College Football / Mal Florence : Coach’s Bark Worse Than Underdog Bite

Some things never change, particularly football coaches saying they’re worried about an out-manned opponent that they’ll most likely beat by 40, 50, 60 points or more.

However, Nebraska’s Tom Osborne is aware that laudatory remarks about an outclassed team are subject to ridicule.

The Cornhuskers will open the season Saturday against Northern Illinois, and Osborne, after cautiously observing that Nebraska “can have a good team,” added: “But I do think it will be unrealistic for the fans to expect us to go out there and put on a tremendously polished performance because, No. 1--and I’m not going to say anything more about this because every time I do I get laughed out of the state--they have a good team.”

Start chuckling.

Sure, Northern Illinois has a good team, in its class, one that had a 7-4 record last season while beating the likes of Middle Tennessee State and Southwestern Missouri State.

And Northern Illinois did beat Wisconsin of the Big Ten last year, but who didn’t? The Badgers had a 1-10 record.

Nebraska, beginning its 100th year of football, is ranked No. 4 nationally in the latest Associated Press poll.

Moreover, the Cornhuskers don’t figure to lose many games this season with a nonconference schedule of Northern Illinois, Utah, Minnesota and Oregon State along with the predominately weak schedule in the Big Eight Conference.

Penn State’s Joe Paterno is also concerned, publicly at least, in anticipation of playing Virginia.

“We are coming off a losing season (5-6), and I think our kids are realistic that they are playing a very good football team,” Paterno said.

That losing season didn’t include a loss to Virginia, though, as Penn State won easily, 42-14.

Ah, but Virginia does have an edge--as Paterno noted. The Cavaliers have “a game under their belt.”

He could have said that the Cavaliers were belted by Notre Dame, 36-13, in a game that was not as close as the score indicated.

Will a coach ever say, “We play Possum College next week and we just scheduled the game instead of having a scrimmage”?

On the subject of mismatches, Oklahoma opened the season last Saturday by toying with New Mexico State, 73-3.

Oklahoma led at halftime, 38-0.

New Mexico State Coach Mike Knoll, whose team is 4-30 in three-plus years, put the game in its proper perspective when he said:

“We got beat offensively, defensively, in the kicking game, and we got outcoached. But nothing is ever as good as it seems, or as bad as it seems.”

It was Oklahoma’s first regular-season game since the Sooners were put on three years’ probation last December by the National Collegiate Athletic Assn. The sanctions prevent the Sooners from appearing on live television this year and in bowl games for two years.

“We have something to prove this year,” Oklahoma offensive tackle Mark VanKeirsbilck said. “We want to show the fans and coaches we are a class team and a good team.”

Arizona’s opening 19-3 victory over Stanford Saturday night in Tucson was predictable.

It was also an indication that it may be a long season for the Cardinal.

In Dennis Green’s debut as coach, Stanford couldn’t consistently protect its quarterback, redshirt freshman Steve Smith. Moreover, the Cardinal, historically a passing team, could gain only 34 net yards rushing.

Stanford has an inexperienced offensive line, having lost five of its top seven players and three starters.

How good is Southern Mississippi, which upset sixth-ranked Florida State, 30-26, last Saturday?

Florida State Coach Bobby Bowden conceded that Southern Mississippi is a top-20 team.

Seminole halfback Dexter Carter has even higher regard for the Golden Eagles.

“The rest of the teams that play them better watch out,” he said. “They could be in national championship contention.”

Mismatch of the week: Miami vs. Wisconsin.

“I would like to get a victory under my belt just for the heck it,” new Miami Coach Dennis Erickson said.

That’s as good a reason as any, considering that third-ranked Miami is a 28 1/2-point favorite.

Surprising quote of the week is courtesy of Detroit Lions Coach Wayne Fontes, who said in assessing former USC quarterback Rodney Peete: “His talent has surprised us.”

Does Fontes live in a cave? In four years as USC’s quarterback, Peete broke every meaningful school passing record, took his team to the Rose Bowl twice and was runner-up last year in the Heisman Trophy balloting.

Suggested USC Coach Larry Smith: “He didn’t accomplish all of that by riding a bicycle around campus.”