thank you.” No, thank you. . . . Player Unrest Update: Memphis State and South Carolina are a combined 6-0 since their respective player uprisings.. . . The Fiesta Bowl is doing its best to see that Arizona voters pass the controversial Prop. 300, a referendum that would establish a paid state holiday in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King. About 500 Fiesta volunteers have joined the campaign, all in hopes of preventing a repeat of the 1991 situation, when a failed vote forced the bowl to scramble for teams willing to play in the New Year’s Day game. Even if Prop. 300 doesn’t pass--and polls show it winning by a narrow margin--Fiesta officials are hoping their efforts will be recognized by prospective teams.

The Freedom Bowl’s Andersen was a press box visitor at last week’s BYU-Notre Dame game. Andersen was there to pay his respects to the Cougars and to discuss the possibility of the Irish playing in a future Pigskin Classic game. . . . Alabama players are already talking about facing Miami in the Sugar Bowl for the national championship. The Crimson Tide had better be careful. Among the remaining Alabama opponents are archrival Auburn and a very tough Mississippi State team. . . . Poor Bret Johnson, the former El Toro High/UCLA quarterback who transferred to Michigan State and has since enjoyed few bright moments. When a shoulder injury prevented Jim Miller from starting last Saturday’s game against Ohio State, Johnson got the call. He promptly completed nine of 18 passes for 116 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions. Then he got hurt. A sprained left knee will sideline him for at least three weeks and perhaps the rest of his senior season. . . . True: Notre Dame’s Holtz said he thinks a way to minimize holding by offensive linemen is to require guards and tackles to wear mittens. . . . Omen watch: The last time Washington won a game and still fell from No. 1 to No. 2 was in 1982. The following week the Huskies were beaten by Stanford. This week’s Washington opponent: Stanford. . . . Pray for Dan Raley, who covers the Huskies for the Seattle Post-Intelligencer. He was the AP voter who switched his No. 1 ranking from Washington to Miami this week. So what happens? Miami ends up in first place by a single point. Why do we think he’ll receive some letters?

Top 10

As selected by staff writer Gene Wojciechowski

No. Team Record 1. Miami 7-0 2. Washington 7-0 3. Michigan 6-0-1 4. Alabama 8-0 5. Texas A&M; 7-0 6. Florida State 6-1 7. Colorado 6-0-1 8. Georgia 7-1 9. Nebraska 5-1 10. Boston College 6-0-1

Waiting list: Notre Dame (5-1-1), Syracuse (6-1), USC (4-1-1), Penn State (6-2), Stanford (6-2)