Playboy's Pigskin Preview

sports by GARY COLE Two years ago Colorado and Georgia Tech were co-national champions. Last season it was Miami and Washington. In the absence of a national play-off system, and with the method for determining bowl pairings slightly more complicated than the tax code, this co- thing may be the wave of the future. But maybe that isn't so bad. Look what it did for Willie Nelson and that Julio guy. And if we introduced the co- concept to politics, we could forget the current election and simply have co-Presidents.

Whatever happens elsewhere, co- is again likely to be a fact of life this season in college football. The Washington Huskies have nearly as good a team as they had last year and an easier schedule, so another undefeated season is a possibility. Miami has a tougher schedule, but, believe it or not, more talent than last year. And if the Miami Hurricanes fall short of another 12-0 record, three or four other teams have a shot at an unbeaten season. Since none are in the Big Ten, the spectacle of two undefeated teams playing at opposite ends of the country again on January 1 is a likely outcome.

Playboy's 1992 All America Team

Marvin Jones Linebacker Florida State

Dan Eichloff Punter Kansas

Ray Buchanan Carnerback Louisville

Carlton Gray Cornerback UCLA

Chris Slade En Virginia

Will white Safety Florida

Jim Hansen Anson Mount Scholar/Athlete Colorado

Marshall Faulk Running Back San Diego State

Russell White Running Back California

Will Shields Grard Nebraska

Shane Mathews Quarterback Florida

Qadry Ismail Wide Receiver Syracuse

Jason Elam Place Kicker Hawaii

Mike Compton Center West Virginia

Offense

Dana Stubblefield Tackle Kansas

Steve Tovar Linebacker Ohio State

Tracy Saul Safety Texas Tach

Tommy Thigpen Linebacker North Carolina

Dave Hoffmann Linebacker Washington

Rusty Medearis End Maiami

Lincoln Kennedy Tackle Washington

Natrone Means Running Back North Carolina

Everett Lindsay Guard Mississippi

Dennis Erickson Coach of the Year Miami

Kevin Williams Kick Returner Miami

Tony Boselli Tackle USC

Sean LaChapelle Wide Receiver UCLA

To the delight of the NFL and to the consternation of college football coaches 34 underclassmen opted to skip their last season of Saturday gridiron glory in exchange for the big bucks of playing in the pros. Before you join the chant of "Those boys should stay in school and get their education," look at it this way. For most kids, going to college is the chance to get ahead. If a junior in the business school is writing software on the side and IBM offers to pay him millions to drop out and work for it, wouldn't he be stupid to pass up the opportunity?

The problem with the current system is that the players have to decide to forfeit the remainder of their collegiate eligibility before the NFL draft. Various proposals have been floated that would allow underclassmen to test the draft waters and then return to school with their eligibility intact if the prosaren't interested. But that idea makes too much sense to be adopted by the NCAA, which allows exactly this sort of draft-testing in college baseball, where it works fine.

Not to be beaten out by mere underclassmen, ABC is also grabbing for available dollars. It announced a college football pay-per-view experiment for this season. If you don't want to watch Northwestern get clobbered by Notre Dame, for example, you can opt to buy a game not available on free TV in your area for a fee of approximately ten dollars. We all better hope this experiment doesn't work or we'll soon find ourselves paying cable operators for everything from hockey games to Super Bowls. Makes Northwestern versus Notre Dame a little more appealing, doesn't it? Go Wildcats!

Now, since I know you're itching to take that beaver coat out of mothballs, open the windows and plop yourself down in front of the television to watch the first Saturday gridiron tripleheader, let's take a tour through this year's top 20 and the teams to beat in the conference races.

1. Washington

With 11 players from last year's team lost to the NFL draft, including number-one pick Steve Emtman, you might think Washington would have to rebuild before it made another run at a national championship. But the Huskies still have a wealth of talent and will (continued on page 144)Pigskin Preview(continued from page 122) play a schedule with only four road games. Coach Don James will go with Billy Joe Hobert, last season's Rose Bowl co-MVP, as his starting quarterback. Mark Brunell, who successfully quarterbacked the team in 1990, is fully recovered from the knee surgery that gave Hobert his starting shot last season. Senior tailbacks Beno Bryant and Jay Barry are potential 100-yard-plus rushers. Sophomore Napoleon Kaufman, a lightning-quick return specialist, can also run out of the backfield. Two-time Playboy All-America tackle Lincoln Kennedy is the cornerstone of James's offensive line. On defense, the Huskies will have some new faces up front, but the linebackers, with Playboy All-America Dave Hoffmann, are solid, and the secondary experienced and quick. Some team may beat the Huskies, who come into the season riding a 14-game winning streak, but it'll have to do it as an underdog. 11-0

1. Miami

Watch out: This season's version of the Miami Hurricanes is even better than the 12-0 co-national champions of last season. Big East Offensive Player of the Year Gino Torretta, 15-1 as a starter, returns for his senior year at quarter back. Fullback Stephen McGuire, Miami's leading rusher last season, is recovered from a knee injury, but sophomore backup Larry Jones, the Orange Bowl MVP, should still get lots of playing time. Playboy All-America Kevin Williams is spectacular as either receiver or kick returner, and the rest of Miami's receiving corps is pro caliber. Sackmaster Rusty Medearis, another Playboy All-America, typifies Miami's quick, aggressive defense. Darrin Smith, Micheal Barrows and Jessie Armstead are probably the best trio of linebackers in the nation. Under Playboy Coach of the Year Dennis Erickson, Miami could again go undefeated and finish in a déjà vu dead heat for the national championship. 11-0

3. Notre Dame

The luck of the Irish was at work in the off-season. Star quarterback Rick Mirer ignored the advice of family, friends and hordes of hungry agents, opting to play his senior year in the college ranks before turning pro. Coach Lou Holtz, who also stayed put in South Bend despite rumors to the contrary, can only count his blessings and a host of talented players returning from last season's 10-3 team. Fullback Jerome Bettis is the best big back in the nation, but with Tony Brooks and Rodney Culver departed, Holtz will have to find a tailback to team with him. All-America tight end Derek Brown has also graduated, but his replacement, Irv Smith, may be as good. New defensive coordinator Rick Minter will build the defense around linebacker Demetrius DuBose and junior cornerback Tom Carter. The Irish, who play their two toughest opponents, Michigan and Penn State, at home, helped their national-title aspirations by replacing Tennessee on the schedule with lowly Northwestern. 10-1

4. Florida

The combination of Steve Spurrier's brilliant offensive coaching schemes and the passing accuracy and field presence of quarterback Shane Matthews makes Florida a threat to score every time the Gators have the ball. Matthews, this year's Playboy All-America quarterback, was Southeastern Conference Player of the Year in both 1990 and 1991 and finished fifth in last season's Heisman balloting. Receivers Willie Jackson, Harrison Houston and Tre Everett finished one, two and three in the SEC in touchdown catches. Topping things off offensively for the Gators is running back Errict Rhett, who led the SEC with 1109 yards. Spurrier's defense returns seven starters, including Playboy All-America safety Will White, but the defensive tackle and linebacking positions are inexperienced. Florida will beat a very good Alabama team in the SEC championship game. 11-1

5. Syracuse

If you're looking for a dark horse in the national championship race, try the Orangemen. Coach Paul Pasqualoni has some great athletes to work with. Junior quarterback Marvin Graves is on track to break every Syracuse career-passing and total-offense record. Returning running back David Walker was the leading rusher in the Big East last season. Playboy All-America wide receiver Qadry Ismail can be every bit the college player that brother Rocket was. Inside linebacker Dan Conley, who missed most of last season with a leg injury, should be 100 percent. Syracuse's kick-punt tandem of John Biskup and Pat O'Neill is outstanding. It wouldn't be farfetched to imagine the Orangemen going into their final regular season game--at home against Miami--undefeated. 10-1

6. Alabama

Coach Gene Stallings has 16 starters back from his 11-1 Crimson Tide team that finished last season with a 30-25 victory over Colorado in the Blockbuster Bowl. Stallings also may have found his quarterback for this season in that game, when Jay Barker threw three touchdown passes in the second half. Barker sewed up the starting spot with an impressive showing this spring. Multipurpose threat David Palmer will continue to rotate between wide receiver and slot back while also returning kickoffs and punts. Running back Derrick Lassie will replace Siran Stacy, who has gone to the NFL. On defense, the Tide will miss defensive stalwart Robert Stewart at nose tackle, but the linebacking appears strong with Michael Rogers and Lemanski Hall. Alabama gets a break, since it does not play Florida or Georgia on the regular Southeastern Conference schedule this year. 11-1

7. Michigan

The incomparable Desmond Howard, last season's Heisman Trophy winner, has departed for the NFL, as have massive offensive lineman Greg Skrepanak and linebacker/defensive leader Erick Anderson. But don't count the Michigan Wolverines out of the top ten. Quarterback Elvis Grbac, who has already set school career records for completions (393) and touchdown passes (54), is back for his senior season. Running back Ricky Powers, who led Michigan with 1197 yards last season. is only a junior. And there are some promising young recivers to replace Howard: Walter Smith and incoming freshmen Mercury Hayes and Amani Toomer, last season's California High School Player of the Year. Coach Gary Moeller will cover his defensive losses with returning tackle Chris Hutchinson, free safety Corwin Brown and a horde of redshirt talent, the best of whom is tackle Trent Zenkewicz. The Wolverines open against nemesis Notre Dame at South Bend on September 12. Expect them to wrap up the Big Ten title by defeating Ohio State, for the fifth consecutive time, in the last game of the regular season. 10-1

8. Penn State

The Nittany Lions embark on their last season as an independent before becoming a fully integrated member of the Big Ten next year. Coach Joe Paterno has 11 starters back from his 11-2 team of 1991 that ranked number three in the season-ending national polls. Paterno's first concern is finding a replacement for quarterback Tony Sacca, who broke or tied 14 school passing marks before graduating. Paterno thinks that redshirt sophomore Kerry Collins "is not very different from Sacca. Not quite as fast, but he has a big, strong arm." Tony's brother, John, could also see some playing time. Whoever passes the football for the Lions will look for outstanding wide receiver O. J. McDuffie, who had 46 receptions for 790 yards last season. Linebackers Mark D'Onofrio and Keith Goganious are gone, but Reggie Givens and Rich McKenzie will carry on the tradition of Linebacker U. The new bowl alliance froze Penn State out of the Sugar, Cotton, Orange and Fiesta bowls, so, in an unprecedented move, Penn State agreed last May to play in the Blockbuster Bowl, provided that the Nittany Lions win at least six games this season. Penn State fans, start ordering your tickets. 9-2

9. Florida State

The Seminoles, who have finished in the top five for five consecutive seasons, won't fold their tents this year in their hunt for a national championship. But drop them down a few spots in the national rankings. Quarterback Casey Weldon has graduated, and running back Amp Lee and defensive back Terrell Buckley took early exits for the pros. Weldon's replacement will be Charlie Ward, who was described by an assistant coach as the best athlete ever recruited by FSU. But coach Bobby Bowden has concerns about the Seminoles' offensive line, which, he says, "is not proven at all." He'll have fewer concerns about the defense, where Playboy All-America linebacker Marvin Jones should play a dominating role. This will be Florida State's first season as a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference. Says Bowden, "We're no shoo-in. I get the feeling that all eight ACC schools are targeting us......the new kid on the block." We think the Seminoles will get through the conference schedule unscathed, but Bowden better watch out for nonconference opponents Miami and Florida. 9-2

10. Texas A&M

The Aggies would be in the national championship picture if they had a quarterback. Coach R. C. Slocum has just about everything else. Running back Greg Hill was SWC Offensive Newcomer of the Year last season and set a conference freshman rushing record with 1216 yards. Even with the loss of linebacker Quentin Coryatt and cornerback Kevin Smith, both first-round selections in the NFL draft, the Aggies should again be formidable on defense. Sophomore defensive end Sam Adams is a star of the future, and defensive backs Derrick Frazier and Patrick Bates are solid. Linebacker Marcus Buckley is expected to be A&M's next linebacking standout. But the quarterback problem remains. Slocum tried four players this past spring in the spot vacated by Bucky Richardson but has yet to settle on a starter. 10-2

11. Georgia

Following in the footsteps of a sports legend is tough, but Ray Goff took the Bulldogs leash two years ago when Vince Dooley, by one poll the most popular man in Georgia, relinquished the head coaching job. Goff struggled (10-13) in his first two seasons but got Georgia on track with a 9-3 record last year that included an Independence Bowl win over Arkansas. As long as quarterback Eric Zeier sticks around, Georgia can only improve. The nation's most-sought-after quarterback coming out of high school, Zeier lived up to his press clippings by passing for more than 2000 yards in his freshman year. Andre Hastings is a burner at wide receiver and Garrison Hearst runs strong from the backfield. If junior-college transfers Charlie Clemons at inside linebacker and Greg Tremble at cornerback come through, the Dawgs could crack the top ten. 9-2

12. Nebraska

The Cornhuskers have a great stable of running backs and a dominating offensive line but no experienced quarterback to run the show. Coach Tom Osborne has three candidates to take the snaps: redshirt senior Mike Grant, redshirt freshman Tony Veland or freshman Tommy Frazier, generally regarded as the top option quarterback prospect coming out of high school. But if the QB knows how to hand off, the Huskers will fare reasonably well. Derek Brown and Calvin Jones are Osborne's best pair of running backs since Mike Rozier and Irving Fryar wore the pads in Lincoln. Outside linebacker Travis Hill is a standout on defense, Nebraska will kick butt against most opponents but continue to struggle against quality teams that have the athleticism to stop the Huskers' onedimensional running game. 9-2

13. Oklahoma

Coach Gary Gibbs's numbers look pretty good since taking over a Sooner program in turmoil three years ago: 7-4, 8-3 and 9-3. But his teams have yet to win a Big Eight championship, and the losses to archrivals Nebraska, Colorado and Texas are piling up (eight). This season could be crunch time for Gibbs, who has been a part of the Oklahoma coaching staff for 17 years. The Sooners appear promising on offense. Junior quarterback Cale Gundy will probably hold most of Oklahoma's passing records by the end of the season. Guards Paul Moriarty and Jeff Resler are a force in the offensive line, and fullback Kenyon Rasheed has power and speed. Reggie Barnes and Aubrey Beavers are quality defensive ends, but the rest of the Sooner defense may be down a notch from last season's. 9-2

14. California

Keith Gilbertson, former University of Washington offensive coordinator, has been hired to replace Bruce Snyder, who guided the Golden Bears to a successful 10-2 finish last season. Expectations are high for Gilbertson. The coach inherits 15 returning starters and has a reputation as an offensive coaching whiz. But he has some formidable obstacles to overcome. He must find a replacement for quarterback Mike Pawlawski, an excellent passer and team leader. There are three vacancies on the offensive line, and a replacement is needed for free safety David Wilson, who played a critical role in the Cal pressure defense that created 35 turnovers last season. While Gilbertson struggles to solve these problems, two-time Playboy All-America Russell White will continue to dazzle opponents with his brilliant running. 8-3

15. Ucla

Coach Terry Donahue thought he had all of his ducks lined up for a run at the national championship. He didn't count on quarterback Tommy Maddox, the centerpiece of his offense, declaring for the NFL draft with two years of collegiate eligibility remaining. However, the Bruins can still be a top-20 team, especially if Wayne Cook, who took only eight snaps last year, can handle the quarterback chores. Kevin Williams, the Pac Ten's leading rusher last season, and Playboy All-America wide receiver Sean LaChapelle give Donahue some other offensive weapons. On defense, the Bruins have experience along the front line but only one proven talent, Arnold Ale, at linebacker. UCLA gets a schedule break because it does not play Washington this year. 8-3

16. Ohio State

Somebody up there likes Ohio State coach John Cooper. In four years with the Buckeyes, Cooper hasn't coaxed his team to anything higher than a third-place Big Ten finish. The Buckeyes have lost all three of their bowl appearances. Worst of all, they haven't beaten Michigan in four years. Yet Cooper recently received a contract extension through 1995. All this at the same school that fired Earle Bruce, who had an OSU coaching record of 86-26-1. Cooper and the Buckeyes can have a strong season if either Kirk Herbstreit or Bob Hoying can do the job at quarterback. There's an abundance of talented running backs, particularly since Robert Smith, who sat out last season after a disagreement with the coaching staff, returns. He was the 1990 Big Ten Freshman of the Year. Butler By'not'e, the Buckeyes' leading returning rusher from last season, is another burner. There's plenty of muscle up front offensively with twin bulk-sters Alan Kline (6'7", 295 pounds) and Jason Winrow (6'6", 300 pounds). Ohio State's best defensive players are two-time Playboy All-America linebacker Steve Tovar and sophomore free safety Roger Harper. 8-3

17. Colorado

The Buffaloes are switching to a one-back attack under new offensive coordinator Les Steckel, who spent more than a decade in the NFL before being hired by coach Bill McCartney in January 1991. The new offensive scheme will eventually open up Colorado's passing game--that is, as soon as the players learn the system and McCartney and Steckel find a quarterback to run it. Junior Vance Joseph and sophomore Kordell Stewart will battle for the starting nod, with Koy Detmer, Ty's younger brother, waiting in the wings. Even if the offense struggles early, Colorado's defense will keep the Buffaloes close. The front seven are among the strongest in the nation, particularly at linebacker, where Chad Brown and Greg Biekert are all-conference performers. 8-3

18. Georgia Tech

Bill Lewis, who led East Carolina to its best-ever record (11-1) last season, takes over at Georgia Tech for Bobby Ross, now head coach of the San Diego Chargers. Lewis has outstanding offensive players at the skill positions in fourth-year starting quarterback Shawn Jones and running backs William Bell, Jimy Lincoln (ACC Rookie of the Year last season) and Notre Dame transfer Dorsey Levens. Now all Lewis needs is an offensive line to put in front of them, since all five starters from last year's 8-5 squad are gone. Tech's defense will be good again (it ranked eighth nationally last year) despite the loss of Willie Clay and Ken Swilling and the early defection of linebacker Marco Coleman to the pros. Returning defensive tackle Coleman Rudolph was the ACC sack leader last season with 13. If the offensive line gels, the Rambling Wreck will make some noise. 8-3

19. North Carolina

The Tar Heels have been quietly stockpiling football talent the past four years under coach Mack Brown. Last season North Carolina finished 7-4. This season, with three quarterbacks to choose from, a pair of great running backs and some real studs on defense, the results should be better. Playboy All-America running back Natrone Means has the talent to gain 1500 yards, and Randy Jordan is a strong backup. Randall Parsons, after switching from defense two years ago, is one of the best centers in the nation. Another Playboy All-America, linebacker Tommy Thigpen, runs like a defensive back and hits like some of the great Carolina linebackers of the past. 8-3

20. Stanford

The biggest question for Stanford may not be how well its football team will fare but whether new head coach Bill Walsh will stroll the sidelines in flowing white robes hammering his game plans into stone tablets. Let's face it--this guy is a walking, talking sports legend. He coached the San Francisco 49ers to three world championships and six NFC division titles; he was named Coach of the Decade (the Eighties) by the NFL Professional Writers' Association; he was NBC's resident football color man and guru. The man reeks football knowledge. After it was rumored that Walsh was about to rejoin the 49ers, he surprised almost everyone by returning to Stanford, where he started his head-coaching career in 1977. Walsh has installed a pro-style offense and labels returning starter Steve Stenstrom "one of the best junior quarterbacks in college football." Walsh has 15 more returning starters from the Cardinal 8-4 squad of last season. Running back Glyn Milburn is great when healthy. Linebacker Ron George is the leader of Stanford's aggressive, gambling-style defense. Trips to Notre Dame, UCLA and Washington will test the Walsh mystique. 8-4

The addition of Florida State and the steady improvement of the football programs at North Carolina and Virginia make the ACC one of the most competitive conferences in the nation. Despite Bobby Bowden's modest assertions to the contrary, Florida State will take home the conference crown. Georgia Tech and North Carolina will be hotly pursued by perennial ACC powers Clemson, Virginia and North Carolina State.

The Clemson Tigers lost a ton of talent from last season: quarterback DeChane Cameron and four first team All-Americas, including linebacker Levon Kirkland and monster defensive tackle Chester McGlockton, who went to the NFL after his junior season. Coach Ken Hatfield, one of only six coaches to take three programs to top-20 finishes, will rebuild around wide receiver Terry Smith, free safety Robert O'Neal and Stacy Seegars, a 320-pound offensive guard. Richard Moncrief, who understudied for Cameron last season, will start behind center. Soft nonconference games will bolster Clemson's overall record, but the Tigers will have their difficulties in the conference. Virginia's biggest problem is finding a replacement for quarterback Matt Blundin, last season's ACC Player of the Year. Bobby Goodman, who filled in for an injured Blundin for two games last season, is coach George Welsh's first choice. While Goodman is settling in, running back Terry Kirby (887 yards rushing and 37 receptions) will spearhead the Cavalier offensive attack. Playboy All-America end Chris Slade, a pass-rushing phenom, is the best of Virginia's seven returning defensive starters. North Carolina State will be formidable again with eight starters back from its top-20 defense of last season. The Wolfpack secondary, where Sebastian Savage leads the way, is particularly impressive. On offense, coach Dick Sheridan has three returning quarterbacks who have passed for 500 yards apiece in one season. Senior Terry Jordan, who missed most of last season with a broken arm, will get the nod as starter. Sheridan's biggest challenge is piecing together a new offensive line. Duke's football fortunes suffered a serious setback when quarterback Dave Brown, who passed for 2794 yards and 20 touchdowns last season, decided to pass up his final season of eligibility to enter the NFL's supplemental draft. Steve Prince is the leading candidate to replace Brown. Randy Cuthbert, a 1000-yard rusher who missed much of last season with a pinched nerve, should give the Blue Devils' offensive game better balance. Only five starters return from a Duke defense that allowed opponents an average 25.5 points per game last season. Wake Forest and Maryland appear to be outmanned, in terms of talent, in the ACC this season. Tight end John Henry Mills and defensive back George Coghill are the Demon Deacons' best players. Maryland brings in new coach Mark Duffner, formerly with Holy Cross. Duffner and offensive coordinator Dan Dorazio are advocates of the run-and-shoot. The problem is that most of the Terrapin talent, particularly at quarterback, is not well-suited to Duffner's style. Call it a rebuilding year.

Miami and Syracuse are definite top-five material, and the Hurricanes can at least grab a share of another national championship (it would be the fifth since 1983) if they can overcome a tough schedule.

West Virginia, coming off a disappointing 6-5 record last season, could surprise. Coach Don Nehlen has yet to decide whether Darren Studstill or Jake Kelchner will take the snaps from Playboy All-America center Mike Compton. Appropriately named wide receiver James Jett, a seven-time. All-America sprinter, gives the Mountaineers a deep-pass threat. Tailback Adrian Murrell, who rushed for 904 yards last season, should be even better this year. Nehlen is looking for impact players on a defense that was riddled by injuries last season. Junior safety Mike Collins could be one. Pittsburgh should improve its 6-5 record of last season, but the Panthers are still unlikely top-20 material. Coach Paul Hackett has so far failed to find offensive tools to complement senior quarterback Alex Van Pelt, who needs only 494 yards to surpass Dan Marino as the school's all-time passing leader. Pitt's problems on defense were exacerbated when ends Sean Gilbert and Keith Hamilton entered this past NFL draft as juniors. The Panthers will feast on the likes of Kent and Louisville but don't match up with Notre Dame, Penn State and Syracuse. Miami transfer Brian Fortay is coach Doug Graber's likely choice to handle the quarterback spot for Rutgers. With 18 starters returning from last year's team (6-5) and some soft touches on the schedule, the Scarlet Knights should again post a winning record. It wasn't too many years ago that Boston College figured among the nation's football elite. The schedule, without enough blue-chip talent, simply did in the Eagles and former coach Jack Bicknell. New coach Tom Coughlin coaxed four wins out of his squad last season, and the schedule maker has tried to help by replacing Michigan with Northwestern. However, nonconference opponents Notre Dame and Penn State still loom. Inside linebacker Tom McManus is outstanding. With players such as quarterback Will Furrer and lineman Eugene Chung, Virginia Tech figured to be better than the 5-6 record it posted last season. But Furrer went out with a leg injury, and losses to East Carolina and Virginia in the final two games ruined the Hokies chances for a winning season. Coach Frank Beamer has to settle on a new quarterback and shore up a defensive front where three of four starters from last year are gone. Center Jim Pyne is Tech's best player. Temple returns only eight starters from last season's 2-9 team, which was plagued by turnovers (33) and poor passing (41.5 percent completion ratio).

While Nebraska, Oklahoma and Colorado continue to sit comfortably atop the Big Eight, perennial doormats Kansas and Kansas State have served notice that they can no longer be disregarded.

Glen Mason has done an impressive rebuilding job at Kansas, where the Jayhawks recorded their first winning season (6-5) since 1981. Chip Hilleary, returning for his third season as starting quarterback, should provide Kansas with offensive stability and leadership. The Jayhawks have their best and deepest defensive unit in memory. Eight starters return from last year's squad, including Playboy All-America Dana Stubblefield and Gilbert Brown at the tackle spots. If Kansas wins the easy games and pulls off one upset, the Jayhawks could go bowling. Kansas State will also field a solid defensive unit with two all-conference performers returning (linebacker Brooks Barta and safety Jaime Mendez), along with several honorable mentions. State's defense yielded just 17.3 points per game in conference play last year. Coach Bill Snyder will decide between junior Jason Smargiasso and senior Matt Garber at the quarterback spot. Eric Gallon returns after gaining 1102 yards last season. Coach Bob Stull has so far been unable to turn things around at Missouri. Stull's three-year record is 9-23-1, and the Tigers finished an anemic 3-7-1 last season. Bright spots for Missouri this season will be 6'5" junior quarterback Phil Johnson, whom pro scouts are already eyeing, and wide receiver Victor Bailey, who had 29 catches for 508 yards last season. Stull's defense appears devoid of impact players. Oklahoma State suffered through a 0-10-1 season. Sophomore defensive end Jason Gildon, who set an OSU single-season sack record with 16, is the Cowboys' only standout player.

Despite the loss of Heisman winner Desmond Howard, Michigan has more than enough talent to win another Big Ten title. Ohio State will offer the Wolverines their sternest challenge, provided the Buckeyes can find a capable quarterback to replace graduated Kent Graham.

Iowa is another team facing the challenge of replacing a veteran quarterback, since two-time All-Big Ten Matt Rodgers has departed. Coach Hayden Fry, who guided the Hawkeyes to a ten-win season last year, will look to Jim Hartlieb, who played well last season when Rodgers was injured. Fry also has to replace 1000-yard rusher Mike Saunders. Marvin Lampkin, who averaged 5.5 yards a carry as a backup last year, will get the call. Center Mike Devlin is the best of an excellent offensive line. Iowa's defense is a notch down from last year's with the loss of several key players, including end Leroy Smith. The first half of the Hawkeye schedule is brutal, with games against Miami, Colorado, Michigan and North Carolina State. Indiana will rely on the capable hands and feet of senior quarterback Trent Green, who last year passed for 2627 yards and 12 touchdowns and rushed for another 202 yards and 13 TDs. Coach Bill Mallory's number-one task is replacing graduated running back Vaughn Dunbar. Brett Law, Emmett Pride and Jermaine Chaney will all get their chance out of the backfield. The Hoosiers return seven starters from a unit that led the Big Ten in total defense last season. Eight wins and a sneak into the top 20 is a possibility for this team. Lou Tepper, who picked up the coaching reins from John Mackovic just before Illinois lost to UCLA in the John Hancock Bowl, is counting on senior quarterback Jason Verduzco and a solid offensive line to carry the Illini while a young but talented defense learns the ropes. Verduzco will finish as Illinois' all-time leading passer if he matches his 1991 numbers. Tepper thinks his young defense will be among the best in the nation by year's end. He's particularly impressed with sophomore linebacker Dana Howard. Michigan State, picked by most prognosticators to finish in the top 20, suffered through an embarrassing 3-8 season last year. The Spartans looked slow, confused and uninspired under coach George Perles, who spent much of his time and energy in a battle with the school administration over his dual role as coach and athletic director. Perles finally relinquished his AD duties this past spring and is now focused on his football team. Perles' offensive line is big (sophomore tackle Shane Hannah is 6'6", 320 pounds) and by mid-season should be experienced enough to open big holes for running back Tico Duckett, the Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year in 1990. The defense will certainly be better than last year's unit, which allowed opponents an average of 380 yards per game. Barry Alvarez is slowly rebuilding Wisconsin's football program. Last year Alvarez coached the Badgers to their best season (5-6) in seven years and signed several outstanding recruits in the off-season. Pass defense and turnovers accounted for much of Wisconsin's success last year, and the defense will have to carry the burden again this season if the Badgers are to succeed. Seven starters return from last year's unit, but, unfortunately for Alvarez, All-America cornerback Troy Vincent is not one of them. It took a good part of last season for Purdue's players to grasp new coach Jim Colletto's I-formation attack. The new scheme, which emphasizes the run, did pay off, however, as the Boilermakers improved from 55.6 rushing yards per game in 1990 (last in Division I) to 177.7 yards last year. With opposing defenses now having to respect the run, quarterback Eric Hunter should have better opportunities to pass. Purdue's best player on the defensive side is nose guard Jeff Zgonina, who led Big Ten linemen in 1991 with 123 tackles. Former TCU coach Jim Wacker takes on a major rebuilding job at Minnesota. The Golden Gophers are coming off a disappointing 2-9 showing. Gary Barnett, former offensive coordinator at Colorado, assumes one of the most formidable coaching jobs in all of college football by taking over for Francis Peay at Northwestern. Just to give you a hint of Barnett's problems, the Wildcats, who open against Notre Dame, struggled against suited-up alumni in the spring game. With Peay gone and Stanford's Dennis Green being named head coach of the Minnesota Vikings, there is currently no African American head coach in Division I college football.

Let's see if we can get this straight. Fresno State has defected from the Big West to the Western Athletic Conference. Long Beach State dropped its football program. The University of Nevada has come on board and will play a full Big West slate of games this season. Northern Illinois, Southwestern Louisiana, Arkansas State and Louisiana Tech will join the Big West and will play conference schedules--next season. Confused? Try to remember this. There are some powerhouse offensive football teams in the pass-happy but defenseless Big West.

Example: The University of the Pacific averaged more than 36 points per game last season but allowed opponents more than 40. The Tigers return Troy Kopp, one of the best quarterbacks in the nation. Kopp, a senior, is already fifth among NCAA career leaders in passing touchdowns (79), ninth in pass efficiency (139.8) and 20th in total offense (8438 yards). Teammates Aaron Turner and Ryan Benjamin have some impressive credentials of their own. Turner needs just seven TD catches to break the NCAA career mark of 38, and 77 receptions to break the total for receptions. Benjamin is the nation's top returning all-purpose running back, with 1581 yards and 51 pass receptions. If the Tigers had just a hint of defense, they'd be dangerous. San Jose State is another offensive dynamo. Quarterback Jeff Garcia was third in passing efficiency in the nation last season (behind Elvis Grbac and Ty Detmer). The Spartans averaged more than 33 points a game but gave up nearly 27. Promising junior-college linebacker recruits Jimmy Singleton and Woon Park offer some hope for the future. Nevada, a Division I-AA power the past several years, has made the jump to the big time. Coach Chris Ault modestly states, "Really, we are a few years away from being a true Division I team, but we had to seize the opportunity when it came along." Nevada, which has won the Big Sky Conference championship the past two years, should have no problem with the adjustment, especially since it has two quality quarterbacks in Fred Gatlin and Chris Vargas and a pack of talented receivers. Nevada-Las Vegas could improve over its 4-7 record of last season if either of two young quarterbacks comes through. Bob Stockham is a highly regarded junior-college transfer, but John Ma'ae, who doubles as a receiver, is the only returning Rebel who has to date taken a Division I snap from center. Charlie Weatherbie, former Arkansas offensive coordinator, has taken over at Utah State. He's installed a wide-open offensive scheme that often calls for no running back, even though State has a good prospect in redshirt freshman Abu Wilson. New Mexico State coach Jim Hess thinks his 2-9 team of last season went from "hopeless and helpless to competitive and respectable." The Aggies will have to improve on defense and avoid injuries on both sides of the ball if they are to remain respectable. Cal State-Fullerton coach Gene Murphy has scrapped the Titans' single-back spread attack in favor of an option attack. "We're going to have some fun in 1992, no matter what happens," says Murphy. With opponents averaging more than 34 points a game last season, perhaps it doesn't matter what offensive scheme the Titans run.

With Penn State assuming a full slate of Big Ten games next season, the only remaining major Eastern independents will be Army and Navy. Army coach Bob Sutton, who finished 4-7 in his first year of command, loses nine starters from last season's unit, including the entire back-field. All three quarterback candidates missed spring practice because of injuries. The situation with running backs and receivers isn't much better. The Army defense, headed by free safety Mike McElrath, will have to hold the line while the offense figures out how to play the game. Navy returns 14 starters, but that group managed to win only one game last season. Coach George Chaump has revised the defense and shifted personnel to "place our best twenty-two players on the field in 1992." Tackle Bob Kuberski is the best Midshipman on defense, and quarterback Jim Kubiak, running back Jason Van Matre and receiver Tom Pritchard are Navy's most dangerous offensive weapons.

Bowling Green has a good shot at repeating as Mid-American champion this year. The Falcons finished off an 11-1 overall season with a 28-21 California Raisin Bowl win over Fresno State. Coach Gary Blackney returns all of his skill-position players, including quarterback Erik White, the MAC Player of the Year last season, and receiver Mark Szlachcic, the California Bowl MVP. Blackney's problem will be rebuilding both offensive and defensive lines, where most of last year's starters were lost to graduation. Tough nonconference games will hurt the Falcons' overall record. Miami University has one of the MAC's best defensive performers in middle linebacker Curt McMillan. Coach Randy Walker describes him as "one of the best defensive players I have ever seen--at any level." Sixteen other starters return from last season's 6-4-1 squad. Toledo, which lost three games by a total of ten points, still managed a 5-5-1 record. Gary Pinkel, who is beginning his second year as the Rockets' head coach, expects to have another strong defensive unit. He has installed a spread offense in an attempt to throw the ball more often and more efficiently than in the past. Western Michigan, 6-5 last year under coach Al Molde, with a comparatively easy nonconference schedule, should do no worse this year. Ball State's defensive unit has ranked among the nation's top 20 in five of the past seven years, so it shouldn't have been surprising when Notre Dame hired away the Cardinals' defensive coordinator, Rick Minter, after last season. Coach Paul Schudel quickly promoted secondary coach Tim Burke, and with eight defensive starters back from last year, Ball State figures to again be one of the better defensive teams in the MAC. It was a season to remember for Central Michigan last year. CMU traveled to East Lansing to play Michigan State and, in the first game ever between the two, knocked off the Spartans 20-3. The Chippewas finished the season with four ties (6-1-4), which, of course, tied an NCAA record. Joe Youngblood succeeds Jeff Bender, who was a four-year starter at quarterback. Akron makes its MAC debut this year. Gerry Faust's team was 5-6 last season as an independent. The Zips figure to have an anemic offense, with seven starters gone from last season, but should have a stubborn D.

Of course, Notre Dame is the class of all the independents. After only four years, coach Doug Rader has lifted Tulsa's football program out of the doldrums. Last season the Golden Hurricane finished 10-2, capping the season with a 28-17 victory over San Diego State in the Freedom Bowl. Rader, still the youngest Division I-A coach at the age of 35, has Tulsa on the brink of cracking the top 20 (Tulsa finished 21st in the AP poll last season). Junior Gus Frerotte will replace quarterback T. J. Rubley, and Freedom Bowl MVP Ron Jackson will take over for tailback Chris Hughley. Cincinnati's football team would like to emulate its basketball team's success of last season, but despite returning 16 starters from a 4-7 squad, improvement is unlikely. The Bearcats do have two talented quarterback candidates in juniors Paul Anderson and Lance Harp. Tailback David Small returns after posting Cincinnati's first 1000-yard season since 1986. Coach Tim Murphy has taken the available talent as far as it can go. After losing 24 seniors from its 1990 team and quarterback Jeff Brohm to a broken leg in the second game of last season, the Louisville Cardinals predictably fell on their faces. Coach Howard Schnellenberger has Brohm back and is too good a coach to stay down long. But the climb back to national prominence will not happen this season. Northern Illinois (2-9) took it on the chin big time last season, yielding an average 33.1 points per game to opponents while averaging only 13 points on offense themselves. Coach Charlie Sadler had to start 11 first-year players and was forced to use ten players at tailback during the season. Sadler hit the junior-college circuit for immediate help and the schedule is a little easier. But the Huskies have miles to go before they can do anything but bark at opponents.

The Pac Ten has more teams in our top 20 (four) and more players on our pre-season All-America team (six) than any other conference. Washington has another dominating team, and California, UCLA and Stanford are extremely talented.

Arizona State, beaten 25-6 by California last season, got its revenge on the Golden Bears by hiring Bruce Snyder, the Bears' coach, to head up the Sun Devils' program. Snyder will install the aggressive, attack-style defense that so many teams are adopting. This spring Snyder wasn't able to decide who his starting quarterback would be--he likes all three candidates: junior Bret Powers and freshmen Garrick McGee and Grady Benton. The Sun Devil he's most impressed with is split end Eric Guliford (55 receptions for 801 yards last season), who he says "has the courage to catch the ball in the middle and the agility to catch it on the sidelines." These are tough times at USC. The Trojans finished a miserable 3-8 last season and, considering the tough schedule, may not be able to avoid another losing season this year. The heart of the problem is a weak defense that too often left the offense in bad field position or playing catch-up. Coach Larry Smith, who doesn't have as many impact players as he had in the past, will use a lot of people defensively, particularly linebackers, and will try to create havoc for opposing offenses by being aggressive. The Trojan offense, with quarterback Reggie Perry and tailback Deon Strother returning, should be better than last season. Playboy All-America tackle Tony Boselli, only a sophomore, is another in USC's long tradition of great linemen. Flanker Curtis Conway is a dangerous return man. If the Trojans don't show better results than last season, Smith could be in trouble despite a recent contract extension. Washington State returns all offensive starters from last year's squad that generated 4348 yards in total offense. Quarterback Drew Bledsoe is the trigger man in the Cougar attack. The 6'5" junior, who threw for 2741 yards and 17 TDs last season, already has pro scouts drooling. The Cougars, under coach Mike Price, were young defensively a year ago, with as many as four freshmen starting. Arizona, 4-7 last year, probably doesn't have enough talent to avoid another losing season. Billy Johnson, the team's leading rusher last year, isn't likely to be at full strength after February surgery on an Achilles tendon, and wide receiver Terry Vaughn will be slowed by recent knee surgery. Coach Dick Tomey will rely on versatile sophomore Chuck Levy, who started the final four games of last season at quarterback, can run from the tailback spot and can return kicks. If Levy is used as a rusher, ambidextrous senior George Malauulu will get the call at quarterback. Oregon got off to a 2-0 start last year before injuries, particularly at quarterback, soured the Ducks' fortunes. Coach Rich Brooks was forced to play five quarterbacks during the course of the season, rendering Oregon offensively ineffective. Two of the injured QBs, Danny O'Neil and Doug Musgrave, are fully recovered and head Brooks's depth chart for this year. The best player for Oregon on defense is free safety Eric Castle. Jerry Pettibone really knows option-style football, which he proved when he was head coach at Northern Illinois. Pettibone's problem when he took over last year at Oregon State is that the Beavers didn't have the right talent to run a successful option offense. Result: 1-10. Pettibone has attempted to remedy the situation by recruiting Roman Foster, a junior-college option quarterback, and prep option standout Rahim Muhammad. In addition, sophomores Mark Olford and Sedrick Thomas may have learned something in their trial by fire last season. OSU has more athletic ability and speed on defense than it has had in recent years, but it's probably too soon to look for many Ws.

With unaffiliated teams dwindling to a precious few, Memphis State, East Carolina, Southern Mississippi, Cincinnati and Tulsa formed the Independent Football Alliance during the off-season. The purpose of the alliance (not an official conference) is to ensure scheduling and, the schools hope, to find some TV markers.

Memphis State could be one of the surprise teams of the year. The Tigers return 19 starters from a team that won five games and was blown out only by Tennessee last year. Chuck Stobart, who was USC's offensive coordinator before taking over at MSU two seasons ago, will favor the pass over the run as soon as he decides on a starting quarterback. Joe Cole, the backup QB last season, will be pressed by redshirt freshman Darrell Williams and junior-college transfer Steve Matthews. The Tigers' starting defensive unit from last season returns intact and is led by All-America linebacker Danton Barto. East Carolina had its season of seasons last year. The Pirates lost a 38-31 opening-game nail-biter to Illinois and then recorded 11 consecutive victories, including a Peach Bowl win over North Carolina State. East Carolina finished ninth in the national rankings. Winning brought its own problems, as head coach Bill Lewis was then hired by Georgia Tech. Former offensive coordinator Steve Logan was hired to replace him. Replacing quarterback Jeff Blake and All-America linebacker Robert Jones, both of whom have joined the NFL, may not be so simple. Louisiana Tech faces its most difficult schedule since moving up to Division I-A three years ago. The Bulldogs, coached by Joe Raymond Peace, will be quarterbacked by 6'4", 230-pound Sam Hughes, who has already been compared by some with Tech alum Terry Bradshaw. Jason Davis, the fourth-leading rusher in the nation (135.1 yards per game), also returns. Tech, which posted strong records the past couple of years, will find this year's schedule to be rough, with seven road games against opponents such as Alabama, Baylor and West Virginia. Southern Mississippi will miss star running back Tony Smith and 17 other starters from last year's 4-7 squad. A new defensive coordinator was hired by coach Jeff Bower, and the Golden Eagles will shift to a 4-3 alignment. Southwestern Louisiana suffered through its worst season (2-8-1) since 1981. The culprit? No offense. SWL averaged only slightly more than 13 points per game. The fact that only seven starters return on the offensive unit may be a plus for coach Nelson Stokley. Until the Ragin' Cajuns learn to score some points, their defense, which returns nine starters, will have to hold the line.

The SEC has added new members Arkansas and South Carolina, split into two divisions (East and West) and will stage a conference championship game at the end of the regular season between the divisional winners. Florida and Georgia are the two best teams in the East, and Florida is probably the best team in the entire conference.

Johnny Majors, recovered from offseason heart surgery, is faced with a major rebuilding job at Tennessee, where 27 seniors--including impact players such as quarterback Andy Kelly and safety Dale Carter--have departed. In addition, All-America wide receiver Carl Pickens passed up his senior year to enter the NFL draft, leaving Tennessee without an All-America pass-catching candidate for the first time in recent memory. Heath Shuler and Jerry Colquitt are two promising sophomore quarterbacks, but they have completed only three forward passes between them on the collegiate level. The Volunteers will probably run often this year, using James "Little Man" Stewart and Aaron Hayden, two sophomore running backs who combined for more than 1600 yards as freshmen last season. All of last season's starting linebackers are gone, as are three of four players in the secondary. Gerry DiNardo did a terrific job in his first year as Vanderbilt coach. Before last season, he took his team to a pre-season camp at Bell Buckle (the players called it Hell Buckle), Tennessee, for two-a-day workouts. The team developed a toughness and chemistry not apparent previously, and the Commodores went on to finish the season with a 5-6 record (3-4 in the SEC), equaling the number of wins the team had accumulated over the prior three seasons. Di-Nardo has 17 starters back from last year and his eye on a winning season. Quarterback Marcus Wilson, who led the SEC last season in scoring with 68 points in just eight games, is one of the returnees. DiNardo's biggest concern is replacing tailback Corey Harris (1103 yards), who moved on to the NFL. Since he joined Kentucky two years ago, coach Bill Curry has managed to coax only seven wins out of the Wildcats, so now he's installing a new offense that features both the triple option and a wide-open passing game in an effort to bolster their point production. Sophomore quarterback Pookie Jones, an excellent scrambler, appears ideally suited to run the show. New conference member South Carolina (3-6-2 last season) faces a rugged eight-game SEC schedule with an unproven receiving corps and a quarterback, Wright Mitchell, who has never started a college game. Sophomore running back Brandon Bennett (702 yards) will get a lot of work. The defense, which gave up an average of more than 24 points per game last season, will be sorely tested by this season's schedule.

In the West, Alabama should reign supreme, though the Crimson Tide had better be alert when it makes a mid-November trek to Starksville, Mississippi, to play Jackie Sherrill's quickly improving Mississippi State team. Sherrill lived up to his reputation as a winner last season by guiding MSU to its first winning record since 1986 (7-5) and first bowl game (Liberty) since 1981. And he has more talent to work with this year. Quarterback William "Sleepy" Robinson, who ranked second in the SEC in passing efficiency last season, returns. Plus, the Bulldogs have added wide receiver Olanda Truitt, a Pittsburgh transfer who could be a big-timer. Sherrill will mix in a couple of junior-college All-America transfers, running back Kevin Bouie and linebacker Lateef Travis. Arkansas coach Jack Crowe's four years of experience as an assistant to Pat Dye at Auburn should come in handy now that the Razorbacks are playing in the SEC. Crowe has Greg Davis as new offensive coordinator and the Hogs plan to use a one-back set. Much about the new offense remains untested, however, since Jason Allen and Doyle Preston, Crowe's leading candidates at the quarterback spot, were held out of contact at spring practice because both were recovering from knee surgery. Mississippi coach Billy Brewer shook things up after the Rebels finished 5-6 last season. He hired new offensive and defensive coordinators and tossed UM's split-back formation in favor of the increasingly popular I-back alignment. Quarterback Russ Shows and running back Marvin Courtney return from last season, as does Everett Lindsay, a Playboy All-America guard. An entirely new defensive scheme ensures that Rebels on both sides of the ball will have the chance to be confused early in the season. The name Eric Ramsey has seared its way in-to Auburn football tradition, but not because of any gridiron heroics. Ramsey is the former Auburn player who charged that he received illegal benefits including cash from members of Auburn's coaching staff and an alumnus. Tape recordings he made of conversations with Dye and his assistants appear to back up at least some of the charges. The story generated widespread negative publicity for Dye and the Auburn football program, and a preliminary investigation by the NCAA is underway. But Dye, who resigned as athletic director, continues to survive as head football coach. However, if the Auburn Tigers have another losing season (they finished 5-6 last year), Dye's job may not be secure. In order to win, he thinks his Tigers have to toughen up. "Somewhere we've lost that edge we might have had at one time around here." says the coach. And he concedes. "We don't have as much ability as we've had in the past." Stan White will begin his third year as starting quarterback. But much of the offensive line is new and there is no big-time running back in the backfield. Unless Louisiana State can pull off an upset against early season opponents Texas A&M or Mississippi State, the Fighting Tigers may tumble to their fourth losing season in a row. Coach Curley Hallman's charges played well last season in close losses to Florida State and Alabama, but three Tiger wins were by a scant eight-point total. Quarter-backing duties will likely go to Chad Loup, who has had considerable experience as a starter. In fact, LSU returns eight offensive starters from last year. Unfortunately, one loss was LSU's best offensive player, All-SEC wide receiver Todd Kinchen.

Rumors abound that the Southwest Conference is about to come apart. Texas is said to fancy a spot in the Big Ten and Texas A&M would love to play in the SEC. Chances are the conference will fold from the bottom up, with hints that Southern Methodist may be ready to drop Division I play for financial reasons.

In the meantime, Texas A&M has more than enough talent to win the conference title this year even without an experienced starting quarterback. John Mackovic, former athletic director and head coach at Illinois, has taken over as coach at Texas. The Longhorns, who finished a disappointing 5-6 last season, lost two standout defensive line players, Shane Dronett and James Patton, to the NFL. Lance Gunn in the secondary is an all-conference-caliber player or better. Mackovic will switch Texas into a pro-style passing game offense that should benefit senior quarterback Peter Gardere, who has had an up-and-down career with the Longhorns. Running buck Butch Hadnot is outstanding when healthy. Texas Christian returns 16 starters from last season's 7-4 team, which should augur well for first-year coach Pat Sullivan. TCU has an excellent pass-catch combo in quarterback Leon Clay and wide receiver Stephen Shipley. The Horned Frogs will enjoy an early soft schedule that could see them 5-0 going into their October 17th reality-check meeting with Miami. Injuries are a concern for Sullivan, since his team is thin at several positions. Last season was tremendously disappointing for Houston and then-Heisman-candidate quarterback David Klingler. Opposing defenses rambled through Houston's offensive line almost at will, forcing Klingler to either take the sack or run for his life. The Cougars lost four of their first five games as their highly touted offense sputtered. By the end of the season, it was the defense that fell apart, allowing TCU and Texas Tech a combined 101 points. Coach John Jenkins hired a new defensive coaching staff in the off-season and expects immediate improvement. Donald Douglas, not as good a passer but a better runner than predecessors Andre Ware and Klingler, will start at quarterback. Douglas can only hope the Cougars' offensive line will be improved over last season. Texas Tech played with a split personality last year: 1-4 to start the season, then 5-1, including wins over bowlbound Arkansas and Baylor. Coach Spike Dykes has 14 starters back and hopes his Red Raiders can pick up where they left off. Quarterback Robert Hall, who led last year's turnaround when he took over as starter for the final six games, is only a junior. Baylor, which built a reputation for tough defense the past several seasons, must rebuild defensively, since only three starters return. Coach Grant Teaff, who took on the added responsibility of athletic director this past spring, thinks defensive end Albert Fontenot and linebacker Le'Shai Maston are solid players to build on. The Bears have good position players on offense in quarterback J. J. Joe and running backs David Mims and Robert Strait. However, they'll be playing behind an entirely new offensive line. Rice followers have dreams of a winning season for the first time since 1963 and a Heisman Trophy for running back Trevor Cobb. Coach Fred Goldsmith calls this team "the best that we've had in my four years here," and Cobb will get Heisman votes if he comes close to duplicating last season's 1692 yards rushing. With opposing defenses ganging up on Cobb, quarterback Josh LaRocca and some of the other Owls will have to step up their level of play. Southern Methodist suffered through an injury-riddled 1-10 season last year under first-year coach Tom Rossley. All but two starters from the offense return this season, but then the offense managed only 12.8 points per game last year. The Mustangs lost two quarterbacks to knee injuries in 1991. Mike Romo, SMU's third highest all-time passing leader, will probably not return this season, and the other, Dan Freiburger, was unable to participate in spring drills. Wide receiver Jason Wolf needs only 46 catches to become the SWC all-time reception leader--if someone can be found to pass him the ball.

Brigham Young coach La Vell Edwards has yet to settle on which of five sophomores will replace Ty Detmer at quarterback for the Cougars. Whoever takes the snaps in Edwards' offensive system is likely to pile up big numbers. BYU's defense is quick and deep, particularly at linebacker, where Todd Herget was impressive in the spring. If the Cougars get off to a good start against Texas-El Paso in their opening game, they'll be the favorites to win the conference. Fresno State, 10-2 last year, moves from the Big West to the WAC. The Bulldogs led the nation in scoring (44.2 points per game) and total offense (541.9 yards per game) last year. Coach Jim Sweeney is looking forward to playing the tougher WAC schedule. "I think the schedule is going to challenge us so that there can be no letdown." Trent Dilfer should be a capable replacement for four-year starting quarterback Mark Barsotti. Sweeney's biggest headache is replacing nine starters from last season's defense. It's more than a little ironic that Air Force football philosophy is run, run, run. But that's what coach Fisher DeBerry has done with the Falcons and the results (10-3) have been spectacular. Air Force, which finished last season with a 38-15 drubbing of Mississippi State in the Liberty Bowl, ran up 4057 yards rushing out of its wishbone attack. With the graduation of quarterback Rob Perez, Jarvis Baker will step in to key the Falcons' attack. Defensive back Carlton McDonald, the WAC Defensive Player of the Year, returns for his senior season. San Diego State has one of the most exciting players in the country in Playboy All-America running back Marshall Faulk. After Miami's game against the Aztecs last season, Hurricane coach Dennis Erickson said, "We think of ourselves as a pretty good tackling team. We simply couldn't tackle Faulk." The freshman running back totaled 154 yards rushing against Miami, proving that his amazing numbers (1429 yards rushing in only 9 1/2, games) weren't simply the result of weak-tackling opposition. Coach. Al Luginbill has some other offensive weapons as well: quarterback David Lowery (2575 yards passing last season) and Darnay Scott, a wide receiver with blazing speed. An improved defense will be required in order for San Diego State to challenge for the conference crown. Utah has steadily improved under third-year coach Ron McBride. The 7-5 Utes, who led the conference in total defense last season, will add Houdini Nua to their defensive line in an effort to keep the magic alive. Senior quarterback Frank Dolce, who threw for 2444 yards and 16 touchdowns last season, will be joined by newcomer Jamal Anderson, a junior fullback McBride is high on. Wyoming will attempt to recover from a disastrous 4-6-1 season that saw the Cowboys decimated by injuries. Eight defensive starters were knocked out of action by the end of the year and 25 Cowboys underwent surgery during the season. Coach Joe Tiller will have some experienced young players returning, since many were pressed into action prematurely last season. Defensive tackle Thomas Williams (6'5", 290 pounds), who was suspended last year, has put in a lot of time in the weight room and should make an impact this season. Earle Bruce's rebuilding program at Colorado State got sidetracked last season. The Rams, who won five games in Bruce's first year as coach, then nine games two years ago, finished a disappointing 3-8 last season. Bruce isn't deterred. "I want to see this program take off, really grow." The Rams' best player is wide receiver Greg Primus, who already has 133 career receptions. Now coach Bruce has to decide who'll be throwing to him. Texas-El Paso is in good shape at quarterback, where two-year starter Mike Perez is backed up by highly recruited freshman Carlton Washington. Coach David Lee's biggest challenge is putting together an offensive line to play in front of them. Three consecutive mid-season road games will tell the story for the Gold Miners. Hawaii's hopes for a winning season were dimmed when slot back Jeff Sydner headed for the mainland and the NFL a year early. The Rainbows, whose defense was the best in the conference four of the past five years, suffered another blow when defensive coordinator Rich Ellerson departed. Coach Bob Wagner remains cautiously upbeat. "If our guys stay healthy, we could be all right." Dennis Franchione takes on the challenging job of coaching New Mexico's football team. Building a defense will be Franchione's first priority. The Lobos allowed opponents an average of more than 39 points per game last season.

Top 20 Teams

The next 20: Iowa, Mississippi St., Clemson, West Virginia, Pittsburgh, Brigham Young, Air Force, Tulsa, Indiana, Virginia, Texas, Arkansas, Tennessee, Illinois, Memphis St., North Carolina St., Kansas, Rutgers, Texas Christian, Michigan St.

The Playboy All-Americas

Playboy'S College Football Coach of the Year for 1992 is Dennis Erickson of the University of Miami. Erickson has guided the Hurricanes to two national championships and compiled a 33-3 record in his three-year tenure. Before joining Miami, Erickson was head coach at Washington State, Wyoming and Idaho. He has a career record of 83-34-1. Erickson was also Big Sky Conference Coach of the Year in 1982 and 1985, Pac Ten Co-Coach of the Year in 1988 and Big East Coach of the Year in 1991.

Offense

Shane Matthews-Quarterback, 6'3", 192 pounds, senior, Florida. Two-time SEC Player of the Year. Russell White-Running back, 6', 210, senior, California. Rushed for 2298 yards and 26 TDs in two seasons and averaged five yards per carry. A two-time Playboy All-America. Marshall Faulk-Running back, 5'10", 200, sophomore, San Diego State. First freshman to lead nation in scoring (21 touchdowns) or rushing (1429 yards).

Natrone Means-Running back, 5'10", 227, junior, North Carolina. Leading rusher in ACC last season. Had 1879 yards and 21 touchdowns past two seasons.

Sean Lachapelle-Wide receiver, 6'4", 207, senior, UCLA. Top returning receiver in nation. Had 73 receptions for 1056 yards last season. Qadry Ismail-Wide receiver, 6', 192, senior, Syracuse. Led Big East 54 yards per play on seven TDs. Mike Compton-Center, 6'7", 289, senior, West Virginia. Three-year starter for Mountaineers. First team All-Big East last season. Will Shields-Guard, 6'1", 295, senior, Nebraska. Described by coach Tom Osborne as Nebraska's "most dominating offensive lineman ever." Everett Lindsay-Guard, 6'5", 290, senior, Mississippi. First team All-Sec. Timed at 4.8 seconds in 40-yard dash.

Tony Boselli-Tackle, 6'7", 285, sophomore, USC. First team All-Pac Ten last season, the first freshman lineman so honored. Freshman All-American first team.

Lincoln Kennedy-Tackle, 6'7",

325, senior, Washington. Morris Trophy winner as top offensive lineman in Pac Ten last season. A two-time Playboy All-America. Jason Elam-Place kicker, 6', 195, senior, Hawaii. Successful on 63 of 75 career field-goal attempts, 40 out of 42 from 40 yards or closer. Kevin Williams-Kick returner, 5'9", 185, junior, Miami. Big East Special Teams Player of the Year. Set Miami record with 560 yards on 36 returns last season.

Defense

Rusty Medearis-End, 6'3", 245, junior, Miami. Had 55 tackles, ten sacks and 24 quarterback pressures last season. Has 24 quarterback sacks in 17 career starts. Chris Slade-End, 6'5", 235, senior, Virginia. Had 99 tackles and 14 sacks for Cavaliers last season. Dana Stubblefield-Tackle, 6'3", 280, senior, Kansas. First team Big Eight last season with ten sacks and 13 tackles for losses. Tommy Thigpen-Linebacker, 6'2", 230, senior, North Carolina. First team ACC. Has 320 total career tackles.

Steve Tovar-Linebacker, 6'4", 240, senior, Ohio State. First team All-Big Ten with 97 tackles. A two-time Playboy All-America. Dave Hoffmann-Linebacker, 6'2", 225, senior, Washington. First team All-Pac Ten. Led Huskies in tackles for second straight season with 71 stops.

Marvin Jones-Linebacker, 6'2", 220, junior, Florida State. One of four finalists last year for Lombardi Award (for outstanding lineman in nation), the first sophomore to be so honored in the 22-year history of the award.

Carlton Gray-Cornerback, 6', 190, senior, UCLA. Ranked second in nation last season with ten regular-season interceptions. Also won academic All-America honors with 3.42 GPA.

Ray Buchanan-Cornerback, 5'9", 195, senior, Louisville. Had 108 total tackles and eight interceptions last season.

Tracy Saul-Safety, 6', 180, senior, Texas Tech. Has already tied SWC career record for interceptions with 20. Has 254 career tackles. Will White-Safety, 6'1", 199, senior, Florida. First team All-SEC past two seasons. Tied for top spot on Florida's all-time interception list with 13. A two-time Playboy All-America.

Dan Eichloff-Punter, 6', 215, junior, Kansas. First team Big Eight as both punter and place kicker last season. Career average for 93 punts is 42.4 yards.

"This season's version of the Hurricanes is even better than the 12-0 co-champions of last season."

Atlantic Coast Conference

Big East

Big Eight

Big Ten

Anson Mount Scholar/Athlete

The Anson Mount Scholar/Athlete Award recognizes achievement in the classroom as well as on the football field. Nominated by their colleges, candidates are judged by the editors of Playboy on their collegiate scholastic and athletic accomplishments. The winner attends Playboy's pre-season All-America Weekend (held this year at the Sheraton Bal Harbour Hotel in Bal Harbour, Florida), receives a bronzed commemorative medallion and is included in our All-America team photograph. In addition, Playboy awards $5000 to the general scholarship fund of the winner's college.

This year's Anson Mount Scholar/Athlete is James Hansen from the University of Colorado. Jim was an honorable mention All-Big Eight performer at offensive tackle last year. An aerospace engineering major, he is a two-time GTE Academic All-America, a two-time student of the year in Colorado's School of Engineering and a Rhodes Scholar candidate. His grade-point average is 3.94.

Anson Mount Award nominees whose scholastic/athletic accomplishments deserve honorable mention are: Shane Hackney (New Mexico State), Steve Neeleman (Utah State), Troy Hoffer (Ball State), Tom Burns (Virginia), Steve Wasylk (Michigan State), Tim Ruddy (Notre Dame), Scott Hufford (Air Force), Robert King (Texas Tech), Greg Hoffman (Utah), J. J. Joe (Baylor), Michael Kozub (Navy), Mike Stigge (Nebraska), Joey Wheeler (Rice), Mike Compton (West Virginia), Brian Parvin (UNLV), James Singleton (Southern Mississippi), Pat O'Neill (Syracuse), Justin Hall (New Mexico), Scott Dennis (Temple), Chad Loup (Louisiana State), Mike McElrath (Army), Chris Hutchinson (Michigan), Carlton Gray (UCLA), Chris Park (Ohio University).

Big West

East Independents

Mid-American Conference

Midwest Independents

Pacific Ten

South Independents

Southeastern Conference

Eastern Division

Western Division

*includes SEC play-off game

Rest of the Best

Quarterbacks: Rick Mirer (Notre Dame), Gino Torretta (Miami), Eric Zeier (Georgia), Elvis Grbac (Michigan), Jason Verduzco (Illinois), Alex Van Pelt (Pittsburgh), Marvin Graves (Syracuse), Troy Kopp (Pacific), Drew Bledsoe (Washington State), Trent Green (Indiana), Shawn Jones (Georgia Tech), Erik White (Bowling Green)

Running Backs: Jerome Bettis (Notre Dame), Trevor Cobb (Rice), Derek Brown, Calvin Jones (Nebraska), Glyn Milburn (Stanford), Ricky Powers (Michigan), Robert Smith (Ohio State), Terry Kirby (Virginia), Errict Rhett (Florida), Garrison Hearst (Georgia), Greg Hill (Texas A&M), Kevin Williams (UCLA), Tico Duckett (Michigan State), Adrian Murrell (West Virginia)

Receivers: Andre Hastings (Georgia), David Palmer (Alabama), Eric Guli-ford (Arizona State), Clarence Williams (Washington State), O. J. McDuffie (Penn State), Willie Jackson (Florida), Lamar Thomas (Miami), Aaron Turner (Pacific), Freddie Gilbert (Houston), Stephen Shipley (TCU), John Henry Mills (Wake Forest)

Offensive Linemen: Mike Devlin (Iowa), Randall Parsons (North Carolina), Jim Pyne (Virginia Tech), Steve Everitt (Michigan), Robert Stevenson (Florida State), Todd Steussie (California), Alan Kline (Ohio State), Tre Johnson (Temple), Tom Scott (East Carolina), Mike Bedosky (Missouri), Kevin Mawae (LSU), Mark Govi (Tulsa), Bob Garman (Washington State), Willie Roaf (La. Tech), Jesse Hardwick (Fresno State), John James (Mississippi State)

Defensive Linemen: Jeff Zgonina (Purdue), Jason Gildon (Oklahoma State), Sam Adams (Texas A&M), Reggie Barnes (Oklahoma), Coleman Rudolph (Georgia Tech), Chris Hutchinson (Michigan), Zack Rix (Fresno State), Leonard Renfro (Colorado), Dan Williams (Toledo), Darren Mickell (Florida), Bob Kuberski (Navy)

Linebackers: Darrin Smith (Miami), Demetrius DuBose (Notre Dame), Travis Hill (Nebraska), Greg Biekert, Chad Brown (Colorado), Carlton Miles (Florida), Ron George (Stanford), Arnold Ale (UCLA), Curt McMillan (Miami University), Brooks Barta (Kansas State), Dana Howard (Illinois), Raymond Bowles (San Jose State), Barry Minter (Tulsa), Mark Parris (Ball State), Danton Barto (Memphis State)

Defensive Backs: Roger Harper (Ohio State), Tom Carter (Notre Dame), Eric Castle (Oregon), Lance Gunn (Texas), Sebastian Savage (North Carolina State), Jimmy Young (Purdue), Carlton McDonald (Air Force), Derwin Gray (BYU), Larry Kennedy (Florida), Mike McElrath (Army)

Kick Returners: Curtis Conway (USC), Tony James (Mississippi State), Fred Montgomery (New Mexico State)

Place Kickers: Craig Hentrich (Notre Dame), Scott Bonnell (Indiana), Doug Brien (California), Eric Lange (Tulsa)

Punters: Pat O'Neill (Syracuse), Shayne Edge (Florida), David Lawrence (Vanderbilt), Tommy Thompson (Oregon), Mike Stigge (Nebraska), Mitch Berger (Colorado), Brian Parvin (UNLV)

Southwest Conference

Western Athletic Conference