Columnist Steve Guiremand: Vols, Seminoles may have rematch for title in 2000

The first national championship showdown under the new Bowl Championship Series format featured No. 1 Tennessee knocking off No. 2 Florida State, 23-16, in Monday night's Fiesta Bowl.

But don't be surprised if there is a rematch between the two teams on Jan. 3, 2000 in the Sugar Bowl, site of next year's BCS No. 1 vs. No. 2 matchup.

Both the Vols and the Seminoles return major portions of their squads next year. And, depending on how a couple of key starters bounce back from injuries, it's possible both teams could be even better.

Florida State started just six seniors in the Fiesta Bowl along with NFL-bound wide receiver Peter Warrick. Besides Warrick, the key losses will be linebacker Lamont Green and free safety Dexter Jackson.

But Bobby Bowden's squad returns its entire offensive line as well as standout running back Travis Minor, who looks like he could be on the verge of a breakout season, and talented wide receivers Ron Dugans and Laveranues Coles. And quarterback Marcus Outzen, who struggled badly in the Fiesta Bowl loss, will likely be no better than third string next season when Chris Weinke and Dan Kendra return from injuries.

Meanwhile, FSU's No. 1-rated defense should be as stingy as ever.

Defensive ends Jamal Reynolds, Roland Seymour and David Warren, linebackers Tommy Polley and Brian Allen and defensive backs Derrick Gibson and Tay Cody were all just sophomores this year who figure to vie for all-ACC and All-American honors next year.

National champion Tennessee will lose just five players on offense, including Fiesta Bowl offensive MVP Peerless Price, and four more players on defense, including All-American linebacker Al Wilson.

But key players like quarterback Tee Martin, tailback Travis Henry, cornerback Dwayne Goodrich and free safety Deon Grant all are back. Freshman wide receiver Eric Parker looks like a future star who should ease the loss of Price. And standout tailback Jamal Lewis returns from a knee injury next year.

The one team that could throw a wrench into the two schools returning to the national title game is Florida.

Both Tennessee and Florida State must play Steve Spurrier's Gators in The Swamp next year. But if they can survive that hurdle, both have schedules tailored to a national championship run.

Tennessee's only other road games are against Alabama in Birmingham, at Arkansas and at a Tim Couch-less Kentucky. The rest of the Vols' games, including a Nov. 6 matchup with Notre Dame, are in Knoxville.

Florida State has non-conference home games with rebuilding Auburn (think Bobby Bowden would like to lay the lumber to the Tigers for the way son Terry got the shaft?) and Miami, which would have been much more formidable if star running back Edgerrin James hadn't bailed out for the NFL draft. The 'Noles also must travel to Virginia and Ron Curry-led North Carolina in ACC play.

Still, considering the talent and experience returning, both teams figure to be favored in all their games next year -- if they can remain healthy.

The West Coast's best bet for a national championship team probably would be Arizona (12-1).

Dick Tomey's Wildcats will have 17 returning starters next year, but lose the nation's top cornerback, James McAlister, as well as underrated wide receiver Jeremy McDaniel and first team all-Pac-10 defensive lineman Daniel Greer. Still, the offense, led by quarterbacks Keith Smith and Ortege Jenkins and running back Trung Canidate, should be even better next year.

Arizona also will have a soft schedule by Pac-10 standards. It's road games are at UCLA, Arizona State, Oregon State and Washington State and they skip improving Cal. The Wildcats host USC, Washington, Oregon and Stanford. The only non-conference road game is at TCU and they host UTEP and Middle Tennessee State in the others.

There are rumors the Wildcats could play a 12th game in the Pigskin Classic.

* NOTES, QUOTES AND ANECDOTES: USC coach Paul Hackett's best recruiting effort this off-season may have been convincing star wide receiver R. Jay Soward to return for his senior year. The Trojans would have been in big trouble at wideout had Soward departed for the NFL like his father, Rodney --- reportedly not a big Hackett fan --- had urged his son to do. As an extra "benefit," Hackett will also get to pick up some of R. Jay's offensive expertise. "Me and coach, we're going to sit down and have a lot of planning to make things better," Soward, upset at his lack of "touches," said. "We're going to have to come up with different ways to get me the ball. I'm going to be a big part of this offense. I'm probably the biggest part of this offense coming back."

Evidently, you can't spell "TEAM" without an R. and a Jay around Heritage Hall these days. ...

If Soward really wants to improve the Trojan offense, he'll grow about five inches and add another 100 or so pounds of muscle so he can help USC's woeful offensive line. ...

Zinger of the week goes to UCLA coach Bob Toledo. Upset at the harsh criticism that the Bruins (10-2) received following their Rose Bowl loss to Wisconsin, Toledo said, "It's not like we got embarrassed by a 6-5 team or anything," an obvious jab at crosstown rival USC's dreadful Sun Bowl performance against TCU.

Responded Hackett: "You what's interesting about Bob? He keeps looking over here. I'm not looking over there." ...

CBS Sportsline, which ranks the nation's Division I teams from 1 to 112, rated UNLV No. 110 in its season-ending poll with this comment: "Jeff Horton showed guts by dismissing troubled quarterback Jon Denton. Of course, now Horton is unemployed." ...

Denton, by the way, obviously did wonders with his NFL draft stock by getting booted off Eastern Kentucky's team. It's doubtful even an Al Davis, burned badly by drafting Todd Marinovich, would want to take a chance on a quarterback who got kicked off two teams in a span of six months. ...

In case you wondering, Hawaii (0-12) was No. 111 and the Kent Golden Flashes (0-11) were No. 112 in that CBS Sportsline poll. North Texas (3-8), which hosts UNLV in John Robinson's debut on Sept. 4, was No. 100. ...

I was ready to tab Purdue (9-4), which has 16 returning starters including 1999 Heisman candidate Drew Brees back next fall, as my sleeper for the national title until the Boilermakers' sports information office informed me of this four-game stretch of games in October for Joe Tiller's squad: at Ohio State, at Michigan, Penn State, Michigan State. ...

Tiller's name, by the way, has been mentioned as a possible candidate for the University of Washington opening. Others reportedly being considered are John Mackovic, Colorado State's Sonny Lubick and Toledo's Gary Pinkel, a former Don James assistant. New Chargers head coach Mike Riley was the first choice.

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