Q: Ever think you’d live to see the day when an unranked Florida State team played an unranked Miami team? If the winner doesn’t crack the Top 25 and Florida falls to Kentucky and out of the rankings would that be a first: All three of them unranked? —L.C. from Tenn.
A: Actually, L.C., once upon a time (when I had a lot more hair), I did see that day.

The Florida State Seminoles, under second-year coach Bobby Bowden, and the Miami Hurricanes, under short-timer Lou Saban, were both unranked in 1977.

The state of Florida’s football landscape was so different then. Florida was best known for underachieving with gobs of talent, particularly in the big games against Georgia. Florida State was still trying to wiggle free from the shadow of a winless season in 1973 (and, at that point, had dropped nine straight to the Gators). Miami was invisible.

That’s the way it was and, I suppose, the way it could be again. Although I have a funny feeling the Gators are going to find a way to get it done at Kentucky. The Wildcats, after all, haven’t beaten Florida since Ronald Reagan was in the White House and Urban Meyer was a graduate assistant.

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As for the ranking question, it wouldn’t be a first. Not even close, actually. There were many, many seasons when none of three Florida teams were ranked. But due to their consistent excellence since the 1980s, that hardly seems possible now, doesn’t it?

Q: Heard that Northwestern has the best career OT record. Does their style of play say something about what it takes to win after regulation? — Michael from Pocatello, Idaho
A: I’m not sure you can definitely explain why a team has overtime success, Michael, although Northwestern’s record (8-1 in all overtime games, 7-0 against Big Ten teams, two OT wins in a row this season) certainly indicates a trend.

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Overtime success has a lot to do with luck (coin toss, going first on defense so you know what kind of scoring is needed, working into a side of the field that might have less noise, etc.) and plenty to do with coaching (not getting too conservative, picking the right spots).

Northwestern’s sometimes exotic offense might create more problems in a quick-hitting overtime format, but I’m not sure you can say it’s the ultimate reason why the Wildcats have been seemingly unbeatable in extra sessions.

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Q: What gives with Washington and Washington State being winless in the Pac-10? — Al from Helena, Mont.
A: Not sure it’s especially stop-the-presses news, Al, particularly because when you look at Washington and Washington State’s combined 0-7 record in the Pac-10, six of the losses have occurred against the league’s upper-division teams (Oregon, USC, Arizona State, UCLA).

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The only real head-scratcher was Washington State’s 48-20 loss to Arizona, mostly because of the margin of defeat.

Not much was expected from Washington State (2-5, 0-4) and Coach Bill Doba’s Cougars have delivered. Doba is 27-27 at Washington State, while losing 13 of his last 21 league games.

Some people thought Coach Tyrone Willingham’s Washington Huskies (2-4, 0-3) were poised for a breakthrough, particularly after beginning 2-0 (with a win against Boise State), then taking USC to the gun. Nope. The outlook remains grim, although some winnable games (Arizona, Stanford, Washington State) remain. But clearly, the magic remains a long way off at Washington. It does appear the Huskies might have a magical quarterback (Jake Locker) for the long term.

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