These Archrivals Share Heartwarming Moment

The adage “the enemy of my enemy is my friend” might best explain Saturday night in the extraordinary South, where fans who despised each other hours earlier could later clank beer glasses together in mutual condemnation of the common opponent--Florida Coach Steve Spurrier.

Florida State’s first home loss in 10 years, a 49-27 setback against archrival Miami, might have sent Seminole fans into therapy if not for the hope their pain could be alleviated by a Florida defeat.

Miami has inflicted more damage on Florida State football than any other program, responsible for eight of Bobby Bowden’s 18 defeats since 1987, so it was a surprise to an outsider to see Hurricanes and Seminoles joining forces at a Tallahassee sports restaurant Saturday night, hollering in unison for Auburn to upset No. 1 Florida.

You came to learn that while Miami may not like Florida State, it dislikes Florida even more. And while Florida State fans can never forgive Miami for all the national titles it has denied them, the disdain for Florida cuts deeper.

So, as Auburn was putting the finishing touches on its upset with a dozen overhead television sets fixed on Spurrier’s crinkled face, the Miami-Florida State coalition started a round of chants, “Throw the visor!!! Throw the visor!!!”

Spurrier, less than enthralled with his quarterback Rex Grossman, at one point tempted the crowd by nudging his visor up on his head.

Again, the chants: “Throw the visor!, Throw the visor!”

Spurrier, the Gator, would not bite, allowing his detractors only the thrill of mocking his odd facial contortions.

When kicker Damon Duval’s 44-yard field goal split the uprights to give Auburn its 23-20 victory, Miami and Florida State fans spilled joyfully into the night.

Miami left Tallahassee with the double whammy, a victory at Florida State coupled with a Florida defeat, a synergy that would simultaneously knock Florida out of the No. 1 poll spot and put Miami in.

Florida State went home knowing that, while its fortunes are fading, sleep always comes more quickly knowing Florida has also fallen.

Saturday was the first truly great weekend of this college football season, one in which last-second plays eliminated some teams from contention and kept others alive.

In a frenetic fury, a field of 18 undefeated teams was pared to 11 and the list of realistic national title contenders to six.

The focus on the Pasadena view finder became clearer. Purdue’s loss to Michigan and losses by South Carolina and Florida means the Big Ten and Southeastern Conference have probably been eliminated from national title consideration.

The two schools to meet in the Jan. 3 Rose Bowl for the national title will probably come from either the Pacific 10, Big 12 or Big East conferences.

Maryland is 6-0 in the Atlantic Coast, yet this leader of a major college conference is strangely out of title contention.

Brigham Young went to court after it was snubbed from a major bowl in 1996. Fresno State of the Western Athletic Conference has been clamoring all year about not making a major bowl even if it goes 13-0.

But who could have imagined Maryland, with built-in BCS protection, should face such an uphill climb. This can’t be comforting to ACC Commissioner John Swofford, this year’s BCS coordinator.

The Terrapins are only No. 12 in this week’s AP poll and No. 14 in the coaches’. Maryland was 15th in last week’s unofficial BCS rankings and suddenly a potential victory against fading Florida State on Oct. 27 might not mean as much in the computers.

At this point, even Fresno State has a better shot at Pasadena than Maryland.

Rose Bowl Tracking Poll

In the game this week: Oklahoma vs. Miami. Call this the better-late-than-ever bowl. In many minds, this should have been the national title game last year. Miami, of course, missed out by .32 to Florida State in the final BCS rankings.

The only downer of Miami’s win over Florida State is the Hurricanes might have won too decisively. Miami picks up “quality win” points from Florida State only if the Seminoles finished ranked in the top 15, but Saturday’s loss knocked Florida State to No. 22.

Still has a float in the parade: Nebraska, UCLA, Oregon, Virginia Tech.

Comments: Virginia Tech is living way too large. The Hokies, their season on cruise control, can sit back and watch the contenders fall. Nebraska and Oklahoma play on Oct. 27, with the loser assured to drop below an unbeaten Virginia Tech. The Hokies will also pass the loser of UCLA-Oregon on Nov. 10.

A break here and there and Virginia Tech could move up to No. 2 before playing its only meaningful game of the season, Miami, in Blacksburg, on Dec. 1.

UCLA? Someone needs to get on the horn to find out why the voting coaches are in love with Virginia Tech at the expense of UCLA. Oh, that’s right, the coaches don’t reveal how they vote. UCLA has defeated Alabama, Ohio State, Oregon State, and Washington, yet the coaches still have Virginia Tech rated ahead of UCLA and Oregon?

Virginia Tech remains No. 4 on the strength of its didn’t-even-cover 34-20 win over Boston College? Get real.

The AP writers got it right, rewarding UCLA for its win against No. 10 Washington. The Bruins jumped three spots in the AP poll to No. 4. Oregon is at No. 5 and Virginia Tech is where it belongs, at No. 6.

Fresno State report: OK, maybe this is destiny’s child. Not only did the Bulldogs pull out an incredible overtime win over Colorado State, Fresno State also got key wins from the three other nonconference opponents it beat: Wisconsin improved to 4-3, Colorado to 5-1, Oregon State to 2-3. Note to Oregon State bashers. The combined record of the three schools that have defeated the Beavers (Fresno State, UCLA, Washington State) is 17-0.