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Thursday, November 16, 2000

In 10 days, all eight Big East teams will be finished with their regular-season schedules. The Big East bowl scenario, though, remains muddy.

Only No. 2 Miami (8-1, 5-0) and No. 7 Virginia Tech (9-1, 6-1) can count on going to a bowl -- either both as part of the Bowl Championship Series lineup or one to the BCS and the other to the Toyota Gator Bowl.

Only Rutgers (3-6, 0-6) and Temple (4-6, 1-5) have been eliminated from bowl consideration.

It's possible that the other four teams will finish with six victories overall, the minimum number needed to qualify for a postseason game.

This is how that could happen:

Boston College (6-4, 3-3), which is off this week, would have to lose at Miami next week. Pitt (5-4, 2-3) would have to split its games against Temple and West Virginia. Syracuse (5-4, 3-2) would have to beat either Miami this week or Rutgers next week. And West Virginia (5-4, 3-3) would have to split its games against East Carolina and Pitt. Pitt and West Virginia would have to win on alternate weekends.

If all four of those teams finish with six wins, at least one would be left out of bowls that have Big East affiliations.

After the BCS and Gator Bowl selections, the Insight.com Bowl would have the next pick of the remaining eligible league teams. Then the HomePoint.com Music City Bowl would pick. Then either the Aloha or Oahu bowls would take a Big East team.

Any of those four teams that can reach seven wins would pretty much be assured of a bowl trip. Even if all four have at least six wins, though, the odd team out could get an at-large bid to another bowl.

Syracuse Coach Paul Pasqualoni, whose team will have to beat mighty Miami for a chance at seven wins, hopes that's the way it works out.

"I have confidence that the conference and our commissioner, Mike Tranghese, will do everything in their power to try to accommodate the teams that do qualify," he said.

Then, there is the Notre Dame factor.

If the independent Fighting Irish (7-2) beat Rutgers this week and Southern Cal next week, they will meet the nine-win minimum for a BCS bowl slot. That probably would leave no opening for the second-place Big East team, probably Virginia Tech, to get an at-large BCS bid.

If Notre Dame doesn't reach nine wins, it can snatch up a Big East bowl tie-in under an agreement with the league.

Boston College Coach Tom O'Brien, whose team has lost to both Notre Dame and Virginia Tech, hinted that the Hokies belong in the BCS mix more than the Irish.

"I think Virginia Tech would do very well against Notre Dame," he said.

Beamer 'Bama bound?

Virginia Tech is off this week, so Coach Frank Beamer had a few extra minutes to continue to his denial regarding his candidacy for the coaching job at Alabama.

An Atlanta radio station reported last week that if Beamer were offered the Alabama job, he would take it.

"My situation is, I have no desire to leave Virginia Tech," he said. "I have never made the comment that if that job was offered to me I would absolutely take it."

It might have stemmed from the fact that on Monday night Beamer was in Alabama to speak at a Touchdown Club gathering. He said the appearance was scheduled before the season and was not a cloak for an interview.

Stuck in the Rut

William Green is a great example of why Rutgers can't upgrade its program.

Green, a sophomore from Atlantic City, N.J., has turned into an topnotch tailback for Boston College. He leads the Big East with an average of 111.7 yards rushing per game.

He never seriously considered playing for his home-state team.

"Nothing against Rutgers," he said. "I visited and felt good vibes there. But I just wanted to get out of the state."

Game of the week

Miami has a lot to lose and Syracuse has a lot to gain when the teams meet in the Carrier Dome.

The Hurricanes need to win -- perhaps convincingly -- to keep alive their shot at the national-championship game. Syracuse can become eligible for a bowl and perhaps increase its chances for a postseason game with a victory.

Virginia Tech's Frank Beamer could be a bit biased, but he likes the Orangemen's chances.

"I think Syracuse has an excellent shot at beating Miami," he said. "It's not easy to play in the Carrier Dome, as I can tell you."

Beamer won there this season for the first time as the Hokies' coach.

Quote of the week

"Good. So the world is as it should be."

-- Miami Coach Butch Davis, when first told that his team moved ahead of Florida State in the BCS standings this week.

Thursday, November 16, 2000