No. 1 not on the line as 3 major conferences decide their champions

ATLANTA (AP) Championship Saturday is a local affair. <br/><br/>As the Southeastern, Atlantic Coast and Big 12 conferences prepare for their championship games this weekend, only 4th-ranked Florida is

Wednesday, November 29th 2006, 5:15 am

By: News On 6

ATLANTA (AP) Championship Saturday is a local affair.

As the Southeastern, Atlantic Coast and Big 12 conferences prepare for their championship games this weekend, only 4th-ranked Florida is clinging to even a slim hope of getting a shot at the national title.

Arkansas, which will face the Gators for the SEC title, was knocked out of the race for #1 by a loss to Louisiana State last week.

Georgia Tech and Wake Forest were never in the national picture, though both managed to win their respective divisions in the ACC.

Oklahoma and Nebraska are two of college football's traditional powers, but they've got five losses between them heading into the Big 12 championship.

The 8th-ranked Sooners, who got off to a sluggish 3-2 start and lost star running back Adrian Peterson to a shoulder injury, are glad to be playing for a spot in the Fiesta Bowl.

OU quarterback Paul Thompson says one goal the team set was reaching a Bowl Championship Series game and that they now have that chance.