COLLEGE FOOBALL ’89 : COACHES, PLAYERS, TEAMS AND TRENDS TO WATCH : ON THE LINE : Michigan Seeks First Title for Big Ten Since ’68

Bo is back and in a big way.

Not Bo Jackson, the super athlete, but Bo Schembechler, the coach.

Schembechler’s 224 victories are the most among active Division 1-A football coaches. But his image has suffered because of Michigan’s miserable bowl record.

Until Michigan beat USC, 22-14, last January in the Rose Bowl, Schembechler-coached teams had won only four of 15 bowl games.

National championships are often won, or higher rankings attained, in the major bowl games, and Bo’s boys usually haven’t been up to the task.

Moreover, Big Ten Conference teams haven’t finished No. 1 in the final Associated Press or United Press International rankings since Ohio State was acclaimed by both polls in 1968.

Michigan came close, though, in 1988, losing to eventual champion Notre Dame and No. 2 Miami by a total of only three points. The Wolverines were fourth ranked in the final polls.

“That wasn’t even supposed to be their year,” said Iowa Coach Hayden Fry of Michigan’s 9-2-1 record. “This was supposed to be their year. But at the end of last season they were the best team in the country.”

This season, Schembechler’s team is ranked No. 1 by Associated Press.

The crusty coach, who is also the school’s athletic director, says jokingly that there is internal pressure on him because Michigan won the National Collegiate Athletic Assn. basketball championship last season.

“In one year I turned this into a basketball school,” Schembechler said. “This is a difficult year for the football coach at a school predominately known for basketball, but we will try to live up to our basketball team.”

Although Schembechler has never won a national championship, he says it’s not his primary goal.

“We’re not like Notre Dame or Penn State that have nothing to play for except the national championship,” he said. “Our goal is the Big Ten championship. If there are any Big Ten teams that shoot for a national championship, they’re damn fools.”

Schembechler might redefine his goals, however, if Michigan beats Notre Dame and UCLA on successive Saturdays in September.

National championships aren’t necessarily won in September, but they can be lost.

Schembechler’s reasoning that independent teams are more focused on the national championship than teams with conference commitments has some merit.

Five of the last seven national champions have come from the independent ranks, with Miami and Penn State each winning two titles.

Even with a new coach, Dennis Erickson, and a new quarterback, Craig Erickson (no relation), the Hurricanes are a factor again.

So are Notre Dame, Nebraska, Louisiana State, USC, UCLA, Florida State, and Auburn, according to preseason magazines and polls.

The Irish will be trying to become the first school to win consecutive national championships since AP ranked Alabama No. 1 in 1978 and 1979.

However, Coach Lou Holtz will have to cope with the loss of two key players because of disciplinary action, and another who transferred to UCLA.

The university’s Office of Student Affairs, which operates independently of the athletic department, has suspended All-American linebacker Michael Stonebreaker for his senior year and refused to allow running back Tony Brooks to re-enter school.

The dismissals were prompted by separate traffic accidents last February in which Stonebreaker was charged with driving under the influence and Brooks with leaving the scene of an accident that involved no injuries.

Commenting on the university’s action, Holtz said: “Do I feel remorse? Yes. Am I bitter at the university? No. The university has done so many great things and turned around so many great people. I know they have a philosophy here in how they operate. I trust that philosophy.”

Sophomore Arnold Ale, the former Carson High School defensive end, became homesick. Tackle George Williams was ruled academically ineligible and fullback Braxton Banks probably is out for the season because of knee surgery.

These are setbacks, to be sure, along with a schedule that has the Irish on the road for five of its first six games.

So much for negative aspects. On the positive side is the return of quarterback Tony Rice, whose passing skill might not be comparable to his running ability in Holtz’s wishbone portion of the offense, but it’s not a drawback, either.

He has matured as a passer and has capable receivers in Raghib (Rocket) Ismael, who caught a 55-yarder from Rice against USC last year, and Derek Brown.

Ricky Watters, the team’s leading receiver last year, has been switched to tailback, a position he played in 1987. With Brooks’ departure, Watters will be a key player while Anthony Johnson will be used more extensively at fullback.

Holtz also has a veteran offensive line and defensive standouts such as nose tackle Chris Zorich and linebacker Ned Bolcar, along with an experienced, talented secondary.

Michigan is amply stocked with proven players.

However, Michigan has only one experienced quarterback, Michael Taylor. Demetrius Brown, who started the final three games last season after Taylor suffered a broken collarbone, has dropped out of school. Brown proved himself by completing 11 of 24 passes for 144 yards in the Rose Bowl game.

Schembechler doesn’t have the insurance of having two proven quarterbacks, but he has one of the nation’s best running-back tandems in tailback Tony Boles and fullback Leroy Hoard. Hoard was the most valuable player of the Rose Bowl with 142 yards rushing, including a 61-yard run on Michigan’s game-clinching, final scoring drive.

The Wolverines also have a strong receiving corps, a huge offensive line and nine defensive starters returning, although Schembechler must replace All-American tackle Mark Messner.

Some of the other top teams:

MIAMI

A new coach, Dennis Erickson and a new quarterback, Craig Erickson, would usually indicate a team is rebuilding.

Not at Miami, which has won two national championships in the past six seasons and will contend for another this year.

“I call Miami ‘Re-load U.,’ ” said Florida State Coach Bobby Bowden.

Coach Erickson will implement a one-back offense with a short passing game that worked for him at Washington State last year when Timm Rosenbach led the nation in passing.

NEBRASKA

Talent aside, the most favorable aspect for the Cornhuskers is their schedule--non-conference games against over-matched Northern Illinois, Utah, Minnesota and Oregon State.

Only Colorado and Oklahoma should challenge Nebraska in the the Big Eight and the Sooners, on NCAA probation, don’t appear as formidable as they once were.

“We have a chance to be decent, but we won’t be overwhelming,” Nebraska Coach Tom Osborne said.

Osborne noted that Nebraska has lost 11 all-conference selections, including quarterback Steve Taylor and All-American linebacker Broderick Thomas.

Nonetheless, Nebraska has its usual quota of talented players, most notably tailback Ken Clark and Doug Glaser, a 6-foot-7, 295-pound offensive tackle. The schedule should make up for any shortcomings Nebraska has in experience.

LOUISIANA STATE

In Tommy Hodson, the Tigers have, arguably, the nation’s best quarterback. His statistics were down slightly last year, but he led LSU on late scoring drives to beat Auburn and Alabama.

Coach Mike Archer has eight returning starters to support Hodson on offense, but there are some gaps to be filled on defense.

LSU shared the Southeastern Conference championship with Auburn in 1988, its second co-championship in three years.

AUBURN

Even though Coach Pat Dye has lost eight starters from the nation’s No. 1 defense, it’s difficult to dismiss the Tigers.

Auburn is the team of the 1980s in the SEC, with three appearances in the Sugar Bowl in the last seven years.

Dye’s defense needs some mending, but the offense is solid, featuring All-SEC quarterback Reggie Slack and running backs Stacy Danley and James Joseph.

Auburn lost Outland Trophy winner Tracy Rocker, but his younger brother, David, will be trying to carry on the family tradition at defensive tackle.

FLORIDA STATE

The Seminoles are in a rut with consecutive 11-1 seasons, losing only to rival Miami.

Even though Bowden has lost such outstanding players as running back Sammie Smith and cornerback Deion Sanders, he says his program has progressed to the point where he has capable backups for most of his departed players.

For example, fifth-year senior Peter Tom Willis threw four touchdown passes against South Carolina in his only start last season while standing in for quarterback Chip Ferguson. Another backup last year, tailback Dexter Carter, gained 330 yards as a replacement for Smith.

The schedule, as usual, is brutal.

“We play eight teams that were in bowls last year,” Bowden said, “and that might be too much for us.”

Some things remain the same. Joe Paterno returns for his 24th season at Penn State, but four other schools with big-time programs have new coaches.

Jimmy Johnson went from Miami to the Dallas Cowboys with Erickson as his replacement. Oklahoma’s Barry Switzer and Texas A&M;’s Jackie Sherrill left schools after allegations of infractions, and Georgia’s Vince Dooley retired after 25 years of coaching.

Switzer, Sherrill and Dooley were each replaced by an assistant: Gary Gibbs at Oklahoma, R.C. Slocum at Texas A&M; and Ray Goff at Georgia. Slocum was an assistant at USC in 1981.

And, of course, there are the inevitable rules changes.

Alarmed over the increase in scoring because of field goals, the NCAA Rules Committee banned the use of tees on field goals and point-after-touchdown attempts.

In other rules changes, the ball will be blown dead if a player pretends to drop his knee near to the ground and then stands up running or throwing.

Players who point fingers, arms, or hands at an opponent will be charged with unsportsmanlike conduct.

Nothing was clarified as to sticking out one’s tongue.