[NU Sports] BCS ... (fwd)

[Mike Nolan]

> And I'm not so sure, Mike, that it'd be SC and Oklahoma either way ...
> Auburn is solid all around and could give either a great game. As it is,
> I'm really not expecting the Orange Bowl to be close. Oklahoma's defense
> was exposed at the end of the season and with a month to prepare, Chow and
> Leinhardt are gonna pick 'em apart.

Exposed at the end of the season?  They had a grand total of 6 points 
scored on them in their last three games, against admittedly mediocre
teams.  (I think Iowa State would have put up a better fight than Colorado
yesterday.)

They also shut out Texas, the first time the Horns been shut out since,
what, the Truman administration?  (On that basis alone I think Cal got
shafted Royally.)

The reports I get from Norman suggest that the Sooners are going to be 
a VERY focused team playing in a city where they have a long history of
winning.  I also think USC has a soft underbelly in its defense, far 
more so than the Sooners do.  Defenses win championships, and OU was 
missing that piece of the puzzle last season.  Yes, the combination of
Lienart and Bush gives USC a lot of offense, but OU isn't exactly
a laggard there either.

The Orange Bowl should feature two Heisman champions, possibly in one
uniform and it will have the top 3 finishers in this year's Heisman race.  
I doubt that's ever happened.

I guess we'll find out who's reading it all wrong in January, but I 
think it'll be something like OU 31 USC 14.  

Auburn-Va Tech is harder to read, Tennessee showed that Auburn does 
have some weaknesses, I just don't know if the Hokies are the right 
team to exploit them, and Beamer has been outcoached a couple of times
already this year.  It'll depend on how Auburn's mood is after 
finishing 3rd.   Do they think they can sway the AP voters, who haven'
t seen all that excited about Auburn all season?  I don't think that's 
possible this year, unfortunately.  And that might open the door for
an upset.
--
Mike Nolan