It's kept out of sight at Michigan's recruiting lounge. It's never captured anybody's imagination and outside of the state, nobody's ever heard of it.

	Michigan's David Terrell could not match his counterpart, MSU's Plaxico Burress.

Fortunately, there's a lot more at stake when the Wolverines and Spartans collide than just this hunk of junk. The '99 edition shapes as the series' best matchup in a long time. Not since 1961 have the teams met as unbeatens this late in the season!

This is a strong rivalry that has only missed one vital ingredient the last couple decades: competitive balance. If Michigan State can win Saturday, it would be a huge boost for this backyard battle. Michigan's won 23 of the past 29, and you can't have a truly great rivalry when it's that one-sided.

I watched the 1997 edition from the sidelines. It was a letdown. Michigan State imploded on its home field. Picks aplenty that Michigan couldn't cash in. A young quarterback relieved the embattled Todd Schultz and looked even more like a deer in headlights. His name: Bill Burke.

Burke has come light years since that day. He's not prone to implosion like Sergeant Schultz was. That might be a decisive factor Saturday. The Spartans have often had the talent to compete with Michigan, but not the mind set or poise.

This year, the Spartans are downplaying the game, big time. No trash talking from Plaxico Burress. No "Win or else the season is over and the program should be disbanded" hype. Burke paints it like "two 5-0 Big Ten teams going for the conference title."

OK, I like the mature mental approach, but let's not get carried away. This may just be the start of a brutal schedule gantlet for Sparty, but it is a landmark game for the Saban administration. Lose big here, and it's a damaging blow that could start a spiral, the way it did in '97. A win here would be the program's sweetest since beating Michigan in Saban's first year.

Strong parallels
Fans like to focus on the very different personalities of the two schools: coffee-shop snobs of Ann Arbor versus "Moo-U" cow college kids. A close look at the teams themselves reveal more striking parallels than differences. Both have veteran, poised, efficient quarterbacks (Burke and Tom Brady) who have fought off challenges from younger, more gifted hotshot prospects (Drew Henson and Ryan Van Dyke).

Both have rangy, gifted receivers (David Terrell and Burress) and a speedy complement (Marcus Knight and Gari Scott).

Both have running games that are taking a backseat to passing, bucking traditions at both schools. Anthony Thomas and Lloyd Clemons are solid, versatile backs but not game-breakers. Both coaches would love to have better ground games, but appreciate the balance. Michigan, especially, is on pace to break the school record for passing yards.

Both have defenses playing great football. The Spartans have better numbers, but have faced a slate that's much softer than Michigan's. Still, when you have faced Oregon (with Reuben Droughns) and Notre Dame and three other teams and not allowed a rushing TD, you've done something.

I'm hoping for something special Saturday in East Lansing. Something better than my last visit there, when the Spartans just weren't up to it. The lasting image of that '97 meeting: big Michigan State tackle Flozell Adams standing glumly behind the Spartans' bench in the fourth quarter, banging his head against the concrete wall. Fortunately, he still had his helmet on.

Top 5
I gave a lot of thought to ranking Michigan first on my AP ballot. The Wolverines' roster of victims is the nation's most impressive. Instead, I stuck with Florida State because the 'Noles played a second straight complete game.

1. Florida State: (Seminole starters have been superb. The backups have been far less impressive. FSU has just a 78-52 scoring edge in the second half of games).
2. Michigan: (A win over MSU makes them a strong favorite to get to Penn State at 9-0).
3. Penn State: (Lions can name the score at hapless, helpless Iowa with any kind of an effort. Buckeyes visit next Saturday).
4. Nebraska: (It's bizarre, but true: Huskers are becoming a more effective passing team than running team. And no defense is playing any better).
5. Virginia Tech: (Crushing of Virginia sold me. Hokies likely to look past winless Rutgers, with Syracuse coming in next. Hate to say it, but Lee Corso's preseason prediction of Tech in the Sugar Bowl is looking better every week. Upsets like last week's Florida and Texas A&M losses are huge helps.

Big 7
I'm not one of the folks voting Minnesota in the Top 25, but the 4-0 Gophers snuck in there. It's their first peek at the rankings since 1985! Wisconsin visits the (sold out!) Metrodome Saturday night.

Glen Mason is hardly thumping his chest. He knows the ranking is basically meaningless unless the Gophers can back it up by beating the Badgers. So far, they've proven nothing. The significance is this: The Big Ten now has all but four of its' teams in the AP Top 25 -- a first.

Must be a virus
How else can you explain the computer wackiness producing some bizarre power ratings used in the Bowl Championship Series formula?

This year, the BCS is using eight computer rankings to comprise a combined 25 percent of the formula that determines which two play for the big prize in the Sugar Bowl. This is a pretty good idea because it reduces the weight of any one rating system.

The problem: a couple of the newly added power ratings are downright screwy!

I know it's pretty early in the season, but are you ready for this? Something called the "Rothman Ratings" has 2-2 Clemson rated fourth, well ahead of Michigan and Penn State. That's probably because the Tigers' losses came against the first and second ranked teams, Virginia Tech and Marshall! Yep, Marshall is No. 2.

Ready for more? Virginia is rated seventh by Rothman. Penn State? Down at 16. Fans of Ohio State might be interested to know that the Buckeyes are ranked 50th. That's two slots behind 1-AA powerhouse Lehigh. Wow.

Who is Rothman and why does he/she/they/it feel compelled to produce a power rating? Remember, these ratings are part of the BCS formula!

OK, so it's a small part: eight rankings combine to form one quarter of the formula, so each one has a maximum of one-thirty-second of a team's BCS rating. Still, the BCS folks will have to scrutinize some of these systems that are producing such outrageous rankings and exclude them in future years.

Cyber-spying
Internet technology is changing evrything, even the practice policies at LSU. Gerry DiNardo is convinced that Georgia's players were familiar with the Tigers plays, formations, and cadence last Saturday because they were privy to information published on the abundant internet sites that chronicle LSU's every move.

So, DiNardo has closed practice to anybody that doesn't get his specific OK. He's had the SEC's most liberal policy about open practices, letting in just about anyone with a pulse. No longer.

DiNardo's not the only coach to scour the Internet for info on opponents. I sat in his office a couple years ago as he surfed around for info on the Gators. Didn't help much that week. In fact, Gerry says he's not getting as much juicy stuff as he used to, because other coaches have become more guarded.

Take that!
A private fax sent by Steve Spurrier last January was made public this week, faxed to Baton Rouge media outlets. In response to the Tigers' routine request to visiting teams to allow them to wear the traditional white jerseys at home, the Gators' coach said... "nope."

Spurrier's reasoning: treatment of his team by LSU fans during the Gators' last visit in '97, when the Tigers pulled a prime-time stunner. He called it "nasty and vulgar."

Hmmm. Far be it from the Gator folks to ever treat visitors to Florida Field that way, right?

Anyway, LSU is likely to wear Purple at home for the first time since 1994. Unless they break out the dreaded gold jerseys. DiNardo sounds bored by the whole topic.

These days, June Jones is being hailed as a miracle worker. He inherited an 18-game losing streak! Now, the Rainbow Warriors are 4-1, winners of four straight.

Jones was the perfect choice to spark the revival. He's taken over some of the most dismal reclamation projects at any level, starting with the CFL Toronto Argonauts and continuing through NFL stints with Houston, Detroit, and Atlanta. "I've always taken doormat jobs," Jones told me.

Jones was in on the ground floor of the Run 'N' Shoot's roots at Portland State, along with Mouse Davis. He calls it the perfect offense for Hawaii, designed to recruit some top QB and WR recruits from the mainland. Linemen, he says, are no problem. Hawaiian high schools feature enough big, physical guys.

Jones says the Rainbows are winning because of an attacking defense and hustling special teams.Defensive coordinator Greg McMackin came from Dennis Erickson's staffs at Miami, then the Seahawks.In Seattle, his defenses were among the NFL's best at sacks, takeaways, and returns for TDs.

The Rainbows were taken behind the woodshed by USC in the opener, but now have a streak of ten quarters without a TD allowed!

Rice visits Honolulu Saturday. The Owls played Texas within five points, then beat Navy and Tulsa. They are probably real confident. Jones says so was UTEP, before the Miners got pounded 33-3 last week.

If Hawaii can get to 5-1, they'll have a great week off before journeying to Tulsa. Jones' reputation as a miracle worker will only grow. In fact, Hawaiian citizens are asking him to please solve the state's economic woes during the bye week.

And could he please end the drought over on the Big Island? Also, there's a six-foot shark prowling around Waikiki lately... could he please catch it? And, oh yeah, it would be great if he could order up a 15-foot swell for the North Shore.

More salutes
AlabamaThe Tide's win at Florida was the "shakeup" moment of the '99 season so far. They prepared, played, and coached with confidence, which is almost astounding considering the huge difference The Swamp can make in games. I still don't know if Mike DuBose can keep his job. The win only rasies folks hopes and expectations, and DuBose's numerous critics are still waiting to pounce on any loss.

East Carolina The Pirates avoided the letdown most expected, spanked Army, then returned home to help raise money for flood relief at a Monday telethon. Now, the very tough Southern Miss defense arrives to try to spoil the Cinderella run. The Golden Eagles have dominated this series in recent years. They held Nebraska to one offensive TD and held the TexasA&M offense out of the end zone entirely in two losses. Is this the week the Pirates emotional momentum runs out? Or are they a truly special team this year?

We'll find out Saturday.