Washington, Miami Win--So Who’s No. 1?

The University of Washington, trying to prove it is the best college football team in the country, got no arguments Wednesday from the Michigan Wolverines.

The Miami Hurricanes, on the other hand, would beg to differ.

Washington combined an efficient offense and a dominating defense to defeat Michigan, 34-14, in the 78th Rose Bowl game.

Before a crowd of 103,566, the Huskies completed their season with a 12-0 record. They had been ranked No. 2 in the Associated Press poll of sportswriters, behind Miami.

The Huskies’ impressive victory, however, might not be good enough to lift them to No. 1, because Miami also improved its record to 12-0 with a 22-0 victory over Nebraska in the Orange Bowl in Miami.

The national championship will be decided by the AP voters, not on the field, with the final results to be announced today.

“Who knows how the voters will vote?” Miami Coach Dennis Erickson said.

Washington never trailed Michigan (10-2), which was ranked No. 4 going into the game.

The Huskies led at halftime, 13-7, and stretched the margin to 34-7 in the fourth quarter.

The score could have been more one-sided. Washington had to settle for two short field goals in the first half after drives stalled inside the Michigan 10-yard line.

It was the Huskies’ defense that made the difference, holding the Wolverines to 205 yards and keeping Michigan’s Heisman Trophy winner, wide receiver Desmond Howard, in check.

Howard, who scored a Michigan-record 23 touchdowns this season, caught one pass for 35 yards, ran once for 15 yards and had kickoff and punt returns totaling 60 yards.

The offensive star of the game for the Huskies was quarterback Billy Joe Hobert, who completed 18 of 34 passes for 192 yards, scored the game’s first touchdown on a two-yard run and passed for two other touchdowns.

On defense, Washington lineman Steve Emtman, who already had won the Outland and Lombardi awards, sparked a fierce rush that led to six quarterback sacks.

Hobert and Emtman shared most valuable player honors.

Mario Bailey caught six passes for 126 yards for Washington, including a 38-yard pass from backup quarterback Mark Brunell, who was the MVP in the Huskies’ 46-34 victory over Iowa in last year’s Rose Bowl game.

In the Orange Bowl, Miami made it look easy against Nebraska (9-2-1), which had been defeated by Washington earlier in the season.

Freshman Larry Jones rushed for 144 yards, Gino Torretta threw a touchdown pass and Carlos Huerta kicked three field goals, including a 54-yarder.

Miami made quick work of the Cornhuskers, going 51 yards in five plays in their first possession, then taking the second-half kickoff and marching 66 yards in 10 plays to take a 19-0 lead.

Nebraska, the leading rushing team in the nation, did not get a first down until 6:11 remained in the second quarter and was shut out for the first time since 1973.

In other games, Notre Dame knocked off third-ranked Florida, 39-28, in the Sugar Bowl; Penn State routed Tennessee, 42-17, in the Fiesta Bowl; California beat Clemson, 37-13, in the Citrus Bowl; Florida State got past Texas A&M;, 10-2, in the Cotton Bowl; Syracuse defeated Ohio State, 24-17, in the Hall of Fame Bowl; and East Carolina rallied to defeat North Carolina State in the Peach Bowl, 37-34.

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