European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - October 13, 1994, Darmstadt, Hesse Page 34 the stars and stripes sports thursday a october 13, 1994fall of Irish dulls College Jim Litke some of the air was let out of College football Over the weekend. V its not what you think Lou Holtz did no to take a vow of silence. In fact something very much like the opposite occurred. Minutes after the fighting Irish were knocked out of the National championship by Boston College for the second straight season this time by a very Deci Sivc 30-11, Holtz started thinking out loud. And like Cine of those late night shills for the psychic hotline he sounded less and less persuasive the longer he rambled on. A i knew this would be a Long hard year. I knew that. This was maybe the most physical we be been manhandled in a Long Long time a it was painful. But you know what in a glad it was painful. It was painful for me and i Hope it was painful for the in Case anybody still did no to get his Drift Holtz paused and then began drumming his fingertips on the table. A this is going to be disappointing for the alums but Many times when you get a. Little bit older and things Arentt going Well you get on the sidelines and say a what am 1 doing in coaching a at the end of that ballgame i made a commitment to myself my players and to notre Dame we Are going to get this go Dawg thing turned others be cynical. Let others say Lou sounded like a Man buying himself some time. We wish the Little Leprechaun Only Good Luck even while cursing our own. Luck that is. Six games into the season is too Early to have the fighting Irish fall to 4-2 and Flat on their collective face. There is too Little passion in sports As it is. Nil teams even in throwback uniforms not unlike notre Dames Are too much alike to follow through fall and half of Winter. Basketball at least the games that will count is still weeks away. There is no baseball no hockey and no reason to lavish attention on either anytime soon. Now we have half a College season still to go and no Irish team Worth hailing or a for those so inclined a hating. In the same Way there is no being Neutral about notre Dame there is no denying the Buzz it brings to the game. V a. A. Before saturday the last time the Irish had played in Boston proper was 1944. But in the week leading up to saturdays game eagles coach Dan Henning had trouble wringing loyalty oaths from his own office staff and joked nervously that the sympathies of even some by graduates were not beyond suspicion. A a Quot a. / a a their following is incredible a he said. The Dallas cowboys Are called a americans do you think they re americans team a believe me a a said Henning who left the nil ranks to take the by Job a they Are not even close to notre Dame a no the cowboys arc not and neither for that commentary Boston College fans celebrate after their team s 30-11 upset Over visiting notre Dame last saturday. Matter is anyone else. And when the Irish depart from Center stage at this juncture of the year its like the leading character in a movie has just upped and left the stage. Nebraska with its setbacks and Tom Osborne its Long suffering coach is not a bad Story. And Florida just now emerging from the Shadow of state rivals Miami and Florida state is Worth watching a for a while. But no one else brings its own drama not to Man Tion its own network the Way notre Dame does. No one else gets their ticket folded spindled and mutilated by a trick play called a Leprechaun a which is what some wickedly Clever by assistant a already thinking about posterity a thought to name the fake Field goal that led to the eagles first touchdown. A a a a Quot. A a a a a a a a a. No one else inspires such dread even Down by 20 Points because no one else boasts so Many Miracle comebacks that they Are filed by the names that become attached to them a Montana Lujack Han ratty a a a v its the same reason finally that no one else in any game feels half As Good to beat. A a it a always been a rivalry for by a said Henning echoing last seasons last second upset win. A i think notre Dame thinks its a rivalry the Only real shame in All of this is that the rest of us like the Irish had to learn it so soon in the season. A. A the associated pres a in by Paul Newberry Auburn Ala. Apr the National championship is always decided in january right the Book Isnit closed until some team carries its coach off the Field after a game named for a fruit or a Plant Ora party. That a the Way it is and that a the Way it will be As Long As something called the bowl coalition has its Way. But in a year when the new years Day picture figures to be scrambled because of varying conference com Mit mints add another variable to the mix. The swamp bowl. No 6 Auburn is confident it will be in control of the National championship race with a Victory saturday at top ranked Florida even though the tigers season will come to an end on nov. 19, before the bowl invitations even go out a we can to go to a bowl so this is our sugar bowl a said Auburn coach Terry Bowden whose team is on Mcaa probation. A if we re going to win the National championship without playing in january you have to have a no. 1 team on your schedule. We should be thankful for this Auburn has won 17 games in a Row the longest winning Streak in division i a but Bowdens team is barred from postseason play for the second straight year while serving out its Mcaa sentence. Last year the tigers ended their season in november with an 11-0 record the Only undefeated Mark in America after the bowls were played. But it was Only Good enough for no. 4 in the final associated press rankings. Bowden believes this year would be different under the same circumstances. A if we do somehow find a Way to win at Florida think its a valid reality that we re in the Drivers scat As far As the a poll a he said. �?o1 done to feel like give no. 1 to a team that goes 11-0 and does no to play a game in january. But i do feel like give it to a team that goes 22-0 and does no to play a game in naturally his players agree. A How can you Overlook a team that goes 11-0 two times in a Row a asks defensive tackle Mike Pelton. Pel tones vote aside Liis is the. First realistic Chance for Auburn to become a serious National contender playing on the Road against the Best team in the country a team that has won its first five games by an average score of 51-12, a team that has won 17 straight Southeastern conference games at dreaded Florida Field known As a the a that a Why even though Auburn 6-0 is a 16-Point underdog Bowden has the smug Confidence of a coach in a no lose situation. Especially when he a got a team that has rallied from behind nine times during its winning Streak including improbable victories like the one when the tigers returned three interceptions for touchdowns in the fourth Quarter against a most of yall see no Way we can win a Bowden said tuesday. A How do you think some 18 or 19-year-old Down in Gainesville feels but there Are things out there that a 19 or 20-year-old can to comprehend. Our Guys have Beer through it every week.�?�. Pelton said a when you be won 16.oi n in a Row you always feel like something is going to happen. You always feel like you have a Chance to win the the tigers appear confident. The it grumble about the Point spread but a it does no to matter. They would rather look Back to this Point last season when unbeaten fourth ranked Florida came into Jordan Hare stadium and was shocked 38-35
