Controversy Imminent If Seminoles Win

The Fiesta Bowl has billed itself as“college football’s first unified national championship game.”

But in the land of the foam index finger, reality will meet hype only if top-ranked Tennessee defeats No. 2 Florida State on Monday night at Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe, Ariz. The Vols will be acclaimed the No. 1 team throughout the land - except on unbeaten Tulane’s campus.

If the favored Seminoles win, the Fiesta Bowl will simply trigger another round of “Who’s No. 1?” arguments.

The nascent Bowl Championship Series was meant to avoid the traditional arguments. But the Fiesta Bowl winner is guaranteed only to receive the USA Today/ESPN coaches poll trophy.

The debate will focus on the AP’s version of the national title, which is not linked to the outcome of any single game. The AP’s 70 media voters ranked Tennessee first, FSU second and Ohio State third in their final regular-season poll. If FSU knocks off Tennessee, common sense would indicate that the Seminoles would move up a notch. But common sense doesn’t always apply in the political process of determining a national champ.

Florida State already has lost once, as have Ohio State (11-1), Arizona (12-1) and Wisconsin (11-1).

Cooper still pleading case

Ohio State coach John Cooper has made his appeal to the voters in the AP poll: If No. 2 Florida State barely beats No. 1 Tennessee in tonight’s Fiesta Bowl, consider the Buckeyes for the national title.

Seminoles coach Bobby Bowden says it won’t work.

“I don’t blame John one bit for feeling the way he does,” Bowden said. “John might have the best team in the nation, but if Tennessee wins, it will be the national champion. And if we win, we will be national champions. That’s the way it was drawn up this year, and I sympathize with John because I’ve been in his place before.”

Under the new Bowl Championship Series setup, the Fiesta Bowl winner automatically finishes No. 1 in the USA Today/ESPN coaches’ poll. No. 3 Ohio State, a 24-14 winner over Texas A&M in the Sugar Bowl, cannot be considered for the title in the coaches’ poll.

The AP media poll, which has no such restrictions, will be released early Tuesday after the 70 voters cast their ballots. It’s certainly a longshot, but at least the Buckeyes would have a chance to share the title.

If the Seminoles win, they would improve to 12-1, and they also have a win over Texas A&M - 23-14 in the Kickoff Classic.

Says Florida State defensive end Tony Bryant: “They lost one game. We lost one game. They won their bowl game. I think the Fiesta Bowl should decide who the national champion is, but it’s not up to us.”

Big game old hat for Seminoles

Florida State will be playing in a No. 1 vs. No. 2 game for the fifth time in the 1990s. The Seminoles are 2-2 entering tonight’s Fiesta Bowl against top-ranked Tennessee.

Florida State beat No. 1 Florida 24-21 Nov. 30, 1996, but then lost in the Sugar Bowl rematch and the Gators won the national title.

Florida State beat No. 2 Nebraska 18-16 in the 1994 Orange Bowl, and won the ‘93 national title.

Notre Dame beat No. 1 Florida State 31-24, Nov. 13, 1993.

Miami beat No. 1 Florida State 17-16 Nov. 16, 1991.

McNabb less than stellar in swan song

Donovan McNabb was among the last to leave the Syracuse locker room early Sunday morning. He emerged wearing an olive suit and white shoes and feeling some heartache beneath his ever-present smile.

McNabb, the option quarterback who accounted for more than 10,000 yards running and passing in his career, had spent time trading hugs and handshakes with the 11 other Syracuse seniors whose last game became a nightmarish 31-10 loss to Florida in the Orange Bowl on Saturday night.

“We’re upset about the loss,” McNabb said. “But mainly we’re upset about leaving. Hopefully we’ll stay in touch, but it’s not going to be the same.”

McNabb had said he wanted the Orange Bowl to be his best game, so it could serve as a springboard for Syracuse next season. It was anything but. He threw for 192 yards, but completed only 14 of his 30 passes, lost two of the team’s three fumbles and threw an interception. He rushed for 72 yards on 20 carries. Florida shut down an Orangemen offense that was averaging 42.5 points a game.

“He was off his mark,” Syracuse offensive coordinator Kevin Rogers said. “Passes he usually completes in his sleep were one-hoppers.”

Rogers noted, however, that Florida put more pressure on McNabb than any other team this season, or probably any season.

“I think you’re going to find out three or four years from now that they probably have 10 or 11 guys on that defense playing in the NFL,” Rogers said.