THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, November 25, 1995 TAG: 9511250345
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C3 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY STEVE CARLSON, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 69 lines
After tonight, two Big East schools will be left to choose from when the Bowl Alliance makes its selections.
If you are a Virginia Tech fan hoping to see your team play in its first ever major bowl game, root for Syracuse to beat Miami (7:30 p.m., ESPN).
``If you're using probability, you'd have a better chance if you root for Syracuse than Miami,'' Orange Bowl executive director Keith Tribble said.
The winner ties the Hokies (9-2 overall, 6-1 conference) for the Big East title. One of the co-champions will play in the Orange or Sugar bowls.
The bowl waters become slightly less murky after action this weekend, but nothing is official until Bowl Alliance members - the Fiesta, Orange and Sugar - announce their selections Dec. 3.
Unofficially, if Miami beats Syracuse, expect Tech in the Gator Bowl against Clemson. Miami has the reputation and better television market, even though Tech would have the better overall record and national ranking (No. 13 according to The Associated Press). But if Syracuse wins tonight, is Tech a stronger candidate for the Alliance than the Orangemen, whom the Hokies drubbed three weeks ago?
``If you want to make that assumption, fine,'' Tribble said. ``Virginia Tech is an attractive team, and they are 9-2. Nine wins in a row says a lot. There are very few teams that can start out 0-2 and end up 9-2.
``We'd have to go back to our original position of considering the team that's highest ranked very strong. I'd say Virginia Tech's nine-game winning streak is very important. I think the Virginia game changed a lot of people's opinion. This team is really for real.''
The Fiesta likely will pit top-ranked Nebraska against today's Florida-Florida State winner - although if Florida were to win and then lose to Arkansas in the Dec. 2 SEC title game, that would muck things up considerably. The Orange Bowl then gets the third and fifth picks from the remaining pool of champions from the ACC, Big East and Southwest conferences along with Notre Dame.
``As for our first selection, I'd say it will be the loser of the Florida-Florida State game or Notre Dame,'' Tribble said.
The Sugar picks fourth and sixth, and undoubtedly would take the Seminoles-Gators loser or the Irish, whichever was bypassed by the Orange.
That would leave the Orange to choose Southwest Conference champion Texas or Texas A&M - they play next week - or the Big East co-champion in the fifth slot. The Sugar would take the leftover of the two.
``On Dec. 3 we'll have everything in front of us and be in decision-making mode then,'' Sugar Bowl executive director Troy Mathieu said. ``I can't see us giving any indication until then.
``We haven't gotten to the point where if one thing happens, something else does. This process can't be put in a box and gift-wrapped. It's not that tidy.
``There's so much that has to happen. Right now you'd end up putting your foot in your mouth if you leaned in any direction. But clearly I think Virginia Tech helped themselves by beating a very good Virginia team.''
The Gator Bowl announced last Monday that Clemson would be its ACC representative. The Gator, which takes a second team from the Big East, said at the time of the announcement it hopes to know Monday who the Big East representative is.
For that to happen, the Alliance bowls would have to officially release one of the Big East co-champions.
``Wishful thinking,'' Mathieu said. ``My bowl is not going to be in a position Sunday to nod left or right. It makes no sense from my standpoint. What if there's an upset in the SEC title game? Then the whole Alliance pool changes.'' by CNB