Dayne looking for record, Rose Bowl berth

After Penn State's crushing defeat at the hands of Minnesota last week, the Bowl Championship Series rankings now show five undefeated teams remaining in Division I-A college football.

A prospective Sugar Bowl situation has interestingly arisen through all the mayhem of the past two and a half competition-filled months: a national championship rematch between last year's top two teams seems very possible.

On Saturday, Florida State and Tennessee both face unranked opponents, while Virginia Tech finds itself staring at its toughest contest of the season.

Meanwhile, Joe Paterno and Penn State must not lose focus if Pasadena is on their minds. Four Big Ten teams are vying for hopes of a Rose Bowl appearance, with the Nittany Lions and Wisconsin atop the pack.

Iowa at No. 9 Wisconsin: The final outcome will more than likely take a back seat to another aspect of this game.

AP PHOTO Ron Dayne will play his final game at Camp Randall Stadium on Saturday with a Rose Bowl berth and the NCAA rushing record on the line.

Ron Dayne needs just 99 yards to surpass Ricky Williams' one-year-old career rushing record of 6,279 yards. In Wisconsin's victory last week at Purdue, Dayne racked up 222 yards against a much better defense than he will see from the Hawkeyes. Wisconsin coach Barry Alvarez said he will give Dayne as many carries as necessary to break the milestone.

Since yards gained in bowl games do not count towards the record, Saturday will be Dayne's final shot to make history.

Iowa's lone win this season was back on Sept. 18, over Northern Illinois. Its 109th-ranked rush defense allows over 220 yards per game on the ground. Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz, who has been looking forward to next year since the season opener, simply does not have the tools to handle Wisconsin, let alone Ron Dayne.

With a win against the Hawkeyes, and a Penn State loss to either Michigan or Michigan State, Wisconsin will be celebrating the new millennium in southern California.

Wisconsin 49, Iowa 3

No. 17 Michigan State at Northwestern: Michigan State is still in the hunt for the Big Ten title as it makes an appearance this week at Northwestern. The Spartans have a very, very slim chance of going to the Rose Bowl, but Michigan State still controls its destiny for spending New Year's Day in Florida.

Quarterback Bill Burke, tailback Lloyd Clemons and wide receiver Plaxico Burress were key contributors in last week's 23-7 destruction of Ohio State. The win not only kept major bowl hopes alive, but redeemed a team that had dropped its previous two games in uninspired fashion to Purdue and Wisconsin.

Northwestern has been whipped in its last two games, surrendering a total of 77 points. Although fundamentally sound, the Wildcats have experienced trouble putting points on the board. After being outscored 37-3 against Michigan last week, expect first-year coach Randy Walker to once again look to running back Damien Anderson to challenge the Spartans' second-ranked rush defense.

Michigan State has not won in Evanston since 1992, but against a weak overall defense, Burke and Burress should have little trouble connecting at Ryan Field.

Michigan State 31, Northwestern 6

Indiana at No. 20 Minnesota: Minnesota attempts to prove its win over Penn State was no fluke. The Golden Gophers return home to take on upset-minded Indiana.

Freshman kicker Dan Nystrom's 32-yard field goal as time expired against the Nittany Lions validated a Minnesota season full of close defeats. Running back Thomas Hamner will see plenty of time running the ball, as the rest of the calm, cool offense tries to be as flawless as in last game's turnover-free, one penalty performance.

Unlike Minnesota, Indiana is not bowl eligible. The Hoosiers must defeat Minnesota and then Purdue in order to finish with a .500 record and keep its bowl hopes alive.

Quarterback Antwaan Randle El and the rest of Indiana is ready to compete again, coming out of their bye-week. Randle El's versatility as a top-ranked passer and rusher will be demonstrated as he can single-handedly beat an opponent with his precision and athleticism.

Minnesota 24, Indiana 21

Illinois at Ohio State: Ohio State's steady decline into mediocrity has dropped the Buckeyes' from a national ranking and jeopardizes their chance at a prestigious bowl game.

Ohio State has lost four times this year, and only two of its victories have come against ranked opponents. Those ranked opponents include UCLA and Purdue, two programs which have since dropped out of the top 25.

Poor attitudes amongst the Buckeyes' team members have caused further trouble. Buckeye coach John Cooper has been forced to bench and even suspend some players due to lack of unity and poor behavior on and off the field.

Illinois is looking for its sixth win of the season which would mean bowl-eligibility for the first time since 1994. Compact tailback Rocky Harvey and surprising quarterback Kurt Kittner want to drive the offense into Ohio State territory and jump out to a big lead in Columbus.

The Fighting Illini are conscious of the explosive potential of Buckeye quarterback Joe Germaine, senior tailback Michael Wiley and wide-outs Reggie Germany and Ken-Yon Rambo.

Ohio State 17, Illinois 10

11-11-99