Campus stroll

Sporting News, The, August 17, 1998 by Tom Dienhart, Mike Huguenin

The road of the Fiesta Bowl and a national championship will be lined with new stars, old rivalries, TSN walk you through everything you need to know.

It likely won't earn the nickname "January Madness," but college football's Bowl Championship Series is another step toward a playoff--which is inevitable--that so many people want to see.

As it stands, the BCS falls a step short, providing a matchup of two teams in a so-called "national championship game." After the game--to be played this season January 4 in the Fiesta Bowl--the pollsters will decide which team is No. 1. But that's all right. In fact, that's one thing that makes college football great. It means there still is room for debate, allowing the sport to remain the last that can boast of every game meaning something.

If things go the way we think, Florida State will play Nebraska in the inaugural BCS-generated title game. It will be a rematch of the Orange Bowl that followed the 1993 season, when the Seminoles finally buried their wide-right demons as a Nebraska field-goal attempt with one second left sailed wide left, giving Florida State an 18-16 victory for its first and only national title.

There are six teams that have the talent to have a legitimate chance of playing for the national title, but each has questions that may preclude greatness. Florida State is vulnerable at quarterback and linebacker. Nebraska's quarterback is an unknown quantity. Ohio State must shore up both lines. Florida has imperfect quarterbacks and a coach who demands perfection. Arizona State has an unproven defensive line. And Michigan needs a consistent quarterback and a big-play maker on offense.

Three other teams--Kansas State, West Virginia and UCLA--have a chance at the title only because of their schedules. There are questions about these teams, too. Kansas State's passing attack isn't consistent, and there is still a nagging feeling that the Wildcats aren't for real. West Virginia has numerous questions about its front seven on defense. And UCLA's defense remains undersized and is also full of holes.

Top o' the line

The best offenses and the best defenses? Glad you asked:

OFFENSE

1. Arizona State 2. Ohio State 3. Florida State 4. UCLA 5. Nebraska 6. Kentucky 7. Syracuse 8. West Virginia 9. Tennessee 10. Arizona

DEFENSE

1. Florida 2. Michigan 3. Nebraska 4. Florida State 5. Kansas State 6. Michigan State 7. Virginia 8. North Carolina 9. Southern Miss 10. USC

Questions at quarterback

Perhaps no school has more on the line at quarterback than Florida State. With Dan Kendra out for the season (knee injury), sophomore Chris Weinke, 26, will control the offense of TSN's No. I team. He has prototypical size (6-5, 243), great smarts and the maturity to succeed. Plus, his surrounding talent is unmatched. But the last time Weinke started a game was in 1989, when he was a senior at St. Paul (Minn.) Cretin-Derham Hall. FSU isn't our only preseason Top 25 team praying for good play from an unproven quarterback:

No. 2 Nebraska: Sophomore Bobby Newcombe is one of the nation's top athletes. How will he fare running the option?

No. 4 Florida: Canadian sophomore Jesse Palmer likely will be the starter as Doug Johnson recovers from a shoulder problem.

No. 6 Michigan: Like Brian Griese last season, junior Tom Brady will be asked not to lose games.

No. 11 Tennessee: He's no Peyton Manning--who is?--but athletic junior Tee Martin will become a star.

No. 14 Penn State: Big junior Kevin Thompson is the safe pick, but sophomore Rashard Casey may be the more talented option.

No. 16 Notre Dame: Ten years later, junior Jarious Jackson looks to reprise Tony Rice's role--that of a QB on a tide-winning team.

No. 19 Colorado Stata: A talented supporting cast reduces the pressure on senior Ryan Eslinger, who hasn't started a game in his career.

No. 20 USC: Sophomore Mike Van Raaphorst is the man--for now. But don't count out junior John Fox, the former starter.

No. 22 Georgia: True freshman Quincy Carter will be thrilling--and exasperating. If Carter doesn't come through, the `Dogs could be in trouble.

No. 23 Colorado: A commitment to the ground game should help ease the burden on junior Jeremy Weisinger, a good runner/passer.

Movin' on up

Frequently, a key to a winning season is the emergence of former reserves as starters--and stars. Here are some sophomores who, for the most part, were reserves last season but will be key starters this year:

UCLA DE Kenyon Coleman. Coleman generally was considered one of the top offensive linemen in the West as a high school star. He made 15 tackles as a true freshman last year; he should have that many by the fifth game this season.

Ohio State TB Derek Combs. Combs is a former "Mr. Ohio" who showed great acceleration as a true freshman last season. Michael Wiley is the likely starter at tailback for the Buckeyes, but Combs' ample talent, superb speed and great size (6-2, 190) mean he'll play a lot.

Florida SS Rod Graddy. He didn't get much time as a redshirt freshman but has progressed so rapidly that Gators coaches had no problem moving Tony George to cornerback from strong safety. Graddy is a big guy (6-1, 203) who can move and hit.