Full Court Press
Walking down the stands and onto the field late Saturday afternoon, I caught the eye of Hawaii offensive line coach Mike Cavanaugh, who didn't waste any time trying to get my attention. Hawaii a Top 25 team?
Depends on whom you ask"Do you believe now?!" he shouted over the din of noise created by a delirious Aloha Stadium crowd as the final five minutes of UH's stunning 72-45 victory of 18th-ranked Brigham Young wound down.
I just smiled and waved, and began to ponder my Associated Press vote, one of only 72 nationwide. It made me a little weak in the knees that my Top 25 ballot could be the difference maker, but it had nothing to do with the Bowl Championship Series.
All year long, my No. 1 pick has resided in Florida. First, for the Gators, and now with the Hurricanes, who will play for the national title in the Rose Bowl on January 3. After learning that Tennessee had lost to Louisiana State, I promptly moved Oregon to second, Colorado to third -- what a Fiesta Bowl matchup between those two -- and Nebraska to fourth, no questions asked.
Yesterday, the country learned what it already feared -- that the Cornhuskers will face Miami in Pasadena, instead of more deserving teams Oregon and Colorado. The Ducks won the Pac-10, arguably the toughest league from top to bottom, losing only to No. 11 Stanford along the way, and Colorado is fresh off back-to-back top 5 victories over Texas and, yes, Nebraska.
But as intriguing as all that is across the continental United States, it's insignificant compared to whether I was going to include Hawaii in the top 25 for the first time this season. The Warriors have received sporadic attention from voters this year, only to fall out of consideration after the inexplicable loss to Boise State.
Three consecutive nonconference blowouts, including Saturday's season-ender over BYU, put the 9-3 Warriors back in contention for the prestigious honor, but as I finished my stories late Saturday night, I was still undecided.
The only person still around in the press box was our columnist, Kalani Simpson, who, like myself, spent enough time on the mainland not to be afflicted with island fever. Credibility is the name of the game here. That's why Bobby Curran doesn't have a vote.
"Is Hawaii a Top 25 team?" I asked Kalani. I'd tell you what he said, but I believe he has a date with the basketball team at the Stan Sheriff Center later this week, so no need putting his life at risk.
Back at the office, the same question was asked a majority of the members of our staff, most of whom attended the University of Hawaii in some form or fashion. Answers ranged from "Sure" to "What do they have to do? They beat two Top 25 teams."
Yes, they did. But let's examine those carefully. First, the Warriors knocked off Fresno State, which was still reeling a bit from its loss the week before to Boise State. The Bulldogs figured all along that Aloha Stadium could be the graveyard for the BCS bid. Head coach Pat Hill was cautious at last summer's WAC meetings, claiming the late October date could be crucial to his team's goals.
Perhaps looking a week beyond to paradise, Fresno State was caught unaware by a talented Boise State team, making the Bulldogs ripe for another upset here where Hill has never won. Good victory for UH, yes, but head coach June Jones' timing couldn't have been better.
The same can be said for BYU. The unbeaten Cougars had just learned there was no BCS bid in their future. Their coaches were crying lawsuit, their players just crying period for being overlooked, despite a perfect 12-0 campaign.
The loss of Luke Staley, who carried off the Doak Walker Award as the nation's top running back, and consecutive road trips to Starkville, Miss., and Honolulu, left the team flat and fatigued. Throw in the fact that Hawaii had a much-needed bye week, which allowed top defensive players Pisa Tinoisamoa and Travis Laboy to heal, and it's easy to see why UH carried the day.
THROUGH THE YEARS, no one can ever claim I have been a fan of UH. And that's as it should be. While the athletic department has tried for a decade to bend the will of this department by leaking stories to the competition and refusing to comment in critical situations, this staff has stood firm and will continue to do so long after the current athletic director and his assistants are gone from the scene.
As a journalism teacher once told me, "We'll be here on their way up, and their way down." The thought of that made me smile as I worked my way down the poll. The first 20 was easy. The last five is always the hardest.
At about 9:40 Saturday night, I called AP to cast my vote without Hawaii in it, when duty called. Seemed someone needed me to make sure we got the paper out. Details. Details.
But in that time of reflection and rereading the UH football stories that decorated yesterday's paper, I had a change of heart. Associated Press reporter Greg Small, who takes my vote each week and sends it on to New York, patiently transcribed my poll an hour after my first call.
"No. 25," he asked in his clipped Midwest accent.
"Hawaii," I replied.
"Good, they deserve it," he said. "Have a good evening."
In the end, Hawaii did deserve it. True, playing nine games at home helps. Next year's team -- which should be better than this one -- won't have that luxury. Rumor has it, BYU head coach Gary Crowton has already circled the Sept. 7 date and declared it a national holiday in Provo, Utah. But that's then.
For now, Jones can be content in the knowledge that he engineered another miraculous turnaround. Not as dramatic as 1999, perhaps, but not any less difficult. That alone is not enough for a Top 25 ranking. Still, all things considered, the Warriors are one of the hottest teams in the nation and are going nowhere in a hurry.
They received 57 points in the latest AP poll, good enough for No. 26, trailing Toledo by 28 points. That was a relief as well. I could just imagine what life would be like over the next month had a higher ranking by myself resulted in a Top 25 rating overall.
But should Toledo lose its bowl game, or any of the other bottom five teams in front of Hawaii stumble and fall over the holidays, the Warriors just might sneak in at the wire. That will make the Jan. 3 vote more interesting for me than deciding who rules the land.
Paul Arnett has been covering sports
for the Star-Bulletin since 1990.
Email Paul: parnett@starbulletin.com.