Field Hockey at Central Michigan Today,7 p.m. Mt. Pleasant 'TS Women's Soccer vs. Detroit Mercy Today, 6:30 p.m. Elbel Field FOOTBALL NOTEBOOK Big Ten impressive in non- conference competition Collins, Hamilton receive Player of the Week honors 4 By MICHAEL ROSENBERG Daily Football Writer Like Madonna or a Superball, the Big Ten just keeps coming back. After a subpar season in 1992-in which only four teams made bowl games and Big Ten squads were rou- tinely spanked by non-conference com- petition -- the league returned to form last season. Seven bowls featured Big Ten participants, and Wisconsin, Penn State, Ohio State and Michigan all won postseason games. If last year's success didn't answer any questions the public may have had about the quality of the conference, the early part of this season should. Michigan, of course, won at Notre Dame, quite a feat in and of itself but even more impressive in light of the fact that the Wolverines played with- out seniors Matt Dyson, Joe Marinaro, Tyrone Wheatley and Walter Smith. ButMichigan's win was justasmall part of the story. Penn State showed that it can com- pete with anyone in the country with its 38-14 pasting of Southern Cal in State College. The Nittany Lionsjumped out to a 35-0 halftime lead thanks to a second straight standout performance by Ki-Jana Carter, who is quickly gar- nering Heisman consideration. Iowa won its annual heated battle with Iowa State, and Illinois feasted on a supposedly improved Missouri team. Wisconsin, Indiana, Minnesota and Purdue also won Saturday. Perhaps the biggest victory for the Big Ten was not even a victory at all. Perennial league doormat Northwest- ern gave Bill Walsh's Stanford Cardi- nal all it could handle in a 41-41 tie. Stanford was lucky to avoid a loss. WhenNorthwesternis giving teams 'This week I'm the hero, but next (game) I could be the goat.' Remy Hamilton Michigan placekicker fits, you know the Big Ten is tough. These wins were more than enough to offset the disappointing losses by Ohio State at Washington and Michi- gan State at Kansas. PLAYERS OF THE WEEK: Michigan's Todd Collins was named the conference's offensive player of the week for his 21-for-29, 244-yard per- formance against the Fighting Irish. Collins avoided a fierce Notre Dame pass rush en route to a strong game- long performance, but really showed his mettle on the final drive. Collins exhibited poise in leading the Wolver- ines downfield to set up the final score, and his nine-yard completion to Seth Smith with Irish defensive lineman Bert Berry wrapped around him will go down as one of the great clutch plays in Michigan history. Speaking of clutch performances, kicker Remy Hamilton did OK himself Saturday. His four field-goal perfor- mance, including the game-winner, earned him special teams honors as Player of the Week in the Big Ten. YEAH, BUT WHAT HAS HE DONE SINCE?: Neither Hamilton nor coach Gary Moellerwasfooled by thekicker's performance this week. Both hinted that the Wolverines' five-yearstreakof kicking woes may not be over. "This week I'm the hero, but next (game) I could be the goat," Hamilton said. LUCKY BREAK: Even Hamilton's missed field goal was productive for Michigan. In the first quarter, Hamilton's 29-yard attempt was blocked, but Wolverine Ch6 Foster caught the ball and advanced it for'a Michigan first down. Not long after, Tshimanga Biakabutuka scurried in from the 10to giveMichigan a7-3 lead. DOUGLAS KANTER/Daity Michigan linebacker Trevor Pryce is just another Big Ten player making life difficult for nonconference opponents. .., A .F FI~TSt 'Will c F ~ All - x >. tt i U THE OFFICIAL SOFTWARE FOR GMAT REVIEW Version 5.0 $59.95 Two actual tests, interactive tutorials, plus exclusive infor- mation about the new GMAT Analytical Writing Assessment. IBM and compatibles. t THE OFFICIAL GUIDE FOR T GMAT REVIEW 7th edition $13.95 Three actual tests (not simulated), answers and detailed explana- tions by GMAT test authors, plus exclu- sive information about the new GMAT Analytical Writing 4 Assessment. THE OFFICIAL GUIDE TO MBA N4 PROGRAMS 7th edition b ' ? 44YF $14.95 Profiles of more r than 600 graduate management pro- s grams worldwide. THE OFFICIAL ORDER THESE ALL-NEW GUIDES FROM THE OFFICIAL SPONSOR OF THE GMATO. Put your best foot forward on the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT), find an ideal MBA program, and learn how to finance your degree by ordering the Official Guides pub- lished by the Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC) - sponsor of the GMAT. The GMAC, an association of graduate business and management schools, is a valuable information resource on graduate management education for both students and schools. To order, call 1-800-982-6740 .