Lincoln Journal Star from Lincoln, Nebraska • 9

for Crimson Tide Cornhuskers Gearing Up came out second best. Cornerbacks Joe Blahak and Jim Anderson will draw man-to-man assignments this time. They've been exposed to more of this type coverage than Kosch. As is customary on a game-to-game basis, other minor offensive and defensive revisions have been made to counteract Alabama strengths or to attack Alabama weaknesses. Devaney says he's found no soft spots in the Alabama lineup and terms Bryant's team the best the Cornhuskers have faced in their 31-game unbeaten string.

But that's what a national championship game is all about. It's the best of the Big Eight against the best of the Southeastern Conference. This year, at least, they're head and shoulders above the other major conferences. It's one time there'll be no argument about the winner deserving the national championship. A win would make Nebraska the first team since Alabama (1964 and 1965) to claim back-to-back Associated Press championships.

"You just don't get anything against them. They're definitely better prepared now than they were ahead of the Oklahoma game." It's the unknown factors which stimulate the imagination. Alabama coach Bear Bryant is an excellent tactitian one who is a master of the art of surprise. Devaney admits that in the 1966 meeting when Alabama won the national title with a 39-28 win over Nebraska, he was outcoached by Bryant and his assistants. "The next year, when they beat us in the Sugar Bowl we were simply beaten by a better team," he says of a 34-7 setback.

This time Devaney and his staff have bypassed some normally productive recruiting time to give more emphasis to their pre-bowl preparations. Onie of the most obvious changes in Cornhusker strategy is one in defending against the passing attack utilized by a wishbone offense team. Safety Bill Kosch had an unfamiliar role of playing man-to-man coverage on Oklahoma split end Jon Harrison in November and Nebraska game going for $100 a seat. Orange Bowl committee members can't recall a year in which the demand for tickets has been as great. It's the first matchup of the No.

1 and No. 2 college teams in a bowl game since Oklahoma defeated Maryland here in 1956. The Corhuskers claimed the national title here last year with a 17-12 win over LSU after upsets in the Cotton and Rose Bowls opened the door for Bob Devaney's third-ranked team. Asked to assess his team's preparedness at this point as compared to last year, Devaney hedges. "A big surge of enthusiasm came last year when our players heard the other scores," he says.

"We won't have it this year. It's gotta be there naturally." In hustling through a no-pad 90-minute review session Thursday the Cornhuskers appeared to be gearing up for the Crimson Tide. Only a 35-minute loosening up session Friday night at the Orange Bowl Stadium remains ahead of the squad in terms of physical preparation. By DON FORSYTHE Miami Remember when Green Bay was called Titletown, USA? Miami's claiming to be Championship, USA, as 1972 begins, and nobody's arguing the point. It's Nebraska against Alabama Saturday night for the national collegiate football championship and the Miami Dolphins against the Baltimore Colts for pro football's American Conference championship Sunday.

The pro game has taken some of the impact away from the Orange Bowl matchup of the two top rated college teams, but in some respects it will take a back seat to the showdown between the two unbeaten teams. For one thing, more Miamians will see the Orange Bowl game than will see the pro playoff game which will decide one of the Super Bowl contestants. Both games are sellouts, but the telecast of the pro game is blacked out locally. That's not the case with the Orange Bowl Despite the game being televised, there were some reports of tickets to the Alabama- Lincoln, Neb. Friday, Dec.

31, 1971 9 Getting in the proper mental pitch is the key for the last two days before the championship game. The Cornhusker, who locked up the United Press International college championship with their Thanksgiving Day win over Oklahoma, put a 31-game unbeaten string and a 22-game winning streak on the line Saturday night. Scout team quarterback Steve Runty, whose job it has been to run the pre-game preparations all season, indicates he thinks the Black Shirts are ready for the challege offered by Alabama. "There's been a big difference in the last couple of days," he observed Thursday. THE LINEUPS Huskers 'Super9 in 84-68 Win ALABAMA (11-0) NEBRASKA (12-0) OFFENSE No.

Name Ht. Wt. CI. Pos. CI.

Name No. 85 Simmons 6-5 230 Sr. TE Jr. 218 6-1 List 85 54 Krapf 6-0 235 Jr. LT So.

238 6-4 White 72 72 Rosser 6-0 224 Sr. LG Sr. 221 6-2 Rupert 77 55 Grammer 5-11 202 Sr. Jr. 237 6-3 Dumler 54 73 Hannah 6-4 273 Jr.

RG Sr. 238 6-3 Wortman 65 65 Brown 6-2 237 So. RT Sr. 252 6-4 Johnson 71 84 Bailey 6-1 183 Sr. SE Sr.

167 5-9 Cox 32 10 Davis 6-0 173 Jr. QB Sr. 215 6-2 Tagge 14 22 Musso 5-11 191 Sr. H3 Sr 210 6-2 Kinney 35 30 LaBue 6-0 195 Jr. HB Jr.

171 5-10 Rodgers 20 44 Bisceglia 5-11 187 Jr. FB Jr. 215 6-1 Olds 44 DEFENSE 90 Parkhouse 6-3 201 Sr. LE Sr. 221 6-3 Adkins 57 57 Rowell 5-11 190 Sr.

LT Sr. 250 6-6 Jacobson 75 MG Jr. 234 6-1 Glover 69 77 Beard 6-2 235 Sr. RT Jr. 228 6-3 Janssen 55 97 Mitchell 6-3 230 Jr.

RE Jr. 201 6-3 Harper 81 56 Rouzie 6-1 227 Jr. LB Jr. 203 5-9 Branch 51 36 Strickland 6-3 218 So. LB Sr.

209 6-2 Terrio 45 42 Surlas 5-11 198 Sr. LB Jr. 199 6-0 Mason 25 49 Hig'n'b'th'm6-1 166 St. CB Jr. 184 5-10 Blahak 27 28 Williams 5-11- 175 Sr.

CB Sr. 180 6-0 Anderson 18 40 Norris 6-0 189 Jr. Sr. 176 6-0 Kosch 24 32 Wade 6-2 184 Jr. nn 1 Kickoff 7 p.m.

(CST), Orange Bowl Stadium. Telecast NBC-TV Nationwide. Forsytlie's Forecast Kansas City, Mo. Al Nissen isn't sure when Nebraska played a better basketball game than it did in an 84-68 win over Oklahoma at Municipal Auditorium here Thursday night. Nissen, however, is sure of one thing the Cornhuskers haven't played better in 12 games this season.

"You'd have to go back to sometime last season when we've played as well as we did tonight," Nissen said after Nebraska whipped Oklahoma for the consolation championship of the Big Eight Conference Preseason Tournament before 10,500 fans. 'Really Played Super' "We really played super, took it to 'em right from the start," added Nissen, who scored 15 points to finish the tournament with 43 points. "We've got all the confidence in the world now," Nissen said. "We got together and decided we've been beating ourselves too much this season. "It's- about time we complemented each other's skills instead of our own," pointed out Nissen.

"We know we have the talent to be a Big Eight contender, but we just haven't brought out the best in each other. "Tonight we did," he added. "Everybody got his share of shots and everyone contributed." The Cornhuskers, who sprinted to a 43-23 halftime cushion, were a model of offensive balance and defensive teamwork. Jura Scores 23 Chuck Jura hit 10 of 13 field goals and finished with 23 points, 16 of which came in the first half. Mike Peterson contributed 14 and Tony Riehl, who may have played his best game of the season at guard, added 13.

Although Tom Bryan was the only Nebraska starter not reaching double scoring figures, he did hit nine points, snag a game high nine rebounds and contributed six assists, another game high effort. "You look good when you shoot as well as we did," admitted Nebraska coach Joe Cipriano, who added: "We were bothered by Oklahoma's press in the second half, but I think a lot of our problems were caused by carelessness after getting such a big lead." In hitting 57.6 per cent of their field goal tries (34-59), the Cornhuskers pushed their season accuracy mark over 50 per cent. "Coach Cipriano had his team ready," observed Oklahoma coach John MacLeod only one day after his Sooners had crushed Kansas, 97-69, in the consolation semifinals. "He had 'em prepared, loose and they shot well. They were more aggressive than we were and fought harder." Missouri Tourney Champion By RANDY YORK Kansas City, Mo.

Missouri basketball coach Norm Stewart was forced to be a little nostalgic here Thursday night after his Tigers defeated Kansas State, 67-58 for the Big Eight Conference Pre-Season tournament championship. Mizzou recorded its last conference tournament title in 1954 when Stewart was a junior for the Tigers. "That's a long time in between championships' Stewart said. And when pressed to recall the 1954 title, he added: "It was a little bit ironic because we beat Nebraska in the opening round and K-State for the title then, too. "I guess you forget that you played that long ago," Stewart said.

"This year's K-State team reminds me of the type of teams back then big, strong and physical." In 1954, however, Missouri had an easier time in disposing of the Wildcats. The Tigers, with Stewart contributing 18 points, recorded an 89-71 victory. Thursday night at Municipal Auditorium, before a sellout crowd of 10,500, Mizzou jumped to a 25-10 lead at one point in the first half. But the persistent Wildcats were competitive all the way and crept within three at 59-56 with only 3:25 remaining when David Hall hit a turnaround jump shot from the left side. Key layups by John Brown and Al Eberhard in the last minute proved to be the most crucial baskets of the game.

Eberhard, a sophomore, finished with 21 points and Brown added 18 despite a 26 minute span without a field goal. Defense, however, was the pivotal factor in the win, according to Stewart. "It saved us during that long, long drought," Stewart said, referring to a 10-minute first half stretch in which Mizzou went without a field goal. "We just didn't play well," K-State coach Jack Hartman said. "We opened the game like we were killing snakes we didn't do a very good job of it.

I think both clubs were tense. "After a while in the second half I got the feeling we were not supposed to win," Hartman added. Earlier in the day, Iowa State defeated Colorado, 87-82 for third place in the tournament and Oklahoma State upset Kansas, 66-65 in the last three seconds for seventh place. Boxes Page 10 Bluebonnet Colorado 28, Houston 21 Some folks are of the opinion Nebraska, Oklahoma 'and Colorado are the three best teams in the country. That's probably not the case, but Colorado could do something to further that thought by stopping a good Houston team.

Buffs have enough injured players back to get the job done. Gator Georgia 24, North Carolina 14 This one matches brothers Vince and Bill Dooley. Vince has the better cast of players at Georgia. The Bulldogs handled everybody but Auburn in a 10-1 season and in one stretch limited foes to a touchdown or less in seven straight games. Sugar Oklahoma 45, Auburn 21 Sooners can put points on the board against anybody.

They can also play pass defense, as they proved against Nebraska. Auburn lacks the strong running game the Cornhuskers used to outscore Oklahoma. It could be another long day for Auburn's Pat Sullivan. Jf Oklahoma gets ahead quickly it can lay back and wait for Sullivan's passes. Cotton Texas 21, Penn State 17 If quarterback Eddie Phillips is healthy enough to run the Longhorns' wishbone offense this one might not.

be close. Coach Darrell Royal's club fkiished with five wins in a row, the last a 34-14 win over a Texas team which was a sound defensive club. Penn State hasn't been in enough UPI TELEPHOTO Nebraska's Tom Bryan (40) flips in two points over Oklahoma's Tom Holland (40) and Bobby Jack. Jura Named to All-Big 8 Team Pius Is Fifth close games to handle the pressure they'll be facing in playing a tough club like Texas. Rose Michigan 21, Stanford 10 Stanford is supposed to be at the best in the big games, but losing to Duke, Washington State and Sai Jose State has to foe a tipoff that this year's Indians aren't the same kind Jim Plumkett led last year.

Michigan isn't spectacular, but it is a sound team which won't kill itself with mistakes. That's the kind of team you like in the big games. Orange Nebraska 24, Alabama 14 The Cornhuskers have been in the pressure cooker before. Winning at Oklahoma had to be as tough a chore as a team could face and it should be a source of strength if the Cornhuskers encounter early difficulties. That's a (Sistinct possibility against a team Bear Bryant considers his best ever.

For Alabama to win it would have to hold Nebraska to less than three touchdowns a tough assignment. Wayne, Hastings Triumph By Associated Press Hastings and Wayne both captured championships in their own holiday basketball tournaments Thursday night. Hastings had little trouble defeating Macalester of St. Paul, 103-77 and Wayne's smooth-workiog fast break took the measure of Missouri Valley 87-62. In the Hastings tourney South Dakota Southern downed Graceland Iowa, 92-87, for third place.

Sioux Falls outdistanced Lea, 107-74 for consolation honors in the Wayne Tourney. Wayne's Dennis Siefkes, who Continued on Page 10, Col. 1 1 Friday Channel in College Football Gator Bowl, Georgia v. North Carolina, 1 p.m. (3: Astro-Bluebonnet Bowl Colorado v.

Houston, 6:30 p.m. (6-10); East-West Shrine, 3 p.m. (7). Kansas, Martinez Denmon of Iowa State and Steve Mitchell of Kansas State. Brown also earned the most outstanding player award.

Stallworth finished as the tournament's leading scorer with 71 points. Brown was third with 59, Denmon fourth with 58 and Mitchell fifth with 56. Brown led the balloting with 54 first team votes. Stallworth drew 49 votes, Denmon 47, Jura 40 and Mitchell 38. The all-tourney second team included Al Eberhard of Kansas City, Mo.

Nebraska center Chuck Jura was named to the 1971 all-Big Eight Conference Pre-Season Tournament team here Thursday night in a poll among sports writers and broadcasters covering the event. Jura, who hit 27 of 45 field goals and 11 of 23 free throws in three games, finished as the tournament's second leading scorer with 65 points. He was joined on the all-tourney team by John Brown of Missouri, Bud Stallworth of Missouri (20 votes), Gene Mack of Iowa State (15), Scott Martin of Oklahoma (7), Mike Jeffries of Missouri (4) and Tom Holland of Oklahoma (4.) Brown drew 43 votes as the most outstanding player. Stallworth and Mitchell were the only other players to receive votes with four and three, respectively. Oklahoma's Martin was a first team 1970 all-tourney choice.

The other four members of last year's honor group graduated. Crete The Pius Thunderbolts defeated Tri-County, 64-63 to capture fifth place in the Doane Invitational tournament here Thursday night while Fairbury slipped past Waverly, 73-70 in overtime to walk away with the crown. Aurora 64, Geneva 62 Aurora IB 72 14 10 64 Geneva 11 20 20 2062 Aurora Hedlund 16, Keller 15, Weedin 14, Hahn 9, Wlshart 6 Schreidw 2. Geneva Sorge 29, Klmbrough 18, Meyers 8, Brower 4, Schnegelberger 3. Pius 64, Trl-County 63 Plus 14 IB J2 8-64 Trl-CountV 13 17 14 19-63 Pius Jablonskl 27, McEnlry 18, Lien 12, Aldrlch 3, Miller 2, Pavna 2.

i Trl-CountV Kath 25, Rehm 20, Sixth-Ranked Ohio State Buried in Bruin Classic weichel 10, scnwan s. UCLA Passes First Big Test Easily, 79-53 Crete 58, Seward 55 10 17 14-5 23 15 17-45 Bohmont 20, Wendelln 1, i' Crete 17 4 Seward 10 'V Crete Wenz 24, I Edward 8, Gammell 4, Krull 10, 1 Brandt 1. Seward Wehenkel 16, Winter 10, Soukup 11, Felix 8. unbeaten Rainbows, now 9-0. Paul Stovall led Arizona State with 17 points.

In other action Involving rated teams, North Carolina (4) beat Bradley 75-69 to win the Sugar Bowl Tournament; Louisville (13) ripped Fordham 96-82 to take the ECAC Holiday Festival; Florida State (17) trounced Washington State 85-61 to win the far West Classic; and Southwestern Louisiana (11) tripped Los Angeles State 113-102. Dennus Wuycik and Bobby Jones had 16 points each and Robert McAdoo had 15 in North Carolina's victory while Ron Thomas' 28 points and 17 rebounds paced Louisville over Fordham. Ron King's 17 points and 16 each by Reggie Royals and Rolland Garrett helped two free throws. Tom Riker had 28 points for South Carolina and Joyce added 16. Jim O'Brien scored 20 points and soph Len Elmore, named the tournament's Most Valuable Player, had 18 re-bounds as 14th ranked Maryland stunned No.

8 St. John's (N.Y.) 90-69 to win the Maryland Invitational. Maryland, with Elmore dominating the boards, moved out to a 44-32 lead at the, half and was never in trouble In another battle between rated teams, Hawaii, with Bob Nash leading the way, roared back from a 10-point halftime deficit to beat Arizona State, ranked 20th, 87-77 and take the Rainbow Classic. Nash finished with 27 points, 16 in the second half, and John adde 23 for tiip By United Press International UCLA's young Bruins had their first big test Thursday night and passed it with flying colors. The No.

1 ranked Bruins, taking on their toughest opponent of the season thus far, clobbered sixth-ranked Ohio State 79-53 to win their own Bruin Classic. UCLA surged to an 11-1 lead in the first four- minutes and then opened up a 23-point lead in the first half before Bill Walton, the Bruins' 6-foot-ll sophomore center, ran into foul trouble. Ohio State closed the gap to 48-38 in the second half before their 6-11 center, Luke Witte, also ran Into foul trouble. Then Bruins then surged to a 22-point advantage before Coach John Wooden inserted his subs. Walton, who played only 18 Washington State.

In other tournament play, Eau Claire, the No. 3 small college team, upset No. 1 ranked Kentucky State 101-81 in the Eau Claire Holiday tournament; Lionel Billing's 35 points and 14 rebounds helped unbeaten Duquesne beat Pittsburgh 87-67 for the Steel Bowl title; John Falconi's 26 points lifted Davidson to an 83-73 victory over Virginia Tech and the Charlotte Invitational crown; Dave Angel's 27 points boosted Clemson to a 77-67 triumph over Auburn for the Poinsetta Classic title; Virginia edged The Citadel 77-72 to take the Palmetto Classic; Missouri beat Kansas State 67-58 to win the Big Eight Tournament; and Eastern Kentucky edged Oklahoma City 83-78 in the All College Tournament filial. minutes, managed 14 points and had 12 rebounds and six blocked shots before the half. Witte led Ohio State, now 7-2, with 19 points.

The victory was the eighth without a loss this season for the Bruins, who failed to surpass the 100-point mark for the first time. South Carolina, unbeaten and ranked third in the nation, didn't fare so well. Tom Inglesby, who finished with 28 points, sank two free throws with six seconds left as 18th-ranked Villanova upset the Gamecocks 77-76 to win the Quaker City Tournament. South Carolina had battled back from a nine-point deficit to go ahead of Kevin Joyce's basket with 27 seconds left, but Inglesby was fouled in the act of shooting find converted the Fairbury 73, Waverly 70 (ot) Falrburv 14 1 16 7-73 Waverlv 17 20 14 15 4-70 Falrburv B. Seioel 36, T.

Selael '11, Dux 11, Connell Darviher 3, i Elaert 2, Mullar 2, Haskell 1. I Waverly Franks 21, Richard 14, Otlev 11, Wfnsel 10, Weber 7, Bill 4, Winter 3. Baltimore, 1 Dallas Picked Lincoln Journal forecaster Don Carr sees Baltimore as a 1-point favorite over the Miami Dolphins for the American I Football Conference cham-I pionship on Sunday. I Carr also picks Dallas to top 1 San Francisco by three points for the National Football Conference title, also on Saturday Channel in Sugar Bowl Oklahoma v. Auburn, 11 a.m.

(7). Cotton Bowl Texas v. Penn Stale, 1 p.m. (10-6). Rose Bowl Michigan v.

Stanford. 4 p.m. (3). Orange Bowl Nebraska Alabama, 7 p.m. (3i.

'I Florida Slate turn back.