3 Big Ten Coaches Refuse to Accept Miami-Penn State as the Title Game

EVANSTON, Ill. — Three Big Ten coaches said Wednesday that they refuse to accept the projected Miami-Penn State Fiesta Bowl game as the national championship.

“Media hype,” Ohio State’s Earle Bruce said Wednesday at the Big Ten’s weekly telephone hookup of coaches’ interviews.

“Strictly a bowl concoction, a TV deal,” Michigan’s Bo Schembechler said.

“National championship? No way,” said Iowa’s Hayden Fry, who doesn’t think the two contenders played tough enough schedules.

Top-ranked Miami and No. 2 Penn State, both undefeated, have agreed to meet in the Fiesta Bowl Jan. 2 at Tempe, Ariz. The deal is contingent on Miami defeating East Carolina and on Penn State defeating Pitt in regular-season finales.

As for the possibility of National Collegiate Athletic Assn. football playoffs in the future, Schembechler said: “I don’t see anybody clamoring for a playoff. I don’t see university presidents calling for a playoff. Let’s face the fact--if you choose to have a playoff, every independent school will have a schedule which would place it high in the polls to get into the playoffs.”