COLLEGE FOOTBALL / GENE WOJCIECHOWSKI : Players Aren’t Innocent Here

If USC running back Shawn Walters wants to accept nearly $16,000 from an agent, let him. But when word gets out--and eventually it does--don’t do what a somber, seething John Robinson did, which was compare agent middlemen to drug dealers and whine about the “consequences” paid only by the poor little athletes.

As the mushroom cloud that is Caron-gate begins to dissipate, maybe it’s time to quit blaming assorted agents and their sleazy moles for practicing their cutthroat form of free enterprise. And enough already with the embarrassed alumni who wonder why Robinson didn’t know a thing about the alleged payments to Walters and Trojan teammates Errick Herrin and Israel Ifeanyi.

Instead, it is time to acknowledge who really is at fault here. It isn’t only the agents. It isn’t the coaches. It is the players, who somehow are portrayed as borderline victims when news about the payoffs hits the fan.

Robinson was right about one thing: The players are responsible for their own actions. For allegedly taking the money, Walters, Herrin and Ifeanyi ought to be shown the locker room door--at least until they repay the loans. And the same goes for UCLA’s Donnie Edwards or the eight other players from five other schools whose names have been linked to agent Robert Troy Caron. If they cheated, see ya.

Generally speaking, agents in desperate need of clients appeal to a player’s vanity, his empty wallet and his weaknesses. They shower a pro prospect with temptation and then hope the player forgets where he placed his moral compass.

The player then makes a decision: Abide by the rules or compromise them and, in the process, compromise your team, your coaches and your future. In the case of Walters, Herrin and Ifeanyi, their compasses apparently quit pointing in the right direction months ago.

There are no excuses. It wasn’t as if the players looked at the agent-supplied cash and thought it was a neat way to learn the names of dead presidents. And sure there were middlemen to provide an extra layer of agent insulation, but do you really think Walters didn’t know where the money was coming from? The players in question were knuckleheads, and now they’re on the outside looking in.

Tom Hansen, commissioner of the Pacific 10 Conference, isn’t so sure it’s that easy. He doesn’t condone the players’ actions, but he can see how it happens.

“They are accountable, but yet that’s a very, very large responsibility to place on them, particularly with the insidious nature of the people the agents hire to be with and influence the players,” Hansen said. “I think it’s a very, very difficult situation.”

Nothing against Hansen, but you either follow the rules or you don’t. Also, this wasn’t walking-around money we’re talking about. This wasn’t a movie and then a root beer float at the campus malt shop. Nor was it for necessities or for an emergency (a plane ticket home for a funeral, a sportcoat to meet the team dress code, etc.). The NCAA has a Needy Student-Athlete Fund for such situations.

No, this was money for a sports hypnotist, rental cars and plane tickets, among other things. Luxuries.

“If the money comes straight from an agent, there’s no question about [who’s at fault],” said Pac-10 associate commissioner David Price, who conducted the conference’s investigation into the matter. “And I have no sympathy whatsoever because there is no doubt that players know they’re not supposed to take money from agents.”

Exactly.

AGENTS--PART II

Florida State Coach Bobby Bowden, whose own program was rocked by an agent-bankrolled shopping spree during the summer of 1994, said he knows exactly how Robinson feels.

“The first thing I thought was, ‘Oh, how vulnerable we all are,’ ” Bowden said. “Not just Southern Cal, but everybody. If you’ve got a great player, you are vulnerable.”

Since Florida State’s scandal, which involved at least 10 players, Bowden has prohibited any agents from visiting the dorms. He lectures his players on agents. He applauds the passage of state legislation meant to punish unethical agents. And in something of a symbolic gesture, he won’t allow five former Seminoles--all seniors at the time--to receive their 1994 national championship rings until they make restitution on the gifts they took.

“But I’m still afraid,” he said. “I still think it’s there.”

Having gone through it, Bowden said there is no way to monitor the actions of 85 scholarship players. If a player really wants to make a deal with an agent, there’s not much a coach can do.

“No. 1, I wish we all had nothing but choirboys on our team,” Bowden said. “I’m talking about the boys who wear the crosses around their neck and live by that Bible. But there’s only so many of those boys around.

“No, the only sure answer is the player. It ultimately gets down to the individual saying, ‘This isn’t right.’ ”

SOONER NATION UPDATE

It was vintage Howard Schnellenberger, which is to say, a nice mixture of theatrics, camp and a straight face.

Asked before last Saturday’s game against Colorado about the absence of injured Buffalo quarterback Koy Detmer, Schnellenberger said, “I would prefer Detmer play. Our football team would prefer Detmer play. I don’t want a damn asterisk when we beat [them].”

The quote was on Colorado bulletin boards faster than Schnellenberger could light his pipe. A few days later, the Buffaloes defeated Oklahoma by 19 points, their fourth consecutive victory at Norman.

Colorado Coach Rick Neuheisel tried not to gloat, but his heart wasn’t in it. He took a good-natured shot at Schnellenberger, who is known to pop off on occasion.

“I always enjoy beating anyone’s asterisk,” Neuheisel said.

And, by the way, did you see the Pregame Schnellenberger vs. the During-game Schnellenberger?

Pregame: Looking calm and relaxed in his Oklahoma-red blazer, Schnellenberger conducted an ESPN interview about six hours before kickoff. He puffed on his pipe and waxed poetic about his Sooner rebuilding process.

During game: As the Sooners self-destructed in the second half, Schnellenberger was a sideline cameraman’s delight. His face was the color of his jacket and at one point, he made a beeline to the bench to confront his players. Already there was a Sooner assistant, who F-worded his way into broadcasting history.

Schnellenberger spotted the sideline camera and angrily waved the camera operator away. Minutes later, from another camera angle, you could see Schnellenberger dressing down a stadium security guard.

RUNNING OUT OF OPTIONS

Notre Dame is 9-6-1 since quarterback Ron Powlus became a starter in 1994. With each loss comes more questions, such as, why does Coach Lou Holtz insist on using the option attack with the 6-2, 217-pound Powlus, who runs as if he’s dragging the four horses used by Miller, Layden, Crowley and Stuhldreher?

Here’s why: “As long as Lou Holtz is coaching,” said Florida State’s Bowden, “there’s going to be an option attack.”

Bowden, whose Seminoles had an open date, watched Ohio State beat Notre Dame last Saturday. He also saw as Powlus tried (with little success) to run the option against the Buckeyes.

“You know, it was very effective against us,” Bowden said of last year’s 23-16 Seminole victory. “[Holtz] did not run the option at the first of the game. He ran it at the end and we could not stop it. It’s a play that can hurt you no matter what you do. But [Powlus] is the weakness of it.”

THE REST

After a 5-0 start, including victories over Virginia, Boston College and Illinois, maybe Michigan Athletic Director Joe Roberson might want to reassess the situation and reward Wolverine interim Coach Lloyd Carr with an actual head coach contract. Carr has won a big game (Virginia), won under stressful circumstances (Gary Moeller resigned in disgrace less than four months before the 1995 season began) and won with two new quarterbacks (Scott Dreisbach, who later injured his thumb, and former walk-on Brian Griese). The Wolverines haven’t had this sort of start since 1986, when they won their first nine games. . . . Griese’s backup is Jason Carr, the coach’s son. . . . At least one Holtz is having a good year. Skip Holtz’s Connecticut team is 4-0.

According to the Kansas City Star, the Houston Astrodome has bid the most for the Big 12 Conference championship game, which is tentatively scheduled for Dec. 7, 1996. Under the terms of the deal, each of the Big 12 member schools would receive about $684,000 from the title game. The other bidders: Arrowhead Stadium, St. Louis’ Trans World Dome, the Alamodome, Texas Stadium and the University of Nebraska, whose Memorial Stadium has had an NCAA-record 203 consecutive sellouts. . . . Georgia Athletic Director Vince Dooley, who fired longtime Bulldog basketball coach Hugh Durham months ago, is now faced with another decision: Keep Ray Goff, who barely survived the criticism during last year’s 6-4-1 finish? The answer: yes. Georgia is 2-3 and headed for a 4-7 or 5-6 record, but it isn’t Goff’s fault. He lost starting tailback Robert Edwards in the second game and starting quarterback Mike Bobo in the fourth game. . . . Minutes after Ohio State’s 45-26 victory over Notre Dame, Buckeye Coach John Cooper began the campaign. “If [Eddie George] isn’t just right in the middle of the Heisman race, then I don’t know what he has to do,” he said. Take a pill, Coop. George, whose 160-yard rushing average is third best in the country, is in the race. Our short list: 1) Florida quarterback Danny Wuerffel (third in passing efficiency, 12 touchdown throws), 2) USC wide receiver Keyshawn Johnson (12 consecutive 100-yard games), 3) Florida State quarterback Danny Kanell (fourth in passing efficiency, completing 70.7% of his passes, 11.2% of which go for touchdowns), 4) Ohio State’s George (ask Notre Dame for credentials), 5) Iowa State running back Troy Davis (leads country in rushing with 228-yard average).

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

Top 10

As selected by staff writer Gene Wojciechowski

*--*

No. Team Record 1. Nebraska 5-0 2. Florida State 4-0 3. Colorado 5-0 4. Florida 4-0 5. Ohio State 4-0 6. Michigan 5-0 7. USC 4-0 8. Texas A&M; 2-1 9. Auburn 3-1 10. Tennessee 4-1

*--*

Waiting list: 11. Virginia (5-1), 12. Penn State (3-1), 13. Kansas State (4-0), 14. Washington (3-1), 15. Oklahoma (3-1), 16. Texas (3-1), 17. Alabama (3-1), 18. Stanford (3-0-1), 19. LSU (3-1-1), 20. Oregon (3-1), 21. Arkansas (4-1), 22. Wisconsin (2-1-1), 23. Kansas (4-0), 24. Northwestern (3-1), 25. Notre Dame (3-2).