NCAA: Heartland Brunch Buffet and Southern Cocktail Party

Games like the one in Norman, Okla. tomorrow are the games for which not only college football fans, but all sports fans, live and die.

Great rivalry. New personalities. Champ versus challenger. Run versus pass. One versus two. It's the stuff of legend and indelible memories.

Unfortunately, ABC--whose scheduling philosophy and priorities must change in future years, by the way--will not, to my knowledge, show this game on the West Coast, and will force everyone else to set aside their late morning activities for the game. Why this isn't a prime-time special, or a national game (for ALL regions of the country) in the 3:30 eastern/12:30 pacific time slot, I'll never know.

As a result, this game--which offers so much food for thought (and reminiscence as well)--must be dubbed the country brunch buffet. It is the main course, but not the grand seven-course dinner it could be in a later and more convenient time slot.

Because of this, an "Outdoor Cocktail Party"--The World's Largest, by the way--will not precede the buffet, it will follow it, and at the very time slot--3:30 eastern--ignored by ABC but so wisely chosen by CBS, which always manages to put the games of national significance on national TV.

So, before the buffet, let's look at the cocktail menu first, in the game that will serve as Saturday's appetizer.

Florida and Georgia renew their colorful annual rivalry in Jacksonville tomorrow. Through October 7, neither team had hit its stride, and with the seasoned Quincy Carter winning his first game ever against Tennessee--albeit in a less-than-dominating way--it looked as though the Dawgs would enter the Cocktail Party with an edge at the quarterback position, and perhaps the game.

But then, in Florida's game against Auburn on the 14th, Rex Grossman (Tyrannasaurus Rex for opposing defenses) emerged as a signal caller who could inherit the title of the First Great Gator Quarterback, AD--that's "After Danny," 1996 Heisman Trophy winner Danny Wuerffel. In one half and just 14 completed passes, Grossman had Auburn's secondary reeling, as he cooly and calmly flipped five touchdown passes with all the feel and flair that Wuerffel used to exhibit.

Steve Spurrier hasn't been able to say enough good things about Grossman's play, not to mention his instincts and talent. If Spurrier is gushing about his quarterback, that means bad news for the opposition.

Florida enters the biggest tilt in the SEC East this year--so far, anyway; South Carolina looms on Nov. 11th--looking like Gator teams of the past. A much-maligned defense, including the underachieving pair of Gerard Warren and Alex Brown, finally seems to be coming around, and the whole defensive unit is tackling. With Carter coming off an injury suffered two weeks ago against Vanderbilt, the Gators might be able to dominate defensively as well as offensively.

A key question concerns whether Carter will be strong enough to take hits on the option, a weapon Georgia used effectively against the Gators last year. Ultimately, however, the Gators are healthier and have found an answer at quarterback. Look for them to roll.

Now, the buffet table in Norman, which is spread wide with fascinating storylines and national title implications. This game will be come down to one player: Josh Heupel. Sure, he excelled at Kansas State. Sure, he's been cool as a cucumber throughout his OU career. But this is Nebraska. This is for everything.

This is a spotlight that the South Dakotan has yet to experience. Eric Crouch, on the other hand? Been there, done that. If the Sooners' passing juggernaut can find a rhythm at home, the run-oriented Huskers will have a hard time catching up while competing with a jacked-up crowd in Norman. One can't begin to imagine the scene that will envelop the OU campus tomorrow.

My hunch is that Oklahoma, under the incredible and laser-focused leadership of head coach Bob Stoops, will be ready to exploit a Nebraska defense that has teed off of late, but--it could be argued--only against vastly inferior opponents after struggling for much of the season. The Huskers might have crushed Texas Tech and Baylor, but this will be their biggest test of the season. And lest anyone forget, there are no great road-proof teams in the college game this year. The wind will come sweeping down the plain in the Sooner state and sweep away Nebraska with a high-scoring loss.

Hold onto those loaded-down buffet plates. Get ready to be blown away by two great rivalries that make college football the special sport and spectacle that it is.