| | So how do you win the Division I-A college football national championship? For starters, a team has to make it to the Nokia Sugar Bowl on Jan. 4, this year's Bowl Championship Series title game.
| |  | | The first step for Penn State and Eric McCoo is beating Arizona. |
Given recent history, odds are the two participants in that contest will be undefeated. Last year, the BCS had a major problem until the final week of the regular season/conference championships. Kansas State and UCLA conveniently lost, leaving Tennessee and Florida State to play for the national title. Yes, Tulane finished unbeaten, but the Green Wave never had a chance at the championship.
Which teams have the best shot at winning it all in New Orleans? It doesn't always come down to talent. Scheduling impacts the success and failure of contenders.
With that in mind, here are a dozen teams with the best chance to go unbeaten during the 1999 campaign:
Arizona: The Wildcats have a difficult opener against the Nittany Lions at Happy Valley.
Dick Tomey's team wanted to play this game and that is a statement. Remember, Arizona added this Pigskin Classic contest, so there is a lot of confidence in Tucson. USC and Washington have to visit Arizona. Trips to UCLA and rival Arizona State are not locks, but this is a favorable agenda after the opener.
BYU: Remember the 1984 season? A relatively easy schedule led to a perfect regular-season record, plus a Holiday Bowl win over Michigan en route to the national title. Opening with three home games helps, especially since two are against Washington and Virginia. Visits to Wyoming and San Diego State may be the toughest obstacles to LaVell Edwards' team.
Florida: A team with Tennessee and Florida State on the schedule with a chance to go unbeaten? Yes, because both of those games are in Gainesville. It's been almost three decades since the Vols won there. There aren't many tough road games, so Steve Spurrier's team can't be counted out.
Florida State: The nation's top-ranked team in the preseason polls still has to visit Florida. In November of 1997, the Seminoles were ranked numero uno and lost there, 32-29. Having Georgia Tech and Miami-Florida in Tallahassee is a plus.
Georgia Tech: It may be a lot to ask for the Yellow Jackets to escape Florida State with an upset win. Joe Hamilton and company don't have many other obstacles in the way. Georgia is always a tough rival.
Marshall: The Thundering Herd lost one game during the 1998 regular season (34-13 at Bowling Green); shooting for an unblemished record in '99 is a legitimate goal. Chad Pennington and company visits Clemson and Miami-Ohio (with running back Travis Prentice), but the rest of the road seems easy. Even with a perfect season, a national championship is not likely.
Nebraska: The toughest games are at Texas and at Colorado. OK, Texas A&M is not a walk in the park. Frank Solich's team will rebound from last year's disappointment.
Penn State: The schedule is rugged, but the toughest games are at home (Arizona, Ohio State and Michigan). The trip to Miami-Florida is tough, while the visit to Purdue is dangerous since it is coming the week after the Buckeyes invade.
Texas: Even without Ricky Williams, the schedule is relatively favorable. Nebraska at home and Texas A&M in College Station are the roughest games.
Texas A&M: Imagine if the Longhorns and Aggies were unbeaten entering Nov. 26? Texas A&M has to visit Nebraska before even thinking that far ahead. R. C. Slocum would probably argue there are a lot of difficult tests prior to that.
Tennessee: The Vols have lost their last six trips to Gainesville, last winning at Florida in 1971. So the game against the Gators stands out. Traveling to Alabama and Arkansas is never an easy win.
Virginia Tech: It's still hard to believe the Hokies were beaten at home by Temple last season to snap its unbeaten streak. Miami-Florida is clearly the question mark on Frank Beamer's schedule.
Some ranked teams not on this list: Wisconsin has to visit Ohio State and Purdue while also hosting Michigan. Miami-Florida' agenda is too much with Ohio State, Penn State, Florida State and Virginia Tech. Notre Dame goes to Michigan, Purdue and Tennessee, with USC coming to South Bend.
Scheduling can make a difference. Just remember that at season's end.
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