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Pep Talk By Brant Long College football I guess the word "football" doesn't hold that same mystique it used to, huh? But I'm gonna talk about it anyway. I know, I know, don't say the "F" word. I'll try to stay clear of it. What I will address today, fellow campers, is a college football playoff system. Sure, you've heard the arguments for both sides a thousand times by now. . . but what say we make it a thousand and one. This year would've been a prime example had UCLA not been beaten by Washington State (thanks, Terry Donahue), but the playoff system could still serve a useful purpose. So let's travel to imaginary land, boys and girls. A world where football is king (sounds like this world, eh?). Say that Notre Dame, who plays Southern Cal Nov. 26, loses to the Trojans. The Irish end up with one loss, like the Trojans who had lost to UCLA in their annual clash the week before. Then only West Virginia is left undefeated, as Arkansas has also lost to Miami. The Mountaineers go to the Fiesta Bowl (we're still pretending) and play Notre Dame. . . and lose. At season's end, you have umpteen teams with one loss. Who gets the championship. . . Wyoming? Rp cPrimic TViacp ii/imm/ nnllefarc l^V JVIlVUJi J 1IUJV ?T lJlipj pWUJlVXO choose a champion and a lot of fans get pretty darn upset that their team wasn't chosen. I've got a simple solution. Under my simple, foolproof plan (so even a certain coach in the northwest part of this state can comprehend it), the pollsters pick the 32 best teams in the nation. On the first Saturday in December, the teams battle it out, paired like the NCAA basketball playoffs (No. 1 plays No. ) 32, etc.). The remaining 16 teams play the next Saturday. The games are played at the higher-ranked team's field. The third Saturday sees eight teams I go head to head. Christmas week is ; skipped and on New Year's Day, or close to it, the semifinals are played. Then, the big one. A neutral site is ; chosen and the two teams that nave busted their tails through the 1 playoffs fight for the right to be call- ] ed champion. It's exciting, it's controversial ? it's football, damn it! Let the kids ] play some ball. If you're wondering < what this smart alec freshman proposes to do about Penn State Coach 1 Paterno (and nice work against West 1 Virginia, Joe) and his complaints i about too many classes being missed, < they would be made up later. Tutors t could be hired to help the players through the tough times. And most t Bp' !* ll, ::'H|| B \ WLh % : p'*m ~'i s ??P / / V-/ r needs playoffs of the games will be played during Christmas break. But think, will the ol' alumni really care? As long as the school goes to the playoffs and makes good dinner conversation, it won't make a lot of difference. I don't mean it like the alumni don't care, it's simply that football is so important, well. . . was so important, that if you do well there, nothing else seems to matter. An alternate plan for the many of you already whining about a fault in my foolproof playoff method would be to choose only 16 teams and shorten the playoff schedule to accommodate more class time. That would probably work just as well, but I think 32 teams would give the system a more diversified lineup of squads and most of them would have at least 8-3 or 7-4 records and would all have the potential to beat a top ten team, and that's what would keep the plan alive. . . excitement. Think of the college basketball playoffs. They almost always go down to the last second. You're sitting on the edge of your seat the whole time. Football would provide the same feeling. The system allows for the two best-matched teams to end up playing one another. And no one could fuss. The winner would truly be the champion, and the bowls wouldn't be laying down all this money to get the "quality matchup" the public wants to see. Think about it folks. A true champion. No more riots, no more constitutional amendments against football, no more. . . yeah, right. But at least a team like BYU won't get it unless they truly deserve it. Nothing against the WAG tCon-'/i ference ? but really. If they win fair and square, good. If not, good. Whatever. It doesn't matter. Help me out, NCAA. Make the move and satisfy the country ? give us a champion. Now to the "F" word. Saturday night will live in infamy in the hearts of USC fans for a long time. What happened? I really don't know. After the first fumble and then the blocked punt, the Gamecocks were like a balloon just punctured with a needle. A BIG needle. It's extremely hard for me to see bow Miami (oh, that dreaded word) shut the Seminoles out, 31-0. But it doesn't really matter, because FSU is now prime for a big dowI appearance (probably the Coton), while our mighty Gamecocks. . . well, we'll just have o see. But hey, football isn't iverything ... is it? Coach: US By The Associated Press USC head football coach Joe Morrison said he decided against pulling Todd Ellis from the Florida State game because he wanted the quarterback to keep trying. USC lost 59-0 Saturday and Ellis, a junior, had the worst game of his college career, throwing for just 79 yards while giving up two interceptions and a fumble. At his weekly news conference Monday, Morrison said football is a little like golf. "You go out there, you have some bad swings, you're going to hit some awful shots," he said. "But you're going to line up and hit the next one. The only way to improve that confidence, the only (way) to get better, is to keep working at it and keep swinging." ? jBl . ...... . ^RK ^ . gn^a?i^^..i-f "%ss,y , ^ s ?S|I iMf^mP^ if Jral&8i!KHG9ra^: M& mM- 1 'WISF v Florida State running back Lawrence Dawsey lun of USC Saturday night at Williams-Brice Stadium. I MINIMUM $20 With EVERY donation. Plas Blood. Programs avail for all I: simple blood test is all that is i if you qualify. Special bonui students. ryr\ Serologic 2719 Middlebun Serologicals Columbia, S 254-6 got a news tip? i open e i' calll. 777v^26;? You should know about new e.p.t. stick c_ Bir>. I test. It's the fast and easy way to find out if you're pregnant. Or not. And you find out in private. If the stick turns pink, f: you're pregnant. If it stays ? white, you're not. It's that It simple. ' P If you have any ? questions about e.p.t., call y552^/52\ us toll free 1-800-562-0266. lUClfOj I In New Jersey; call collect Xe#4iXwZ | (201)540-2458. e.p.t. 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Asked if he wished he had more depth at quarterback, Morrison said he had four quarterbacks, two of whom are red-shirted this season and f rnv m KENT BROOME The Gamecock ges for a touchdown in the No. 5 Seminoles' 59-0 rout PAID T R ^on'1 >ma & Whole '0 Be A Ho1 )lood types. A Availabh needed to see Displays, 3 program for Queens, C Applicat Activities C :als. Inc. Russ^ 3 DroSulte 105 Dead|j C' 29204 in the C >537 For Infi VERY NIGHT 'TILL 10 PM...SUNDAYS 9? ^ \ \ [ t\ if SU^MES^ADE ^ Q " ^^TI?^EAMTS! x^ SO GOOD! *?-^r JWOW! ' *^Vi/M K |?\ ; Wit1 xN^MWYflniL. '. "*' ' *>^,*V^ X *. * ^igf J-*-?? MOtfAWItf gflft/lf ^WwWW I'IW*W *?MfW w H I aiMMI 1^ f iW?f WwPII W WMWmm IH9 WSwTS W ll Tktw tailstt ?t Km% 0# Of TMr WtrM 6m 2*~ y ? H- - "? ~ MET if GOO B MET &Z GOURMET * CREAM WW BUTTER PECAN HOT W W CHOCOLATE CE SE SUNDAE ? ? FUDGE SUNDAE # ? HOT FUDGE SUNI ANDY'S NEW X X LOTS OF SANDY S NEW X X LOTS OF SANDY'S M COOKIES ft WW GOURMET BUTTER PECAN W W GOURMET CHOCOL, :E CREAM. 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Morrison said he and his players realized before the Florida State game, which was the worst loss ever suffered by the Gamecocks at home, that the Seminoles were a powerhouse. "Florida State was voted the No. 1 team in the country prior to the season," Morrison said. "And we knew they were going to be the most complete .club we'd seen to date." Morrison said he told his players they would have to play error-free to have a chance. In addition to Ellis' mistakes, they had a punt blocked and returned for a touchdown, a halfback pass was intercepted and star running back Harold Green gave up a fumble. It was painful, Morrison said, to watch the game films Sunday morning. "We did not expect it to go like that," he said. "We thought we would play better. We thought it would be a closer ballgame. "You want to talk about numb, it was painful then (on Sunday when he first looked at the films) but if we hauled it out today, it would be painful then,too." Morrison, who named Green the offensive player of the game, chose defensive end David Taylor the most valuable player on the defensive unit. Green had 77 yards to lead the team and Taylor had 11 tackles, cause a fumble and sacked the Florida State quarterback once. Morrison said he felt the South Carolina fans, who booed late in the game, were entitled to express their opinion about Ellis' play. "Sometimes in the heat of the moment they have a tendency to forget that was 13 (wins) out of 14 at Williams-Brice Stadium and we have a young man who has certainly provided a great amount of thrills for them," he said. "He's a fine young man," Morrison added. "He's a great leader for us on the field and a great leader off the field." Asked about the Gamecock fans leaving the stadium in droves during the third quarter, Morrison said: "I wouldn't have minded taking a break there the other night myself. "But, unfortunately, I can't do that." Meanwhile, Morrison said Saturday's game against Navy will present some new problems for the Gamecocks. Navy is the only team they've met this season that runs the triple-option, wishbone offense. And given USC's problems last Saturday, Morrison says even Navy, with its 3-6 record, "would appear to be a powerhouse." Navy has been averaging 241 yards per game rushing but only 94 passing. USC, on the other hand, has averaged 116 rushing and 213 passing. Miss Your Chance... mecoming '89 Chairperson! 3 Chair Positions Include: Dl ihtlirti+w n o r-? /->/-, Onmiwnl uuiiv/iiy, uai iv/c, uai i n veil lookout and Comedy Night ions available in Campus enter, lower level, westwing, House and at the Russell ise Information Desk. Tuesday, Nov. 15, by 5 pm Jampus Activities Center ' ormation, call 777-5780 TOO! ^ WELCOME TO... i new ratfMS MMM 3 SANDY'S OWN GOURMET # ^ ICE CREAM NOW AVAILABLE IN HAND PACKED PINTS SO RICH! REG- ,2 25 # ||S? 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