December 2, 2001 KEEP HOPE ALIVE. Florida and Texas losses make Huskers’ Rose Bowl scenario brighter. Don’t pack your bags for Pasadena just yet, but another wild and wacky day in college football on Saturday found the Huskers at home in Lincoln, nowhere near Memorial Stadium, and their chances of playing for a national championship improved. Say what? That’s right sports fans, Nebraska can still make it to the national championship game against Miami in the Rose Bowl on January 3. After the stinging loss to Colorado the day after Thanksgiving, Husker fans were down in the dumps and looking to unload those Pasadena hotel reservations to anyone from Austin or Gainesville. Now those same Husker fans are hanging on to those reservations for one more week. Colorado winning the Big 12 Championship in Dallas over Texas coupled with Florida losing at home to Tennessee has put the Vols on a fast track to Pasadena. But if the Vols should happen to lose this Saturday against LSU, Nebraska…yes our beloved Huskers…the Big Red…will have the inside track to go to the Rose Bowl. Still a tall order, but who would have expected to see Florida and Texas fall on the same day? Especially when they had to. Miami escaped with a win over Virginia Tech to finish the season undefeated and qualify for a berth in the Rose Bowl. Now there’s a mad scramble to see who will play the Canes. During the Colorado-Texas game Saturday night, you may have heard the ABC announcers mention that Nebraska doesn’t deserve to be in the big game if the chips fall in a certain way that allows them to go. Why not? Nebraska is 11-1 and happened to lose to a very talented, up and coming Colorado team at the end of the season. If Nebraska had lost at the beginning of the year, they’d be going to Pasadena for sure with an 11-1 record. Nothing can be taken away from impressive Colorado, except a trip to Pasadena. Even though no one wants to play the Buffs, who are on a hot streak right now, the Buffs have two losses. Can you say Fresno State? Colorado losing to Fresno State is not Nebraska’s fault. It’s not Tennessee’s fault either. If we play by BCS rules, and Nebraska ends up getting to go to Pasadena, them’s the rules folks, put up or shut up. So it’s going to be another interesting day next Saturday. Get those fingers rested this week to get ready and speed dial for Rose Bowl tickets. It can happen. If Tennessee should happen to win this Saturday against LSU, then at least the national championship won’t be an all Florida final. More to come. Keep hope alive! More from Tom Shatel in the Omaha World-Herald USA Today-ESPN Poll AP Poll BCS Poll Feedback