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| Wednesday, October 25 Sometimes coaches just don't get it By Lee Corso Special to ESPN.com | ||||||
| Who do you think has the best tradition in college football? Brad, Whitehouse, Tex.
Lyle Coleman, Lebanon, Ind. It takes at least three years of quality and successful season play before a team can garner preseason respect. Why hasn't Barry Switzer been elected into the College Football Hall of Fame? Mark Johnson, Fort Worth, Tex. Good question, I have no idea. Switzer has every right to be in the Hall of Fame. He problems with the NCAA probably have something to do with it. But if they only had saints in the Hall of Fame, there wouldn't be anybody in the Hall of Fame. With the success Notre Dame has had this year with two inexperienced quarterbacks, and being two plays away from being 7-0, how can they not be ranked higher than 19th in either poll? Kevin O'Hara, West Hazleton, Penn. Because they lost two games. It doesn't make any difference if they lose by one point, four points, seven plays or seventy plays, a loss is a loss. I think they should be ranked higher than 19th too, but I don't vote. If the Dawgs of Georgia win the rest of their games, including the SEC Championship game, do they have a chance to play in the National Championship game? Bo Gyro, Columbia, S.C. No, they're too far down. It would take a miracle for all the teams ahead of them to lose. They have a shot of the SEC title game, and if they win that one, they'll go to the Sugar Bowl, but not the Championship game. Western Michigan has played quality opponents, lost only once, and has put up huge numbers on both sides of the ball. Still the power rankings have them in the low 20s. Will the national media ever see past the small conference and realize Western Michigan is a program that is becoming too big and too good to be overlooked? CI Salmon, South Lyon, Mich. Your question is right on target. I saw the Broncos play against Marshall, and I think they are one of the Top 20 -- not 25 -- Top 20 teams in the nation. I've seen almost every Top 20 team, and Western Michigan absolutely belongs with them. They are extremely well-coached and they have good people. LSU wins the SEC West -- what are your thoughts? CorsoForPresident, Vidalia, La. That would be a wonderful start for Nick Saban. The two sensational wins the Tigers had at home against Tennessee and Mississippi State have been two of the best games of the year. But can they take that energy on the road? If they can, they deserve to win the West, but I'm not so sure they can do it. P.S. -- I like your name. Why aren't guys like Chris Weinke at FSU ineligible at age 25? They belong playing with the pros, not with 18 year old freshman. Alan Falk, Miami, Fla. There is a rule that says there is no age limit in college football. You could be 45 years old, and if you've never been in college and are good enough to play, you can play. I think it's a good rule, because every once in a while you get a player like Weinke who spent time playing pro baseball. Or in some cases, kids have spent time on Missions, like a lot of kids who go to BYU, they come back and they are 23 years old, and they don't end their playing career until they are 26. I don't think there is anything wrong with that rule. It's fair. What are Auburn's chances of running the table in the SEC West and beating Georgia and Alabama? Adam Kinnard, Thomasville, Ga. They can definitely do that. It all depends on how they play on the road. They've got to win major games on the road. They messed up when the stunk up the joint in Florida. If they can get better on the road, there's no question they can beat the Dawgs and the Tide. With all due respect to Jesse James Palmer, do you think Rex Grossman is the next Danny Wuerffel at Florida? Rod Griggs, Panama City, Fla. Steve Spurrier told me that Grossman has more qualities of Danny Wuerffel on and off the field than any quarterback he's had since Wuerffel. I've got to believe him. Jesse Palmer had a great drive and will always be remembered as the kid that took them 89 yards to beat Tennessee in Knoxville. But I don't think he's going to get back in that lineup; Grossman is too good. Does the loser of the Nebraska-Oklahoma game this weekend have a shot at the Orange Bowl if they win the rematch in the Big 12 championship? Chris Glaser, Crete, Neb. Yes. The winner of the Oklahoma/Nebraska/Kansas State round-robin who wins the Big 12 championship, even with one loss, has a good chance to play for the national title. Of course, it all depends on what Miami or Virginia Tech does. There are so many "what ifs?" Do you think Florida State will be Clemson? John Joyce, Macomb, Ill. Yes, I think Florida State will beat Clemson this year. But mark it on your calendar, Clemson has a great shot of beating the Seminoles next year at Clemson. We've seen a very good Miami team this year. But how good will the Canes be next year? Will they be in the Top 3? Frank Perez, Miami, Fla. I think they'll be in the Top 5. The Canes have everybody coming back and this Ken Dorsey kid is a tremendous player. Have the Vols found their quarterback of the future in Casey Clausen? Jonathan Wood, Tullahoma, Tenn. It sure looks like it. The Vols were hurting at QB only because Chris Simms had made a verbal commitment, then went on to Texas. The Vols had quit recruiting QBs, and therefore had a void. Clausen looks like he'll be a tremendous quarterback for the Vols. What happened to Mississippi State at LSU? Was it the 90,000 screaming, drunk Cajuns or did they slack up? Can the Bulldogs rebound? Paul Whitmire, Slidell, La. Yes, I think they can rebound. What happened to them is they ran into a real fine football team in LSU, who plays very, very well at home. Do you truly think Oklahoma has a chance to win the National Championship? Joseph Baker, Oklahoma City, Okla. Absolutely. All they have to do is beat Nebraska this week, then beat Nebraska or Kansas State a second time. They could beat any team in the nation the way they're playing right now. Any team. | ALSO SEE Not so fast: Questions for Corso | |||||
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