Nebraska Pulls a Solid Reverse Play

In what may be remembered as the greatest off week in the history of Nebraska football, the Crouch-potato Cornhuskers rebounded from their humiliating 62-36 loss at Colorado to score a stunning bowl championship series comeback Monday.

At the same time, Oregon, with a win against archrival Oregon State in rain-drenched Eugene, was effectively eliminated from the Rose Bowl race.

Alas, Duck fans, hope is not lost for a share of the national championship (more on that to come).

To think, the BCS was formed to simplify things.

Here’s what happened: without benefit of a single run around end by quarterback Eric Crouch or a rousing pep talk from former coach Tom Osborne, Nebraska moved to No. 3 in this week’s BCS standings and backed right into national title contention.

Miami leads the pack with 2.50 points, followed by Tennessee at 4.79, Nebraska at 8.39, Colorado at 9.88 and Oregon with 10.44.

The schools with the two lowest BCS totals in Sunday’s final standings will play in the Jan. 3 Rose Bowl.

Funny, when last we left the Cornhuskers in Boulder, Colo., players had their heads in their hands after getting stuffed like Cornish game hens by Colorado--Nebraska gave up a school-record 62 points in defeat.

Suddenly, though, thanks to a loss by Texas and a lousy three-point Oregon victory Saturday, Nebraska is back in the Rose Bowl parade and college football is one Louisiana State victory over Tennessee in Saturday’s Southeastern Conference title game from raging controversy.

Here’s the setup: Miami already has qualified for one Rose Bowl spot; Tennessee will clinch the other if it beats LSU.

If that happens, the BCS will have worked out fine.

If LSU wins, however, you’d better lock the BCS barn door because that result will send Nebraska to Pasadena to play Miami.

That’s right, Nebraska, a school that finished third in the Big 12 and is coming off a stunning loss.

How did this happen? What happened to Oregon? How can Nebraska still be ranked ahead of Colorado after losing to the Buffaloes by 26 points?

Answer: Beats the BCS out of us.

Basically, though, we’ve all been fed a load of bull.

The BCS bigwigs shook their fists last spring and vowed that margin of victory would be diminished this year. Two computer systems were given the boot for not complying with an edict that schools not be penalized for close victories.

Try selling that song and dance in Eugene.

Nebraska, which spent Saturday doing yard work, held a 0.59 BCS lead over Oregon entering weekend play.

Oregon beat Oregon State, 17-14, yet that wasn’t nearly impressive enough to keep Nebraska from separating from the Ducks like Don Prudhomme in a jet-fueled dragster.

Not only did Nebraska extend its lead over the Ducks to 2.05 points, Colorado used the strength of its win over Texas to leapfrog Oregon.

And while Oregon clinched the Pacific 10 title outright with its victory, the Ducks went home the big losers.

Pac-10 Commissioner Tom Hansen saw it coming.

“I was at the game and knew they needed to make a better showing, even though the weather was horrible, “ he said.

Oregon State can take satisfaction knowing its lousy 5-6 season might just knock Oregon out of the Rose Bowl.

Really, isn’t that what rivalries are all about?

Thanks to a boost in the polls, Oregon incrementally improved its BCS total, from 10.87 last week to 10.44, yet Oregon State turned out to be a major drain on Oregon’s power numbers.

Oregon lost 0.83 in the computer average from last week and 0.24 in strength of schedule.

There is a remote chance Oregon still could get into the Rose Bowl if LSU pulls off an upset against Tennessee. It could happen if Tennessee loses a close game to LSU but still stays ahead of Nebraska in the polls.

But don’t count on it.

“I don’t think Oregon’s got any chance at all,” Hansen said.

Not so fast, Mr. Commissioner.

Oregon has a legitimate chance to win the Associated Press national title with a victory against Colorado in the Fiesta Bowl.

How? Because Oregon is No. 3 in the AP poll.

If Tennessee loses to LSU, it stands to reason that Oregon will move up to No. 2, Colorado to No. 3 and Nebraska to No. 4

If No. 4 Nebraska beats No. 1 Miami in the Rose Bowl, the AP probably would crown Oregon as its champion.

How could you argue? Oregon would have defeated Colorado, which defeated Nebraska by 26.

In this scenario, the coaches’ poll again gets caught in a pickle.

It too has Oregon at No. 3 this week, with Nebraska at No. 4

If Tennessee loses, Oregon and Nebraska would each move up one spot, right?

However, the coaches’ poll is mandated by contract to crown the BCS title-game winner its champion no matter where that school is ranked in its own poll.

Pretty smart, huh?

Stay tuned.

Should Oregon and Nebraska end up splitting the title, we ask only that those who would demand a playoff form an orderly line behind Brigham Young.

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BCS Top Five

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School Ratings 1. MIAMI 2.50 2. TENNESSEE 4.79 3. NEBRASKA 8.39 4. COLORADO 9.88 5. OREGON 10.44

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