The Utah-BYU game will, obviously, be the focus of attention for most college football fans locally. It's also the weekend game with the biggest impact as far as the WAC title chase is concerned.
But a different game involving a WAC team will have much more influence on a national level. Notre Dame, the most loved/hated college football team in the nation, has some 8 million reasons to want to beat Air Force in Colorado Springs Saturday.Notre Dame, presently ranked 8th (A.P.) and 10th (CNN/USA Today) in the major polls, needs to beat the Falcons to stay in the top 10 and, thus, qualify for one of the lucrative bowl alliance games. The Orange and Sugar bowls, one of which the Irish will likely play in if they beat Air Force, pay $8.33 million per team. Since Notre Dame is an independent, it wouldn't have to share the pot with any other school.
But if the Falcons beat the Irish Saturday, Notre Dame would drop out of the top 10 and lose a spot in an alliance bowl. Since conferences already have ties with all the mid-level bowls, the only postseason games Notre Dame could possibly play in - if they lose to Air Force - are the Liberty or Independence bowls - which only pay $750,000 per team or $7.58 million less than the alliance games.
It's even likely Notre Dame wouldn't even accept an invitation to a "minor" game like the Liberty or Independence bowls.
Air Force beat Notre Dame four straight times from 1982-85, but the Falcons have lost seven in a row. With $8 million on the line, the Irish can't afford, literally, a letdown this weekend. The game will be broadcast on ESPN beginning at 6:30 p.m.
BOWL TALK: This is the first year in which the WAC champion has the chance to go to the Cotton Bowl, but it won't happen. The league titlist is headed back to the Holiday Bowl as usual.
Under the new agreement, Cotton Bowl officials have their choice of taking the WAC champ or the second team from the Pac-10. Every WAC team has at least three losses overall and not one is ranked in the AP Top 25 (although BYU is No. 25 in the CNN/USA Today poll).
Meanwhile, USC has already qualified as the Pac-10 champion and will go to the Rose Bowl, leaving the Cotton Bowl with No. 16 Oregon, No. 22 Washington or the WAC champ. Right now the Ducks and the Huskies are on the wish list of the Cotton Bowl officials.
So the WAC champ will play in the Dec. 29 Holiday Bowl in San Diego instead of the Jan. 1 Cotton Bowl in Dallas.
The Copper Bowl gets first choice of a WAC team other than the champion. Air Force, if it beats Notre Dame (and doesn't qualify for the Holiday Bowl), appears to be the Copper Bowl's favorite, followed by Colorado State and then San Diego State. BYU and Utah have been to the game recently and the Tucson-based officials want new teams involved.
PREDICTIONS: There are four WAC games and the big non-league contest between Air Force and Notre Dame on tap this weekend. CSU gets Saturday off.
The game in Cougar Stadium is a tough call. The Cougars (5-1 WAC) are on a roll and are playing for their 18th WAC title. The Utes (5-2) are on a roll and are playing for their first WAC title in 31 years. Both teams have fine defenses and improving offenses. It should be a classic . . . BYU 24, Utah 20.
Air Force (7-3 overall) whipped Army 38-20 last week. Notre Dame (8-2) dodged a bullet and by beating Army by just one point last month. Which means absolutely nothing . . . Notre Dame 31, Air Force 17.
San Diego State (4-2) blew a chance to remain tied with BYU for the WAC lead by losing to 1-4 Wyoming last week. The Aztecs won't let 2-4 Hawaii burn them this week . . . SDSU 42, Hawaii 16.
The WAC's Disappointment Bowl will be played Saturday in Laramie between Fresno State and Wyoming, two 2-4 teams that haven't lived up to expectations . . . Fresno State 24, Wyoming 21.
New Mexico (2-5) has a chance to win it's fifth game overall for the third year in a row, which is something the Lobos haven't done since the late 70s. They'll do it because they're playing hapless UTEP (0-6) . . . New Mexico 37, UTEP 10.