The Tennessean from Nashville, Tennessee • Page 161

SPORTS: COLLEGE FOOTBALL JZajLZ iide to Suoer Alliance Co-ch if it if no uhuu unoi pre! si ii II ii II ii uu uynv But bookies from the Las Vegas Hilton are not supposed to decide No. 1. If we are to split hairs to make a decision, what hair is the one to split? Missouri. You remember. The win from Heaven.

Nebraska needed divine intervention, and overtime, to survive. That could almost be counted as half a loss. Michigan never had a game like that, never needed such astounding luck. It is a difference. If a team is to be judged by looking at its season as a whole which rankings are supposed to do Missouri must be a factor.

Maybe the new system will work. Maybe it wont. It deserves a chance. But wont you miss the arguing? Here's why: The schedule cant separate the two. The Wolverines talked about the beef of their opponents, and the names looked sterling in print But many of them turned out to be paper tigers.

None of them won a bowl game. The Big Ten's bowl season in general was a shipwreck, a 2-5 record with the five defeats by 97 points. The league was still as good as the Big 12. Probably better. Nor is there anything in the team statistics that would convincingly stamp Michigan superior to Nebraska.

Or vice versa. The Cornhusker camp also suggested Friday that it would be the favorite in any mythical game with Michigan, and that ought to count for something. every league. If this were next year, our intrepid co-champions or bi-champions or whatever they are would have met in the arena. The Michigan defense that wears down people into Jello would have gone against the Nebraska offense that pounds people into pudding.

And what we would have had then, beside dessert? Nebraska maintains a Cornhusker walkover. Tackle Jason Peter, when asked if he'd like to play Michigan next Saturday, provided his New Jersey address where he'd be to the media. "It's my backyard," he said. "If you guys want to go there, no problem." So there you have it The Peter Bowl. Meantime, Michigan should be No.

1. football to have No. 1, and No. 1A. Who I feel sorry for is Penn State, circa 1994.

The one unbeaten team this decade left out in the cold, while Nebraska danced the night away as champion in both polls. "I was happy we were No. 1," Tom Osborne said, "but I never really understood how an unbeaten team doesnt get at least a piece of No. 1." The difference that year? No. 1 Nebraska played its bowl game a day after No.

2 Penn State. The Nittany Lions did not get the last word to ask for mercy before the jury retired, like the Cornhuskers did Friday. This mess is not supposed to be able to happen next year, when the Alliance includes all comers from By MIKE LOPRESTI Gannett Hews Service MIAMI This vote is for Michigan. YouU probably want a reason. Well do that in a minute.

Times like this, college football seems like a pepperoni pizza. Michigan gets a slice, Nebraska gets a slice, and everybody goes home happy. Or at least appeased. Good thing, too. One got the feeling here early yesterday morning that had Nebraska not been granted a share of the national championship after wiping its feet on Tennessee, the Cornhuskers might have taken hostages.

"It's up to the coaches," quarterback Scott Frost said, in the tone of voice of an attorney pleading to the governor for an appeal. The coaches of the USA Today-ESPN poll heard. Barely. So there are two champions, and what better way to end a sloppy era of the unaligned Alliance than a decisive indecision? Justice is served, presumably. The theory being that anyone unbeaten should be a piece of something, which is probably why a good many coaches changed their votes late Friday night This share-the-wealth way of thinking held in 1991 when unbeaten Washington and Miami split the polls, and did so again now.

And who's to seriously quibble, even if it is almost like having two Miss Americas walking down the aisle? It has been the quirk of college Trophy cases How the top four Heisman Trophy vote-getters fared in bowl games: 1. Charles Woodson, Michigan: 1 interception, 2 rushes for 6 yards, 1 catch for 7 yards in Rose vs. Washington State. 2. Peyton Manning, Tennessee: 21-of-31 passing, 134 yards, 1 touchdown, 1 interception In Orange vs.

Nebraska. 3. Ryan Leaf, Washington State: 17-of-35 passing, 331 yards, 1 touchdown, 1 interception In Rose vs. Michigan. 4.

Randy Moss, Marshall: 6 catches, 173 yards, 1 touchdown In Motor City vs. Associated Press The Top Twenty Five teams In The Associated Press final college football media poll, with first-place votes In parentheses, records, total points based on 25 points for a first place vote through one point for a 25th place vote and previous ranking: Rec. Pts Pv 1. Michigan (51V4) 12-0 1,73114 1 2. Nebraska (18) 13-0 1,698 2 3.

Florida St. 11-1 1,599 4 10-2 1,455 6 5. UCLA 10-2 1,413 5 6. North Carolina 11-1 1,397 7 7. Tennessee 11-2 1,320 3 8.

Kansas St. 11-1 1,302 10 9. Washington St 10-2 1259 8 10. Georgia 10-2 1,121 12 11. Auburn 10-3 1,025 13 12.

Ohio St. 10-3 975 9 13. LSU 9-3 856 15 14. Arizona St. 9-3 773 16 15.

Purdue 9-3 715 17 16. Penn SL 9-3 706 11 17. Colorado St. 11-2 673 18 18. Washington 8-4 617 21 19.

Southern Miss. 9-3 490 22 20. Texas ASM 9-4 421 20 21. Syracuse 9-4 331 14 22. Mississippi 8-4 255 23.

Missouri 7-5 175 19 24. Oklahoma St. 8-4 72 24 25. Georgia Tech 7-5 64 Others receiving votes: Arizona 59, Oregon 50, Air Force 37, Marshall 33, Virginia 31, Clemson 27, Louisiana Tech 20, Mississippi SL 15, Michigan St. 9, Wisconsin 8, New Mexico 6, Cincinnati 5, Notre Dame 3, Iowa 2, Virginia Tech 1.

USA TodayESPN The Top Twenty Five teams'in the final USA TodayESPN college football $5 Vols like brief glimpse of Martin i Michigan not upset over split Associated Press ANN ARBOR, Mich. After waiting 49 years, Michigan fans were in a gracious mood yesterday about sharing the national college football title with Nebraska. Ed and Carol Hammerle, both 60, were not disappointed with the outcome of the competing polls. But even so, "It would have been great to get it outright" Ed Ham-merle said. Michigan easily topped The Associated Press poll of 70 sports writers and broadcasters, but in the third split national title this decade, Nebraska (13-0) edged Michigan (12-0) in the USA TodayESPN coaches' poll.

It was a bittersweet outcome for some of the Wolverines' fans, who wanted sole possession of the title. Carol Hammerle believes Nebraska won the balloting in the coaches' poll as a concession to the retirement of Coach Tom Osborne. "I wasnt sure if sympathy's the right word. Maybe it's just out of honor," she said. Another fan, Michael Samuelson, 50, of Ann Arbor, called the split title "pure sentimental cronyism." "It's like they said, 'Here's one for your 25 years.

Good work, It's a coaches' gift that's easy to give," he said as he walked toward the campus' Crisler Arena for the presentation of the AP title trophy at halftime of the Penn State-Michigan basketball game. At the halftime of the Michigan-Penn State basketball game, AP Michigan Chief of Bureau Charles Hill handed the trophy to Jon Jan-sen, team co-captain. "We've had a lot of people stick with us through the rough years," Jansen said after circling the court while hoisting the trophy in the air and making the No. 1 sign as fans sang "Hail to the Victors." "To be on top is just a great feeling," he said. Most football players and, students were not yet back from semester break yesterday, so Wolverines fans will hail the team as conquering heroes at a Jan.

11 rally. "I think every guy who has played at Michigan takes great pride in this," Michigan Coach Lloyd Can said PHOTOS BY DELORES DELVIN STAFF Peyton Manning and the Tennessee offense get a break from the heat Nebraska's defense put on them. By DAVID CLIMER Senior Writer MIAMI As ugly as Tennessee's Orange Bowl meltdown was, at least Tee Martin got his turf shoes wet Martin, the Vols' quarterback of the immediate future, played several snaps in the fourth period, using the 42-17 loss to Nebraska as a dress rehearsal for what lies ahead i ennessee is smi livim outside the elite zone coaches poll, with first-place votes In parentheses, records, total points based on 25 points for a first-place vote through one point for a 25th-place vote, and previous ranking: Rec. Pts Pv I. Nebraska (32) 13-0 1,520 2 Michigan (30) 12-0 1.516 .1 3.

Florida State 11-1 1,414 4 4. North Carolina 11-1 1,292 5 5. UCLA 10-2 1,239 6 6. Florida- 10-2 1,209 6 7. Kansas State 11-1 1,192 9 8.

Tennessee 11-2 1,122 3 9. Washington St. 10-2 1,076 7 10. Georgia 10-2 1,007 11 II. Auburn 10-3 854 13 12.

Ohio State 10-3 826 10 13. LSU 9-3 786 15 14. Arizona State 9-3 667 18 15. Purdue 9-3 666 16 16. Colorado State 11-2 646 17 17.

Penn State 9-3 585 12 18. Washington 8-4 512 23 19. Southern Miss. 9-3 462 22 2a Syracuse 9-4 380 14 21. Texas ASM 9-4 359 19 22.

Mississippi 8-4 188 NR 23. Missouri 7-5 114 20 24. Oklahoma State 8-4 103 24 25. Air Force 10-3 74 21 Others receiving votes: Clemson 58, Georgia Tech 55, Iowa 32, Louisiana Tech 31, Oregon 25, Cincinnati 24, Arizona 23, Mississippi State 20, Michigan State 16, New Mexico 13, Wisconsin 13, Tulane 10, Virginia 9, West Virginia 7, Marshall 4, Notre Dame 1. By CHRIS LOW Sports Writer MIAMI There are very few teams in Nebraska's league.

Two, three, four at the most Tennessee was applying for admission to that exclusive club Friday night in the Orange Bowl and limped away from Pro Player Stadium with a resounding rejection notice. The Vols have built a solid program, recruited the best players in the country and established themselves as a solid Top 10 team. But that elusive next level? The 42-17 loss to Nebraska would seem to be enough proof that UT is still a ways off, somewhere in the very middle of college football's version of purgatory. Superior, perhaps, to North Carolina, Georgia, Ohio State, UCLA and the like. But nowhere near the caliber of Florida State, Florida, and yes, Nebraska.

Maintaining that position and not slipping would seem to be the trick the next few years, especially now that Peyton Manning and a talented senior class depart Perhaps the most distressing thing about the stinging loss to Nebraska is the way the Cornhuskers handled the Vols physically. Tennessee Coach Phillip Fulmer said it best when he called it a mismatch. "They're as advertised from that standpoint" Fulmer said. "You hear that all over the country about Nebraska. We wanted to set the tempo the first five minutes of the second half.

They set the tempo, basically, the entire third quarter." Tennessee gets thumbs-up for: Chris Hogue: When the punter is the star of the game, that's usually a pretty bad sign. Even so, Hogue was sensational in his final game as a Vol. A former walk-on, Hogue set an Orange Bowl Hy ipT record with a 52.3-yard average on six punts. His 78-yarder in the first quarter probably jo kept Nebraska from scoring another touch- down. in the post-Peyton Manning era.

Martin completed all four of his pass attempts for 53 yards and a touchdown and added a 2-point conversion throw. "It feels good to get a chance to get out there and make some plays," Martin said later. "I'm going to use this as something to build on. I think it's a good place to start." Martin, a sophomore, played against a defensive unit that included many of Nebraska's first-tea-mers. However, the Cornhuskers backed out of some of their blitzes as the fourth quarter progressed.

All in all, though, Martin's performance was one of the few positive things to come out of the game "Tee is going to be a fine quarterback for us," UT offensive coordinator David Cutcliffe said. "I think he showed that he's made some progress during bowl preparations, and that's what we were hoping to see. I wish we couldVe gotten him in a few more games this season but we just didnt have those opportunities." Before the Orange Bowl, Martin threw only 12 passes this season and struggled badly in the fourth quarter of the Alabama game. But Manning's knee injury gave Martin extensive work with UT's No. 1 offense in the early stages of bowl preparation and he responded to what Cutcliffe called "a sense of urgency." "Up until that, I wasnt serious enough about it I guess," Martin said.

"It was like I knew Peyton was going to be the quarterback so I dont think I put as much into it as I should have. "When he got hurt, I got serious. I practiced harder and got better. The game was a lot like practice, just a little bit faster." Martin said Manning leaves "big shoes to fill" but believes the UT offense can put up big numbers next season. The Vols are likely to lean heavily on the running game while letting Martin get outside on rollout passes and option plays.

"I'm not going to be able to set the records Peyton set but that's not what I'm here for," Martin said. "I just want to help the team win." His chance will come in nine months. Osborne votei 1 LittlcTiftMhe Vols defense were worn aown ir Lcdrtofd the second half as the Cornhuskers got rolling. bodies were finally scraped from the ground following for own team the game, the Cornhuskers had their usual 409 yards. The Tennessee defense was on its heels the entire second half.

Said Nebraska offensive guard Aaron Taylor, "You could hear them huffing and puffing. They eventu ally rolled over, and we could do what we wanted." Getting mashed: Tennessee took a thorough beating in the trenches, offensively and defensively. The Vols First-half defense: The Vols came out inspired and neutralized the Cornhuskers' option attack. The defense simply dont have the interior strength on defense to combat the kind of power the Cornhuskers throw at you on every down. The offensive line allowed just one sack, but you never got the feeling that the Vols would 6V also came up with two big stops with its back to the wall.

One came after an interception and the other right before halftime when Anthony Hampton forced a fumble. Sophomore linebacker Raynoch Thompson had a be able to sustain any drives until the game was already over. Secondary play: When the Vols stopped the run in the first half, the Cornhuskers promptly exploited the tremendous start and finished with 11 tackles. Unfortunately for the Vols, reality set in in the second half. Peyton Manning: This one is more of a lifetime secondary.

Sophomore cornerback Dwayne Goodrich did not dress, and his replacement, Gerald Griffin, has yet to prove that he can play cornerback at this level. Tennessee's It defensive backs made very few plays this achievement award and for what he meant to Tennessee over the last four years. His final performance was average, at best but his career will be the measuring stick for every other UT quarterback to come. His record in the last four seasons: 48-3. Sensing that his team might have lost some of its mental edge after Michigan won its Rose Bowl game to finish undefeated, Osborne showed his players a short video about their season and made a veiled reference to the possibility of leap-frogging the Wolverines in at.

least one of the polls. "I spoke to them at a meeting the next morning and said, 'That door's open at least a crack. We have to take advantage of that. We have to make sure it gets wide Osborne recalled. He was also a bit more animated on the sideline.

During the second half of the Orange Bowl, Osborne became upset when the Vols suddenly began to gain some yardage on the ground and spent a few moments with his defensive players after UT finished off a 72-yard touchdown drive. "If they were going to get yards by hitting some passes, that was one thing. But I didnt think they should be running the ball right at us with any success," he said. It was typical Tom Osborne. He coached right to the end.

And the reward arrived right on schedule in the wee hours of Satur-i day morning. Orange Bowl summary, 11C. Grant Wistrom said. Interestingly, Osborne initially forgot to vote in the coaches poll. He was reminded by a call to his hotel room and cast his ballot only about three minutes before the deadline, he said.

Osborne said he placed his team No. 1 and Michigan No. 2 on the ballot. The Cornhuskers' total dominance of Tennessee may have pushed Nebraska over the top. The Vols entered the game ranked No.

3 before finishing No. 7 in one poll and No. 8 in the other and trailed only 14-3 at halftime. But Nebraska scored touchdowns on its first three possessions of the second half and never looked back. The easy victory was in marked contrast to the Rose Bowl, where Michigan, struggled-fiefore edging Washington State" 21-16.

"If Michigan had won by three touchdowns, it wouldVe been all over," Osborne said. The victory over UT and subsequent No. 1 ranking in the coaches' poll ended Osborne's 25-year head coaching career in style. It marked the third perfect season in four years and pushed his coaching record to 255-49-jj. 'A season.

throw wanted to, they were usually successful. Same old mistakes: Tennessee closed the season with nine turnovers in its last two games not exactly Tee Martin: Speaking of the future, Martin looked sharp in leading the Vols on an 80-yard touchdown the stuff championships are made of. The three turnovers in the first half were enough to do in the Vols, even without the Cornhus- drive in the waning minutes. Granted, Nebraska had substituted liberally by that time, but Martin is going to give Tennessee a dimension it hasnt had in a while. Tennessee gets thumbs-down for: kers' second-half onslaught The end to Terry Fair career was not a memorable one.

He Offensive imagination: There was none. Maybe it was Nebraska's defense, but Tennessee rarely tried to fumbled four punts In his last two games and lost three. The one against Nebraska was totally inexplicable in that he should have just left it alone. The mistakes werent limited to turnovers. The Vols committed first- '98 UT schedule Times to be announced: SepLS at Syracuse Sept 19 Florida Sept 26 Houston Oct.

3 at Auburn Oct. 10 at Georgia Oct. 24 Alabama Oct. 31 at South Carolina Nov. 7 Louisville Nov.

14 Arkansas Nov. 21 Kentucky Nov. 28 Vanderbllt go downfield. Manning's longest completion was 20 yards. There was a shovel pass, but it came early in the game on third-and-forever.

The Vols just never had any answers for what the Cornhuskers were doing defensively. But down penalties on their first two drives. Passing game: The Vols' receivers promised all week to show the Cornhuskers' defensive backs a thing or two. OK, we're still waiting. Tennessee was as ineffective in its jJassing game as it's been all season.

then, few teams have the last five years. Defensive collapse: Nebraska had just 69 yards rushing in the first half. But when all of the Tennessee jin iii.h.