oreboard- Tracking 'M' teams 5oRLEAGUE NEW YORK 2, (ESPN) Check out the Michigan Soccer Team when they take in p5~pges (New York leads 1-0) NEW YORK, 8:07 pm. on Iowa this Friday. The game is slated for 4 p.m. at ton 11, Today's Division Playoff (NBC) the Michigan Soccer Facility on South State Street. EELAND 3 schedule Student admissionisefree. ston leads 1-0) Boston at Diego 2, CLEVELAND, 1:07 p.m. SToN 1 (ESPN) Wednesday Diego leads 1-0) Chicago at yOtme S,19 ATLANTA 4:07 p.mSeptember 0, 1998 Investigation nears completion; Ray still suspended for Iowa Athletic Department: Query should conclude within week FILE PHOTO hlgan senior safety Marcus Ray will remain under suspension for the game at Iowa. The investigation owing allegations that he had improper contact with an agent should be concluded this week. By Jim Rose Daily Sports Editor Marcus Ray will soon learn his fate. But he won't play this weekend against Iowa. The emotional leader of Michigan's defense for the past two years, Ray has been suspended since Sept. 10, after the NCAA contacted Michigan Athletic Director Tom Goss with information suggesting Ray had improper contact with an agent. The NCAA stated it was acting on an anonymous tip. The University has been investigating the allegation, and in the meantime, Ray has not been allowed to practice or participate in any team-sponsored events. Yesterday, Michigan Sports Information Director Bruce Madej said that the investi- gation "should conclude this week." In the interim, Ray will remain suspend- ed for the Wolverines' game against the Hawkeyes on Saturday. When the University does wrap up its investigation, the findings will be forward- ed to the NCAA, which will then determine Ray's status. Should the findings link Ray to major violations - such as agreeing to a contract or accepting gifts - his career as a Wolverine could be over. But if the findings are minimal, Ray could be reinstated. After playing Iowa on Saturday, Michigan has a bye the following weekend (Oct. 10). The Wolverines return to action on the road against Northwestern on Oct. 17 Goss was unavailable for comment yes- terday, but he told The Ann Arbor News on Monday that lie "felt a lot better (about the situation) this week than I did last week." In the past week, Goss met with Derrick Gragg, the University's director of compli- ance, who is heading the investigation along with faculty adviser Percy Bates. Much speculation has centered around the idea that Ray's alleged involvement with an agent may be traceable to his best friend, former Michigan football player Charles Woodson. Woodson's agents have emphatically denied any wrongdoing in the situation. Michigan coach Lloyd Carr has refused to talk about the topic since announcing Ray's suspension in a press conference. During yesterday's Big Ten teleconference, Carr held his position. "I'm not worried about who is here," he said. "I'm more concerned about who is here." Once the NCAA has received the results of Michigan's investigation, the decision on Ray's future could come anytime. "As far as finality goes," Madej said, "when everything will be decided - I can't say." is time, its two quarterbacks (or Penn State, not the Buckeyes I . I - I you're talking Ohio State-Penn State, and one team uses a two-quarterback system, and the other is suf- fering an image crisis because of a player's eligibili- ,you're still talking Ohio State-Penn State, right? Nope. Reverse it. Try Penn State-Ohio State. This Saturday's game is as big as it usually is - both ams are undefeated and in the top 10 - but the roles, is year, seem to be reversed. For the past two years, Ohio State coach John Cooper efied conventional wisdom by platooning Stanley ckson and Joe Germaine at quarterback all season, g@up through the annual Michigan loss. This year, Germaine's the lone Buckeye behind cen- r,.but Penn State has been using oth Kevin Thompson and Rashard asey at quarterback. Last year, Joe Paterno was duped y clever running back Curtis Enis, ho not only broke team rules by ccepting a suit from an agent, but, as also sneaky enough to wear it n tional television to an awards JIM eiony. He got caught, and was ROSE icked off the team. Rose This year, John Cooper was Beef uped by heady linebacker Andy atzenmoyer, who wasn't telling e, truth when he told his coach he'd spent the summer proving his grades. He got caught, and was named a preseason All- .merican. But all kidding aside, itsis that time of year again: he time when everyone realizes that Michigan- Jl igan State wasn't even watched by anyone living i e the state, and that the two real heavyweights in he conference are about to duke it out. Ohio State-Penn State, or Penn State-Ohio State, is ne of those great midseason college games that, more han anything else, passes the time between the Illinois- ndianas and the Wisconsin-Northwesterns. This year, the twist is that Penn State will rely on two uarterbacks, while the Buckeyes don't have to, because hey have the best one in the Big Ten. "I haven't had enough experience with it yet to tell N hether it's an advantage or a disadvantage," atemo said of his new system. "This is the first time 've done it. You should ask John Cooper." Somebody did, actually. But Cooper didn't seem to hink it made much difference how many people were laying quarterback. "I could care less who plays," Cooper said. "Whoever hey pus in there is gonna do a good job, so it doesn't ter so me who they use." Another thing Cooper dismissed was the fact that Penn State didn't play this past weekend. The Nittany ions had an extra week to prepare for the Buckeyes, suooper didn't seem to think the extra time would ave much of an effect on the game. Tenn State doesn't need an extra week to prepare," e said. "Anytime you have a coach that has 300 victo- -es, you know, you don't need an extra week to get ready. Penn State is always ready." Last year, the Nittany Lions ran for 316 yards against Ohio State, but the bulk of the workload was carried by Enis and Aaron Harris, who has been working to get back in shape after injuring his knee. Paterno said Harris would play, but he wasn't sure how much - not to mention how well. "I'm sure he'll play," Paterno said. "Whether he's 80- percent, or 85- or 90-percent, I don't know. That's what we'll have to see." NORTH-WORST-ERN ... AGAIN?: Northwestern coach Gary Barnett, just two years removed from his (prema- ture?) anointing as The Next Great College Coach, has- n't had the best of luck this fall. Last weekend, Wisconsin romped on Barnett's squad, 38-7. The Badgers scored touchdowns on runs, passes, punt returns and even a blocked punt. But Barnett explained. "We got victimized by some illegal tactics, and they went unnoticed by the officials," Barnett said. Oh, so that was the problem? Illegal tactics? Barnett said the early-game naughty rules violations by the Badgers "resulted in a punt being blocked, and we sort of lost our poise from that point on." Apparently so. Northwestern gave up 38 straight points. Fortunately for Barnett, his Wildcats get the Illini on Saturday, who managed to hold Iowa to just 37 points last weekend while even scoring 14 of their own. It promises to be an evenly matched game, if nothing else. But, probably, it will be nothing else. "This has always been a big rivalry that everybody probably knows about," Barnett said in total serious- ness. "Both teams are very similar statistically. We're almost identical, actually." Don't admit that, Gary. HAYDEN FRIED: In recent weeks, farmers in Iowa City and the other development in the state of Iowa, Des Moines, have been in an uproar. It seems that an article in The Chicago Tribune called for Iowa coach Hayden Fry's resignation. Fry is 70 years old, and has been in charge of Iowa's football program for 20 years. He's just the sixth coach in Big Ten history to last that long at one school. The article suggested that Fry is too old to relate to today's players, and that he should get out before he ruins all the good years he's had at Iowa, and that the game has passed him by, and so on and so on. Big Ten coaches, naturally, scoffed at the suggestion that Hayden might be too old to coach and rallied to his defense. Lloyd Carr said Fry was as unpredictable as ever and called the article "inappropriate." Barnett said that "only those of us in the business canrappreciate what Hayden has done, and how he has done it, over the years. He'll be a great coach for as long as he wants to do it." Since 1991, Carr is 5-0 against Fry. Barnett hasn't lost to Fry since 1994. Hmmm. - Jim Rose can be reached atjwrose@umich.edu. AP PHOTO Ohio State quarterback Joe Germaine is on his own this year, and will have to deal with Penn State this Saturday in the Big Ten's true clash of titans. COME FOR THE DAILY IF YOU THINK SOU H E THE STUFF. cALL 76-DAILY 1 1 U--------------------------1 DOCiMENT BINDINGS I Any style, size or color I _ ~kinkolse, 530 E. Liberty, Ann Arbor 761-4539 I 1 2609 Plymouth Rd., Ann Arbor 996-0050 1 1 rlnths copon to thla inslsted and reeve documenotbindings tany style, szenorcoloe) fo just nach. I SuSc oaaiaiiy ons not include copies. Oer ixs iited toone coupon pe" moron. Copo east be peseteod at tmofprhsand is noaliadewth oteoosounts. Oferalid atntmeofpurcasetonanda not bedontdor a *reded dtowardpast ftururhase. Offeralidatnoslitd locations only.Coupnoid wreoibsitd by aw o cah U * vaue.01998 os, Inc. 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