Sorry, Nebraska, Hokies belong in Sugar Bowl

Saturday's action had none of the drama of a year ago, when UCLA played at Miami (Fla.) with an unbeaten season and shot at the national championship at stake; Kansas State fought Texas A&M for the Big 12 championship, an undefeated season and a BCS rifle game berth; and Tennessee played Mississippi State in the SEC title game for a chance to baffle for the national crown. It was high drama and perhaps the best weekend of the season.

In the SEC title game, Alabama put on a clinic in muting Florida, 34-7, proving the Tide, after a rocky start to its season, is back among the SEC's elite. Alabama will play Michigan in the Orange Bowl. Florida, meanwhile, is having a problem with its offense (the 114 yards and six first downs being the worst since Steve Spurrier arrived in Gainesville in 1990) and will try to work out its problems in the Citrus Bowl against Michigan State.

Texas-Nebraska in the Big 12 title game? Yawn. Sure, there was a modicum of drama, with Nebraska holding out hope that a win over Texas would boost it past Virginia Tech to the No. 2 spot in the BCS standings, thus affording the Huskers the chance to play Florida State in the Sugar Bowl for the national title January 4. But the Cornhuskers' 22-6 win over Texas didn't cut it--and Nebraska knew it. Instead of competing for their fourth national title this decade, the Huskers will settle for a trip to the Fiesta Bowl to play Tennessee. Texas, sure to be a Top 3 team in next year's' preseason polls, will meet Arkansas in the Cotton Bowl a matchup that awakens the echoes of the old Southwest Conference.

That's the gamble with league championship games; sometimes they can mean a great deal nationally, sometimes they don't. Nebraska had the most meaningful game. Huskers fans will argue that their one-loss (to Texas in Austin) shouldn't tarnish their feats, especially when the team that beat them out for the Sugar Bowl slot played just one Top 25 team and Nebraska battled through Kansas State, Colorado, Texas A&M, Southern Miss and Texas (twice).

Maybe Nebraska is as good as Virginia Tech. Maybe the Cornhuskers could shut down fabulous freshman quarterback Michael Vick and the Hokies the way they shut down Major Apple-white (three interceptions and just 164 yards passing) and the Longhorns offense (9 yards rushing on 29 attempts) Saturday. Said Huskers coach Frank Solich after the game, "We know as much as anyone how difficult it is to go undefeated. Florida State and Virginia Tech have done that. But I know we've got a great team that can play in that game and play well."

A Virginia Tech-Florida State matchup in the Sugar Bowl will be a competitive game despite what the critics of Tech and its schedule say. Vick is that good, and the Hokies defense is that impressive. If you think Florida State will roll over Virginia Tech, you are taking a huge gamble.