SOUTH BORDERS ON BOORISH MANNERS.

The South showed it still can be the nation's rebel, demonstrated last week's by its belated bow to peer pressure and postponing its college football games.

Despite nearly every school in the country calling off their games, the Southeastern Conference was going full-speed ahead until Thursday afternoon, when reluctantly it listened to its college presidents.

Although nearly every college coach was at his diplomatic best following the terrorist attacks in New York and Washington, D.C., Georgia Tech coach George O'Leary criticized the decision to postpone his team's game with Florida State.

``I've always been a believer that you have to move on, as hard as it is,'' O'Leary said. ``That's what needs to be done.''

If that wasn't enough, the Yellow Jackets were perturbed that the game was rescheduled for Dec. 1. It's the first open date for both teams, but Florida State will be off the week before.

``If you're going to postpone the game, why not make it fair for both teams?'' Georgia Tech athletic director Dave Braine said.

Georgia Tech proposed the game be played Dec. 8, but Florida State's stadium is being used for the state high school football championships. The Yellow Jackets suggested moving the game to Jacksonville or Atlanta, but Florida State declined.

--Connection to tragedy: A look at how last week's events touched some programs.

--Boston College coach Tom O'Brien was a U.S. Naval Academy classmate of Charles Burlingame, one of the pilots on the American Airlines flight that hit the Pentagon.

Their 30-year class reunion is this weekend.

``The first ceremony they are going to have this weekend is Charles Burlingame's funeral (today),'' O'Brien said.

O'Brien's brother, Sean, a Navy captain, was sitting in his office at the Pentagon about 120 yards from where the plane crashed into the building.

--The mother of Ohio State player Andrew Maxwell worked on the 61st floor of one of the World Trade Center towers and was unaccounted for after the attack. But Olga Thomas arrived late for work and escaped injury.

``She was running late and wasn't in the building yet when everything started to happen,'' Maxwell said.

Maxwell learned of his mother's whereabouts around midnight Tuesday, when she reached him via a teammate's cell phone.

``It was just a huge sense of relief to hear her voice,'' Maxwell said. ``She was trying to reach me all day, but because of the phone problems in New York, she was unable to.''

--Iowa State assistant head coach Nick Quartaro, the former head coach at Fordham University, has two former players that worked on the 92nd floor of the World Trade Center and are missing.

--A close friend of Oklahoma offensive coordinator Mark Mangino also is missing.

--Michigan walk-on Stephen Baker's father worked at the accounting firm of Deloitte & Touche in a building across the street from the World Trade Center. For more than three hours Tuesday morning, Baker had no idea whether his father was alive or dead.

``When the first tower came down, I couldn't talk. I started crying,'' Baker said. ``I kept praying.''

His mother called that afternoon to say his father was OK.

--Texas quarterback Chris Simms, a New Jersey native, was deeply affected by the attacks, as many of his friends and family work in New York City.

His father Phil was at the World Trade Center the night before the attacks.

``The first few days, all I was doing was trying to find out if everyone was OK,'' Simms said. ``We have a few people from my town who are missing and a few kids from my high school whose parents are missing.''

--Two Duke athletic-department officials - Mike Cragg and Matthew Laurance - were having breakfast during a business meeting across from the twin towers when the buildings were struck.

``We didn't hear anything,'' Cragg said. ``We saw some papers flying around outside, but we didn't think anything about it.''

The pair learned what happened watching television inside their building, then exited into the street.

``It was total chaos,'' Cragg said. ``It was like being part of a movie. It was surreal. Fortunately, we're not the types to stand around and gawk, so we started walking away from the buildings. It was like we were watching the Hindenburg blow up or something.''

FOOTNOTES

THE TOP 10

1. Nebraska (3-0)

Almost forgotten, but Huskers handled Notre Dame with ease.

2. Florida (2-0)

Danger. Gators now close with South Carolina, Florida St. and Tennessee.

3. Miami (2-0)

'Canes getting antsy with no game until Sept. 27.

4. Texas (2-0)

4Longhorns livid Houston tore down temporary bleachers for Saturday's game.

5. Florida State (2-0)

Seminoles will play regular-season game following Florida for first time since 1976.

6. Kansas State (1-0)

Bring back the patsies: Cats host New Mexico State.

7. Virginia Tech (2-0)

Hokies unsuccessfully tried to bypass flight to congested Newark to play Rutgers.

8. Oregon (2-0)

New look: Bellotti shaved off mustache to honor cancer-stricken friend.

9. Oklahoma (3-0)

Game with Tulsa rescheduled for November 3.

10. Fresno State (3-0)

Case can be made that Bulldogs are top team in nation.

GAME OF THE WEEK

No. 18 South Carolina (2-0) at No. 17 Mississippi State (1-0)

Tonight's game is the first Division I contest following last week's terrorist attacks. South Carolina coach Lou Holtz admitted some of his players were apprehensive about flying to the game, but he tried to downplay the risk. ``Flying is basically safer than driving a car, particularly if you're riding with me. I've demolished several of them,'' he said.

BY THE NUMBERS

11

Consecutive games Syracuse defensive end Dwight Freeney has recorded at least one sack.

1

Times Oklahoma has gone three weeks between games in its 107-year history. Sooners resume play Sept. 29.

62

Points Arkansas has scored in its past five games.

64

Yards rushing Washington State allows per game.

THE LIST

Is Fresno State for real? Here's what the Bulldogs have done in previous years they won their first three games since 1980.

Year Start Final Record

2001 3-0?

1995 3-0 5-7

1991 4-0 10-2

1990 3-0 8-2-1

1989 3-0 11-1

1986 3-0 9-2

1985 3-0 11-0-1

1984 3-0 6-6

1982 3-0 11-1

CAPTION(S):

2 boxes

Box: (1) MUST-SEE TV GAMES

(2) FOOTNOTES (see text)