Elitorial: Another Season, Another Mess

Poor Scott Frost.

The Nebraska Cornhusker quarterback transferred from Stanford a season ago to succeed Tommie Fraizer, the spectacular playmaker who brought two national championships to Lincoln. To the displeasure of Husker fans, Frost was no Fraizer last year. He has been booed in a stadium known for loyalty to its home players. He's been bashed by the media for his lack of toughness and will to win. But this year, the senior has brought leadership and surprising grit to a now unbeaten team.

Unless the Michigan Wolverines are upset by the Washington State Cougars at the Rose Bowl on New Year's Day, however, Frost--even though he has done virtually everything in his power--will not win a national championship. According to college football gurus, Michigan is the best team, ranked first in both the USA Today/ESPN Coaches' Poll and the Associated Press (AP) Writers' Poll. Another college football season, another poll controversy.

Most shockingly, all of this hasn't been that controversial. Michigan owns 69 of the 70 AP first-place votes. In the Coaches' Poll, it's 58-4 Michigan. Is it really that clear that the Wolverines are the best in the nation? Of course, we're talking about pollsters who watch fewer games than a typical big college football fan.

Still, they have their reasons for putting Michigan above Nebraska. Here they are:

Michigan's schedule is tougher than Nebraska's.

The biggest reason given for ranking the Wolverines over the Huskers is strength of schedule. Pollsters say that Michigan's opponents clearly have been tougher than the Huskers'. If they took the time to look at their own rankings, however, they would see that the Husker schedule has been just as difficult, if not more so, than the Wolverines'.

In the regular season, the highest-ranked team that Michigan played was Ohio State, which now stands 10th in the Coaches' poll. Michigan won, but it was close, 20-14. Nebraska's highest-ranked opponent, ninth-ranked Kansas State, could only come within 30 points of the Huskers. Nebraska has played three teams in the top 25, while Michigan has played two.

Nebraska still has a regular season game left with 14th- ranked Texas A&M on Sat., Dec. 6. If they win, the Big Red will have to face the third-ranked team in the nation in their Bowl game (either Tennessee or Florida State, depending on the outcome of Tennessee's game on Saturday against Auburn), while Michigan's lone remaining game is their Rose Bowl date with eighth-ranked Washington State.

If Nebraska and Michigan finish this season unbeaten, it will be clear whose opponents have been more impressive. Nebraska's overall schedule will have been significantly tougher than Michigan's.

Nebraska is lucky to be unbeaten.

A month ago, Nebraska was the number-one team in both polls. But after "The Miracle at Mizzou," the Huskers dropped two spots. Frost led his team down the field to score a miraculous game-tying touchdown that forced an overtime on the road against 20th-ranked Missouri. Sure, it was a lucky win. But who says that luck isn't a part of any championship run? Great teams find ways to win. Michigan hasn't been without its ugly games. At home against currently unranked Iowa, the Wolverines scored with just two minutes left in the game to beat the Hawkeyes. Michigan did not drop a slot after their less-than-stellar showing.

Both teams have had their share of spectacular blowouts and dangerously close calls.

Nebraska has won twice in the past three years, while Michigan earned its last title in 1948. The Wolverines deserve it.

Of course they do. This has been a dream season, and they have showed that they are capable of beating anyone. The Wolverine defense has been the most dominant in the nation. Cornerback Charles Woodson should win the Heisman Trophy, and quarterback Brian Griese still doesn't receive the respect he deserves. But as much as Michigan commands a trophy, so does Nebraska. A co-national championship is not unprecedented; it has happened twice this decade.

The last time a team went unbeaten and failed to win a championship was 1994, when Penn State finished second to these Huskers in both polls, even though the Nittany Lions had a perfect season. Maybe the pollsters feel it's payback time.

If the Huskers finish the season unbeaten and are denied a championship--and it appears that they will be--you have to feel for the Big Red players, players like Scott Frost, who weren't members of the national championship teams of '94 and '95. But in '97, they're part of a team that may be just as good.

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