In college football, one game can change everything.

Saturday in Blacksburg, Va., Virginia Tech upset Miami, 31-7, ending the Hurricanes’ 39-game regular-season winning streak and reviving national championship dreams of other schools around the nation.

For one-loss teams Virginia Tech, Southern California, Florida State, LSU and Ohio State, Miami’s loss means a realistic shot of making the Sugar Bowl.

As the only major-conference school still undefeated, Oklahoma remains at the top of the all-important Bowl Championship Series standings. The Sooners gain an automatic berth in the national championship if they finish the season unbeaten.

Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops said he understands the situation the Sooners are in but said the season depends on avoiding a letdown. He said the players understand that one lost game could mean a lost season.

‘We know we’re a good team,’ Oklahoma defensive end Dan Cody said, ‘but there is nobody on this team who thinks we are invincible.’

Thanks to USC’s schedule strength, (No. 13 in the nation), and its No. 2 ranking in the BCS, Associated Press and ESPN/USA Today Coaches rankings, the Trojans, too, can win out and likely reach the Sugar Bowl.

After defeating Washington State, 43-16, on Saturday, the Trojans must simply win their final three games against Arizona, UCLA and Oregon State.

USC coach Pete Carroll said he tells his team to ignore the polls and results from games played outside the Pacific 10.

‘(The BCS) isn’t that important to us right now,’ Carroll said, ‘It will all take care of itself. Our tune doesn’t change because of what happened to anybody else.’

The five other hopefuls must each rely on somebody else losing to earn a Sugar Bowl berth. Florida State is close to USC in every BCS category except one – strength of schedule. With the 38th most difficult schedule in the nation, the Seminoles won’t be eligible for the national-championship game without a USC loss.

Though its only loss is to fellow one-loss team Miami, the weak play of teams in the Atlantic Coast Conference puts the Seminoles at a disadvantage. Florida State is the only ACC team ranked in the Top 25.

‘We always discuss where we stand,’ Florida State coach Bobby Bowden said. ‘The whole key (for the rest of the season) is don’t look past the next ballgame. We know we can lose it all this week.’

Defending champion Ohio State avoided worrying about the BCS rankings last season by simply winning all its games. But an Oct. 11, 17-10 loss to Wisconsin forced Ohio State to rely on the fortune of others to defend its national title.

‘You know,’ Ohio State coach Jim Tressel said, ‘(the BCS) is irrelevant unless we do well. If we win all our games and they send us to wherever, we go there. If we don’t, they send us somewhere else.’

Along with Ohio State, Miami and Virginia Tech need more than one other team to lose for a shot at the championship. None of these teams have a significant advantage over the rest of the pack in strength of schedule.

The bleakest picture of any one-loss team is LSU. Though the Tigers’ only loss is to No. 17 Florida, LSU’s schedule, ranked No. 63, gives it only a faint hope of playing for a national championship in its home state.

Though fans around the nation will be focused on out-of-town scores that control their teams’ destinies, each one-loss team remains focused on keeping national-championship hopes alive with its play on the field.

‘We can only worry about what we have control over,’ FSU tackle Jeff Womble said. ‘That’s going out and playing our best over these last three games. We’ll let the computers and polls sort it out after that.’

Hail to the victors

The annual matchup between in-state rivals Michigan and Michigan State had added significance this season with both teams still in contention for the Big Ten title.

Saturday, behind a school record 51 carries from tailback Chris Perry, Michigan defeated the Spartans, 27-20.

Perry, who got off to fast start this season, had dropped off the national radar. But his 219-yard performance confirmed his status as one of the nation’s elite running backs.

‘He’s not a flashy guy,’ Michigan coach Lloyd Carr said. ‘But what an unbelievable football player he is. He runs with power and can run outside, too. He’s a great back.’

Michigan State’s loss ended a five-game winning streak for the Spartans that moved them back into the Big Ten hunt. Led by quarterback Jeff Smoker, Michigan State kept the game close. But in the end, Perry’s constant attack proved too much to overcome.

‘It’s tough losing rivalry games like this,’ MSU linebacker Mike Labinjo said. ‘I knew they were going to run the ball at us, but this was not what I envisioned.’

Teams to Watch

Mississippi – Ole Miss continued its winning streak Saturday with a 43-40 win over South Carolina.

Behind the passing of quarterback Eli Manning, the Rebels have now won five consecutive games and, with a win over LSU on Nov. 22, could be headed to a BCS bowl.

Miami (Ohio) – Remember the name Ben Rothlisberger. Miami’s junior quarterback has led the Red Hawks to an 8-1 record this season with 18 touchdown passes and more than 2,700 yards passing.

Tuesday’s 33-10 win over Bowling Green puts Miami in position to win the highly competitive Mid-American Conference.

Big numbers

151-35

Oklahoma’s margin of victory over the three ranked opponents it has played this season – Texas, Missouri and Oklahoma State.

73-247

Illinois’s margin of defeat against the six ranked teams it has played this season – Missouri, Iowa, Minnesota, Michigan, Michigan State and Purdue.

The finally-some-fresh-faces Heisman Rankings

1. Jason White, QB, Oklahoma – Didn’t have a great week against Oklahoma Sate but still led the best team in the nation to a 52-9 win.

2. Larry Fitzgerald, WR, Pittsburgh – He broke the NCAA record with a touchdown in his ninth consecutive game Saturday. He has 16 overall this season.

3. Brad Smith, QB, Missouri – Finally makes the list after his five-rushing-touchdown performance last week. Smith is the best athlete in college football, with 20 touchdowns to his credit for the Tigers.

Say What?

‘We didn’t get exactly what we wanted from our football team, but they certainly did.”

– Oklahoma State coach Les Miles after the Cowboys’ 52-9 loss to Oklahoma

Published on November 5, 2003 at 12:00 pm