On Jan. 1, It Will Either Be Colorado No.1--or Choas

This was the college football season in which Colorado grieved, Notre Dame misbehaved, Miami arrived late and Michigan lost early. Dennis Erickson took over the Hurricanes, Bo Schembechler opted to quit coaching and Lou Holtz babbled nonsense. Their various private sentiments and public posturing were diverting. Now comes the purpose in all of this: which team will be No. 1?

Raised at a dinner table, it’s a query that can make glasses jump with the force of an argumentative fist. Perfectly respectable citizens are suddenly struck by paroxysms of feeling that turn their faces the shades of school colors. The national champion will be determined by the major bowl games on Jan. 1, and there are a good handful of teams with equally justifiable claims, all feeling the weight of a ring or seeing the outline of a trophy.

“It’s out in front of you. That ring is closer,” Erickson said.

Matters may be particularly contentious this New Year’s Day. In an uncommon mess of a year, only No. 1 Colorado went undefeated. The Buffaloes (11-0) will meet defending national champion No. 4 Notre Dame (11-1) in the Orange Bowl, and a Colorado victory would make everything simple. But a loss would let in No. 2 Miami (10-1), which will go against Alabama in the Sugar Bowl, and also No. 3 Michigan, which makes its case against Southern California in the Rose Bowl.

The right circumstances could occasion the first split news-agency polls since 1978, when Alabama won No. 1 in the Associated Press but USC took the United Press International coaches’ vote on the basis of an earlier defeat of the Crimson Tide. The similar possibilities this year raise a secondary argument, between those who favor a playoff system and those who enjoy the intriguing ambiguities of polls and bowls.

“The only thing that spells instant national championship is if Colorado wins,” Michigan defensive back Tripp Welborne said. “So to me, whatever comes, comes. That’s why it’s mythical, that’s what makes it interesting.”

Each team has merits and drawbacks. Michigan was the pre-season No. 1, only to lose its opener to Notre Dame, which took over the top place for 11 weeks. Miami lost in midseason to archrival Florida State, and the team of the 1980s had a confidence crisis. Then the Hurricanes upset the Fighting Irish in the last game of the season, breaking their winning streak at 23 games.

All the while, Colorado’s record grew steadily. The Buffaloes played on swelling emotion, dedicating the year to late quarterback Sal Aunese, who died of cancer this fall. But their season has to be viewed with some incredulity, accomplished under such strange circumstances, and in the weak Big Eight as Oklahoma was injury-prone and scandal-troubled and Nebraska was rebuilding. The Buffaloes are No. 1 for the first time ever.

“We didn’t really earn number one,” offensive lineman Joe Garten said. “We earned number two. Notre Dame was number one and they just gave it to us.”

The ranking could be merely on loan. The Buffaloes have never played for a national championship, and their sense of purpose may fail them, replaced by nerves. The last time they were unbeaten was 1923. This is only their second outright Big Eight title, and their first appearance in the Orange since Jan. 1, 1977. Their school’s 11 championships all came in something more appropriate for the locale, skiing.

“We realize it’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” Coach Bill McCartney said. “We couldn’t expect to have this good fortune again. It wasn’t realistic.”

And yet they set 43 school records. Sophomore quarterback Darian Hagan operated their option offense with aplomb, only the sixth player in NCAA history to gain 1,000 yards both passing (1,002) and rushing (1,004). They dashed off 83 plays for 20 yards or more. For every easy rout over a lowly team, they pulled off a convincing victory against the likes of Texas (27-6), Illinois (38-7) and Washington (45-28).

Some observers wonder if the memorializing of Aunese wasn’t a bit much: His locker was glassed in and places reserved for him at team meals. Nebraska players intimated they were milking his death. Garten called the suggestion “disgusting,” and it may have only redoubled the Buffaloes’ determination. There is little question they play with genuine conviction, which Notre Dame’s Holtz considers their scariest quality.

“A sense of purpose takes you to a higher level,” Holtz said. “I don’t question that. It’s impressive to an outsider.”

If Colorado has the most emotion, Miami has the best timing. The Hurricanes lost their purpose for a while under first-year coach Erickson and his first-year starter at quarterback, Craig Erickson. The loss to Florida State, with Erickson sidelined by a broken thumb, turned them temporarily into a fractious team. On his return Erickson made a public scene of yelling at his receivers, who criticized him equally. When they weren’t arguing, they were questioning the new staff or their self-esteem.

“We walked around like zombies,” offensive lineman Mike Sullivan said.

But the Hurricanes have played for the national championship in one form or another every year since 1986. Dennis Erickson promised them they would have a say in the ’89 title race, appealing to their bedrock of confidence. One victory re-established them, the climactic 27-10 defeat of the Irish.

“You could see it was still workable,” defensive back Charles Pharms said.

They received considerable assistance in the rankings when they soared from No. 7 to No. 2, helped also when then-unbeaten and No. 2 Alabama fell to Auburn in its last regular-season game. It put them in the best position a team with one loss could ask for, and their Sugar Bowl game against Alabama is arguably an easier task than Colorado faces in Notre Dame. They have ironed out problems with Dennis Erickson’s new one-back offense, and Craig Erickson has regained his composure, although he has been persistently troubled by interceptions (13).

Their season may be summed up by one remark. “Everything that needed to happen did,” Sullivan said. “Luck factors into any national championship. Someone gave us a hell of a nice gift. I’d like to think it’s an omen.”

No team got more assistance in the polls than Michigan (10-1), inexplicably ranked ahead of Notre Dame despite its 24-19 loss to the Irish Sept. 16. That means the Wolverines could win their first national championship ever under Schembechler, who will retire immediately after the Rose Bowl game and be full-time athletic director. It would take the following: Miami must lose to Alabama and Colorado to Notre Dame, but not by much. The Wolverines must demolish the Trojans.

Those events, plus sentiment for Schembechler, could swing votes their way. But the route is too circuitous for Schembechler to place much emphasis on it. Their first priority must be to defeat USC, no mean feat in light of their dreadful 2-7 history in the Rose under Schembechler. He publicly insists he is content with a Big Ten title.

“We’ve already won a championship; this is icing,” he said. “This is not a crusade.”

The Wolverines are not without solid arguments in their favor, however. The loss to the Irish came on two flukish kickoff returns for touchdowns by Raghib “Rocket” Ismail of 89 and 92 yards. They were forced to go with freshman quarterback Elvis Grbac when starter Michael Taylor was injured early. Since then they have won 10 straight games, which no other team but Colorado has been able to do.

“It would be fitting and nice, but it’s not necessary for us to feel accomplished,” Welborne said. “Things don’t turn out sometimes. But this could, easily.”

While Miami and Michigan benefited from a fortunate convergence of circumstances, Notre Dame couldn’t have lost at a worse time. Nothing drops a team so heavily as a late-season defeat. When the Hurricanes simply crushed the Irish, their self-conviction was severely undermined. How will they grapple with a loss for the first time in two years, and particularly the notion that the title could be beyond their grasp? Even if they defeat the Buffaloes, No. 1 could swing to the Hurricanes, and Holtz has told them plainly their prospects are not good.

“We know we must have help along the way,” linebacker Donn Grimm said.

The loss to Miami may have been inevitable when viewed in the context of an absolute trial of a season. Perhaps no colossus of a team could have survived the Notre Dame schedule of eight bowl teams and the numerous controversies. They lost players to disciplinary actions and were criticized for an unsightly pre-game brawl with USC.

Holtz acknowledged, “I don’t believe we’ll get a lot of sentimental votes.”

Against Miami they were uninspired. The offense led by option-oriented Tony Rice, normally so machine-like, did not score a touchdown. A single play was particularly emblematic: On third and 42 from his 7-yard line, Erickson completed a bomb for a first down that resulted in a demoralizing scoring drive.

“It took time to set in,” Grimm said. “We were not accustomed at all to losing. Not until we saw the consequence of it, dropping in the polls, did we accept it. It was like a nightmare. You hoped you’d wake up and it hadn’t happened.”

But Notre Dame is not a team that yields easily. The Irish have the added advantage that the burden of proof is on Colorado. “I don’t believe we’ve got a very good chance for the national championship,” Holtz said, but then added with typical obfuscation: “If we lose.”