COLLEGE FOOTBALL / GENE WOJCIECHOWSKI : They Haven’t Won Yet, but They Lead at the Half

It just wouldn’t be the halfway point of the season without some meaningless awards. Here are two to ponder:

PLAYER OF THE HALF SEASON

And the nominees are . . . .

Charlie Ward, Florida State quarterback--If you happened to watch Ward’s 18-yard touchdown run against Virginia last Saturday, you know why Heisman Trophy engravers are asking if he spells his first name with an “ey” or “ie.” Ward has completed 70.1% of his passes and, unlike last year, when he was a defensive back’s best friend, has thrown only one interception.

Heath Shuler, Tennessee quarterback--Shuler has thrown for more touchdowns than Ward and nearly pulled off the upset of the half season against Alabama at Birmingham last Saturday. Sure, he went 0 for 8 in the second half, but a bum left shoulder didn’t help. Ask NFL scouts who might go first in the next draft and Shuler’s name is mentioned.

Tyrone Wheatley, Michigan running back--Strained back muscle and all, Wheatley rushed for 192 yards against Penn State last week. Without him, the Wolverines would be headed to the Liberty Bowl.

LeShon Johnson, Northern Illinois running back--Before you dismiss Johnson’s NCAA-leading 1,333 yards--nearly 500 yards more than second-place Brent Moss of Wisconsin--his 190-yard average, his three consecutive 200-yard games and his 322-yard performance against Southern Illinois, remember this from Wisconsin defensive coordinator Dan McCarney, who saw Johnson gain 107 yards against the Badgers last year:

“We thought he was for real. He’s a tough back, he’s legitimate. I remember when (Northern Illinois Coach) Charlie Sadler told me that he wouldn’t be surprised if Johnson got 1,500 yards his first year. I mean, that’s a lot of yards for anybody, but he ended up getting 1,300, 1,400 yards (1,338, to be exact).”

Derrick Brooks, Florida State linebacker--The heart and soul of a Seminole defense ranked first nationally in scoring defense, fifth in total defense and 11th in rushing defense.

And the winner is . . . Ward. Simply the best college player in the game. One of the few who can make you say, “Did you see that?”

COACH OF THE HALF SEASON

And the nominees are . . . .

Terry Bowden, Auburn--He came from Division I-AA Samford. He had to follow the revered Pat Dye. He was resented by many of the old-blood Auburn types, including some within the school’s athletic department. He accepted the job knowing full well that the program was bound for NCAA probation. He inherited a team that nearly lost to Southwestern Louisiana and finished 5-5-1 a season ago. His father is the second-winningest active coach in Division I-A.

Yes, well, so much for initiation rites. Bowden’s Tigers are 7-0, the best start for a first-year coach in Auburn history. An undefeated season isn’t out of the question, what with the Tigers likely to be favored against Arkansas, New Mexico State and Georgia. And in what amounts to a bowl game for the Tigers, who are ineligible for postseason play and televised games, Auburn gets archrival Alabama at Jordan-Hare Stadium in the season finale.

Bobby Bowden, Florida State--The Seminoles have the most talent of any team in the country, but they also have the most demanding schedule. Not that you’d know it by the scores. Florida State is 4-0 against ranked teams and has outscored the opposition, 158-31. The Seminoles also are 6-0 against previously undefeated teams.

None of this happened by accident. Bowden may not be the best strategist in the business, but few coaches have a better intuitive feel for the flow of a game. Even fewer coaches relate to their players as well as Bowden. It shows.

Terry Donahue, UCLA--Our apologies to the Teflon Man. At season’s beginning we came, we saw, we ripped. Considering the 0-2 start, the brutal schedule and the injuries, Donahue and the Bruins deserve better than No. 19 in the Associated Press poll.

Lou Holtz, Notre Dame--By the time Holtz is done hyping this week’s USC game, you’ll think O.J., Ronnie Lott and Lynn Swann are still in uniform. But say this much for the guy: The Irish are unbeaten, ranked second in the country and poised for a national championship run. All this despite a tough schedule and having to find seven new offensive starters, including a new quarterback, halfback, fullback and tight end.

Barry Alvarez, Wisconsin--The Badgers are 6-0 for the first time since 1912, 3-0 in the Big Ten for the first time since 1977 and assured of a winning season for the first time since 1984. Any other questions?

And the winner is . . . Terry Bowden. Even his old man admitted that much the day after Auburn’s 38-35 upset of Florida last Saturday. “I think that just cost me coach of the year,” Bobby Bowden told Gary Long of the Miami Herald.

He’s half right.

BOWL UPDATE

Bad news on the bowl coalition front: The Orange Bowl has become the midseason favorite to play host to a national championship game. That can only mean one thing. . . .

Nebraska.

The Cornhuskers, of course, haven’t won a bowl game of importance since silos were invented. But because of the coalition’s selection order, the Orange Bowl, with its ties to the Big Eight Conference, appears to have moved in front of the three other alliance members, the Sugar, Cotton and Fiesta bowls.

The way it works: Right now, Nebraska has the highest ranking in the combined AP-USA Today/CNN coaches’ poll. If the regular season ended today, the Orange Bowl would get first pick of coalition-eligible teams. In all likelihood, it would be the winner of the game Nov. 13 between Florida State and Notre Dame.

If, say, Texas A&M; somehow finished ranked No. 1, the Cotton Bowl would draft first. The same goes for the Sugar Bowl if Alabama or Florida somehow can manage to climb to No. 1. As for the Fiesta, its best hope for a national championship game centers on Miami. If the Hurricanes can move up to No. 2, the Fiesta could get the winner of the Florida State-Notre Dame game. Either that, or the Fiesta needs the Seminoles and Irish to play the greatest game of all time Nov. 13, tie and remain ranked Nos. 1 and 2 in the polls.

There’s another scenario, one that causes coalition organizers to reach for their Tums. If Ohio State or Arizona finish the regular season undefeated and ranked No. 1 or 2, the bowl alliance probably can forget about a national title game. The honor will then belong to the Rose Bowl, which is flying solo these days.

To stay unbeaten, win the Pac-10 title and the automatic Rose Bowl bid, Arizona still has to survive a schedule that includes Washington State, UCLA, Oregon, Cal and Arizona State. As for the Buckeyes, they still have Purdue, Penn State, Wisconsin, Indiana and Michigan.

WHAT CONTROVERSY?

Miami switched starting quarterbacks earlier this week, from first-year junior starter Frank Costa to first-time sophomore starter Ryan Collins. Hurricane Coach Dennis Erickson tried to soft-pedal the change, but it was apparent that the offense was going nowhere fast with Costa.

“The decision was not made on how Frank Costa is playing, more on how Ryan Collins is playing,” Erickson said. “We’re a little stagnant on offense. It’s not Frank’s fault. There’s not much difference in the two.”

Miami, which plays Syracuse Saturday, is averaging 23.8 points, which puts it 57th among 106 Division I-A schools in scoring. That isn’t exactly what Erickson had in mind. So off to the bench goes Costa, becoming the first Hurricane starting quarterback in at least a decade to be demoted.

THE REST

Ron Powlus’ first year at Notre Dame has been memorable, but for all the wrong reasons. The freshman quarterback, considered to be the top newcomer in the country, suffered a broken right collarbone during an Irish scrimmage Aug. 28. He began soft-tossing the football about two weeks ago and was tentatively scheduled for an Oct. 30 return against Navy or possibly Nov. 13 against Florida State. Then he broke the collarbone again last Sunday during a passing drill. Notre Dame could request a medical redshirt from the NCAA after Powlus’ senior season.

Iowa Coach Hayden Fry is making noises about calling it quits after this season. Spoiled Iowa fans are making noises, too--the booing kind. After last Saturday’s 49-3 loss to Illinois at Iowa City--the worst at Kinnick Stadium since Fry arrived 13 years ago--it’s easy to understand why. In their last two Big Ten games at home, the Hawkeyes have been outscored, 80-3. Overall, conference opponents have outscored Iowa, 120-20.

“Well, the sun doesn’t shine on the same dog’s rump every day,” Fry said afterward. It did, however, shine on the rump of Jeff Schwartzentraub, a fifth-year senior walk-on quarterback for Illinois. Schwartzentraub, who scored the final touchdown of the day, had never before played in a varsity game.

If Fry does retire, don’t be surprised. Those who know him well say he probably was going to quit after the 1994 season anyway, staying long enough to see how things turned out with the 10 junior college players he recruited to bolster a roster that had lots of holes.

Possible replacements: Kansas State’s Bill Snyder, a former Iowa assistant who recently signed a long-term deal with Kansas State, Wisconsin’s McCarney and Northern Iowa’s Terry Allen. According to terms of Snyder’s contract, he apparently would be allowed to break the deal without financial penalty only if he leaves for Iowa. That’s a convenient escape clause.

After last week’s embarrassing 20-16 upset by Wake Forest, Clemson Coach Ken Hatfield may want to explore the exciting possibilities of an Amway distributorship. Or as Kramer might say on “Seinfeld:” “Listen to the bell, Hatfield. For it tolls for thee.” Wake Forest broke a 15-game losing streak to Clemson last year. This time, it ended a 16-game losing streak at Death Valley.

Top 10

As selected by staff writer Gene Wojciechowski

No. Team Record 1. Florida State 7-0 2. Notre Dame 7-0 3. Ohio State 6-0 4. Alabama 5-0-1 5. Nebraska 6-0 6. Auburn 7-0 7. Miami 4-1 8. Arizona 6-0 9. North Carolina 7-1 10. Texas A&M; 5-1

Waiting list: Tennessee (5-1-1), Wisconsin (6-0), UCLA (4-2), Florida (5-1), Penn State (5-1).