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When you picture a career in Operations Management, what comes to mind? Do you see smokestacks and assembly lines, an incessant flow of production moving through manufacturing plants around the world? While these situations do exist, there is a whole realm of opportunities beyond this stereotype. Many progressive companies are recognizing the unique resources available in today's OM graduates and are modifying their views on the role these individuals will play within their organizations.
What has driven this change in attitude toward operations managers (OMers)? Certainly, manufacturing and logistics have become more strategic in the global marketplace. However, multinational corporations have attempted to increase efficiencies, reduce operating costs, and offset the comparative advantages of competitors in developing nations through operations improvements beyond their manufacturing departments. Is this demand for operations knowledge and subsequent the paradigm shift limited to traditional manufacturing corporations? Absolutely not!
High technology, finance, consulting, and marketing companies also employ OM MBAs in a wide range of positions. A few years ago, an OMer wouldn't have even been granted an interview for many of these jobs, and now, companies are unable to find enough qualified OMers to meet demand. Managers in classical OM positions are required to incorporate human resources, marketing, finance, organizational behavior, and international business skills into their toolkits to succeed in today's dynamic environment. Historically, many of them have been seen as overeager engineers who made the blind leap across the reality chasm into the world of business. Today, however, many succesful OMers have never stepped foot in an engineering class. In short, Operations Management now equals General Management, and senior managers are becoming privy to this information.
Like non-manufacturing organizations, traditional functional groups are also seeking OM skills. For example, many Leadership Development Programs recruit OMers for their General Management positions. In addition, finance groups seek OMers who can adequately prepare due dilience and cost products and services, consulting groups seek OMers that are familiar with different industry practices, and marketing groups seek OMers who can understand the complex nature of their organizations.
One goal of the Operations Management Club is to educate its members, the b-school community, and industry on the potential of an operations background. The upcoming panel will address these issues and offer an interactive forum for discussion with representatives from a variety of industries.
Panel Discussion
Operations Management: It's Not Just Manufacturing
Senior managers from American Express (New Products & Services), Andersen Consulting (Strategic Services) and General Motors (Finance) will participate in this panel, sponsored by the OM Club. The panel will be held on Friday, November 21 at 2:00 p.m. in P1018, with a reception to follow. Dress is business casual.
Participants will highlight the role OM MBAs play within their organizations and field questions on opportunities and challenges faced by OM graduates in non-maufacturing roles.
The Panel offers a great chance to learn more about the variety of positions available to OMer's, and to voice questions and concerns to industry representatives. MBA1s are particularly encouraged to attend, in anticipation of the upcoming recruiting season. Bring your enthusiasm and questions to the discussion this Friday and help dispel the myth: Operations Management, it's not just manufacturing.
If there is
any weekend where college football fans can toss the national rankings
aside, and focus strictly on the game itself, it is this weekend. This
weekend is Rivalry Weekend--the weekend which, every year, brings us great
rivalries such as Auburn vs. Alabama, Stanford vs. California, USC vs.
UCLA, and of course, Michigan vs. Ohio State (a game so appealing that
some lunatics think they can scalp four tickets for $3,200). Traditionally,
nothing is supposed to steal the spotlight of what will take place on the
field. But unfortunately, the college football world of the nineties has
seen this time of year become the most important in terms of national rankings,
consequently allowing the focus on the polls to engulf the attention given
to this weekend's great games.
This year's season threatens to present, for the sixth time in the last eight years, yet another controversy surrounding the national champion. And every year, the controversy seems to reach the boiling point precisely at this time. Entering this past weekend, as is the case in most years, there were three undefeated teams vying for the number one ranking. And the arguments as to who deserves the top spot is also the same as usual: "this team has the toughest schedule," "this team looks vulnerable in its victories," "this team..." blah, blah, blah. It's tiring listening to the same thing year after year. The only thing that matters is that in a sport which places so much importance on who is number one, that distinction is decided not on the field, but rather by sports writers and college football coaches.
The powers that be at the NCAA haven't made this any easier. In a sport where teams are penalized by pollsters for small margins of victory, the NCAA decided two years ago to make things even tougher on voters--they introduced the grand idea of overtime. Now correct me if I'm wrong, but shouldn't an overtime victory, in the eyes of the voters, come with an asterisk attached to it? When teams fall in the polls because they allowed a beaten team to score late touchdowns, thus making the score respectable (see Penn State vs. Indiana in 1994, and vs. Northwestern this year), should they be penalized as much as they should be for overtime victories against unranked opponents? No they shouldn't. But rationale is not always at the forefront of a pollster's mind.
Of course, no pollster possesses the omniscience to really know who deserves a number one ranking. But questions often arise as to who is really in a position to objectively determine where teams stand in terms of national rankings. This dilemma has caused college football fans everywhere to ponder the same question throughout the decade: Who should have more authority in ranking college football teams: coaches or sportswriters? Well, it depends on who you ask.
If one were to ask a Michigan fan on the Monday following the Penn State game, when the Wolverines found themselves with the #1 ranking in the AP poll, and the #2 ranking in the ESPN/USA Today coaches poll, the likely response would probably be that coaches are too busy preparing their own teams (while not getting the opportunity to watch other teams play) to be able to vote objectively. Of course, if Michigan was #1 in the coaches poll and #2 in the AP poll, the same respondent would probably give the opposite answer, saying that sportswriters possess too much geographical bias to combat the obvious authority that coaches have based on their knowledge of the game.
What's the answer to this? Well, nobody without a vested interest in the outcome of the polls really knows this. But I would like to think that the correct answer would not be that the assistants within America's college football programs should have the final say. Unfortunately, it appears that these assistants do have some of this authority. Following the thrashing that his Nitanny Lions took at the hands of the Wolverines, Penn State head coach Joe Paterno was surprised to learn that his ballot for the coaches poll listed Florida State as his number one team. As he says he often does, he gave his ballot to one of his assistants who, apparently suffering from a bout with amnesia that blocked out his memory of that Saturday's game in Happy Valley, decided that Florida State could spank the behinds of the Nitanny Lions harder than Michigan did.
As I said before, rationale is not at the forefront of a pollster's mind. But as long as the national championship is decided by off-the-field politics instead of a playoff, the debate about who should have the aforementioned authority will continue to rage on.
When Michael Jordan was asked last week about the recent troubles his team has been facing, he commented that the Bulls were playing like an expansion team.
Is that really such a bad thing?
The Florida Marlins just won the World Series in their fifth year as a franchise. And they weren't even the first team of that expansion class to make the playoffs. The Colorado Rockies own that distinction, cracking the postseatson hurdle two years earlier.
In football, the expansion Carolina Panthers and Jacksonville Jaguars were in the conference finals in only their second years.
In hockey, the Florida Panthers, another Wayne Huzienga franchise, was in the Stanley Cup Finals in their third season.
In Jordan's own league, the Toronto Raptors and Vancouver Grizzlies are not doing well. But take a look at the expansion wave before them: the Charlotte Hornets, the Miami Heat, the Minnesota Timberwolves and the Orlando Magic. The Magic beat Jordan's Bulls en route to the NBA Finals three years ago, and the Miami Heat were in the Conference Finals last season--a year in which all four teams made the playoffs.
On the other side of the coin, two of the most storied franchises in NBA history, the Boston Celtics (a.k.a., Rick Pitino and his travelling band of College All-Stars) and the Philadelphia 76ers have been banished to the nether regions of the league.
In baseball, there is the Chicago Cubs. As the Tampa Bay Devil Rays and Arizona Diamondbacks start their first season next year, the odds should be even money that they finish ahead of the Cubs.
Everyone makes the playoffs in the NHL, so whether or not a franchise is an expansion franchise probably doesn't mean a whole lot. But four more expansion franchises are coming ...
In football, the NFC West is redefining the word bad. The Atlanta Falcons, New Orleans Saints and St. Louis Rams would have trouble winning any games if they didn't play each other twice a season. The Falcons are allowing fans in Atlanta to save their money until baseball season. It's only a matter of time before the Saints give Ditka another heart attack. The Rams are proving to Los Angelinos that maybe life without football ain't so bad.
After last season's great campaign, the effects of being in the division are even starting to wear on the Panthers. If San Francisco beats Carolina next week, the 49ers will clinch the division title ... with five games left to play.
Maybe Jordan meant to say that the Bulls are playing like the NFC West.
A friend pointed out to me that I may have taken Mr. Jordan a tad too literally. That may be true. I think the real problem is that in this era of nickname change and franchise free agency, it is nearly impossible to tell who the expansion teams are.
Pop Quiz: Which one of the following teams is a 1990s expansion franchise:
Tennessee Oilers
Carolina Hurricanes
Washington Wizards
Baltimore Ravens
Cleveland Browns
A: The Cleveland Browns ... Maybe.
But don't be upset if you were not correct, as even that question doesn't warrant a straight answer. When the Browns left Cleveland to become the Baltimore Ravens, the NFL guaranteed that there would be a new Cleveland Browns franchise in 1999. The franchise will either be a team that relocates to Cleveland or an expansion team will be created.
Furthermore, the Tennessee Oilers and Carolina Hurricanes have sufficiently confused everybody. What else could explain the fact that these two teams are being outdrawn by the travelling company of Congress on Ice.
Residents of Carolina must have thought that an actual natural disaster was heading their way (which is kind of what happened) and that they were safer staying in their homes. Meanwhile, maybe fans in Tennessee aren't used to watching football games unless Peyton Manning is at the controls. The Oilers could paint their end zones in a checkerboard manner and start playing Rocky Top after every score to trick people into coming.
Houston fans take heart: the Oilers could be returning to Houston. The NHL's Oilers that is. Peter Pocklington, the owner of the Edmonton Oilers is in negotiations to sell his franchise to a group based in Houston, thus paving the rebirth of the Houston Oilers name, if not a team that would make Bum Phillips proud.
Then there is the case of the Washington Wizards. The Washington Wizards are the team formerly known as the Washington Bullets. Apparently, the name Bullets connotes violence and was no longer socially acceptable--especially in the nation's murder capital. If they were trying to avoid a violent connotation, I think overlooking the fact that Wizards are purportedly able to turn people into frogs was an egregious error on the part of management.
The final point to consider is the fate of the two franchises that define the term expansion. So much so that a year or two ago they should have considered changing their nicknames to the Expansion (it's no more inane than other nicknames, but that's a discussion for another time). Of course, I'm talking about the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the New Jersey Nets.
The long-suffering Bucs are on the verge of making the playoffs for the first time since 1982 and the New Jersey Nets are off to a flying start.
So maybe Mr. Jordan shouldn't worry that his Bulls are playing like an expansion team. It might be just what they need to win their sixth NBA Championship.
Rivalry weekend is here. For you die-hard college football fans, this is the weekend you have been waiting for since August. Judgement Day notwithstanding, games played around the country this weekend will have a greater impact on college football than any other weekend. It is this weekend that determines bragging rights for the next 365 days and who wins local recruiting battles in states like Washington, Alabama, Indiana, California, and along borders such as Minnesota/Iowa, Tennessee/Kentucky and of course, MICHIGAN/OHIO. Trophies, close games and hard fought, bloody battles are the hallmarks of these contests. So throw out the records, put on your eye-black, grab your remote and let the rivalries begin!
The Big Ones ...
(rankings and records are as of 11/13)
ALABAMA - AUBURN
History: In the heart of Dixie, whichever way you look at it, you live it 365 days a year. The Auburn--Alabama game is the biggest event south of the Mason-Dixon line.
The series between Auburn and Alabama began in 1893. An estimated 2,000 fans were in attendance at that first meeting to see the Auburn Orange and Blue defeat the Alabama Crimsons 32-22. Thus began a rivalry that is among the nation's fiercest.
Not from the South you say? Consider ESPN analyst and Northwestern Wildcat Mike Adamle's comment in 1995, "I'm a Big 10 person. I've been to the Big House in Ann Arbor and the Horseshoe in Columbus. And we've got our Little Brown Jug and the Old Oaken Bucket, but I'm really humbled ... this Auburn-Alabama rivalry is bigger than any game I've been to".
Walking to the stadium, people don't just say "Hello", they say "War Eagle" or "Roll Tide". I've tried to read books about this rivalry, but I've given up trying to comprehend this thing that is so full of culture and history. Instead, I just sit back and enjoy it."
The rivalry went on a 41-year hiatus after the teams met for the 12th time in 1907. The schools became involved in what seemed to be a minor dispute involving expenses and officiating. Neither team could agree on how much money each player should be allotted for the team's trip to Birmingham for the game. A disagreement on what section of the country the officials should come from also existed.
People across the state wanted an end to the dispute, but both schools disregarded the idea of a football game. In 1923, Auburn president Dr. Spright Dowell, said the game should not be played because "football would tend to become the all-the-topic of both institutions." Consequently, in 1944, the University of Alabama Board of Trustees said the game would "result in an accelerated over-emphasis of football in the state."
It took a resolution by the Alabama House of Representatives to end the hiatus. The two finally met again in 1948, when Alabama demolished the Tigers 55-0. Thus the rivalry began a second time.
From 1950 to 1963, defense was the key, as the losing team never scored more than eight points in a game. Nine shutouts were registered in the 13-year span, six of which were in Alabama's favor: With Alabama winning six of those games. Alabama's most prosperous years in the series were from 1960 to 1981, as the Tide amassed an 18-4 record against the Tigers.
To Auburn people, one of the most incredible Auburn-Alabama games came on Dec. 2, 1972. A few days before the game, Alabama head coach Bear Bryant incited the rivalry when he told reporters that he would rather, "beat that cow college once than beat Texas 10 times." That set the stage as second-ranked Alabama brought a 10-0 record into Legion Field to meet the ninth-ranked Tigers, who were 8-1.
For the entire game, Bama's defense held the Auburn offense in check. With 5:30 remaining in the game, 16-point favorite Alabama held a seemingly insurmountable 16-3 lead. The Tigers, perhaps fueled by Bryant's remarks, came roaring back for one of the best finishes in Auburn-Alabama history. Auburn blocked two Alabama punts and returned them for touchdowns and came back to win 17-16 in the now famous "Punt Bama Punt" game.
Though Alabama dominated the series through the 60s and 70s, the rivalry reached new heights in the 80s as the average margin of victory was a mere 6.4 points. Since 1980, the series has been even with both teams winning eight games. Some classic battles were waged in the decade. Two games that epitomize the series came in 1985 and 1986. Auburn won the 1986 meeting on a reverse that went for a touchdown with 32 seconds remaining downing Bama 21-17. Alabama won the 1985 game, 25-23, on a 52-yard field goal as the clock expired.
A historic new page was added to the rivalry in 1989, when Alabama came to Auburn's Jordan-Hare Stadium for the first time. The game was held on Dec. 2, 1989, exactly 17 years after Auburn's 1972 miracle win over the Tide. Just like the 1972 meeting, Bama came into the game with a 10-0 record and a No. 2 ranking. Before a record crowd, Auburn ended Alabama's national title hopes with a monumental 30-20 victory.
In recent years, the rivalry has been as close as ever with Auburn claiming a 31-27 win against the Tide in 1995 and Alabama winning a 24-23 decision in the final seconds in 1996.
Series Record: Alabama leads 35-25-1
Last meeting: Alabama 24-23 in Gene Stallings last game as head coach of the Tide.
At Stake: The pride of the South.
This year: November 22 at Auburn. Auburn enters this year's contest having a good season so far, while Alabama has struggled. The game is much more important for Auburn as they still have bowl hopes, but you know Bama will play their best year in and year out. Unfortunately it won't be enough. Prediction: Auburn 30--Alabama 13.
STANFORD - CALIFORNIA
History: On Nov. 22, 1997, California and Stanford meet for the 100th renewal of one of the greatest rivalries in college football. In a series which dates back nearly, a century, Stanford holds a 49-39-11 edge in victories. It has been a remarkably close rivalry, with 46 games having been decided by one touchdown or less. Only 89 total points separate the scoring of 99 games, with the Cardinal holding the slight edge.
The two schools ranks 10th most in games played between two football teams in the NCAA record books. Although each game could be considered a classic in its own right, some have been more memorable than others. The 1982 game, which attracted nationwide attention thanks to Cal's incredible five-lateral, 57-yard kickoff return for a touchdown as time ran out, certainly fits this description. Trailing 20-19 after Stanford kicked a 35-yard field goal with four seconds to play, the Bears returned the ensuing kickoff all the way into the end-zone weaving through the Stanford band for the winning score. Kevin Moen (who fielded the kick and eventually scored on the play), Richard Rodgers, Dwight Garner and Mariet Ford, etched their names into football history with the amazing, dramatic return that is simply refeered to as "The Play". Ditto Gary Tyrell, the Stanford trombonist who was bowled over by Moen in the end zone following the winning score. Time had run off the clock, and although the play was still alive, the Stanford band, thinking that the play had been clled dead, took the field, creating an incredible scene. Moen darted through the band and into the endzone, and Cal won.
Annually, the phrase "you can throw out the record books for this game" proves prophetic for the "Big Game"--Northern California version. In 1924, Stanford put together an incredible rally, deadlocking an undefeated Cal team, 20-20, after trailing 20-6. In post-World War II days, there was the 1959 contest when Cal held off Stanford QB Dick Norman's NCAA-record passing performance to win, 20-17; the 1972 game when the Bears scored on the game's final play, a Vince Ferragamo to Steve Sweeny touchdown pass, to win, 24-21; and the 1974 meeting, when Stanford's Mike Langford kicked a 50-yard field goal in the last minute to win 22-20. In 1986, Cal staged one of the biggest upsets in the history of the series when it defeated Stanford, 17-11, despite entering the game as 17-point underdogs with a 1-9 record. "The Big Game" invariably means a big crowd. Almost without exception, capacity crowds have been the rule dating back to 1892 when Stanford pulled off a 14-10 upset in a game delayed an hour for lack of a ball. The status of the rivalry as one of the truly great sporting spectacles across the country was undoubtedly established in that very first game, when Stanford manager Herbert C. Hoover, later to become the 31st president of the United States, and his Cal counterpart, counted the gate receipts from the inaugural game and reported the then-staggering sum of $30,000.
Series record: Stanford leads 50-38-11
Last year: Stanford 42, Cal 21
At Stake: The Stanford Axe. You know all about the fantastic finish in the 1982 game between these two, but the story of the axe goes something like this: Stanford's prized possession, which it used to taunt Cal fans and players before a big baseball game in 1899, was stolen by a pack of Golden Bear fans. The Cal crew even hopped a ferry across San Francisco Bay to escape with the axe, which they promptly placed in a safe at a Berkeley bank. In 1933 the schools agreed to put the axe up for The Big Game, and mounted it on a plaque.
This year: Nov. 22 at Stanford. Neither of these teams are having a good year and this game has no Rose Bowl implications. This is nothing new, but based on the history of this rivalry, anything can happen. The word is that Stanford band had a better recruiting class last year--maybe they'll make the tackle this time. Prediction: Stanford 28--California 27.
MICHIGAN - OHIO STATE
History: "The Big Game." Not to take anything away from the rest of the games, but in Ann Arbor we can really only give this title to one contest. From Woody and Bo to Cooper and Carr, this game has become a legendary rivalry in college football. An annual "prize'' is not at stake in the Michigan-Ohio State game-though historically, the winner has received the Big Ten Championship trophy. The "Big Game" has decided the Big Ten championship 32 times since the contest was moved to the last Saturday in the season in 1935; on 18 of those occasions, Michigan and Ohio State settled the title between themselves. The throne atop the Big Ten, as well as a trip to the Rose Bowl, is often the reward for a victory in this contest. Michigan won the first game of the series in 1897 by a 34-0 score and then took 16 of the next 21 games. However, the series has been one of the most evenly matched and intensely played rivalries in college football since Harry Kipke took over as Michigan's coach in 1929. Kipke compiled a 71-16-3 record and won a national championship in nine years at Michigan, but against Ohio State he was just 3-6. The rivalry had started.
Perhaps the most famous contest in the series was the "Snow Bowl'' game of 1950. A snowstorm in Columbus obliterated the yard lines and turned the players into nothing but shadowy figures. Punting was the story of the game: UM's Chuck Ortmann set a Big Ten record by punting 24 times, keeping OSU deep in its territory, and Michigan's points were all the result of Buckeye kicking errors. Michigan scored a 9-3 victory - without gaining a single first down - and went on to defeat California in the Rose Bowl, 14-6. In 1969, Woody Hayes brought his top-ranked Buckeyes to Ann Arbor to meet the Wolverines and their first-year head coach, Bo Schembechler. Michigan intercepted six OSU passes and played error-free ball to score an incredible 24-12 upset and a trip to Pasadena. The "Big Game" decided the conference champion each of the next six seasons. Over that span, Michigan came into the Ohio State game with an unbelievable 57-0-2 record, but the Wolverines came away with just one win and a single Rose Bowl trip in those six contests.
The futility against OSU ended quickly, though, as Michigan won the "Big Game" the next three years to earn three straight trips to the Rose Bowl as well as, that special distinction of Big Ten Champions. The Wolverines' 28-0 win in 1993 was Michigan's 26th shutout of the Buckeyes and first since 1976. The Wolverines win also kept OSU out of the Rose Bowl in 1995. Michigan couldn't keep OSU out of the Rose Bowl last year, but Brian Griese and Tai Streets did ruin OSU hopes of a possible National Championship winning in Columbus 13-9.
Series record: Michigan leads 53-34-6
Last meeting: Michigan 13-9
At Stake: Everything
This year: The story leading up to this game is a little different this year. Michigan is the team on a seemingly destined path to Pasadena. OSU has a loss, but is not out of the picture yet. Cooper is still hearing the "can't beat Michigan" criticisms, and a win this year would probably silence those critics for a few years at least. Both teams have picked up steam in the mid-season and are playing well. But this game is in THE BIG HOUSE and this is Michigan's year. Defense wins championships, and Michigan's is the best in the land. Prediction: Michigan 22--OSU 13.
FLORIDA - FLORIDA STATE
History: Florida leads the all-time series 25-14-2, but the Seminoles have posted a 8-3-1 mark in the last 10 years. The two teams have met five times in the last three seasons, including two games in the Sugar Bowl. Bobby Bowden owns a 12-10-1 record versus the Gators, while Steve Spurrier holds a 3-5-1 mark against the Seminoles. Florida State is the only Florida school to play both its instate rivals. FSU defensive coordinator Mickey Andrews spent two seasons on the Florida staff. The game will be broadcast on ABC for the eighth consecutive meeting. The Seminoles' historic "Comeback" versus the Gators in 1994 set the NCAA 4th quarter comeback record as FSU tied UF 31-31 after trailing 31-3 with 13 minutes left. FSU and Florida have both been ranked in the Top 10 in each of the last nine meetings.
Series record: Florida leads 25-14-2
Last year: Florida State 24-21, Florida 52-20
At Stake: Florida State Championship
This year: November 22 at Florida.
Other "Big Games" include:
USC - UCLA
At Stake: The Victory Bell - Once a cause for burned grass and thrown paint, the Victory Bell is given to the winner of the annual USC-UCLA football game. The 295-pound bell, which originally rang atop a Southern Pacific train engine, was given to UCLA in 1939 as a gift from the school's alumni association. For two seasons, cheerleaders rang the bell after each Bruin touchdown.
During the opening game of UCLA's 1941 season, six members of USC's Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity infiltrated the Bruin rooting section, escaped with the bell and kept it hidden for over a year. At one point, it was even concealed beneath a haystack.
The controversy died down until a picture of the bell was printed in "The Wampus," a USC magazine. UCLA students retaliated by painting the Tommy Trojan statue at USC. Trojan students then burned USC initials on UCLA lawns. A truce was called after the USC administration threated to cancel the upcoming Trojan-Bruin game. Thereafter, the annual winner of the game would keep the bell for the following year.
The bell is displayed only during the first three quarters of each USC-UCLA game and on the Monday following the contest.
Series record: USC leads 34-25-7
Last year: UCLA 48-41 (2OT)
This year: November 22 at USC. UCLA chould have the Rose Bowl on the line. USC will be playing for a bowl berth--which in itself is amazing, considering where they were earlier in the season. Both teams rebounded from poor starts, with UCLA running off seven straight victories. Expect another close one, and we're pulling for the USC upset. Prediction: USC 24--UCLA 21.
TENNESSEE--KENTUCKY
At Stake: Beer Barrel Trophy - Painted orange, blue and white - a combination of both teams' school colors - the barrel dates to 1925 and, naturally, has traded hands often over the years - sometimes surreptitiously.
Series record: Tennessee leads 60-23-9
Last year: Tennessee 56-10
This year: Nov. 22 at Kentucky. Tennessee behind Payton Manning is suddenly back in the National Championship hunt and has the inside track to the SEC championship game. Kentucky's Tim Couch has had a great year as well. Kentucky will score, but Tennessee will be too tough. Prediction: Tennessee 42--Kentucky 21.
PURDUE--INDIANA
At Stake: Old Oaken Bucket - What was once a moss-covered well bucket has been transformed into a polished trophy with a carrying chain. The winning team adds either a "P" or an "I" link to the chain. In case of a tie, you ask? A combination link.
Series record: Purdue leads 58-34-6
Last year: Indiana 33-16
This year: Nov. 22 at Indiana. Joe Tiller has installed a pass-happy WAC-style offense at Purdue and it seems to be working. The result has been a Cinderella season so far and an outside shot at the Rose Bowl (pending outcome of game vs. Penn State). Indiana has struggled as usual. Ready a "P" for the bucket. It won't be close. Prediction: Purdue 40--Indiana 10.
MINNESOTA--IOWA
At Stake: Floyd of Rosedale - A trophy-bronze sculpture of a pig. To ease tensions that erupted between the two teams and their fans in 1935, Minnesota governor Floyd Olson bet one of his state's best pigs against a choice Iowa hog on the outcome of the game, which the Gophers won. The prize porker, from Rosedale Farms in Iowa, was named for the governor. After Floyd died a few years later -- the pig, not Olson -- a trophy was fashioned and Floyd of Rosedale became a coveted addition to winners' trophy case each year.
Series record: Minnesota leads 35-24-2
Last year: Iowa 45-3
This year: Nov. 22 at Iowa. Iowa has had a good season, and stars Tim Dwight and Tavian Banks have had great ones. They are out of the Rose Bowl picture, but still have a shot at a respectable bowl game. Minnesota has had some bad breaks in Coach Glen Mason's first year--with near misses at Penn State and Wisconsin going the other way on questionable calls by the officials. Believe it or not, these guys do really want that pig, and this year Minnesota wants it more. Prediction: Minnesota 38--Iowa 35.
WASHINGTON - WASHINGTON STATE
At Stake: Apple Cup - Though the series dates to 1900, the Cup has been around only since 1962. Still, the animosity runs deep. Even the coaches - refreshingly - get into the act. Former Huskies head honcho Don James once said, "I've always felt being a Cougar prepares you well for life. You learn not to expect too much." Ouch!
Series record: Washington leads 57-26-6
Last year: Washington 31-24 (OT)
This year: Nov. 22 at Washington. Both teams are having good years and this game will certainly have Rose Bowl implications. In Washington the story goes that when it snows WSU is a sure bet. Don't expect snow. Prediction: Washington 34--Washington State 21.