Who’s Playing? Who Knows?

Is it New Year’s Day or April Fool’s? You can’t tell by the way Stanford keeps changing its story on who’s going to play and who’s not in today’s Rose Bowl.

First, defensive tackle Willie Howard wasn’t going to play and now he probably is. Receiver Troy Walters supposedly suffered a season-ending dislocated wrist Tuesday during practice. He cried Wednesday telling reporters he wouldn’t play. By Friday, Coach Tyrone Willingham said he’s still hopeful Walters will play.

“At the time, that was the best information we had,” Willingham said of Walters’ original diagnosis.

Then there’s center Mike McLaughlin, who has started 45 consecutive games and was expected to play. But Willingham said McLaughlin is a “question mark” because of a knee injury. McLaughlin did not practice Thursday.

“It does impact us tremendously,” Willingham said of McLaughlin’s injury.

Unlike the NFL, where teams are required to provide accurate injury information or face fines, Stanford is under no obligation to reveal injuries to the public.

Whether the team has been trying to confuse Wisconsin or someone else, the Cardinal has made it a requirement for fans arriving early to the Rose Bowl to bring their binoculars to see who’s in uniform.

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If Stanford is to move the ball effectively, its offensive line will be the key.

“It all starts with the line,” Willingham said. “Most of the time we don’t mention them because it seems like everybody pays more attention to the marquee players, the guys that score the touchdowns, but we could not do anything without our line.”

The two most visible, decorated players are 6-foot-7, 300-pound left tackle Jeff Cronshagen and 6-4, 310-pound center McLaughlin, both first-team All-Pacific 10 Conference selections.

Cronshagen grew up a UCLA fan. His father graduated from UCLA, and Cronshagen spent two summers while in high school attending the UCLA football camp. But when the Bruins didn’t have a scholarship available, he signed with Stanford out of Livermore High and has come to love the colors of cardinal and white.

McLaughlin has played hurt before and will probably do everything possible to play. No one knows the offense better. No one can read defenses better. No one has worked harder to make himself a top player.

“I remember when I came to Stanford, I weighed 270 pounds,” McLaughlin said. “I had pencil arms and didn’t think I’d be anything. I remember playing in the Liberty Bowl. We were in Memphis and we were freezing our butts off.

“Jeff Cronshagen and I, along with Matt Motherway, were sitting on the sideline shaking and a coach comes up and goes, ‘I think of you guys playing for us later and I weep.’ I kind of figured I’d play here and there. For me to be here [at the Rose Bowl] is a dream come true.”

If McLaughlin is unable to play, left guard Zack Quaccia will move to center and backup guard Joe Fairchild will move into the starting lineup.