Orange Blossom Special

MIAMI —  Voicemail, from his father. Florida wide receiver Taylor Jacobs picked up the message and called right back, in part because he is a good son but in part because he did not believe the message.

While Jacobs was watching a movie last Friday afternoon, his father was watching television. His father’s message: Nebraska lost.

Jacobs played, and replayed, the message.

“I just knew I heard it wrong,” he said.

He called his father for confirmation. He heard it right. No. 2 Nebraska had lost. The next day, Oklahoma would lose.

By doing nothing last weekend--not playing, not losing--Florida moved within two victories of a spot in the Jan. 3 national championship game in the Rose Bowl. And the state of Florida is buzzing over the potential of not-so-friendly rivals clashing for the national title.

Miami could be on the other side of the field in Pasadena, and tempers here still fly over Florida’s suspension of the annual series between the Gators and Hurricanes after the 1987 season.

Florida explained that the expanded Southeastern Conference schedule did not provide the flexibility to schedule Miami every year. Miami, in the midst of winning four national titles in nine years, suggested the Gators were simply ducking out. The schools met in the Sugar Bowl last season--won by Miami, 37-20, and preceded by a brawl on Bourbon Street among players from both teams.

In the words of Miami Coach Larry Coker, the Hurricanes are “three hours and seven minutes” away from a trip to Pasadena. Win at Virginia Tech Saturday, and the Hurricanes are in.

The top-ranked Hurricanes (10-0) have not won at Virginia Tech in their past three tries, but the No. 14 Hokies (8-2) remain suspect. They have allowed the fewest yards per game of any Division I-A team, but they have played only four teams with records of .500 or better, beating Central Florida and Boston College and losing to Syracuse and Pittsburgh.

In the past two weeks, Miami blasted top-20 teams Syracuse and Washington by a combined score of 124-7.

The Gators (9-1) climbed over the fallen Sooners and Cornhuskers in the polls and the BCS rankings, so victories over Tennessee on Saturday--a game rescheduled from Sept. 15 because of the terrorist attacks--and in the SEC championship next week probably will vault them into the national title game.

Of course, should Miami or Florida falter this weekend, several teams are ready to jump in line for the Rose Bowl, including Tennessee. If Tennessee beats Florida and wins the SEC title game, many experts think the Volunteers--No. 6 in the BCS rankings this week--would jump ahead of Texas for the No. 2 spot.

Texas (10-1) and Oregon (9-1) must win Saturday and hope for others ahead of them in the BCS rankings to lose.

Texas plays Colorado in the Big 12 title game at Dallas; Oregon plays Oregon State in the Civil War at Eugene.

Nebraska (11-1), fourth in the BCS, still has an outside shot, but it would probably take losses by the other schools in the BCS top six to get the Cornhuskers into the Rose Bowl.

Against Florida, Tennessee (9-1) would not appear to be a pushover--its only loss was to Georgia, by two points--but oddsmakers have installed Florida as a 171/2-point favorite.

“I haven’t heard of anybody in the state of Tennessee that’s given us a chance” either, Volunteer Coach Phillip Fulmer said.

Florida fans are confident, buoyed in part by Tennessee’s seven-game losing streak at Florida.

Clark Lohmiller, a junior at Florida, said he plans to sell his tickets to Saturday’s game--four tickets on the 40-yard line.

“I’m asking $1,000,” he told the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. “I’ve got to finance a trip to the Rose Bowl.”

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The Associated Press contributed to this story.

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ROAD TO PASADENA

If the BCS standings hold, Miami and Florida will play Jan. 3 at the Rose Bowl. What’s ahead for the Hurricanes and Gators, and other schools still with hope:

MIAMI HURRICANES

GAME REMAINING: Virginia Tech, Saturday, 10 a.m., Ch. 7

* Miami, No. 1 in the BCS, will clinch one of the spots in Pasadena with a victory.

*

FLORIDA GATORS

GAMES REMAINING: Tennessee, Saturday, 1:30 p.m., Ch. 2; SEC Championship, Dec. 8, 5 p.m., Ch. 2

* A victory against the Volunteers only keeps the Gators on course; they still would have to defeat either Auburn or LSU in the SEC title game.

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OTHERS WITH HOPE

* At No. 3 in the BCS standings, Texas needs to defeat Colorado in the Big 12 title game Saturday and hope Florida or Miami loses. Despite its 62-36 loss to Colorado, Nebraska is No. 4 in the BCS, although its regular-season schedule is complete. Oregon, No. 5 in the BCS, must win convincingly against Oregon State on Saturday and hope that two teams ahead of it lose.