Who Said Bo Can’t Win the Big One? : Rose Bowl: Now it’s USC’s Smith, not Michigan’s Schembechler, riding the losing streak in Pasadena.

Call it the Bo-Larry Show II. There they were Thursday at a Pasadena news conference, Bo Schembechler and Larry Smith, beaming with obvious admiration for each other--again.

It was the same scenario last year before USC played Michigan in the Rose Bowl, a game the Wolverines won, 22-14.

Smith, USC’s coach, was on Schembechler’s staff at Miami of Ohio and again at Michigan. He is proud of their association.

Schembechler is, of course, still at Michigan, where he has coached for 21 years. And now he is bringing a team back to the Rose Bowl for the 10th time.

“I know many of you are sick of me coming out here, but I think it’s terrific,” Schembechler said with a grin.

Last year, Schembechler joked about his 1-7 Rose Bowl record. This time, he is here in an unaccustomed role, as a returning winner.

“No one got on my (bowl) record for a whole year,” Schembechler said. “But lose this time, look out brother.”

Actually, the shoe is on the other foot. Smith has yet to win a Rose Bowl game, having lost to Michigan State the preceding year.

He also is the only USC coach to lose consecutive Rose Bowl games. “We’re playing a game of the unsuccessfuls,” Smith said good-naturedly, referring to the Rose Bowl records of both coaches. “I certainly don’t want to go down as a three-time loser.”

Schembechler was quick to quip: “You’ll never catch me.”

The Michigan coach, who can be cranky and quarrelsome, was charming in Thursday’s setting. And why not?

His Wolverines are 10-1 and ranked third in the country. He hasn’t lost a Big Ten game in two years, and his team is the first to win consecutive outright conference championships since Michigan State in 1965 and ’66.

However, Schembechler doesn’t believe that Michigan has a chance to win the national championship, even though its record is marred by only one loss--the same as Miami, Notre Dame, Arkansas, Nebraska and Tennessee, among top-10 teams heading into bowl games.

Top-ranked Colorado and No. 2 Alabama are unbeaten.

Even though Schembechler has won more games than any other active coach, compiling a 234-64-8 record, he hasn’t won a national championship.

“Our ambition for a national championship was dashed when we lost to Notre Dame,” said Schembechler, referring to his team’s opening game. “That (national championship) wasn’t our only goal. We wanted to win the Big Ten championship, beat Ohio State, come back to the Rose Bowl and win every game we played on the road. And we won all five of them.

“We achieved every goal except beating Notre Dame and winning the national championship.”

With so many teams in contention for the final No. 1 ranking, the feasibility of establishing playoffs to determine a true champion, rather than relying on the voting of reporters or coaches, is being discussed again.

However, both Schembechler and Smith are opposed to any playoff plan.

“It’s not in the best interests of the student-athletes,” Schembechler said. “We’re playing so many games and taking up so much of their time and putting as much pressure on them as we can.

“But the bowl games don’t cut into their academics. That’s the beauty of the bowls. But you wouldn’t want to play three or four bowl games to win a national championship.

“I don’t see any scenario where we’ll have a national championship in this century.”

Said Smith: “The only purpose it serves is to satisfy the media wanting to know who is the national champion. You take the principals involved--the coaches, players and administrators of universities and bowl people. I don’t think they want a playoff.

“I think we’re satisfied with what we have. It continues to create a mystique of college football.”

Smith also said the bowl games are a reward for a good season and not a pressure situation such as the NCAA basketball playoffs.

The USC coach said he marvels at how the 60-year-old Schembechler can maintain his enthusiasm and keep on winning in a pressure situation.

“The longer I am in this thing, the more amazed I am at how resilient he is,” Smith said. “To survive at Michigan, where they expect him to win every year and win the championship every year . . . I’ve only been at USC three years, and he has been at Michigan for 20 (actually 21). I’m not going to make 20 at USC. I’m 50 years old and I think by the time I’m 60 I’ll hang it up.”

Some alumni may ask him to hang it up earlier if he continues on the trail of Bo’s record in the Rose Bowl.

Rose Bowl Notes

USC Coach Larry Smith said that outside linebacker Junior Seau, who has a moderate separation of the right shoulder, will play in the Rose Bowl game. “I think he’ll be fine,” Smith said. “His arm is still in a sling but in the weight room he is doing everything he can without using the arm.” . . . Smith isn’t that certain, though, of inside linebacker Scott Ross’ status. “He had a bad knee injury and the knee is still in a brace,” Smith said. “I think his chances are 50-50 or 60-40 of playing.” . . . Smith said that nose guard Don Gibson, who had a knee operation before the season, is physically ready to play but his availability won’t be determined until he has practiced.

Michigan Coach Bo Schembechler confirmed that tailback Tony Boles is definitely out of the New Year’s Day game. He is scheduled for knee surgery. “I really feel bad about it,” Schembechler said. “He’s our most explosive back and one of the most exciting backs we’ve ever had.” . . . Schembechler said that safety Vada Murray, who was knocked unconscious in Saturday’s game against Ohio State, will be ready for the Rose Bowl. “He’s fine. He had feeling in all of his extremities when he was on the ground in that game. They (doctors) just didn’t want to take any chances by moving him too soon.” . . . With Boles out, Leroy Hoard, the most valuable player of last January’s Rose Bowl game, will be the starting tailback, with Jarrod Bunch at fullback.

Smith on USC quarterback Todd Marinovich, who completed only 13 of 28 pases and threw three interceptions in the Trojans’ 10-10 tie with UCLA Nov. 18: “Todd came to see me and he said that he knows that in the last three games his timing, technique and fundamentals weren’t there. But since then, he went to the beach with a buddy to throw and said his timing is back.”