Wolverines' new wave capsizes Buckeyes ANN ARBOR As soon as Jim Harbaugh took his first snap from center, you knew it was going to be a different kind of afternoon at Michigan Stadium. The Michigan quarterback took the ball, backpedaled a few steps and threw it in the air. A forward pass. On Michigan's first offensive play of the game. On target, the ball slammed into Eric Kattus' midsection, six yards beyond the line of scrimmage. Buzz, buzz, buzz went the crowd of 106,102. Buzz. Buzz, buzz. "First down, they passed on first down." "The first play of the game, do you believe that?" "Wow!" Bo Schembechler smiled. "I did that for all you people," he told the reporters later. But he really didn't. He did it because he thought he could win with that kind of strategy. Everybody knows Bo's modus operandi. Even freshmen. 3 Charlie H5?m Vincent "Bo's game is traditionally a running game," said John Kolesar, the first-year flanker whose 77-yard touchdown catch in the fourth period broke the heart of Ohio State. "But the new wave is passing . . . We've been putting a lot of emphasis on the pass." BO MAY pass up a trend or a fad, but never a way to win. It has been said that his offense is stodgy. It has been written a few times, too. Bo doesn't think he has ever been stodgy. Conservative, maybe. Cautious. But never stodgy. Some people disagree. No one can disagree, though, with the brilliance of Saturday's victory. A victory that sends Michigan into the Fiesta Bowl against Nebraska on New Year's Day a turn of events that has left the Cotton Bowl jealous and a little upset with the Wolverines. Saturday, the Wolverines were not boring or tedious or dull. In the final three weeks of the regular season, Schembechler has unharnessed Harbaugh's right arm and the Wolverines quarterback has destroyed opposing defenses. "He's developed into quite a quarterback," Schembechler said Saturday evening. "He's getting better and better .. . We can go deep now and hurt you." FOR A loyal and true maize 'n' blue, Bo's word should be good enough. But if you want more proof, look at Harbaugh's numbers for the past three weeks: 41 completions in 50 attempts, 706 yards through the air, nine touchdowns, and no that's a zero, folks interceptions. Saturday he completed 16 of 19 and threw touchdown passes to Kolesar, Kattus and Gerald White. It was the one to Kolesar just 51 seconds after Ohio State pulled to within three points, 20-17 that broke the Buckeyes' hearts and removed any doubt about Schem-bechler's commitment to Harbaugh and to the forward pass. Just over 10 minutes remained in the game when Ohio State scored, and you had to wonder if Schembechler would fall back on old habits, close down his offense, get conservative and try to eat up the clock as his team slowly ate up the yards. On the ground. DOUBTERS DIDN'T have to wait long for the answer. After White rammed out three yards up the middle, Harbaugh dropped back on second down. Kolesar ran by Ohio State cornerback William White and Harbaugh laid a perfect pass in his arms. Kolesar won the foot race to the end zone. So long, Ohio State. "It was the biggest catch of my career," said the freshman, with a smile. "But it's been a short career so far." At the other end of the experience spectrum is Kattus, the senior tight end who has been around long enough to experience an awful lot of good and a measure of bad, too at Ann Arbor. He has been one of Harbaugh's favorite receivers this season. He caught six passes Saturday. He'd like the Wolverines to pass on every down. But he knows that's not practical. "I think our offense has been a little predictable sometimes," he said. "If you know you're going to run on first down, they'll play the run every time . . . That's hurt us. "Me being a receiver, I'd like to say I'd like us to pass all the time. But I get as much satisfaction with a good block. I just want to win." And if he can win and catch passes at the same time, so much the better. Record books don't make note of such a statistic, but there was no one in the Wolverines' locker room Saturday who could recall the last time they began a game with a forward pass. "Maybe we did once last season," Harbaugh said, scratching his chin. "But I can't remember . . . It's been An 'A' foi the QD In his last three games against Purdue, Minnesota and Ohio State Michigan quarterback Jim Harbaugh has been nearly flawless, completing 41 of 50 passes (82 percent) for 706 yards. He has nine touchdown passes and no interceptions. The game-by-game totals: Game Cp-Att Yds TD Int Ohio State 16-19 230 3 0 Minnesota 13-18 243 3 6" Purdue 12-13 233 3 o" Totals 41-50 706 9 T awhile." That made Saturday an unusual afternoon in Ann Arbor. And it made it a darned enjoyable one, too. Air Bo. Imagine that.