College Football / Richard Hoffer : Easy Nonconference Schedules Put Big Ten in a Can’t-Lose Situation

Iowa has been taking a little heat over its early-season schedule, a lineup of locks, that has it so high in the rankings and already in the running for a bowl, Rose or otherwise.

But the Hawkeye philosophy is pretty much endorsed throughout the Big Ten.

“You know you’ve got a chance at a bowl game if you go in with seven wins,” says Illinois Coach Mike White. “And if you go into the league season with three wins in preseason, you’ve got a chance.”

Said Ohio State’s Earle Bruce: “It’s no secret. Schedule some soft teams before the league schedule begins.”

Iowa has taken this concept and really run with it, though. Dropped from the preconference schedule were teams like Penn State, Nebraska and Oklahoma. Added were UTEP and Northern Illinois. Iowa beat those teams this year, 57-3 and 69-7.

Explained Iowa Coach Hayden Fry: “America understands winning and losing. Winning is just easier to understand.”

Apparently he is correct as far as Iowa fans are concerned. They discriminate to that extent only. Iowa sells out every game, UTEP or Michigan State.

This week’s deja vu special: Navy has another wonderful all-purpose runner--he leads the nation in rushing, all-purpose yardage and scoring--who came from Ohio. Used to dream of being an astronaut.

Used to be Napoleon McCallum?

You’ve got to think that Navy has a pretty strict admission requirement when it comes to its tailbacks, because Chuck Smith sure fits real snug in McCallum’s profile.

The only difference is that McCallum is from a town outside of Cincinnati and Smith is from a town outside of Cleveland.

Do the Raiders get Smith, too?

Did anybody notice:

--That Houston Coach Bill Yeoman is working on season No. 25 with the Cougars?

--That Auburn hasn’t missed Bo Jackson, nor Iowa Chuck Long, Nos. 1 and 2 in last season’s Heisman voting?

--That Kansas Coach Bob Valesente suspends players one game for each class they cut?

--That Indiana, now 4-0, is gunning for its sixth winning season since 1947?

--That the combined passing yardage of Bernie Kosar and Vinny Testaverde at Miami the last 3 1/2 seasons is just 185 shy of Doug Flutie’s record set at Boston College?

--That the Pac-10 is 17-7 in nonconference play but that the Big Ten is 19-13?

--That Texas A&M; quarterback Kevin Murray, just a junior, needs only four more touchdown passes to become the Southwest Conference’s all-time leader?

--That until this season, Texas had never, in 10 years under Fred Akers, gone into the Oklahoma game with a loss on its record?

--That Fresno State’s Kevin Sweeney just passed John Elway’s collegiate total in passing yardage? With a five-yard pass play he will surpass Jim McMahon. He is 1,074 yards shy of Flutie’s record.