Headlines from the 1998 Season

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Nov 3, 1998

Suite 101 was down on Nov. 1 and 2 in preparation for the new version of the website. Because of this early deadline, the weekly NCAA football wrap-up will not run as usual. Instead, here is a look at some of the top headlines from throughout the season. The weekly round-up will return next Tuesday.

Certainly the biggest story this season has been the Bowl Championship Series and its impact on the sport.

On Oct. 26, the first official BCS Standings were released. In order, the Top 10 were:

1. UCLA 3.04
2. Ohio State 4.31
3. Tennessee 6.50
4. Kansas State 8.79
5. Florida State 13.39
6. Nebraska 14.27
7. Florida 16.05
8. Texas A&M 16.82
9. Wisconsin 21.14
10. Penn State 22.52.

According to Stewart Mandel of ABC Sports Online, there are four main components to the BCS formula which used to determine pairings for the national championship:

1) An average of each team's AP and ESPN/USA Today poll rankings
2) An average of its Seattle Times, New York Times and Jeff Sagarin computer rankings
3) Strength of schedule ranking divided by 25
4) Total losses

And as in golf, the lowest score wins.

Mandel adds that UCLA got the nod at No. 1 because "the Bruins are No. 1 in all three computer rankings (Ohio State is 2, 3 and 3), and their strength of schedule is rated toughest in the nation under BCS methodology (Ohio State's is 16th). The Buckeyes' biggest wins have come against 5-1 Penn State, 5-2 Missouri and 4-2 West Virginia. Meanwhile UCLA has topped 7-1 Arizona, 6-1 Oregon and 5-2 Texas."

For more on this story, visit ABC Sports Online.

AWARD SEMIFINALISTS NAMED -- The semifinalists for two of college football's most prestegious awards were announced this past month.

Ohio State's Andy Katzenmoyer heads up a list of 10 semifinalists for the 1998 Butkus Award, given annually to the nation's best linebacker. The other candidates are Brandon Short and LaVar Arrington (Penn State), Jevon Kearse and Johnny Rutledge (Florida), Chris Claiborne (USC), Jay Foreman (Nebraska), Jeff Kelly (Kansas State), Dat Nguyen (Texas A&M) and Al Wilson (Tennessee). The winner will be announced Dec. 11 in Orlando, Fla.

The top 10 candidates for the 1998 Davey O'Brien National Quarterback Award, presented annually to the top college quarterback in the nation, were released on Oct. 22. They are: Michael Bishop (Kansas State), Tim Couch (Kentucky), Daunte Culpepper (Central Florida), Joe Germaine (Ohio State), Corby Jones (Missouri), Shaun King (Tulane), Donovan McNabb (Syracuse), Cade McNown (UCLA), Chad Pennington (Marshall) and Akili Smith (Oregon). Couch, Culpepper, McNabb and McNown were also top 10 candidates last year. The winner will be announced on Dec. 10 at the 1998 Home Depot College Football Awards Show, which will air on ESPN2.

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