Playboy's Pigskin Preview

An Unforeseen revolution has begun in college athletics: It will soon be fashionable for 280-pound defensive linemen and jet-propelled halfbacks to have reading and writing skills. Assistant coaches on recruiting safaris these days study high school players' S.A.T. scores almost as assiduously as their times in the 40-yard dash. Some academic counselors in athletic dorms are under as much pressure as head coaches coming off 3-8 seasons. And, most wondrous of all, the pre-season hype about All-America prospects is suddenly laden with references to academic majors and gradepoint averages.

The shit hit the fan last winter, when a contingent of university presidents showed up at the N.C.A.A.'s annual meeting in San Diego, demanding to be heard. Those academic hard-hitters insisted on reform of academic standards for N.C.A.A. athletes. Their militancy had been inspired, they said, by a long-standing bastardization of university standards by coaches who keep giving scholarships to superstuds who can't read the menu at McDonald's. The academicians pointed to an embarrassing incident last year, when a Los Angeles judge passed sentence on a former UCLA linebacker, requiring that he be taught to read and write as a condition of his probation.

Over martinis at ancillary cocktail parties, the university presidents decried (anonymously, of course) the scandalous exploitation of illiterate black athletes by predominantly black schools in the South. At those institutions, it seems, athletes are steered into ludicrous academic courses and then are booted out of school once their athletic eligibility expires.

Penn State's Joe Paterno, coach of the 1982 national champions, joined the out-cry. "We have raped an entire generation of young black athletes," he told network TV reporters. "We've taken kids and sold them on the idea that bouncing a basketball or running a football was going to be an end in itself. We can't afford to do that to another generation. We can't afford to have kids coming into our great educational institutions unprepared to take advantage of what those institutions can do for them."

All of that sounded very good. The nation applauded the reforms that were promised. But, in retrospect, things don't look so black and white. The predominantly black Southern schools, in particular, were incensed by Paterno's pontificating.

"The real problem lies in what has happened to black kids as a result of the racial integration of public schools," an athletic-department spokesman at Tennessee State told us. "With the onset of integration and the Federal Government's insistence on a specified percentage of white teachers in previously all-black schools, everything changed. White teachers either deliberately ignored academic standards or were scared of the flak they would get if they tried to discipline black kids. So they just automatically passed the kids from one grade to another and graduated a bunch of black illiterates.

"Sure, we give some athletic scholarships to academically deprived youngsters. We have courses at our school, such as agriculture and brick masonry, that a lot of snobby schools would laugh at. But these kids come to school and spend four years learning job skills. They go out of here skilled workers. And you know what? They'll probably make a lot more money than someone who graduates from Yale with a degree in medieval literature. So we're exploiting an academically deprived kid by giving him an athletic scholarship? Bullshit!"

We intend to watch the coming academics-vs.-athletics struggle from neutral high ground. For now, though, (continued on page 146)Pigskin Preview(continued from page 128) let's take a look at the prospects of the various teams, hopeful that the demands of brick masonry and medieval literature alike won't overtax too many performers.

Enough talent was graduated from Penn State to stock a pro franchise, but that doesn't mean the squad'll be Nittany Kittens this year. The backups waiting in the wings could be as good as their predecessors. A new quarterback (either Doug Strang or Dan Lonergan) will be throwing to Kenny Jackson, one of the nation's better receivers. The defense, anchored by tackle Greg Gattuso and safety Mark Robinson, will be nearly impenetrable.

West Virginia's Jeff Hostetler will once again be one of the nation's best quarter-backs, but he may be upstaged by a trio of flashy young runners on his own team--John Gay, Tom Gray and Pat Randolph. After two years of top-20 finishes, the Mountaineers are beginning to make all those flatlanders respect them.

The Army football program is rising from years of oblivion and will have a winning season for the first time in memory, largely because the early-season schedule is seeded with pushovers. After a purgatorial spring practice under new coach Jim Young, the Cadets will probably obliterate their weaker opponents.

Boston College's schedule is so top-heavy with top-20 teams that the Eagles could be one of the country's better bets and still post a so-so record. The quarter-backing of Doug Flutie will again be excellent and the running attack, led by Troy Stradford and Ken Bell, will be improved, but coach Jack Bicknell needs to find some people who can catch the ball.

After two 5-6 seasons, Rutgers will crack the winner's column if a young offensive front can hold the line. Scarlet football has become a family affair, with two sets of twins on the team, plus several squad members whose older siblings once toiled in New Brunswick.

Navy will be much stronger than its West Point rival, but the schedule will make for some rough sailing. The Mids have another sturdy defensive unit, plus a deep offensive line to protect quarterback Ricky Williamson. With a stable of good receivers, look for Williamson and the Middies to come out firing plenty of surface-to-air missiles.

Colgate will field an experienced squad led by record-breaking quarterback Steve Calabria, but a tough schedule will preclude a winning season for the team that made fluoride famous.

The Pitt Panthers are young and inexperienced. The departure of last year's superb senior class left big gaps almost everywhere in the line-up. The one bright spot is in the offensive line--Playboy All-America tackle Bill Fralic just may be the best in the history of the game.

Temple has a new coach (Bruce Arians), a top-grade quarterback (Tim Riordan) and an excellent defensive back-field--but hardly anyone on the bench. The Owls' fortunes, therefore, will depend largely on the vicissitudes of injury.

The Syracuse athletic department ought to be declared a disaster area. The Orangemen have averaged four wins per season for ten years now. Morale is in the pits. A telephone call soliciting information (Syracuse refuses to fill out media questionnaires) brought one curt comment: "We're going to be shitty." The defensive unit will be respectable, but any offensive output will depend largely on whether or not three of last season's top Orange runners can regain academic eligibility.

The Ivy League invariably has the most evenly balanced--and the least predictable--championship race in the country. This year, Dartmouth will have the most improved team in the brain chain and should, therefore, take home the laurels. The main reason for the Greenies' improvement is the maturation of last year's freshman team, the best in school history.

Brown, with solid crews of returnees on both offense and defense, ought to slip into second.

Pennsylvania and Yale have unsettled quarterback positions. Both schools, though, boast strong defensive units built around veteran lines.

Princeton quarterback Steve Cusma will emerge this year as the Ivy League's best. He has a pair of sure-handed targets in Kevin Guthrie and Derek Graham, but other than that, the Tigers have no claws.

Harvard has been depleted by graduation, so the Crimson will be rather green until late in the season. The biggest problem is the quarterback position. Soph Brian White will probably win the job.

Columbia and Cornell are in the midst of rebuilding projects and both teams still have a long way to go. Columbia will have to play even its home games on the road while a new stadium goes up, but the Lions, with quarterback John Witkowski, can play the passing game with the best of them. New Cornell coach Maxie Baughan inherits a squad crushed by commencement.

The Big Ten story has the same old plot, the same old actors: It's Michigan and Ohio State in the lead roles, with a largely inept (except for a possible Iowa cameo) supporting cast.

Michigan can overwhelm most opponents with sheer waves of manpower. The Wolverines have more depth than the Marianas Trench. They have more quality running backs than you can find on most N.F.L. rosters. Both lines are, in a word, awesome.

The Ohio State attack--surprise!--will be ground based. Playboy All-America fullback Vaughn Broadnax should benefit mightily from the blocking of the biggest offensive line in OSU history. If a thin defensive line can stay clear of injuries, the Buckeyes will be right there with the top-dozen teams in the country.

Iowa just may provide an exciting subplot in the otherwise repetitious Big Ten script. The Hawkeyes were surprisingly strong last season, and nearly all of the offensive mainstays are back in camp. The only potential problem is a youthful defensive line, but it looked good in spring drills.

The big question at Illinois is, Who's going to throw the ball? There is no heir apparent to Tony Eason for the quarter-back job, but there are three passable passers in camp, and coach Mike White has a way of finding anonymous Joe Namath types in the California junior college circuit. Whoever takes the snap, look for the Illini to field the most potent offense in the conference. Again.

Northwestern, with 19 of last year's starters returning, will be the most dramatically improved team in the league. Quarterback Sandy Schwab set 15 N.C.A.A. records and countless Big Ten and school records during his freshman year and should be even more impressive as a sophomore. Look for the Wildcats to challenge for the Big Ten title in 1985, when Schwab will be a senior.

With a lethal attack unit and a laughable defense, Purdue will be involved in a lot of high-scoring games. Transfer wide receiver Jeff Price looks like an instant star. The Boilermakers have their strongest stable of runners in many years, plus five quarterbacks talented enough to be starters. The offensive line will be mature, massive and malevolent. The Boilers could easily put some pressure on the rest of the league.

Michigan State has a new coach, George Perles, a new pro-set offense, a fine crop of recruits--and not much hope for a winning season. With little proven talent and even less experience, the Spartans will have a very Spartan autumn.

Wisconsin's hopes this season lie with a large contingent of freshman redshirts. Best of the newcomers are tailback Larry Emery and linebackers Michael Reid and Craig Raddatz.

New Indiana coach Sam Wyche has installed a pro-type passing attack to be run by sophomore quarterback Steve Bradley. The defense, with only three returning starters, will be, well, porous.

Minnesota coach Joe Salem has eight new assistants, and their work load is heavy. They must rebuild both lines, find a new quarterback (rookies Greg Murphy and Brett Sadek are the best bets) and try to figure out a way to avoid a repeat of the unbelievable string of injuries that wiped out the Gophers last year.

The Mid-American Conference race will be a four-team scramble. Bowling Green has the inside track, thanks to sophomore quarterback Brian McClure and a seasoned defensive unit.

Ohio University and Western Michigan, with experienced offensive crews, are also title contenders. The surprise team of the league could be Eastern Michigan. First-year Huron coach Jim Harkema has his choice of two talented quarterbacks, Steve Coulter and Robert Gordon.

Both Northern Illinois and Miami face suicidal early-season schedules. If either turns in a winning record, somebody should break out the medals for battlefield valor.

This will presumably be the year Notre Dame returns to gridiron respectability. The big problem in South Bend has been the ineffective leadership of Gerry Faust, who has often been more of a cheerleader than a head coach. Faust got the job three years ago, and not just because he was the nation's most successful high school coach--he's even more Catholic than Lech Walesa. For many years, some of Notre Dame's big-bucks alumni have had their noses out of joint because of the growing ecumenical spirit in Irish athletics. There was sullen grumbling in the Sixties when a Presbyterian, Ara Parseghian, became the most successful coach in school history since Rockne, and some alumni have more recently been miffed by the growing number of Protestants on the squad.

If the Irish can avoid a repeat of last year's roller-coaster syndrome (they beat the big teams but died in games with weaker opponents), they could contend for the national championship. A ridiculously easy early-season schedule won't hurt.

The Cincinnati schedule, conversely, is murder. New coach Watson Brown, the college game's ranking young offensive genius, will install an anything-goes attack featuring transfer quarterback Troy Bodine and a flock of rapid receivers.

Louisville quarterback Dean May, one of the nation's best, will also be filling the sky with passes. The Cardinals' schedule is the most ambitious in school history and may daunt the ambitions of the players before season's end.

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As usual, many of the best Southeastern Conference teams will fatten their won-lost records against weak nonconference opponents while avoiding one another. Auburn is a notable exception. The Tigers are not only the best team in the South, they have a rugged schedule that will prove their excellence. The whole squad is loaded with top-drawer talent. The defensive line, led by Playboy All-America Doug Smith, is the nation's best.

Georgia, with three quality tailbacks motoring behind the best offensive line in Bulldog history, may not miss defector Herschel Walker as much as 'Dawg fans fear. The talent at quarterback, however, is dangerously thin.

We award our Coach of the Year honors to the mentor we feel has done the most admirable job of all in recent seasons. No coach ever inherited such a difficult assignment under such tragic circumstances as did LSU's Jerry Stovall three years ago. He has returned the Tigers to their traditional role of perennial championship contenders. We take special pride this year in the fact that Stovall is the first Playboy All-America player (1962) to go on to become our Coach of the Year.

This season, Stovall's Tigers will feature the South's best tailback duo, Dalton Hilliard and Garry James. Soph quarterback Jeff Wickersham has tremendous potential, so the future looks bright in Baton Rouge. Stovall has also brought in the best crop of recruits in LSU history.

Vanderbilt alums are crying in their corn squeezings because prime quarter-back Whit Taylor has graduated, but his replacement, Kurt Page, may be even better. The Commodores should be a better team this fall, but they may post a worse record than last year's if they lose their uncanny ability to win close games.

This will be an iffy--and perhaps painful--transition year at Alabama. New coach Ray Perkins inherits the usual talent-laden squad, heavily reinforced this fall by 17 quality redshirts. Perkins has installed a new pro-set offense. Transfer tight end Thornton Chandler leads the new wave for the Crimson Tide.

The Tennessee defensive unit was dreadful last season. A new collection of assistant coaches will remedy that problem--and the young replacements they have to work with offer more raw ability than their Volunteer predecessors. The kicking game is the nation's best, boasting two Playboy All-Americas, place kicker Fuad Reveiz and punter Jimmy Colquitt.

This could be a lovely autumn in Stark-ville if coach Emory Bellard can plug up a leaky Mississippi State defense. His stopper crew had more walking wounded last fall than the Confederates at Appomattox. The passing game, with quarterback John Bond, could be declared a lethal weapon.

The Florida Gators will be even more dangerous than last season's 8-3 crew, but (here's the bad news) this year's schedule could be overwhelming. The defense, led by Playboy All-America linebacker Wilber Marshall, will probably suffer fewer decimating injuries than last fall, so don't be surprised if the Gators are back in the thick of the S.E.C. title fight.

First-year Ole Miss coach Billy Brewer put his Rebels through bone-crushing spring drills in an effort to overcome a severe shortage of quantity and quality in the manpower pool. If senior tailback Buford McGee can remain healthy, the Rebs will have a scintillating running game to support their pass-oriented offense.

At Kentucky, this year's prospects are bleak and even the future looks grim. Coach Jerry Claiborne is trying to rebuild the Wildcats' fortunes with aggressive recruiting, but any noticeable progress is still at least a year away. The most hopeful development this fall will be the debut of redshirt quarterback Bill Ransdell.

Maryland was the surprise team of the Atlantic Coast Conference last fall and ought to be even better this year, due to the players' familiarity with coach Bobby Ross's multiple offense. Boomer Esiason will be better than ever at quarterback. Although the defense is youngish and shallow up the middle, the Terps should again wind up among the top-20 teams by season's end.

All of last year's starting Clemson back-field has gone on to the pros, but the backups are able and game-hardened. Quarterback Mike Eppley will get a lot of ink this year. The Tigers' defensive line will be anchored (almost literally) by 330-pound middle guard William Perry.

North Carolina will also be a much younger team, but the Tar Heels may still be better than last year. Their biggest problems are lack of experience at quarterback and in the offensive line. Tight end Arnold Franklin is a future superstar.

If new Duke coach Steve Sloan can find a way to upgrade his defensive unit from dreadful to merely mediocre, the Blue Devils may be the surprise team of the A.C.C. Sloan's air attack, featuring Playboy All-America quarterback Ben Bennett and a gaggle of great receivers, will likely be the nation's best. Mighty-mite tailback Mike Grayson (he's 5'6" on tiptoes) will make the running game a go-go operation.

Virginia and Wake Forest have greatly improved chances. Both should more than double their victory output of last year. Virginia has 16 returning starters, but depth will be a problem at most positions. The Wake Forest attack will again feature passer Gary Schofield and runner Michael Ramseur, both protected by an excellent front wall.

New North Carolina State coach Tom Reed has two big problems--at quarterback and in the offensive line. The Wolfpack's major asset is a stable of fine runners led by supertailback Joe McIntosh.

Georgia Tech enjoyed an unaccustomed winning season last year, but that performance will be difficult to duplicate. The backfield, led by tailback Robert Lavette, isn't bad, but both lines are thin.

Florida State's 8-3 finish with a squad full of fresh faces was a major stunner last autumn. With 16 starters returning, the Seminoles will be a genuine powerhouse this time. All the key players return from an attack unit that was one of the nation's most productive. Greg Allen, the country's leading scorer last fall, heads a talented group of runners that includes heralded junior college transfer Roosevelt Snipes. The Seminoles' greatest fear should be the road schedule--it's a horror on the order of Psycho II.

Miami was only a few points (and a couple of dumb officiating calls) away from national prominence last year. Coach Howard Schnellenberger (founder and president of the American Association of People with Long Names--no fooling) has an embarrassment of talent at quarterback, a superb defense led by Jay Brophy (the best Miami linebacker since Ted Hendricks) and a bonanza crop of rookies. The Hurricanes' main problem will be an offensive line that blows hot and cold.

Tulane, under new coach Wally English, will be the most improved team in the South. If last season's rash of physical breakdowns doesn't recur and the new pass-on-every-down pro-type offense works, the Greenies will get a bowl bid for the first time in years.

The starting 22 at East Carolina are the best in school history, but squad depth is a question mark. Guard Terry Long is one of the nation's finest offensive linemen.

Both of Richmond's lines will be top grade. The opening game with Southern Mississippi will likely go to the team that gets the better performance at quarterback. Napoleon DuBois will do the throwing for Richmond. Robert Ducksworth is the Eagles' new quarterback.

Memphis State is a team of the (not-too-immediate) future. The best crop of recruits in MSU history joins a large contingent of veterans. Rookie runners Irving Atkins and Troy Myers will join sophomore Jeff Womack to give the Tigers a fearsome ground attack.

Virginia Tech's fortunes will depend on a stalwart defensive side. The offense will be crippled by a severe lack of muscle in the line.

New South Carolina coach Joe Morrison faces the toughest schedule in the country without an established quarterback (Bill Bradshaw is the best bet) or a dependable defense. A prime crop of freshmen is a harbinger of hope for the future, but there's a bleak autumn in store for Columbia.

Both Oklahoma and Nebraska play 12 games this season, but there's a difference: The Sooners' extra game comes at the end of the season against Hawaii, while Nebraska starts the season in August against Penn State. Won-lost records, therefore, will not necessarily determine either team's standing in the charts, but their November 26 battle could well decide the national championship.

Oklahoma's assets are a massive pass rush, led by Playboy All-America Rick Bryan, and a pair of hot-shot young runners, second-year tailback Marcus Dupree and freshman fullback Spencer Tillman. They'll both be the nation's best at their positions before they graduate.

Only nine of Nebraska's 1982 starters return; still, the reserves are big, numerous and experienced. The Huskers' only problem area is the kicking game. Two Playboy All-Americas, runner Mike Rozier and receiver Irving Fryar, will nevertheless make Nebraska a high-scoring team.

With a little luck, Oklahoma State could be the dark horse of the Big Eight. Playboy All-America running back Ernest Anderson and jaw-buster fullback Kelly Cook make for an awesome running attack. The Cowboys have traditionally been weak in both phases of the passing game, but most of the leaks have now been plugged in the secondary, and two rookie receivers will make the air attack more productive.

A coterie of talented young runners and more dependable quarterbacking will give Missouri a more potent offense this fall, but the defensive unit--especially the line--is vulnerable. Ergo, the Tigers will be better than last year. But not much.

Kansas has a supercharged new coach (Mike Gottfried), the best quarterback in the annals of Jayhawkdom (Frank Seurer), one of the nation's better ball carriers (Kerwin Bell), a talented group of receivers and 11 returning offensive starters. Too bad about the defense. Still, the Hawks should fly higher than last year's pitiful two-win edition.

Colorado, also much improved, will sneak up on respectability for the first time since the athletic department was given over to the meddling of big-bucks alumni several years ago. Coach Bill McCartney has at last built a pocket of order and discipline on a campus long famed for flakiness. Last year's most serious liability, a puny offensive line, will be bigger and stodgier. The secondary, led by Playboy All-America Victor Scott, is easily the best in the conference.

Kansas State is coming off its first winning season in 12 years but needs heavy reinforcements in both lines. Coach Jim Dickey redshirted 34 players last season, so the replacements will be numerous. The Wildcats' main offensive star will be tongue-twisting tailback Iosefatu Faraimo.

New coach Jim Criner takes over a junk yard at Iowa State; his rebuilding project will take a long time. Only eight starters return from a team that won all of four games last fall. The schedule, fortunately, is less than intimidating.

Texas fans are lamenting the graduation of superpasser Robert Brewer, but their distress may be needless. Two quality veterans will vie for the quarterback job, and incoming freshman Bret Stafford is good enough to beat them both out by season's end. The offensive line, anchored by Playboy All-America guard Doug Daw-son, will be among the nation's best. Ditto for the entire Longhorn defensive unit.

The Arkansas Razorbacks were slaughtered by graduation. Only two offensive starters are coming back. Best of the new starters is quarterback Brad Taylor. Playboy All-America end Ron Faurot will be the mainstay of an otherwise questionable defensive line. Freshman Greg Horne will give the kicking game a needed lift.

Texas A & M will have a winning season if (1) the Aggie defensive unit can be substantially upgraded; (2) the injury epidemic abates; and (3) either of two quarterback candidates, John Elkins or John Mazur (a transfer from Southern Cal), can keep the interceptions from outnumbering the t.d. passes.

Southern Methodist lost two of the nation's best runners and 11 other starters to graduation. Less spectacular running will give quarterback Lance McIlhenny a chance to throw the ball more often. There's still a plethora of good, if inexperienced, players in camp. A ridiculously easy early-season schedule will give the Mustangs a chance to get their act together.

For the past six seasons, Houston has been without a breakaway runner--something necessary for any veer offense to work--but this year will be different, thanks to freshman Winston Williams. Quarterback Lionel Wilson will throw to one of the best receiving corps in the country. The Cougars' Achilles' heel will be a baby-faced and inconsistent offensive line.

Texas Tech's problem the past few years has been with the second string, so when coach Jerry Moore took over in 1981, he began a redshirt program that will start paying big dividends this fall. Twentynine chunks of prime beef come out of the deepfreeze to join 47 returning linemen. The schedule is tough, but if the Red Raiders can retain their uncanny ability to win games just before the buzzer, they should enjoy a red-letter year.

Baylor has two abundantly talented young quarterbacks (Cody Carlson and Tom Muecke), plus two of the Southwest's best runners (Alfred Anderson and Allen Rice). The offensive line, unfortunately, is offensive in the wrong sense of the word. And the secondary may soon be downgraded to tertiary.

New Texas Christian coach Jim Wacker is reportedly an 18-hour-a-day positive-thinking whirling dervish. Good thing, since he takes over a team that suffered from acute lethargitis last year. There's plenty of raw talent in the skill positions. The defensive line, last year's weak spot, will be much bigger and angrier.

Rice is the basket case of the Southwest Conference. The Owls' season will end, mercifully, on November 12. The coaching staff and the athletic-department functionaries are crying for community and alumni support, but they won't get it until the university administration makes a commitment to athletic respectability. Just look at what's happened lately at Vanderbilt, Miami and Duke.

Missouri Valley teams play such varying schedules that their final won-lost records will have little to do with the relative strengths of the teams.

Indiana State will have the best record--17 starters return and the Sycamores don't play Tulsa, the league's best team. Tulsa, on the other hand, faces an evil nonconference slate. A large contingent of transfers will give the Golden Hurricane impressive depth, but the schedule is simply too tough.

Wichita State has a lot of good players on tap, but none of them is a quarterback. Romie Mayfield has the best shot at the job.

New Mexico State and Illinois State will be the most improved teams in the M.V.C. Graduation losses were light at both schools. New Mexico State's Fred Young is a remarkably diverse talent--he is both his team's best defensive end and the league's top punt returner.

Southern Illinois and Drake won't be making much noise on the field this year, so we won't make any about them here.

The rebuilding project at West Texas State is coming along, but coach Don Davis has a long row to hoe. The major improvement this year will be a newly respectable defensive unit.

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This will be an inverted season around the Pacific Ten. Some of yesteryear's also-rans will vie for championship honors, and a couple of last season's powerhouses will be mired in reconstruction.

Arizona has the best chance. The Wildcats won six games last year against a brutal schedule and return almost intact. Quarterback Tom Tunnicliffe and runner Vance Johnson will provide offensive punch. Playboy All-America linebacker Rick Hunley leads a rugged defensive erew. The kicking game is one of the nation's best and--perhaps most important of all--the schedule is nothing to fear.

New head coach Ted Tollner inherits a typically talented--but very young--Southern Cal squad. The season's outcome will depend on how quickly the youngsters mature, the psychological effects of a second year of N.C.A.A. probation and whether or not another injury epidemic can be avoided. Playboy All-America center Tony Slaton anchors a youthful, massive offensive line. Playboy All-America Jack Del Rio, only a junior, is the nation's best linebacker. He's also one of the most impressive and intelligent young men we have ever met.

Graduation gutted Arizona State's top-rated defense, but the ASU offense will be better than ever. Two first-rate quarter backs--Sandy Osiecki and Todd Hons--are available, but soph tailback Darryl Clack, a one-man offense, could be the whole show this fall. Two important intangibles will also help--eight games at home and the fact that the Sun Devils are at last out of the N.C.A.A.'s doghouse.

How will Stanford do without John Elway? Probably better. Senior quarterback Steve Cottrell would have been a starter for most teams two years ago. He inherits a blue-chip corps of receivers. Best of all, nearly all of last year's defensive players are coming back.

Washington State also has a wealth of prime defenders. There are more quality linebackers in Pullman than most teams see in a decade. The problem area is a kiddie-corps offensive line. Rueben (that's the way he spells it) Mayes and Don LaBomme are the best pair of Cougar runners in many years. Soph redshirt Mark Rypien could be one of the best quarterbacks on the Coast by late season.

Although the main contributors to last year's awesome UCLA passing attack have moved on, the Bruins' offensive philosophy is the same: wide open, go for broke. Four quality candidates will battle for the vacated quarterback job, and rookie receiver Flipper Anderson, though not a porpoise, could be an instant celebrity in Tinseltown. The main Bruin shortcoming is a diploma-gutted defensive line. Playboy All-America Don Rogers is the best collegiate free safety alive.

Oregon State has the manpower to produce--with a little luck, of course--its first winning season in a decade. The offensive line is the best in ages. Transfer quarterback Ricky Greene has impressive advance billing and a multitude of quality runners to work with. The schedule doesn't present many worries.

Few teams have ever been so broken up by commencement ceremonies as Washington's. When we talked with coach Don James during spring practice, he said, "This year, we're going to build character!" He will also need to build a functional team from inexperienced backup players. Best (and most useful) of the rookies will be punter-kicker Gary Webster.

The California Bears will be every bit as qualified as last year's surprisingly successful 7-4 edition. Most of their opponents, unfortunately, will be even stronger. The offensive line has been reinforced with j.c. transfers. David Lewis is one of the country's best tight ends, but look for freshman defensive tackle Doug Riesenberg to become a superstar before he leaves Berkeley.

The Oregon Ducks will be improved, but since they've won only four games in the past two years, that's not saying too much. Ballyhooed tailback Kevin Willhite and fullback Ladaria Johnson will carry a superb running attack. The stopper crew, a major asset a year ago, will be very green and not very mean.

There's plenty of raw talent at Fresno State but not much experience. Quarterback Kevin Sweeney and new receivers Dave Williams and Danny Trejo will star in the Bulldogs' spectacular air show.

With the entire backfield returning, Long Beach State will again boast one of the nation's best passing attacks. With a little luck, the 49ers could take league laurels.

New Pacific coach Bob Cope takes over a team that degenerated into a major disappointment last fall. A horrendous defense and a penchant for fumbling the ball at inopportune times are the first problems Cope must address. A flock of j.c. transfers will help. Best of the newcomers is runner Tom Leong.

Nineteen eighty-three will be a rebuilding year at both San Jose State and Fullerton State. Finding a starting quarterback in pre-season drills will be the first order of business at both schools.

Utah State, under new coach Chris Pella, will be rougher, but so will the schedule. The Aggies run a wide-open offense triggered by transfer quarterback Gym Kimball, who, Pella says, has the skills to become another Jim McMahon.

Nevada-Las Vegas faces an upgraded schedule that will preclude a winning season. Randall Cunningham (younger brother of Sam) and a bumper crop of recruits give the Rebels a glimmer of hope for the future.

New Mexico will have a better team than last year's 10-1 bunch, but a terrifying early-season schedule will make a repeat of that record impossible. Buddy Funck will be the Lobos' new quarterback.

Air Force can fly high with a rushing attack and a kicking game that are among the best in the nation, but it's unlikely that the Falcons can sneak up on as many opponents as they did last year. A year of experience has made the veteran defensive crew much stronger.

Thirty redshirts will give San Diego State a major transfusion of manpower. If coach Doug Scovil can get all the new cogs in his machine meshing early enough, the Aztecs may be explosive by midseason. Incumbent quarterback Mark McKay will be challenged by freshman whiz Jim Plum.

Wyoming's efforts to make amends for last year's disappointing performance are going to be handicapped by depth problems in both lines. Quarterback Brad Baumberger steps up to run the new wishbone attack.

The rebuilding program at Colorado State shows still more progress this year. Quarterback Terry Nugent will probably break nearly every school passing and total-offense record before the year is out.

A lot of familiar names will be missing from the Brigham Young roster this September. The crucial problem spot is the offensive line--five starters have departed. Quarterback Steve Young seems to get better with each game, and Playboy All-America Gordon Hudson is the best tight end around, so the Cougars will, as usual, have a splendid passing game.

Texas-El Paso is the most improved team in the league, but a winning season remains a year off. This crop of recruits is the best in UTEP's history. Everything hinges on how well the defensive unit can be repaired.

The key to Utah's fortunes this fall will be finding a new starting quarterback. Junior college transfer Mark Stevens has the tools to do the job.

Graduation took the heart of Hawaii's offensive line and the entire backfield. "We have the most unspectacular, unproven group of players we've ever had," says coach Dick Tomey. Fortunately for us, his players do have interesting names. Pili Faagai, Foti Failautusi, Moamoa Vaeao and Ana Tuiasosopo are four of the Rainbows' defensive linemen. The three Kafentzis brothers (Kent, Kurt and Kyle) all play in the secondary. The linebackers are Aui Fitisemanu and Dwight Kahoohanohano. The team's top offensive star is the one they all think has the really weird name--he's running back Mike Scott.

If you ever get a chance to hear a mainland sportscaster attempt to do a play by play of a Hawaii game, don't miss it. It's a gas. Aloha.

Top 20 Teams

Possible Breakthroughs:Arkansas (8-3), Vanderbilt (8-3), Alabama (7-4), Oklahoma State (7-4), Tulsa (7-4), New Mexico (9-3), Air Force (8-3).

The 1983 Playboy All-America Team

Best of The Rest

(Listed in order of excellence at their positions, all have a good chance of making someone's All-America team)

Quarterbacks:Frank Seurer (Kansas); Doug Flutie (Boston College); Todd Dillon (Long Beach State); Jeff Hostetler (West Virginia); Boomer Esiason (Maryland); Chuck Long (lowa); Tom Tunnicliffe (Arizona); Wayne Peace (Florida)

Running Backs:Marcus Dupree (Oklahoma); Mel Gray (Purdue); Bo Jackson (Auburn); Alfred Anderson (Baylor); Greg Allen (Florida State); Vance Johnson (Arizona); Eddie Phillips (lowa); John Kershner (Air Force)

Receivers:Kenny Jackson (Penn State); Jim Sandusky (San Diego State); Robert Griffin (Tulane); Duane Gunn (Indiana); Dwight Collins (Pittsburgh); John Frank (Ohio State); David Lewis (California); Mark Lewis (Texas A & M)

Offensive Linemen:Bill Roberts (Ohio State); Terry Long (East Carolina); Mark Adickes (Baylor); Brian Blados (North Carolina); Ron Solt (Maryland); Guy McIntyre (Georgia); Gary Zimmerman (Oregon); Joe Ramunno (Wyoming)

Centers:Tom Dixon (Michigan); Mike Ruether (Texas); Tom McCormick (Florida State); Philip Ebinger (Duke)

Defensive Linemen:William Perry (Clemson); Keith Millard (Washington State); Bill Maas (Pittsburgh); Bruce Smith (Virginia Tech); Alphonso Carrecker (Florida State); Reggie Singletary (Kansas State); Greg Gattuso (Penn State); Jon Hand (Alabama)

Linebackers:Jay Brophy (Miami); Keith Browner (Southern California); Andy Ponseigo (Navy); Larry Station (Iowa); Scott Radecic (Penn State); Andy Hendel (North Carolina State); Mike Johnson (Virginia Tech)

Defensive Backs:Mark Robinson (Penn State); Tom Flynn (Pittsburgh); Lupe Sanchez (UCLA); Jeff Sanchez (Georgia); Stacey Toran (Notre Dame); Vaughn Williams (Stanford); Rocky Colburn (Alabama); Leonard Coleman (Vanderbilt)

Kickers:Mark Fleetwood (South Carolina); Ralf Mojsiejenko (Michigan State); Luis Zendejas (Arizona State); Sean Pavlich (Air Force); Mike Johnston (Notre Dame)

First-Year Phenoms

(Incoming freshmen and transfers who should make it big)

Flipper Anderson, receiver .......................................... UCLA

Roosevelt Snipes, runner ............................................ Florida State

Carl Woods, runner .................................................. Vanderbilt

Doug Riesenberg, defensive lineman .................................. California

Gary Webster, kicker ................................................ Washington

Winston Williams, runner ............................................ Houston

Curtis Battles, defensive lineman ................................... Long Beach State

John Mazur, quarterback ............................................. Texas A & M

Kevin Willhite, runner .............................................. Oregon

Spencer Tillman, fullback ........................................... Oklahoma

Ricky Greene, quarterback ........................................... Oregon State

Kirk Jones, runner .................................................. Nevada-Las Vegas

Randy Norvelle, defensive lineman ................................... Wyoming

Thornton Chandler, tight end ........................................ Alabama

Troy Bodine, quarterback ............................................ Cincinnati

Alvin Miller, receiver .............................................. Notre Dame

"The Big Ten story has the same old plot, the same actors: Michigan and Ohio State in the lead roles."

All-East: Jackson, Robinson, Radecic, Gattuso (Penn State); Hostetler, Woodside, Agee (West Virginia); Carroll, Sartiano (Army); Flutie, DeOssie (Boston College); Dumont, Andrews (Rutgers); Ponseigo, McCallum (Navy); Calabria, Erenberg (Colgate); Fralic, Mass, Collins, Flynn (Pittsburgh); Riordan, Young (Temple); Winter (Syracuse); Daly, Pare (Dartmouth); Daniel, Jones (Brown); Chambers, Lista, Smith (Pennsylvania); Andrie, Zanieski (Yale); Guthrie, Cusma (Princeton); Azelby (Harvard); Witkowski (Columbia); Harmon (Cornell).

All-Midwest: Humphries, Dixon, Smith, Boren (Michigan); Broadnax, Roberts, Tatum, Frank (Ohio State); Phillips, Alt, Long, Station (lowa); Juriga, Thorp (Illinois); Kidd, Schwab, Harvey (Northwestern); Benson, Gray (Purdue); Banks, Turner, Mojsiejenko (Michigan State); Wright, Melka (Wisconsin); Gunn (Indiana); Rasmussen (Minnesota); Emans, Bayless, McClure (Bowling Green); Moore, Harter (Ohio University); Faulkner, Offerdahl (Western Michigan); Marshall, Calhoun (Eastern Michigan); Russell, Kelso (Toledo); Roth, Hicks (Northern Illinois); Adams (Central Michigan); Peterson, Pillman (Miami); Chitwood (Ball State); Hedderly (Kent State); Toran, Pinkett, Johnston (Notre Dame); Foster (Cincinnati); May (Louisville).

All-South: Smith, Humphrey, James, Jackson, Thomas (Auburn); Hoage, Sanchez, McIntyre, Gilbert (Georgia); Smith, Malancon, Hilliard (Louisiana State); Coleman, O'Connor (Vanderbilt); Lewis, Jones, Hand, Colburn (Alabama); Reveiz, Colquitt, Cockrell (Tennessee); Knight, Bond, Jackson (Mississippi State); Marshall, Peace (Florida); Austin, Townsend (Mississippi); Grimsley (Kentucky); Esiason, Solt, Glover, Joyner (Maryland); Perry, Farr (Clemson); Fuller, Blados, Franklin (North Carolina); Bennett, Ebinger (Duke); Rice, Dombrowski (Virginia); Schofield, Ryan (Wake Forest); McIntosh, Johnson, Hendel (North Carolina State); Lavette (Georgia Tech); Carrecker, Allen, McCormick (Florida State); Brophy, Kohlbrand, Griffin (Miami); Griffin, Boyle (Tulane); Long (East Carolina); DuBois (Richmond); Dejarnette (Southern Mississippi); Walker, Oliver (Memphis State); Johnson, Smith (Virginia Tech); Fleetwood (South Carolina).

All-Near West: Bryan, Dupree, Parker, Shipp (Oklahoma); Rozier, Fryar, Gill, Steinkuhler (Nebraska); Anderson, Harding (Oklahoma State); Goode, Bell (Missouri); Seurer, Kallmeyer (Kansas); Scott, Hestera (Colorado); Singletary, Wallace (Kansas State); Washington (Iowa State); Dawson, Ruether, Leiding, Cade (Texas); Faurot, Zinamon (Arkansas); Lewis, Bryant (Texas A & M); R. Carter, M. Carter, McIlhenny (Southern Methodist); Hilton, Turner (Houston); Gann, Lewis (Texas Tech); Anderson, Adickes (Baylor); Clifton, Maness (Texas Christian); Robinson (Rice); Martin (Indiana State); Eckels (Wichita State); Gunter, Lilly (Tulsa); Young, Barker (New Mexico State); Prior (Illinois State); Taylor (Southern Illinois); Holt (Drake); Harbin, Wood (West Texas State).

All-Far West: Hunley, Tunnicliffe, Johnson, Lesnik (Arizona); Slaton, Del Rio, Browner, Salisbury (Southern California); Clack, Zendejas, White (Arizona State); Williams, Harry, Veris (Stanford); Millard, Williams (Washington State); Rogers, Sanchez, Bergmann (UCLA); Murphy, Phillips (Oregon State); Robinson, Mallory (Washington); Lewis, Rivera (California); Zimmerman, Baack (Oregon); Neville, Glover (Fresno State); Dillon, Montgomery (Long Beach State); Camp, Berner (Pacific); Richardson, Cocroft (San Jose State); Aguilar (Fullerton State); Kimball (Utah State); Cunningham (Nevada-Las Vegas); Jackson, Carter (New Mexico); Louthan, Kershner, Pavlich (Air Force); Sandusky, Morales (San Diego State); Ramunno, Goffigan (Wyoming); Call, Champine (Colorado State); Hudson, Young (Brigham Young); Russo (Texas-El Paso); Smith, Walker (Utah); Noga, Murray (Hawaii).