COLLEGE FOOTBALL / GENE WOJCIECHOWSKI : Some People Have Too Much Time on Their Hands

You would think that Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) would have something better to do on his taxpayer-supplied stationery than demand a U.S. Justice Department investigation into the bowl-alliance agreement. But apparently the other senators handle the health care, unemployment, crime, education and foreign-relations stuff and leave the really important issues to McConnell.

In a letter to Ann Bingaman, the assistant attorney general of the Justice Department’s antitrust division, McConnell argues that the bowl coalition unreasonably restrains trade and--here’s a new word--encourages a “ghettoization” of the nine independent teams not included in the alliance.

Said McConnell in a statement: “There is nothing more American than the competition of college football. It is totally wrong to try to restrict the competition and shut out deserving teams, and I hope the Justice Department will blow the whistle and bring fairness back to the bowl system.”

On the subject of blowing whistles . . . McConnell is a graduate of Louisville, which just happens to be 7-1, ranked 17th and, in part because it is shut out of the major-bowl mix, accepted a bid Wednesday to play in the Liberty Bowl. Funny, but nobody heard a peep from McConnell last year, when the bowl alliance made its debut. Of course, Louisville was 5-6 last season.

And here’s guessing that McConnell watched last January’s Sugar Bowl game between No. 1-ranked Miami and No. 2 Alabama. That national championship matchup was made possible by the coalition agreement.

McConnell’s heart and press secretary might be in the right place, but he misses the point.

Sure, the bowl alliance is flawed. Chances are it might not survive its original three-year contract. But restraint of trade?

“We said many, many times that the coalition was not designed to solve all of the issues and it doesn’t include everybody,” said Southwest Conference Commissioner Steve Hatchell, the former coalition chairman.

The same goes for McConnell’s letter. For instance, why isn’t the Rose Bowl mentioned as an antitrust violator? Louisville can’t play in Pasadena (thank goodness).

Perhaps McConnell wants a return to the good ol’ days, when bowl reps started wheeling and dealing before the leaves changed colors. Back then, plenty of deserving teams were frozen out because of handshakes made two months before season’s end.

Anyway, McConnell should know all about back-room deals. He works in the Senate, doesn’t he?

COUNTDOWN TO ROSES

It is as simple as this: If third-ranked Ohio State wins its next three games, the Buckeyes will play in the Rose Bowl. In short, their fourth and final regular-season game--a Nov. 20 meeting with Michigan--would mean nothing.

Not so simple is the Ohio State schedule. Penn State visits Columbus Saturday, but then the Buckeyes travel to Wisconsin the following week before returning home for a game against Indiana. Combined records of the three opponents: 17-3.

Before you start measuring John Cooper’s team for a choke collar, however, consider this recent remark by Penn State Coach Joe Paterno: “I would say (Ohio State is) the second-best team in the country, if not as good as Florida State. I said before the season began, at the Big Ten meetings, that I thought two teams in our conference had the talent to win a national championship: Michigan and Ohio State.

“I would probably rate (the Buckeyes) right behind Florida State.”

Paterno isn’t big on hyperbole. If he says Ohio State is almost the Seminoles’ equal, we believe him. According to Paterno, the Buckeyes will be the best team the Nittany Lions have faced since losing to Florida State in the 1990 Blockbuster Bowl.

At the moment, six Big Ten teams--Ohio State, Penn State, Wisconsin, Indiana, Michigan State and Illinois--have legitimate shots at the Rose Bowl. But only the Buckeyes and Penn State control their own destiny. Ohio State, you know about. As for the Nittany Lions, five consecutive victories guarantee them a Pasadena trip.

In a Big Ten quirk, Wisconsin could finish the regular season 10-1 overall and 7-1 in the conference, but still not go to the Rose Bowl if the Badgers have the same record as Penn State. Wisconsin, which doesn’t play Paterno’s team this year, would be eliminated on the third Rose Bowl tiebreaker: previous Rose Bowl appearances. Wisconsin last played in the 1963 game, Penn State in the 1923 game.

THE REST

--Take it for what it’s worth, but the latest rumor at Missouri is that Coach Bob Stull, whose Tigers are 2-4-1 (and headed for 3-7-1) will be fired at season’s end, at which point UCLA Coach Terry Donahue will be courted.

The reasoning: Donahue began his career as an assistant coach at Kansas; after 18 seasons at the same school, he might be receptive to a new challenge; Missouri’s admissions policies might be more favorable for recruits; the school’s athletic department and boosters would throw lots of money at him. Remember, it’s a rumor, nothing more.

--Worried that the rivalry between Nebraska and Colorado fans is nearing hooligan status, Cornhusker Coach Tom Osborne and Buffalo Coach Bill McCartney said they plan to address the issue publicly this week. Visits to the opponents’ stadiums in recent years have been anything but pleasant for the Colorado or Nebraska fans. Colorado license plates in a Lincoln parking lot or Nebraska tags in Boulder occasionally can result in a dented hood.

Granted, McCartney isn’t responsible for the actions of overzealous Buffalo fans, but he did have a lot to do with bringing the rivalry to a nice boiling pot. In fact, there was a time when McCartney actually chided a Denver Post reporter for using a red pen. The reason: Red is one of Nebraska’s school colors.

--That gnawing sound you hear comes from Syracuse, where fingernails are getting shorter with each defeat by the Orangemen. Syracuse is 4-2-1, two Division I-A victories short of the required number for postseason eligibility. At season’s beginning, six Syracuse victories were considered a foregone conclusion. We even picked the Orangemen to face Florida State in the Fiesta Bowl for the national championship. Of course, we’re now seeing an entire team of psychologists.

Syracuse has four games left, but only one sure victory, Nov. 6 against a dreadful Temple team. But the Orangemen could lose to West Virginia on Saturday, to Virginia Tech on Nov. 13 and to Rutgers on Nov. 26. Only the game against the 13th-ranked Mountaineers is at home.

--Not even Lou Holtz could stop himself from looking ahead to the game Nov. 13 against No. 1 Florida State at Notre Dame Stadium. “I want a perfect day--low teens, snowy and windy,” said Holtz, who swears he was kidding about the weather part.

According to a friend of Holtz’s, the Irish coach has said that he feels good about Notre Dame’s chances against the Seminoles--not because of the possibility of poor weather, but because he has two weeks to ready his team. Florida State doesn’t have an open week, but it does get to play Maryland, which is the next best thing. And don’t kid yourself: Florida State scout teams probably are already running Notre Dame plays in practice.

--Kansas State quarterback Chad May, who transferred to the Manhattan campus when Cal State Fullerton’s football program folded, leads the Big Eight Conference in passing. In a 17-point loss to Nebraska two weeks ago, he passed for a league-record 489 yards. In last Saturday’s tie with Colorado, he completed only two of nine passes in the first half, but finished with 279 yards. By the way, this is the first time Kansas State (5-1-1) has been ranked in the Associated Press poll since Nov. 9, 1970. That was also the last year the Wildcats, currently ranked No. 25, defeated Oklahoma. They meet again Saturday at Kansas State.

--Illinois began the season 0-3, but since starting Big Ten play, the Illini have won three of their last four. Illinois’ latest victory--a 24-21 upset of sagging Michigan, now in eighth place--puts Coach Lou Tepper’s team in serious contention for a Rose Bowl trip. Tepper, who supposedly was on his way out if the Illini continued to struggle, now might receive a contract extension.

--Oklahoma is considering a switch from artificial turf to natural grass. If so, the Sooners would become the only Big Eight team with a natural field. Tennessee is making the change next season. Right now, 57 of the 108 Division I-A stadiums have natural-grass fields.

--Hurt by the early departure of running back Garrison Hearst to the NFL, Georgia Coach Ray Goff has had to rely almost entirely on quarterback Eric Zeier. Zeier has done his part--86 for 129 (66.6%), 1,348 yards, 11 touchdowns and one interception in the last three games--but the Bulldogs are only 4-4 overall and 2-4 in the Southeastern Conference.

Not surprisingly, Goff has had to endure his share of criticism--typical of some of the spoiled Georgia fans. Two bumper stickers making the rounds about Goff, a Moultrie, Ga., native: After Georgia’s season-opening loss to the Gamecocks of South Carolina--”If you can’t beat the poultry, go back to Moultrie.” And after a recent loss to the Razorbacks of Arkansas--”If you can’t beat the Hogs, you can’t coach the Dawgs.”

--Someone needs to CAT-scan Michigan Coach Gary Moeller’s brain. Moeller used star running back Tyrone Wheatley on the punt-coverage team during the fourth quarter of last Saturday’s game against Illinois. Wheatley, who was already nursing a pulled groin muscle, injured his shoulder on the play. He isn’t expected to play Saturday against Wisconsin.

--Word is that Nebraska I-back Calvin Jones and Colorado wide receiver Michael Westbrook, both juniors, are leaning toward staying for their senior seasons rather than leaving early for the NFL.

--Penn State’s Paterno, when asked how a coach should know it’s time to retire: “You’re not suggesting anything, are you?”

Top 10

As selected by staff writer Gene Wojciechowski

No. Team Record 1. Florida State 7-0 2. Notre Dame 8-0 3. Ohio State 7-0 4. Alabama 6-0-1 5. Arizona 7-0 6. Miami 5-1 7. Auburn 7-0 8. Nebraska 7-0 9. Florida 5-1 10. Texas A&M; 6-1

Waiting list: Tennessee (5-1-1), Penn State (5-1), West Virginia (6-0), UCLA (5-2), Virginia (6-1).