While others rose and fell, Florida State kept winning

With Alabama sinking, Oklahoma soaring and Notre Dame restoring its tarnished image, Florida State did what it always does win. <br><br>College football 2000 provided a Saturday full of surprises, from

Tuesday, December 26th 2000, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

With Alabama sinking, Oklahoma soaring and Notre Dame restoring its tarnished image, Florida State did what it always does win.

College football 2000 provided a Saturday full of surprises, from South Carolina's amazing turnaround under Lou Holtz, to Penn State's worst season under Joe Paterno, to Oregon State's best season. But in the end, coach Bobby Bowden's Seminoles won a place in a national title game for the third year in a row and fourth time in the last five seasons.

No. 3 Florida State (11-1), despite a 27-24 loss to No. 2 Miami (10-1) on Oct. 7, will play No. 1 Oklahoma in the Orange Bowl on Jan. 3 in the Bowl Championship Series' national title game. The winner of that game will be crowned champion in the coaches poll.

There is a chance for split champions, however. If Miami beats No. 7 Florida (10-2) in the Sugar Bowl, the Hurricanes could become the national champion in the final AP media poll.

But what a regular-season it was _ right from the start.

On Aug. 26, Heisman Trophy favorite Michael Vick's debut was canceled when a severe rainstorm hit Blacksburg and the Virginia Tech-Georgia Tech game never started. It wasn't made up, either.

Nebraska opened as the No. 1 team in the preseason poll, but after a 27-24 overtime victory at Notre Dame on Sept. 9, the Cornhuskers no longer had that look of invincibility.

Oklahoma, led by rising star Josh Heupel, dominated the Huskers 31-14 on Oct. 28 and changed the course of the season. The Sooners, under second-year coach Bob Stoops, took over at No. 1 the next day, then won out _ including a second win over Kansas State in the Big 12 title game _ to finish as the nation's only unbeaten major team.

Florida State and Miami added another classic to their rivalry on Oct. 7. Even in defeat, eventual Heisman Trophy winner Chris Weinke excelled.

Hampered by a severe ankle injury, the 28-year-old quarterback threw for 496 yards and three TDs and put his team ahead with 1:37 left. But Miami's Ken Dorsey threw a 13-yard TD pass with 46 seconds to go and the Hurricanes won out. Their only loss was at Washington, 34-29, on Sept. 9.

On Nov. 4, Miami beat Virginia Tech 41-21, a game Vick was in for only 19 plays. Vick's sprained ankle also knocked him out of the Heisman race. The Hokies (10-1) play Clemson in the Gator Bowl on Jan. 1.

Oklahoma, Miami and Florida State finished 1-2-3 in the AP's final regular-season poll, but the BCS standings rated the Seminoles ahead of the Hurricanes, setting up the Florida State-Oklahoma Orange Bowl game.

At South Carolina, Holtz worked his magic in his second season. Coming in with a 21-game losing streak, the Gamecocks opened 4-0, including a win over Georgia. They went to 7-1 before losing their final three, but will play Ohio State in the Outback Bowl on Jan. 1.

Out West, the Pacific-10 Conference enjoyed one of its most exciting seasons _ for Oregon, Oregon State and Washington, that is. The three shared the Pac-10 title, but the Huskies (10-1) earned the Rose Bowl bid through league tiebreakers.

Oregon State, in coach Dennis Erickson's second season, also finished 10-1 and was picked to play Notre Dame in the Fiesta Bowl on Jan. 1.

The Irish, with coach Bob Davie fighting for his job, won their final seven games to finish 9-2 and reach their first BCS game. Davie will be back.

It was a season to forget at Alabama and Penn State.

'Bama was No. 3 in the preseason poll coming off an SEC title, and coach Mike DuBose said his team was ready to challenge for a national title. But after 40-38 homecoming loss to Central Florida, DuBose announced he was resigning at the end of the season.

After a 9-0 loss to rival Auburn, 'Bama finished 3-8 _ its worst record since 1957. After being turned down by Virginia Tech's Frank Beamer and Miami's Butch Davis, the Tide turned to TCU's Dennis Franchione to replace DuBose.

Paterno has no plans to leave not-so-Happy Valley after a 5-7 season, which included quarterback Rashard Casey's legal woes and a spinal injury to freshman linebacker Adam Taliaferro in a game against Ohio State.

Weinke won the Heisman in a close vote over Heupel. Weinke threw for 4,167 yards and 33 TDs; Heupel threw for 3,392 yards and 20 TDs.

Purdue quarterback Drew Brees, who threw for 3,393 yards and 24 TDs, led the Boilermakers (8-3) to the Rose Bowl for the first time in 36 years, while Northwestern was the surprise team in the Big Ten. The Wildcats, led by running back Damien Anderson (1,914 yards), went 8-3.

In one of the wildest games of the season, Northwestern beat Michigan 54-51 on Zak Kustok's 13-yard TD pass with 20 seconds left. The score came just after Michigan's Anthony Thomas fumbled and gave the Wildcats another chance.

LaDainian Tomlinson led the nation in rushing with 2,158 yards as TCU went 10-1 before Franchione left for Alabama. Tomlinson won the Doak Walker Award as the nation's top running back.

Florida State defensive end Jamal Reynolds won the Lombardi Award as the nation's top lineman and Tennessee's John Henderson took the Outland Trophy as the top interior lineman.

Joining Alabama in the new-coach department for next season are: Arizona (Dick Tomey resigned, John Mackovic hired); Arizona State (Bruce Snyder fired, Dirk Koetter hired); BYU (LaVell Edwards retired, Gary Crowton hired); Georgia (Jim Donnan, fired); Missouri (Larry Smith fired, Gary Pinkel hired); North Carolina (Carl Torbush fired, John Bunting hired); Southern California (Paul Hackett fired, Pete Carroll hired); Virginia (George Welsh retired); West Virginia (Don Nehlen retired, Rich Rodriguez hired).

Georgia Southern won the I-AA national title, Delta State took the Division II title, and Mount Union won the Division III championship.

Florida State won the '99 national title _ its second national championship _ with a 46-29 win over Virginia Tech in the 2000 Sugar Bowl.

Even in defeat, Vick stole the show, throwing for 225 yards and one TD and running for 97 yards and a score, rallying the Hokies from a 21-point deficit to a 29-28 lead late in the third quarter.

But Seminoles wide receiver Peter Warrick had quite a game, too, scoring a record-setting 20 points. He caught TD passes of 64 and 43 yards, returned a punt 59 yards for a score and snagged a 2-point conversion pass from Weinke.