FIESTA BOWL

Given that the Fiesta Bowl matches the two top-ranked teams, it seems logical the game’s winner will be the unanimous national champion.

However, only the ESPN/USA Today coaches’ poll has declared the Fiesta Bowl victor will be its automatic titlist.

The Associated Press writers will conduct a last poll after Monday night’s game, leaving No. 3 Ohio State a longshot hope at the AP crown.

If Tennessee wins, it’s no contest. The Volunteers will win both poll titles. But what if Ohio State routs Texas A&M; in tonight’s Sugar Bowl and No. 2 Florida State wins in a fluke fashion?

There may be a last-minute AP push for Ohio State, which was No. 1 much of the season before losing to Michigan State in early November.

Florida State advanced to the title game in part because it had time to recover in the polls from a bad September loss to North Carolina State.

Florida State Coach Bobby Bowden argues that the system isn’t always fair.

“Ohio State might be the best team in the country,” he said. “But we had to play Florida twice in one year [in 1996]. That wasn’t fair either.”