0 7 6 " * Reaching for the title Michigan hopes to make fifth straight crown special Fday qhbv1, W . Many college football analysts are saying the Big Ten conference is a joke. But let's face it: it's an old joke. People used to laugh about Michigan and Ohio State being the Big Two compared to the Little Eight. Those days are gone, but only because the Buckeyes have succumbed to mediocrity. Meanwhile, the Wolverines have continued to reign, winning four straight conference titles and making the coveted trip to Pasadena in three of those years. Were it not for the entry of Penn State into the conference, Michigan would likely be the preseason conference favorite every season in the foreseeable future. Of course, the danger in this domination is the potential for complacency. Enter the history books. Michigan coach Gary Moeller has found a carrot to hold in front of his Wolverine squad: No Michigan team has ever won five consecutive Big Ten championships. Michigan currently has won four straight. Call it the Drive for Five. Call it One for the Thumb. Call it instant motivation. And Moeller couldn't be more thrilled to have his team's sole focus be the Big Ten title. That's been the company line at Michigan for years. Generations of Wolverine players, when confronted with media expectations of a national championship, have responded the same way: "Here at Michigan, we don't care about national championships. The Big Ten is all we're after. After that, it doesn't matter." Yeah, and people went to see Basic Instinct for the dialogue. However, with this year's historical implications, the Michigan players seem to be more sincere than ever about focusing on the conference. No one even has been saying how "a national title would be icing on the cake." All this, despite Michigan having as good a shot as ever to win the national championship. Think about it: if the Wolverines get past Notre Dame on the road, they do not play another tough road game until the traditional season finale in Columbus. Sure, Iowa, Michigan State, Indiana, and Illinois could Ohio Stat Ohio State coach John Cooper is armed with a new contract, despite persistent rumors about his impending demise. Cooper has not fared well in his four years in Columbus, compiling a 27-18-2 record. That mark might be acceptable at other schools, but it is not up to par at an institution with 25 Big Ten titles to its credit. Ironically, the last one came in 1986, when Cooper was directing his Arizona State team to a Rose Bowl victory over Michigan; Ohio State has not beaten the Wolver- ines during Cooper's reign. The Buckeyes were unimpres- sive as a 17-point favorite in their opener versus Louisville. Now that first-game jitters are out of the way, Ohio State hopes to prove it is indeed a top-25 club. The strength of the team is at tailback and on the offensive line. Ohio State has a trio of runners similar to Michigan's in Raymont Harris, Butler B'y'n'o't'e (oops, that's By'not'e) and Robert Smith. Without question the most gifted is Smith, the UPI national freshman of the year in 1990 when he gained 1,126 yards on 177 carries (6.4 average). In a much publicized incident, he quit the team prior to last season saying the program did not put enough emphasis on academ- ics. But after offensive coordinator Elliot Uzelac, who Smith named as the biggest culprit, resigned, Smith returned bigger and faster. He was impressive in the Louis- ville game before going out with a cracked rib. Smith is expected to be out a few weeks. Anchoring the offensive line are tackles Alan Kline (6-foot-7,- 290 pounds) and Jason Winrow (6- 6,300). Winrow, a junior, was selected by the Buckeye coaching staff as the team's best offensive lineman last year. Kline was first-team all- Big Ten last year as a sophomore and is an Outland Trophy and all- American candidate. His size and agility already have NFL scouts drooling, and ESPN draft expert Mel Kiper Jr. projects Kline as a potential top-10 pick. On the other side of the ball, linebackers Steve Tovar and Jason Simmons are the stars. Tovar is a Butkus Award candidate and has led Ohio State in tackles the past two years, when he was also first- team all-Big Ten. Simmons set school marks last year with 18 1/2 tackles for losses and 10 1/2 sacks, including four in one game. Junior safety Roger Harper is the mainstay of the secondary and could win the Thorpe Award as the nation's top defensive back. Probably the biggest question mark comes at the most important position. Senior Kirk Herbstreit beat out Bob Hoying, the only other scholarship quarterback, this spring to win the job. - Albert Liar Same Contac D IOWA Continued from page 18 back spots - two very important positions. Defensively, the Hawkeyes have been exploited this season by two teams with superior speed. Iowa had to replace much of its defense, and have struggled in its first two games. Two of the players the Hawkeyes miss most so far are defensive lineman Leroy Smith and middle linebacker John Derbv. Derby led the team in tackles with 107, while Smith finished third on the team in tackles last season with 79, including 22 tackles for loss. Smith also had 18 quarterback sacks. Mike Wells and his 12 sacks returns. Fry also needs to replace three of his starting defensive backs - Eddie Polly, Brian Wise and Gary Clark. Scott Plate and his two interceptions return. - Josh Dubow The SO ldQ Ball Park Everything for the Sports Fanatic ... 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