A postseason 1999/preseason 2000 Top 10

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	T O P   N E W S

1. Florida State -- Weinke's return makes 'Noles a favorite once again.
2. Nebraska -- Thunder Collins is the go-to I-back Huskers have been seeking.
3. Virginia Tech -- NFL defections take a giant bite out of Big East repeat chances.
4. Kansas State -- Ell Roberson III is the next Michael Bishop.
5. Michigan -- Drew Henson, Justin Fargas and Anthony Thomas could be in the same backfield.
6. Alabama -- Blossoming young offense minus Shaun Alexander.
7. Miami -- Butch Davis stayed for good reason. Seventeen starters return.
8. Texas -- The nation's best recruiting class in 1999 kicks in this year.
9. Michigan State -- Saban's staff stayed because Spartans are on the brink of greatness.
10. Clemson -- OK, so it's a reach. But with his system in place and coming off a resurgent 6-6 season, T. Bowden is ready to make a run at dad.

Your first Heisman list of the new millennium

1. Michael Vick, Virginia Tech -- In one short season, Vick has redefined the position.
2. Drew Brees, Purdue -- The Midwestern favorite.
3. Marques Tuiasosopo, Washington -- The Vick of the West.
4. Kurt Kittner, Illinois -- Left a 2000 calling card against Virginia.
5. Chris Weinke, Florida State -- Should really light it up as a senior.
6. Eric Crouch, Nebraska -- Led the 'Huskers in rushing as a quarterback.
7. LaDainian Tomlinson, TCU -- Nation's leading rusher is a forgotten man playing for the Frogs.
8. Antwaan Randle El, Indiana -- If Hoosiers could win he'd be a serious candidate.
9. David Terrell, Michigan -- Nation's best returning receiver?
10. Ken Simonton, Oregon State -- Had 1,329 yards rushing for the Cinderellas of 1999.

Wisconsin a dynasty?

The Badgers became the only Big Ten team to win back-to-back Rose Bowls, they produced a Heisman winner, and they have a world-class coach who is pumping out NFL prospects each year.

If it didn't say so on the press guide, you'd swear this was Nebraska. The colors match. Sure, Wisconsin didn't have to play Penn State this year but the way the Nittany Lions finished who cares?

Now that the Packers have made their cursory phone call to coach Barry Alvarez, look for Wisconsin to reward him with some sort of raise/extension any day now. The Packers were doing the politically correct thing by phoning up Alvarez. It's doubtful he could make the transition to the NFL at the age of 53 with its petulant athletes.

This way Alvarez can remain a state treasure. His name keeps coming up at Notre Dame but Alvarez, who once coached under Lou Holtz, knows the job isn't what it once was.

In the Big Ten, where conference members routinely feed off each other, Wisconsin is as close to a dynasty as Penn State or Michigan has been the past 20 years. It's still hard for some to get the bad taste of Cincinnati out of their mouth.

Don't cry for Texas

Texas coach Mack Brown isn't shedding any tears over the loss of quarterback Major Applewhite for up to six months with a knee injury. For the moment, it relieves a stressful situation. Sophomore sensation Chris Simms now becomes the starter without competition from the Big 12's co-offensive player of the year.

Chris Simms is expected to step up as Texas' No. 1 quaterback now.(Allsport)

Brown had planned to play both in games next season. But if Simms goes through spring practice with all the snaps it will be hard for Applewhite to get a foot in the door. Applewhite's guts are admirable, but Simms seems like he is more talented.

What is more disturbing is the unceremonious departure of receiver Kwame Cavil. The junior had an All-American-caliber season but was suspended before the Cotton Bowl for violation of team rules. He then put his name in the hopper for the NFL Draft.

That seems to indicate that Cavil wouldn't have been able to work his way back on the team next season. This is certainly no indictment but there are two violations that would keep any player out the next season -- dealings with an agent or testing positive for drugs.

Expect another BCS adjustment

More computer indexes were added in 1999, but they almost caused more problems. There were sometimes wild fluctuations in the ratings of teams. That's why the lowest ranking of each team was thrown out each week. There were some credibility problems -- i.e., the index of math expert Kenneth Massey was used. Massey is a graduate student at Virginia Tech.

Here's one man's idea: Because each of the eight computer indexes incorporates some kind of strength of schedule component, get rid of the separate strength of schedule rating. It seems redundant and actually hurts teams like Virginia Tech and Kansas State.

Right now, strength of schedule is weighted too much. The BCS poll is becoming too weighty as it is. Start eliminating instead of adding.

Expect more of the same at Florida State

Now that Chris Weinke has decided to stay with the Seminoles, Florida State becomes an automatic preseason No. 1. Don't you think? The Sugar Bowl showed more than ever that Florida State quarterbacks are products of the system. Given time, Weinke was able to sit back and spot glue-fingered receivers.

With Weinke, Bobby Bowden gets 13 starters back, including running back Travis Minor and the usual glut of receivers. Watch out especially for senior-to-be Marvin Minnis. The offensive line will have to be rebuilt but that shouldn't be a problem.

Two days after the Sugar Bowl, the 70-year-old Bowden was off recruiting in Alabama. Except for Chuck Amato, the staff has stayed intact. Don't underestimate Amato, though. He goes back to his alma mater, North Carolina State, which is the last ACC team to beat Florida State back in 1998.

Expect Florida to be back

The nation's No. 1 quarterback prospect, Brock Berlin, enrolled at Florida on Jan. 6. That gives Steve Spurrier a huge advantage in developing his next prodigy. Berlin, from Shreveport, La., was able to graduate early and couldn't wait to get into Spurrier's system.

He'll go through a full spring practice before his first season. Spurrier made no promises to Berlin or his family, though, that he would not be redshirted.

A recent 10-day window written into Spurrier's contract that allowed him to consider NFL jobs passed without incident. Spurrier might someday go to the pros but right now it would be hard to find a job that gives him as much power as he has at Florida.

Virginia Tech fallout

Virtually no one has seen or heard from Michael Vick since the Sugar Bowl. The Hokies arrived back in Blacksburg the next day at 5:30 p.m. Vick supposedly went back home to Newport News, Va., to do what other students do over the break -- rest and relax. He was spotted on some newscasts Monday speaking to a group of at-risk school children.

One NFL scout told the Roanoke Times that Vick would be the third pick in the NFL Draft if he came out this season. The NFL does not touch players until after they have completed their junior season.

Virginia Tech could keep the pipeline stocked for years: Vick has a brother, who is a sophomore quarterback at Newport News Warwick High.

Virginia Tech also received a commitment from a DeMatha (Md.) High star immediately after the Sugar Bowl. "We were in good shape with him," a Hokies assistant said. "He liked what he saw and wanted to be a part of it."

Power conferences still rule BCS

The SEC, Big 12, ACC, Big Ten, Pac-10 and Big East will still control the Bowl Championship Series, but there will be a small nod toward the second tier of I-A conferences when commissioners meet in April in Phoenix. According to one source, Conference USA commissioner Mike Slive will be allowed to sit on BCS commissioners meetings.

Conference USA, along with the WAC, Big West, MAC and Mountain West still don't have automatic BCS berths, but the BCS fathers could make it an easier road to qualify. Champions from those leagues must win at least nine games and be ranked within a few spots of the lowest ranked BCS conference champion.

"The access (to the BCS) would not change," one official said. "It would just allow us to sit in there and listen. When they talk about us at least it will not be behind our backs."

Playoff blather

One huge reason why a playoff won't work: Even in a four-team playoff you're asking 20,000-40,000 fans to pick up and move from one city to the next, perhaps in a week's time.

That might work in Division II where the hotel prices in Florence, Ala. aren't that prohibitive. But try asking fans to lay out cash for back-to-back weeks in, say, Los Angeles and Phoenix.

Any playoff larger than four teams and that problem is exacerbated.