OFF WE GO into the Wild Blue Yonder . . .
The Flyboys of the Air Force Academy have a chance for the kind of season they had in 1985 when they finished ranked in the top 10 nationally with just a 28-21 loss to BYU blemishing an otherwise perfect record.Their resurgence is good news for the WAC, which doesn't look like it's going to come near the kind of season it had last year when Utah, BYU and Colorado State all finished in the top 15 nationally led by Utah's No. 8 ranking.
Air Force followed its impressive 38-12 season-opening win over the Cougars with a convincing 34-10 victory last Saturday over Wyoming.
In the realm of farfetched scenarios it's even possible the Falcons could play in the Fiesta Bowl for the national championship on Jan. 2.
"We do have access to an alliance bowl. We do have access to the Cotton Bowl. Obviously, we'd have to earn it," said WAC Associate Commissioner Jeff Hurd.
Five of the six spots this year in the three alliance bowls - Orange, Sugar and Fiesta - are committed to five conferences: SEC, Big 8, ACC, Big East and SWC (after next year there will be two at-large spots because the SWC will be dissolved). The sixth spot is open.
Had the above policy been in effect in 1984, BYU would have met Oklahoma in the Orange Bowl.
Air Force likely has to go 12-0 to figure in an alliance bowl. As usual the Falcons' main nonconference game is against Notre Dame, but it's not one of the stronger Fighting Irish teams. And, the game's in Colorado Springs. Other nonconference tilts involve Northwestern, Navy and Army.
An 11-1 Falcon team would likely have a good shot at going to the Cotton Bowl. Beginning this season the Cotton and Holiday bowls have a second-tier alliance. The second-place Big 8 team is the anchor team for the Cotton Bowl and the third place Big 8 team is the anchor team for the Holiday Bowl. The WAC champion and second-place Pac-10 teams fill the other two slots.
So an 11-1 Air Force might go to the Cotton Bowl to play say the loser of the Nebraska-Colorado game. The Holiday Bowl would then be without a WAC team for the first time since 1985.
WAC TO NEW ZEALAND BOWL? Beginning next season New Zealand will have a bowl called the Haka Bowl, Hurd said. It will pay out $$1.5 million per team. "There's at least a 50-50 shot the WAC will align with that bowl," Hurd said. Hurd is also hoping the demise of the Freedom Bowl is temporary. "Losing any western bowl hurts us." The WAC is hoping the Freedom Bowl can come back for the 1996 season.
BYU BOWL STREAK OVER? BYU has been to bowl games 17 straight years. It may end pending a remarkable turnaround. The WAC is only guaranteed spots in two bowls - Cotton/Holiday and Copper. A few years ago the conference was putting teams in the Aloha, Liberty and Freedom as well. A slot could be available in the Independence Bowl. The WAC tried to get the Independence Bowl to commit to a WAC team for this season but bowl officials turned it down, figuring that they could get a third WAC team anyway without a commitment, Hurd said.
AFRAID OF YOUNG: Jerry Glanville used to instruct the Atlanta Falcons "not to hurt Joe Montana" because "he didn't want to play against Steve Young."
That observation was passed along by Fox TV analyst Tim Green, a former Falcon player when Glanville coached, during last Sunday's 49ers-Falcons game.
Young showed why again Sunday Glanville feared him, passing for more than 300 yards and tossing three touchdown passes and rushing for 50 yards.
Young, who has won four straight passing titles, is off to another fast start, throwing for almost 600 yards with five touchdown passes in his first two games. He also has rushed for 100 yards.
More importantly to the 49ers, he wasn't sacked once last Sunday after being sacked five times the week before.