81.   A confident Irish team sensed a path to a national championship game.

82.   A few yards away, Ahmad Nader was still excited about the indoor soccer championship game he went to Saturday night at Erasmus Hall High School.

83.   A Florida victory in the Southeastern Conference championship game would send the Gators to the Sugar Bowl.

84.   A month ago, a season-ending gauntlet of South Carolina, Florida State, Tennessee and the SEC championship game looked like a BCS booster.

85.   A former Tech player and a longtime booster, Hunsinger will have to be content watching the national championship game on television.

86.   A good time would have been immediately after he was drilled into the frozen ground at Rich Stadium in the AFC championship game.

87.   A dozen years earlier, they had watched in horror as North Carolina State beat the Cougars in the NCAA championship game in Albuquerque, N.M.

88.   A numbingly dull championship game with a cheap finish.

89.   A loss to either would knock UCLA out of consideration for the national championship game in the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl and would send the Bruins to the Rose Bowl.

90.   A miracle season appeared over for the Falcons with just over two minutes remaining in their NFC championship game against Minnesota.