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Losses Don't End Hopes, But Make Road Tougher

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By JOEY JOHNSTON, The Tampa Tribune

Published: October 1, 2007

Showdown Saturday just lost its edge.

College football was going to stage a twinight doubleheader, the ultimate clarification of this season's national-championship picture.

Oklahoma-Texas and Florida-LSU.

Wow, and wow.

But now?

It's an uphill struggle.

Except for LSU (5-0), which is just fine. In fact, the Tigers edged past USC for No. 1 in The Associated Press rankings, potentially setting up a yo-yo pecking order the rest of the way.

For the other would-be contenders, though, there is shakiness.

For the first time since 1997, Oklahoma and Texas each will enter their Red River Shootout rivalry game with a Big 12 Conference loss. Oklahoma (4-1) was stunned at Colorado 27-24, while Texas (4-1) suffered its worst home loss under Coach Mack Brown, a 41-21 blasting at the hands of Kansas State.

Meanwhile, for the first time since he joined Florida, Coach Urban Meyer will be attempting to rebound from a home defeat. The Gators (4-1), sluggish from the start, were beaten by Auburn 20-17 on a final-play 43-yard field goal by Wes Byrum.

The back story, of course, is patience. One-loss teams have navigated through the season before. Last year, in fact, Florida gathered itself after losing at Auburn, then earned a spot in the BCS Championship Game, thumping top-ranked Ohio State 41-14.

In 2003, near midseason, USC dropped a triple-overtime heartbreaker at California. LSU was dominated at home by Florida. Yet the Trojans and Tigers won out and ended up splitting the national title.

And in 2000, FSU played for the national title, despite a loss at Miami.

It can be done.

But not with ease.

The right things must happen. Florida could get right back into it by defeating LSU and, theoretically, could meet the Tigers again at the SEC Championship Game. The Oklahoma-Texas winner could again emerge in December, if enough teams go down.

But the Gators, Sooners and Longhorns have something in common. Saturday, they didn't just lose games. They lost control of their destiny.

'It's two desperate teams going at it,' Texas defensive tackle Derek Lokey said of the Longhorns-Sooners meeting.

And even with a victory, that desperation will continue, likely for the remainder of the season.

Reporter Joey Johnston can be reached at (813) 259-7353 or jjohnston@tampatrib.com.

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