Friday, Jan. 7, 2000 | 9:47 a.m.
Steve Guiremand covers college football for the Las Vegas Sun. Reach him at 259-2324 or [email protected]
Taking one last look at the 1999 college football season while counting down the days to the start of spring practice:
* PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Wisconsin's Ron Dayne got the Heisman, but Peter Warrick got the ring. And despite his lapse in judgment which caused him a two-game mid-season suspension, Warrick was the top player in college football this year.
Here's a scary thought: If Bobby Bowden hadn't booted Randy Moss out of Florida State for rules violations, Warrick and Moss would have been teammates for a couple of years at FSU.
They'll have to settle for being teammates at the Pro Bowl for the next decade.
* PLAY OF THE YEAR: Even having seen it with my own two eyes I sometimes still can't believe it. That would be the 100-yard return of a Darrell Bush fumble as time ran out by UNLV cornerback Kevin Thomas which rallied the Rebels to the most improbable comeback win, 27-24 at Baylor.
Even Hollywood couldn't dream up such a crazy finish.
* COACH OF THE YEAR: Hawaii's June Jones. Biggest turnaround in Division I college football history and a bowl game win over another Cinderella, Oregon State.
And a look ahead ...
* NEXT YEAR'S HEISMAN WINNER: Thanks to his scintillating Sugar Bowl performance, this award is now Virginia Tech quarterback Michael Vick's to lose.
Purdue quarterback Drew Brees and Washington QB Marquis Tuiasosopo also figure to get their share of support. But as long as Vick -- a combination of Steve Young and Barry Sanders -- stays healthy and the Hokies continue to play at a Top 10 level, Vick is it.
Looking for a long shot? Try USC quarterback Carson Palmer, thanks in part to last year's Las Vegas Sun Super 11 top vote-getter Kareem Kelly, who may pass Keyshawn Johnson and Lynn Swann as the greatest receiver in Trojan history before he's done.
* ORANGE BOWL 2001: Next year's national championship game may well be a home game for one of the participants.
If Chris Weinke decides to return for his senior year at Florida State, the Seminoles would stand a strong chance of returning to the title game to defend their throne.
Bobby Bowden's squad plays most of its key Atantic Coast Conference games -- Clemson, Virginia and North Carolina -- at home, and will also face in-state rival Florida at home.
The biggest stumbling block could be a road date at Miami.
In fact, the winner of the Miami-Florida State game could be the front-runner to win the national title.
Butch Davis returns a ton of key players from this year's 9-3 team, including next year's version of Peter Warrick, wide receiver Santana Moss, as well as a pair of talented quarterbacks in Kenny Kelly and Ken Dorsey.
Best bet to face the 'Noles/'Canes? How about the winner of the Big 12 title game between Nebraska and Texas, both of whom should be in the Top 5 in preseason polls.
* HOT SEAT COACHES: Notre Dame's Bob Davie (and athletic director Mike Wadsworth), USC's Paul Hackett (and athletic director Mike Garrett), Ohio State's John Cooper (Minnesota's Glen Mason would be the front-runner), Arizona State's Bruce Snyder, Memphis State's Rip Scheer, Oklahoma State's Bob Simmons, Kansas' Terry Allen and Baylor's Kevin Steele.
Sugar Bowl leftovers
Isn't it ironic that all the pregame hype centered around Virginia Tech's special teams? In the end, it was 14 points surrendered on a punt return and a blocked punt that came back to haunt the Hokies. Not to mention a failed two-point conversion. ...
It's easy to second-guess now, but why even attempt to punt it to Peter Warrick if you're Frank Beamer? I'd rather sacrifice five or 10 yards on distance on each punt and kick it out of bounds rather than allow the dangerous Warrick to get his hands on the ball. ...
Stats can be misleading. Sure Virginia Tech held a 503-359 edge in total yards and a 12 1/2-minute edge in time of possession, but you're prone to allowing big plays and quick drives when you're blitzing like crazy and playing studs like Warrick and Ron Dugans man-to-man all night. ...
It's too bad Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman and all the big casino honchos couldn't have been in New Orleans to feel the electricity surrounding the game at the Superdome and around town. If they had, I think they would pull out all the stops to find the financing for a downtown indoor stadium. Right now New Orleans has the stadium, the hotels, the restaurants and, yes, the gaming, to edge Las Vegas out for a lot of big-time national events. ...
Biggest hypocrites in college football? No, it's not Florida State coach Bobby Bowden, who said he told his sons the most important thing they could do as head coaches was not to cheat (chuckle, chuckle). No, it's the NCAA for trying to outlaw Las Vegas college sports betting on one hand, then housing its two teams in its national championship football game just a couple of blocks away from a casino. And Bourbon Street won't exactly be confused with Disney World.
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