Ohio State, Alabama Open College Season

Fifth-ranked Alabama and No. 9 Ohio State, who get the college football season under way tonight in the fourth annual Kickoff Classic, are remarkably similar teams--and nowhere more so than at quarterback.

Ohio State’s Jim Karsatos, a curly haired Gene Wilder lookalike, is a 6-3, 224-pound senior from Sunny Hills High School in Fullerton who set Ohio State records last year by completing 61.2% of his passes (158 of 254 for 2,115 yards and 19 touchdowns). He finished fourth nationally in passing efficiency.

Alabama’s Mike Shula is a 6-2, 198-pound senior from Miami who set school records last year by completing 60.3% of his passes (138 of 229 for 2,009 yards and 16 touchdowns). He was fifth in passing efficiency.

Each was intercepted eight times. And neither quarterback expects to put many points on the scoreboard tonight.

“I think it will be a defensive game playing against the type of defense we’re going to play against,” Shula said Tuesday. “It’s kind of like two years ago when we opened against Boston College and Doug Flutie. It’s a challenge, something our offense has been looking forward to.”

Karsatos could tell Shula all about the Buckeyes’ defense, which Coach Earle Bruce expects to be the best in his eight years at Ohio State.

“I’ve got to play against our defense every day,” Karsatos said. “I could probably tell Mike what to look for . . . but I won’t.

“I think we both want it to be an offensive game, but both defenses are great.”

Although Shula ranks ahead of Ken Stabler, Steve Sloan, Bart Starr and Richard Todd on Alabama’s passing chart and is closing in on Joe Namath, he doesn’t consider himself a pro prospect of their stature.

“Everybody’s dream is to play pro football,” he said. “But my chances are not as realistic as some of those other guys. I’m not worried about that right now. It’s something you’ve got to put in the back of your mind.”

“The reason we’re passing more started with Art Schlichter (1978-81), and then Mike Tomczak came in (1981-84) and improved the tradition, and now I’m coming in and we’re adding to it,” Karsatos said.