Columnist Ron Kantowski: MSU leaves LV Bowl at the altar

Monday, Dec. 1, 1997 | 10:38 a.m.

THIS IS THE first year the Las Vegas Bowl has had to court an at-large opponent and it's still not a date. If they don't hurry, committee members won't have any reason to trade in their ill-fitting blazers for tuxedos and corsages.

Prior to this weekend, romance was in the air. Air Force, the first choice among teams which would satisfy the Western Athletic Conference tie-in, had accepted the LV Bowl's proposal and Michigan State was batting its eyelashes to be the Falcons' opponent.

The Spartans weren't exactly coy about it, either. They essentially told the Motor City Bowl to get lost, and probably would have committed to the Las Vegas Bowl last week had an invitation been extended.

It wasn't. Rather than make a date with Sandra Bullock, LV Bowl officials wanted to wait and see if Cindy Crawford became available. Now, if it's not careful, the Las Vegas Bowl is going to wind up with that woman who wears the heavy eye shadow in the "Drew Carey Show."

In hindsight, you couldn't really blame the LV Bowl for being a little wary of the Spartans. They had lost four of their past five games and were limping toward the postseason at 6-4. With only powerful Penn State remaining on its dance card, Michigan State was looking at a 6-5 season and perhaps a holiday vacation it did not want.

But a funny thing happened on the way to mediocrity. The Spartans not only beat Penn State, it made the Nittany Lions look like Indiana. The final score was 49-14. Had it been 15-14, perhaps the LV Bowl still could have seduced MSU. But that scenario was waylaid -- or perhaps way-leid is more like it -- by the convincing nature of the Michigan State victory.

Spartans coach Nick Saban hadn't even left the dressing room when he received a phone call from the Aloha Bowl. For the Spartans, ocean surf and the ukulele suddenly sounded a lot more soothing than quarters clanging into a slot machine bucket.

Hello Don Ho, goodbye Siegfried and Roy.

The reluctance to commit to Michigan State also cost the LV Bowl a chance to lure Iowa, which probably was No. 2 on its short list. When the Spartans stiffed the Motor City Bowl, it began wooing the Hawkeyes. Now it looks as if Iowa will oppose the Mid-American Conference champion, either Toledo or Marshall, in the Motor City inaugural.

With virtually all of the other teams it had been pursuing apparently heading elsewhere as well, it's conceivable the Las Vegas Bowl could be stuck with somebody like Virginia or even the Toledo-Marshall loser. That would be ironic, considering that was the deal the MAC proposed from the get-go when the ties that bound the Big West and MAC to the Las Vegas Bowl were being dissolved following last year's game.

Unless there's another 7-4 diamond hiding in the rough, Mississippi (7-4) may be one of the few options remaining. Or perhaps Southern Cal might still be deemed bowl worthy.

If not, you may be looking at Air Force vs. McQueen High or the Mean Machine on Dec. 20.