Four Unbeaten Seasons on the Line

Big Game I: Saturday marks the first time undefeated Big Ten schools have met this late in the season since Nov. 24, 1973, when Michigan and Ohio State played to a 10-10 tie.

Michigan isn’t favored, but it should be because of its sizable advantage on defense. The Wolverines rank first nationally--giving up only 202.5 yards and 7.5 points a game--while the Nittany Lions have given up an average of 17.5 points. They gave up 565 yards and 27 points in beating Ohio State.

Two-way star Charles Woodson is making a serious Heisman run and will get a chance to improve his stock against Penn State receiver Joe Jurevicius. It won’t help Woodson that the game won’t be televised in many places, including Los Angeles. Heismans are won and lost on national television, not regional telecasts.

Since losing to Michigan in 1993, Penn State’s first season in the Big Ten, the Nittany Lions have won three in a row. Joe Paterno’s next victory will be No. 296.

The Line: Penn State by 2 1/2.

Big Game II: Never in Atlantic Coast Conference history have top-five teams met. The winner secures at least a No. 3 national ranking in the AP poll behind No. 1 Nebraska--assuming the Cornhuskers beat Missouri--and the winner of Penn State-Michigan.

The Florida State-North Carolina winner will be on a direct course to face Nebraska in the Orange Bowl with the national title at stake Jan. 2.

Florida State has the more difficult challenge because it still has to play archrival Florida in Gainesville on Nov. 22. If North Carolina wins Saturday, it must win at Clemson and at home against Duke to reach the Orange Bowl at 11-0.

It’s a big “if.” The Tar Heels have never won a game of this magnitude. They are 0-28-1 against top-five teams. The highest-ranked opponent North Carolina ever defeated was No. 6 Navy in 1957.

The Line: Florida State by 7.

ON TV

* Temple (3-6) at Navy (3-4), Fox Sports West, 9 a.m.: Reasons to watch: Temple is not the worst Big East team (Rutgers is); Navy almost beat Notre Dame last week.

The Line: Navy by 13.

* Iowa (6-2) at Wisconsin (7-2), ESPN, 9:30 a.m.: Iowa is good, considering the losses were to Ohio State and Michigan. Wisconsin will finish 7-5, Saturday’s defeat followed by losses to Michigan and Penn State.

The Line: Iowa by 9.

* Michigan State (5-3) at Purdue (6-2), ESPN2, 9:30 a.m.: The Spartans have lost three in a row, have dropped out of the AP poll and are 0-2 since they let Sports Illustrated spend a week in team meetings before the Michigan game.

The Line: Purdue by 1.

* Louisiana State (6-2) at Alabama (4-4), Channel 2, 12:30 p.m.: Mississippi State’s victory over Auburn last week has thrown the SEC West race into chaos. The Crimson Tide, even at 2-3, has not been eliminated. Home-field advantage? LSU has won five of the last six at Birmingham or Tuscaloosa.

The Line: LSU by 6.

* Louisville (1-8) at Cincinnati (6-3), Fox Sports West, 12:30 p.m.: Those TV guys are geniuses. You can’t watch Michigan-Penn State in Los Angeles, but subscribers to Fox Sports West will be treated to this dandy in the same time slot. It’s like blacking out “Gone With the Wind” to show “Son of Flubber.”

The Line: Cincinnati by 13 1/2.

* Miami (4-4) at Virginia Tech (6-2), ESPN2, 3 p.m.: To win the Big East title, the Hokies need to keep winning and hope West Virginia loses once. In better days, Miami was a part of this championship scenario.

The Line: Virginia Tech by 6 1/2.

* Texas Tech (4-4) at Texas (4-4), Fox Sports West, 4 p.m.: Watch the drama unfold as Longhorn Coach John Mackovic staves off an effort to be reassigned to janitorial services at $600,000 a year. The Red Raiders play through the pain of having been slapped this week with 18 NCAA violations.

The Line: Pick.

5 THINGS TO LOOK FOR

1. Another wasted effort by Ricky Williams. The Texas tailback leads the nation in rushing with his 175.5-yard average and is seeking his fifth consecutive 200-yards-plus rushing day Saturday against Texas Tech. In NCAA history, only Barry Sanders and Marcus Allen have rushed for 200 yards or more in five successive games.

If Texas weren’t 3-5, Williams would be a leading Heisman Trophy candidate.

2. The end of the road. Last week’s victory over Colorado assured 6-3 Missouri its first winning season since 1983. About 1,500 fans met the team at the airport in Columbia, Mo. Junior quarterback Corby Jones has passed for 1,360 yards and rushed for 701.

Can things get any better? No. Missouri hosts No. 1 Nebraska on Saturday.

3. Florida quarterback Doug Johnson making bed check. Since he broke curfew the Thursday night before the Louisiana State game, the Gators have lost two of three games and Johnson has thrown six interceptions and no touchdown passes. He was suspended for Florida’s victory over Auburn. Before his transgression, the sophomore quarterback had thrown 20 touchdown passes and only six interceptions.

“It seems like our players haven’t had much fun--except maybe Thursday nights,” Coach Steve Spurrier quipped.

4. Oregon (4-4) giving No. 6 Washington a game in Seattle. The Ducks are coming off a bye, have beaten the Huskies two of the last three and will catch Washington looking ahead to UCLA. Washington has to play without injured tailback Rashaan Shehee, and quarterback Brock Huard is hobbled by a sprained ankle.

5. Purdue’s ad for a new athletic director in the NCAA News. Not so fast, Charles Manson. “A criminal conviction records check is required for employment in this position,” the ad stipulates.

What, you thought Purdue didn’t have standards?

THE TIMES RANKINGS BY CHRIS DUFRESNE / 1-25

NO. TEAM (RECORD): Comment

1. North Carolina (8-0): Rankmaster exposed as a genius or just a guy with a really cool job.

2. Nebraska (8-0): “What the heck, let’s go wreck Missouri’s joy ride.”

3. Florida State (8-0): Seminoles haven’t played a game this big in, oh, “What time is it?”

4. Michigan (8-0): No offense, but doesn’t DB Woodson deserve to strike a Heisman pose?

5. Penn State (7-0): “Handoff to Curtis Enis. Loss of three. Second and 13.”

6. Ohio State (8-1): If the Buckeyes couldn’t beat Michigan when Michigan was bad . . .

7. Tennessee (6-1): No one is enjoying Florida’s fold more than Phil Fulmer and 110 other Division I coaches.

8. Washington (7-1): Huskies have all their Pac-10 ducks in a row, starting with Oregon.

9. UCLA (7-2): Coach will not leave to become Toledo Coach Bob Toledo.

10. Georgia (7-1): Hey, that win over Florida was peachy-keen.

11. Iowa (6-2): Would own the Big Ten if not for Michigan, Ohio State, Penn State and a few others.

12. Florida (6-2): It’s a problem when a Spurrier team can’t throw or catch.

13. Arizona State (6-2): Ryan Leaf having nightmares about Mitchell “Fright Night” Freedman.

14. Washington State (7-1): Leaf sort of reminds me of a young Paul Bunyan.

15. Toledo (8-0): QB Chris Wallace may be pigeon-toed, but he walks the walk.

16. Louisiana State (6-2): The SEC West is up for grabs. Tigers, would you mind taking it?

17. Mississippi State (6-2): Any school that shuts out Auburn can sip a mint julep in this poll parlor.

18. Auburn (7-2): Terry Bowden is 0-2 since asking athletic director to rework his contract.

19. Purdue (6-2): Stupendous season downgraded to “Outback Bowl or bust!”

20. Texas A&M; (6-2): If anyone can make heads or tails out the Big 12 South, please e-mail me ASAP.

21. Virginia Tech (6-2): Bad news. It appears some school will win the Big East title after all.

22. Southern Mississippi (6-2): Back in good graces since rankmaster received check from alum BF in Green Bay.

23. Oklahoma State (6-2): Maybe Coach Bob Simmons should go over that manual regarding overtime again.

24. Marshall (7-2): Triumphant return to poll after an inexplicable absence.

25. Twenty-five gun salute to fallen former top-10 regulars: Notre Dame, USC, Alabama, Colorado, Texas, Miami.