COLLEGE FOOTBALL SPOTLIGHT

IS WINK MARTINDALE AVAILABLE TO BE THE HOST?

Bowl officials have less incentive than ever to reveal early who will be playing in their games now that CBS is paying good money for the “Great Games Selection Show,” which will tell a riveted nation which two teams have won the honor to play in the Carquest Bowl.

The show will air Dec. 3 on CBS, but if the NCAA really wants to boost ratings it should rename the program the “Great Games Selection and the NCAA’s Most Wanted Show.”

In the next few weeks, the NCAA is expected to announce penalties against Miami that could knock the Hurricanes out of a bowl and whether it has modified Alabama’s sanctions, allowing the Crimson Tide to play in one.

Put both athletic directors on the air and let’s watch them squirm as the verdict is read.

SO MUCH FUN, AND SO LITTLE TIME

Forget the Rose Bowl and that parade in Pasadena. For a really good time, head to Tampa, Fla., where activities leading up to the Jan. 1 Outback Bowl include:

--Hooters Holiday Shootout: No, teams will not be throwing chicken wings at scantily clad waitresses who insist that they are in no way denigrated by their uniforms. It’s a high school basketball tournament, silly.

--Tampa Jai Alai Night: Watch players from both teams smack each other in the head with their cestas and put each other’s eyes out with pelotas traveling at 100 m.p.h.

--Ybor Bowl Blast: Spend New Year’s Eve in eclectic Ybor City watching the TECO Energy Parade (nuclear reactors in a conga line?), a pep rally by marching bands from both teams and a live concert by Blessed Union of Soul, a band we don’t expect to see at the Whiskey any time soon.

--Rock ‘n’ Bowl Pregame Brunch: This had promise until we learned it had nothing to do with tenpins. Instead, dazed souls arriving at 8 a.m. can listen to more live music (no word on whether Blessed Union of Soul will make an encore appearance) and attend yet another pep rally.

NOTEWORTHY

Florida tied a school record with its 11th consecutive victory, 35-24 over Florida State, and beat its archrival for only the second time since 1987. In addition, Chris Doering set school and SEC records for touchdown receptions in a season (16) and career (30) and teammate Danny Wuerffel set an SEC record for touchdown passes in a season with 30. . . . Tshimanga Biakabutuka ran for 313 yards in Michigan’s 31-23 victory over Ohio State to give him 1,724 for the season, breaking Jamie Morris’ school record of 1,703 in 1987. . . . Peyton Manning set Tennessee records for passes (380), completions (244) and yards (2,954) in a season, and teammate Jay Graham set a school record with 1,438 yards rushing this year. . . . Paul Williams intercepted a pass at the goal line and ran 100 yards for a touchdown, helping Delaware to a 38-17 victory over Hofstra.

QUOTEWORTHY

Florida quarterback Danny Wuerffel, on his chances of winning the Heisman Trophy after throwing for 443 yards and four touchdowns against Florida State:

“I don’t really care much about it. I just know that I’m the quarterback of one of the best teams in the country right now, and that’s all that matters.”

THE TOP 25

* No. 1. Nebraska (11-0): Defeated Oklahoma, 37-0, Friday. For all his bluster, Howard Schnellenberger and his stuffy pipe go 5-5-1; Gary Gibbs was 6-6 without one last season.

* No. 2. Ohio State (11-1): Lost to Michigan, 31-23. Folks in Columbus will be taking the name of Tshimanga Biakabutuka in vain for the next 50 years. Hope they pronounce it right.

* No. 3. Florida (11-0): Defeated Florida State, 35-24. No, the Gators will not lose to Arkansas in the Southeastern Conference title game. Stop that.

* No. 4. Northwestern (10-1): Idle, if you don’t count all that celebrating.

* No. 5. Tennessee (10-1): Defeated Vanderbilt, 12-7. Uninspired effort might prompt poll voters to leave Buckeyes ahead of Volunteers. Hope not.

* No. 6. Florida State (9-2): Lost to Florida, 35-24. In the end, quarterback Danny Kanell was outplayed by his counterpart in the Seminoles’ two biggest games.

* No. 7. Notre Dame (9-2): Idle.

* No. 8. Colorado (9-2): Idle.

* No. 9. Texas (9-1-1): Defeated Baylor, 21-13, Thursday. Last Southwest Conference game should be a good one between Longhorns and Texas A&M; on Saturday.

* No. 10. Kansas State (9-2): Idle.

* No. 11. Kansas (9-2): Idle.

* No. 12. Oregon (9-2): Idle.

* No. 13. Virginia Tech (9-2): Idle.

* No. 14. Penn State (8-3): Defeated Michigan State, 24-20. A middle screen in last 15 seconds with no timeouts left? When you’re playing for the Outback Bowl, you have to take chances.

* No. 15. Texas A&M; (8-2): Defeated Texas Christian, 38-6. Horned Frogs remain consistent until the end, losing 23rd in a row to Aggies in final meeting between teams.

* No. 16. Auburn (8-3): Idle.

* No. 17. USC (8-2-1): Idle.

* No. 18. Michigan (9-3): Defeated Ohio State, 31-23. This makes up for the loss to Michigan State, but is it bigger than beating Miami of Ohio? How could it be?

* No. 19. Virginia (8-4): Idle.

* No. 20. Washington (7-3-1): Idle.

* No. 21. Alabama (8-3): Idle.

* No. 22. Syracuse (8-3): Lost to Miami, 35-24. Orangemen scored on their first four possessions then called it a night. Too bad there was still another half to play.

* No. 23. Arkansas (8-3): Idle.

* No. 24. Clemson (8-3): Idle.

* No. 25. Miami (8-3): Defeated Syracuse, 35-24. Great. Another new year will begin with Hurricanes strutting and preening for the camera.

A CLASSIC COACH COMES UP SHORT IN CLASSIC

It’s a good thing Grambling’s Eddie Robinson reached the 400-victory milestone earlier this season. At least he’ll have one good thing to remember about the year.

Grambling finished with a losing season for only the fifth time in the 55 seasons Robinson has coached the Tigers after a 30-14 loss to Southern in the Bayou Classic before 72,000 in New Orleans.

Jermaine Sharp returned the second-half kickoff 67 yards for a touchdown and Carlos Leach kicked three field goals as Southern (10-1), which won the Southwestern Athletic Conference and a berth in the Dec. 29 Heritage Bowl, defeated Grambling (5-6).

MAYBE HE CAN REPLACE REEVES FOR THE GIANTS

Ray Goff already won the first-coach-to-be-fired sweepstakes, but Doug Graber of Rutgers appears set to come in a strong second.

The Home News-Tribune of East Brunswick, N.J., reported that Graber will be fired Monday or Tuesday after the Scarlet Knights were 4-7 overall and 2-5 in the Big East.

Graber’s biggest problem was probably that he raised expectations by going 7-4 in 1992. Rutgers is in an intensely competitive recruiting area and has trouble luring top prospects away from schools such as Penn State.

--Compiled by Emilio Garcia-Ruiz.