Can Nebraska Byte Off Lead?

Remember last Dec. 5? Championship Saturday? The greatest day in the history of college football? Three white-knuckle games that kept football fans riveted through Miami-UCLA, Kansas State-Texas A&M; and Tennessee-Mississippi State?

Florida State Coach Bobby Bowden winning a national title bid on his couch?

The reason there never, ever needed to be a playoff series?

Well, this year, championship Saturday is a potential snoozer.

Yes, Miami is making up another game postponed by hurricane, except this year Miami is playing Temple, not UCLA, and it’s not even on television.

Had Nebraska been able to run up the score against Colorado last week, Saturday’s Big 12 title game could have been an intriguing race against the bowl championship series computer as the Cornhuskers tried to chase down Virginia Tech for the No. 2 BCS position and a berth in the Sugar Bowl Jan. 4.

But because Nebraska squandered a 24-point lead and ultimately needed overtime to beat Colorado, 33-30, the Cornhuskers fell 1.54 points behind Virginia Tech in the BCS rankings.

Nebraska needs a miracle now to catch the Hokies, something like a 50-0 romp over Texas, an unlikely result in that Texas handed Nebraska its only loss of the year and is seeking its fourth consecutive victory over the Cornhuskers.

Revenge factor? OK, we’ll buy that, but this isn’t Kansas State-Texas El Paso.

Texas, despite a tough loss last week at Texas A&M;, is deep and talented. And the Longhorns welcome the return of quarterback Major Applewhite, who did not start last week because of a stomach virus.

Nebraska will be hard-pressed to win this game, let alone make some sort of resounding challenge to the BCS computer.

What remains at stake in San Antonio is a berth in the Fiesta Bowl, one of four BCS prizes that pay each school $12 million. The loser gets shipped to the Cotton Bowl to play Arkansas.

* Line: Nebraska by 8.

RATING THE TV GAMES

**** Whoa, Nellie

*** Fix the car tomorrow

** OK to watch golf infomercials

* For WWF scouts only

Tonight

*** Western Michigan (7-4) at No. 11 Marshall (11-0), Mid-American Conference title game, 5, ESPN2

Marshall is this year’s Tulane, a Division I school that figures to go unbeaten and unwanted. With a victory over Western Michigan, Marshall will have met the requirements necessary to play in a $12-million BCS bowl--nine victories and a top-12 BCS ranking--but the winner here is headed to the Motor City Bowl.

Marshall, a nice story since upgrading to Division I three years ago, still does not have enough schedule muscle to warrant a larger bowl payday. Marshall has not defeated a top-25 team and has a woeful BCS schedule strength of 98.

Marshall defeated Western Michigan in their regular-season meeting, 31-17, and the rematch again features two of the nation’s top quarterbacks, Chad Pennington and Tim Lester, who have combined to throw for 63 touchdowns this season.

* Line: Marshall by 20.

Saturday

** Army (3-7) vs. Navy (4-7), 9 a.m., Channel 2

This is the 100th meeting of these storied rivals, with Army leading the series, 48-44-7, and having won 10 of the last 13 games. No matter the records, the game has long transcended sport and has been an annual ratings winner for CBS, which has extended the contracts with the academies through 2008. Last year’s 3.7 rating was the second-highest afternoon game CBS televised.

* Line: Navy by 6 1/2.

*** No. 5 Florida (9-2) vs. No. 7 Alabama (9-2), Southeastern Conference title game, 5 p.m., Channel 7

The chances of a blown call in this game were diminished this week when SEC Commissioner Roy Kramer suspended his top officiating crew after last week’s debacle, in which a referee ruled Georgia back Jasper Sanks had fumbled at Georgia Tech’s one-yard line in the closing seconds of a 48-48 tie. Sanks was clearly down before he fumbled, and Georgia Tech won in overtime, 51-48.

In Saturday’s title game in Atlanta, Florida tries to avenge an early-season loss to Alabama in Gainesville. Gator Coach Steve Spurrier remains befuddled by his team’s sloppy play in the wake of a 15-penalty performance in the Florida State loss. The winner earns a BCS berth against Michigan in the Orange Bowl, and the loser plays Michigan State in the Citrus Bowl.

* Line: Florida by 7.

The other game

SATURDAY

at Miami 30 Temple

GAME OF THE WEEK

No. 3 Nebraska (10-1) vs. No. 12 Texas (9-3)

Big 12 Conference title game Saturday, 12:30 p.m., Channel 7