Five Things To Look For

1. The quest for less than zero. If we start measuring the greatness of teams by their final bowl championship series standings, Oklahoma has a chance to do to the BCS what Roger Bannister did to the four-minute mile. We’re talking about finishing with a sub-zero final score. It can happen because of the addition of “quality win” points, which will be subtracted from a school’s final BCS total. Scenario: Oklahoma finishes No. 1 in both polls, the computer component and strength of schedule to post a BCS subtotal of 2.04. Nebraska finishes 10-2 and remains in the top 10, assuming both defeats came against Oklahoma (this weekend and the Big 12 title game). Texas finishes in the top five and fast-charging North Carolina cracks the final BCS 15. Oklahoma would then get bonus points for wins against those three teams that could be worth more than 2.04 points, dropping the Sooners’ final BCS figure to a negative number.

2. Eric Crouch’s quest for legacy. Once, you could have started a bar fight in Lincoln by suggesting there was a better option quarterback than former Nebraska star Tommie Frazier, considered by many the best option man ever. Yet, with a win over No. 1 Oklahoma, Crouch could begin to make his case. He already holds Nebraska records at quarterback for rushing yards (3,096 and counting) and total offense (7,053) and, with 55, is the NCAA record holder for rushing touchdowns by a quarterback. Crouch, a senior, has 32 wins as a Nebraska starter, one short of Frazier’s 33. What Frazier has that Crouch doesn’t: two national title rings.

3. Nice guy makes good. First-year Maryland Coach Ralph Friedgen has turned a 5-6 team into 7-0, and a win at Florida State would rubber-stamp the turnaround and all but make him a cinch for coach of the year. With a victory, Maryland would become the first Atlantic Coast Conference school to win at Tallahassee since the Seminoles joined the ACC.

4. A peek inside the numbers. The BCS publishes weekly standings for the top 15 teams, but there are bootleg versions on the Internet that can help you trace the BCS stock of your favorite teams. Example: Notre Dame is No. 48 in the BCS this week with a total of 47.50, leaving the Irish only 41.10 points behind Nebraska in the race for the second national title spot. That’s still better than USC, which is No. 61.

5. It’s a party, and he’ll cry if he has to. First-year Georgia Coach Mark Richt has the Bulldogs off to a 5-1 start and already has beaten Tennessee, but the real test comes this weekend against Florida in Jacksonville, annually dubbed “The World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party.” Jim Donnan had a 40-19 record at Georgia but was fired because of his 6-14 record against the big four: Tennessee, Florida, Auburn and Georgia Tech. Florida Coach Steve Spurrier has shown no mercy against Georgia over the years, going 10-1 and outscoring the Bulldogs by 223 points.