COLLEGE FOOTBALL / GENE WOJCIECHOWSKI : It Seems This Conference Is in a League of Its Own

It has been a bittersweet season in the Southeastern Conference, a league so powerful that it might still produce this year’s national champion; a league so volatile that it has already produced 1992’s most disturbing collection of scandals and controversies.

A roll call:

Alabama--The undefeated and No. 2-ranked Crimson Tide could find itself in the Sugar Bowl with a chance to play No. 1 Miami. Then again, Alabama could also find itself knee deep in an NCAA investigation and eventual probation if allegations by former player Gene Jelks prove true. Jelks recently accused two Alabama boosters and two former assistant coaches of illegal payoffs.

And earlier this year, all-purpose back David Palmer was arrested twice on drunk-driving charges.

Auburn--Tiger Coach Pat Dye could be fired if school officials decide that he was aware of or responsible for any of the NCAA violations stemming from the infamous Eric Ramsey case. Auburn officials have received official notification and are preparing a response to the many charges, some of which included illegal payoffs and gifts.

Dye has said he will not resign under any circumstances.

Arkansas--The conference’s newest member didn’t waste any time creating a stir. Frank Broyles, the intensely demanding Razorback athletic director, fired Jack Crowe after a season-opening loss to Division I-AA opponent The Citadel. Broyles promoted defensive coordinator Joe Kines to the job and hired former Clemson coach Danny Ford as an assistant.

Broyles has yet to name a permanent replacement.

Georgia--Earlier this season, a Bulldog player told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution that he was offered a car and cash if he signed with Alabama during a 1990 recruiting trip. The player, defensive back Ralph Thompson, recanted the charge.

Kentucky--Bill Curry continues to struggle with rebuilding the Wildcat program. Kentucky finished 3-8 in 1991 and is headed for a 4-7 finish this season. Curry is safe for now, but losses against the likes of Cincinnati don’t help his security.

Louisiana State--Rumors persist that Curley Hallman, who went 5-6 last year and is 1-8 this season, could be fired.

South Carolina--After a series of close losses to begin the season, Gamecock players demanded that Coach Sparky Woods be replaced. Woods said he wasn’t going anywhere. The team promptly won four consecutive games.

Tennessee--Johnny Majors, who led the Volunteers to three SEC titles in the last eight seasons and 11 bowls (soon to be 12) in the last 16 years, tendered his resignation Nov. 13 after the school declined to extend his contract, which ends in 1994. Depending on the source, Majors was an innocent victim of panic and circumstances, or he had it coming.

He makes his final Neyland Stadium appearance as the Volunteer coach Saturday.

Add Majors: He must assume part of the blame for this bizarre turn of events. His insistence on a contract extension was ill-timed. His demands for a raise were ill-conceived. His treatment of assistant coaches caused constant turnover. The school risked losing talented offensive coordinator Phillip Fulmer--Majors’ likely successor--and perhaps half the staff if Fulmer left for a head coaching position at season’s end. Such an exodus would have crippled the program’s recruiting effort.

Majors, a former All-America at Tennessee, also didn’t make many friends among check-writing alumni and boosters when he recently told members of the Touchdown Club of Atlanta: “Somebody gives you a thousand bucks or $50,000 to build a weight room and they think they own a piece of the club.”

Majors is an accomplished coach. His record, which includes a national championship and successful rebuilding jobs at Iowa State, Pittsburgh and Tennessee, speaks for itself.

But in an odd way, it was time for him to go. He leaves not because he lost to Alabama seven consecutive times, or because the Volunteers were upset by Arkansas and South Carolina this season. He leaves ($500,000-$600,000 richer, by the way) because even a favorite son can stay too long.

If one more Associated Press voter tries to tell us why once-beaten Florida State deserves to be ranked higher than undefeated Texas A&M;, we’ll wish a pox and ESPN shrill-meister Lee Corso, the human megaphone, on them.

You’ve heard the arguments: Texas A&M; plays in the crummy Southwest Conference. Texas A&M; hasn’t won impressively enough. Texas A&M; is the worst undefeated team since Brigham Young in 1984.

Save it for someone else. The crummy SWC? Hey, have you seen the Atlantic Coast Conference this season? Take away Florida State and the ACC is left with one good team (North Carolina State, 8-2-1), one decent team (North Carolina, 7-3) and one fairy tale (Wake Forest, 7-3). Supposedly strong Virginia, Clemson and Georgia Tech have all crashed and burned, and Maryland and Duke are counting the moments until basketball season begins.

And who cares about blowout victories? Routs are overrated--just ask Nebraska, which walloped Colorado and Kansas on successive weekends, only to be upset by Iowa State last Saturday. Sure, the Aggies have struggled at times this season, but at least they won each week. Florida State, which blew a chance to tie Miami and has had its share of so-so performances, can’t make the same claim.

One other thing: If AP voters are going to place the Seminoles over Texas A&M;, they had better think about doing the same to unbeaten Alabama. After all, Florida State has more victories against top 25 opponents than the Crimson Tide, and Seminole opponents have a decidedly better record than Alabama’s. And if you saw the third quarter of Saturday’s game against Mississippi State (a game the Bulldogs should have won), you know that the vaunted Crimson Tide defense can be overpowered.

As for Corso, remember there exists a slight conflict of interest when he campaigns so hard for the Seminoles. Corso played football at Florida State and earned a degree there.

Florida State might still win a national championship, and if it does, we will clap politely for Coach Bobby Bowden, who has yet to slip a title ring on his finger. But until then, Texas A&M; deserves respect and--sorry, Seminoles--the No. 3 ranking.

The coalition members have yet to convene in Atlanta for their Dec. 6 draft, but deals are already being struck. An update:

Sugar--Miami vs. Alabama.

Orange--Florida State vs. Nebraska or Colorado.

Rose--Michigan vs. Washington.

Cotton--Texas A&M; vs. Notre Dame.

Fiesta--Colorado or USC or Stanford vs. Syracuse.

Hall of Fame--Tennessee vs. Boston College.

Citrus--Ohio State vs. Georgia, Florida or Alabama.

Peach--Mississippi State vs. North Carolina.

Independence--Wisconsin, Oregon, Rice or Southern Mississippi vs. Wake Forest.

Liberty--Mississippi vs. Air Force.

Freedom--USC vs. Utah, Wisconsin or Fresno State.

Hancock--Texas vs. Arizona.

Blockbuster--Penn State vs. Stanford.

Gator--North Carolina State vs. Georgia or Florida.

Copper--Iowa vs. Brigham Young.

Aloha--Hawaii vs. Kansas.

Holiday--San Diego State or Hawaii vs. Michigan State or Illinois.

Las Vegas Bowl--Nevada vs. Bowling Green.

Add bowls: If Alabama stumbles against Auburn on Nov. 26 or against the Eastern Division winner (probably Florida) in the Southeastern Conference championship game, Florida State would probably move up to No. 2 and play Miami in the Fiesta. . . . If Miami loses to Syracuse or San Diego State and Alabama and Florida State don’t falter, the Crimson Tide and the Seminoles would play for the national title at the Sugar Bowl. . . . If Florida State loses to Florida in its regular-season finale and Alabama drops a game, Miami would play Texas A&M; in the Cotton Bowl. . . . If the Cotton Bowl can’t get a national championship game, it will choose a lower-ranked (but TV-ratings rich) Notre Dame over Florida State. . . . If Utah beats BYU, Utah gets the Freedom bid. Otherwise, Wisconsin is the likely choice. Utah hasn’t been to a bowl in 28 years. . . . Teams needing one more Division I-A victory to qualify for postseason play: Arizona State, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Louisiana Tech, Memphis State, Michigan State, Baylor, Rice, Oklahoma, Oregon, UCLA, Wisconsin, Wyoming and San Diego State.

Nebraska didn’t commit a turnover in last Saturday’s loss to Iowa State, running the streak to 22 quarters and 418 plays. A lot of good it did. The Cyclones, who beat the Cornhuskers for the first time since 1977, ran 74 plays to Nebraska’s 51 and gained an amazing 373 rushing yards. How pleased the Orange Bowl must be. . . . If Rice beats Navy on Saturday, the Owls will record their first winning season since 1963. Coach Fred Goldsmith has done wonders with that program. . . . Baylor’s Grant Teaff ends his 29-year coaching career with Saturday’s game against Texas. The thought of facing an emotionally charged Bear team doesn’t thrill Longhorn Coach John Mackovic, who has experience in this sort of thing. While coaching at Wake Forest, Mackovic faced LSU in the 1979 Tangerine Bowl, which just happened to be Charlie McClendon’s final game. “That particular game, (LSU’s players) tore the locker-room doors off on the way to the field,” Mackovic told the Dallas Morning News. LSU won, 34-10. . . . The Heisman Trophy race comes down to two players and four games. The finalists: Miami quarterback Gino Torretta and San Diego State running back Marshall Faulk. The games that matter: Miami vs. Syracuse, Miami vs. San Diego State and Fresno State vs. San Diego State. And this from Torretta on his critics: “I’ve been knocked. (They say) I can’t run. They say I’ve got a weak arm. I just try to go out there and win ballgames.” Miami is 24-1 with Torretta as a starter. . . . Two rumors of note: Majors might end up at Pittsburgh or Arkansas’ Broyles might hire him. Majors was a member of Broyles’ Arkansas staff in the mid-’60s.

Top 10

No. Team Record 1. Miami 9-0 2. Alabama 10-0 3. Texas A&M; 10-0 4. Florida State 9-1 5. Washington 9-1 6. Notre Dame 8-1-1 7. Syracuse 9-1 8. Michigan 8-0-2 9. Florida 7-2 10. Colorado 8-1-1

Waiting list: Georgia (8-2), Stanford (8-3), Nebraska (7-2), North Carolina State (8-2-1), USC (6-2-1)