By the Numbers

There goes Tommie Frazier around left end, to the 10, to the five, touchdown Nebraska!

Relax, Florida, it’s a joke.

The national title game ended months ago, although popcorn-less showings of Nebraska’s 62-24 Fiesta Bowl blowout are being replayed nightly in Gator Coach Steve Spurrier’s tightly wound cranium.

Much in the college game has changed since that Jan. 2 Tempe trampling, the title game that went stale faster than the tortilla chips.

-- Frazier took his act and moved on to Canada -- yes, Canada -- after the NFL snubbed the most electrifying no-options quarterback of his generation.

-- Quarterback Donovan McNabb, Syracuse’s super sophomore, came as close to a national title as he’ll get last spring as a bench warmer for the Orangeman basketball team, which fell to Kentucky in the NCAA title game.

-- The University of Miami? Updates on its 1996 roster can be obtained through the Dade County Attorney’s office via the Freedom of Information Act.

-- There were the usual house-cleanings. Cal replaced Coach Keith Gilbertson with Steve Mariucci; Georgia fired Ray Goff, thought it had hired Kansas’ Glen Mason -- who then changed his mind -- then settled for Jim Donnan. Jim Donnan? Oklahoma showed ol’ cuss Howard Schnellenberger the door and ushered in a more familiar face, John Blake, the former Sooner nose tackle and Barry Switzer back-slapper.

You may have heard about Bob Toledo replacing Terry Donahue at UCLA.

-- The Rose Bowl, nothing but a thorn in the national alliance’s side, at last signed on to the national championship program, beginning in 1998. You can bet that’ll be the year three teams go undefeated.

-- The nation’s conferences underwent more structural changes than Michael Jackson. The former Big Eight hand-picked the best of the defunct Southwest -- Texas, Texas Tech, Texas A&M;, Baylor--then re-formed as the Big 12, a barrel-chested, two-fisted conference if ever there was one.

Well, actually, there was once. It was called the Southwest.

SWC outcasts Southern Methodist, Rice and Texas Christian were sent packing to the Western Athletic, the Brady Bunch of conferences as it tries to clothe and feed 16 teams in a two-division format.

Houston, the remaining SWC orphan, was put in the loving care of upstart Conference USA.

The Big West, once a 10-tentacled, frequent-flyer boondoggle, dumped seven teams, added three and returns as a slick (that’s sick without the L) six-team unit. For more details, call the Big West’s emergency hotline, 1 (800) SAY-WHAT?

-- The tie game in college football became history after common sense and cooperation prevailed in a meeting involving, get this, an NCAA committee.

-- There were losses: former Nebraska quarterback Brook Berringer died in a plane crash; Miami linebacker Marlin Barnes was beaten to death in his apartment; Clemson paid last respects to Frank Howard, the rock, its Hall of Fame coach.

-- There were relapses: Boise State Coach Pokey Allen, 53, took medical leave after the cancer he beat into remission last December reappeared last month. Same sad story in in Boulder, where leukemia again postponed Colorado defensive end Tyrone Bussey’s comeback.

Yet, much in college football has not changed since Tempe.

The top five teams in the final 1995 Associated Press poll were Nebraska, Florida, Tennessee, Florida State and Colorado.

The top five teams in the 1996 preseason poll are Nebraska, Tennessee, Florida State, Florida and Colorado.

Joe Paterno, 69, is back with a top-20 team for his his 33rd year at Penn State.

Nebraska lost Frazier but returns with seven starters on defense, including the troika of All-Americans that snout-tied the Gators’ offense in Tempe.

Nebraska has won 25 consecutive games, its last 30 at home, and the last two national titles.

Betting against the Cornhuskers to win a third would be a) illegal in most states, and b), ill-advised.

There are a number of questions as the season approaches.

Here are the numbers:

0

The number of times Arizona has appeared in the Rose Bowl. The Wildcats are the only Pac-10/Big Ten school never to have appeared in the Granddaddy, but improved their chances by hiring 64-year-old tinkerer Homer Smith to run the offense.

Also: the number of years new Oklahoma Coach John Blake has served as a offensive or defensive coordinator at any level. Also: the number of NFL scouts Nebraska Coach Tom Osborne is inviting to campus this season.

5

On a scale of one to 10, where College Sports magazine is picking Northwestern to finish in the Big Ten race. This is the same publication that rated Northwestern 86th nationally last year in its preview guide, noting, “youthful offensive roster spells trouble in Big Ten.”

Also: how many Miami Hurricanes ran afoul of the law in the off-season. Also: how many games Stanford has lost on the last play since 1971, an NCAA record.

6

How many NCAA rules-makers it takes to screw in a light bulb.

Also: how many NCAA men it takes to concoct a rule whereby three players from San Diego State get a one-game suspension for using a rental car to do charity work.

7

The number of starters Nebraska has back on defense, including three All-Americans, linebacker Terrell Farly and ends Jared Tomich and Grant Wistrom.

Also: how many one-play scoring drives the Cornhuskers posted in 1995.

9

How many consecutive seasons Florida State has finished in the top four.

Also: how many games Bobby Bowden’s team gets to play in Florida this season, thanks to money grabs by Maryland and Wake Forest, which agreed to play the Seminoles in Orlando and Miami, respectively.

13

The unlucky number of consecutive nonwinning seasons the University of Missouri is trying to avoid, not likely to happen for former USC Coach Larry Smith in the new Big 12’s man-eating northern division. Good luck with that opener at Texas.

11th and 13th

Where two cowardly coaches, hiding behind their anonymity, ranked Florida in the final Coaches/USA Today poll after the Gators’ Fiesta Bowl loss. The swipe at Spurrier, Florida’s run-it-up coach, knocked the Gators to No. 3 behind Nebraska and Tennessee. Oh, during the regular season, the Gators squeaked past the Volunteers, 62-37.

14

The number of seasons the legendary Amos Alonzo Stagg coached at the University of Pacific. Also: the number of players the Tigers needed on each side of the line of scrimmage to compete of late, prompting UOP to scrap the football program after an overall record of 346-397-23 since 1919.

$15

What Nebraska is charging national college football writers (this one, at least) for a copy of its 1996 media guide. Note: Notre Dame sent along two copies of its guide, free.

25

The number of touchdown passes Wyoming receiver Marcus Harris caught the last two seasons, leading the school to bill him on the cover of this year’s media guide as a Heisman Trophy candidate.

Also: the number of people outside of Laramie who have heard of this future NFL star.

Also: the number of chances in a million Harris will win the Heisman.

30

The age of a defensive back currently playing for the University of Texas. Opps, sorry, Ron Weaver/Ron McKelvey, that was last year.

44

The uniform number worn by Syracuse sophomore fullback Rob Konrad. Gutsy move, considering double-fours has previously been worn at the school by Jim Brown, Ernie Davis and Floyd Little, and has been incorporated into the university zip code and phone number.

50

The number of times former UCLA Coach Terry Donahue will probably refer to the Bruins as “we” when he does CBS color commentary for the Sept. 7 UCLA-Tennessee game in Knoxville.

Also: the number of times Donahue may still try to demote Idaho quarterback Ryan Fien, who transferred out of Westwood after Donahue benched him in ’95.

57

Number of consecutive games Prairie View A&M; has lost. The NCAA-record losing skein, however, could end at 59 when the Panthers buckle up their chin straps to play NAIA patsy, Hardin-Simmons on Sept. 14.

100

How many times Notre Dame Coach Lou Holtz will tell the Irish media his team doesn’t stand a leprechaun’s chance against Navy when the teams meet Nov. 2 at Croke Park in Dublin. Addendum to Irish press: Notre Dame has defeated Navy an NCAA-record 32 straight seasons and holds a 59-9-1 lead in the series.

133

The number of touchdowns Tim Couch threw at Leslie County High School in Hyden, Ky. Also: the number of colleges that courted Couch before he saved Bill Curry’s job by choosing Kentucky.

Also: the number of seconds Curry will wait to yank junior Billy Jack Haskins and make Couch the starter.

178.4

Danny Wuerffel’s record-setting, single-season NCAA mark for pass efficiency last season. Also: the number of times the senior Florida quarterback, a religious man, turned down Playboy magazine requests to feature him in in its 1996 college football preview.

60-0

The projected score of the University of Alabama Birmingham-Auburn opener Aug. 31. This is UAB’s first year at Division I-A status after starting as a club team in 1989. In lieu of flowers, send donations to Gene Bartow, UAB athletic director.

11-0-1

Last year’s record for the Toledo Rockets, the only other Division I school besides Nebraska to go undefeated. The Rockets have tailback Wasean Tait returning. He quietly rushed for 1,905 yards.

11-2

The misleading record of one of the worst football seasons in Ohio State history. The Buckeyes were 11-0 and primed for a national championship claim before season-ending chokes against Michigan and Tennessee in the Citrus Bowl.

4-0

How Michigan fared last season in games started by freshman quarterback Scott Dreisbach. After Dreisbach injured his thumb, the Wolverines went 5-4.

Bob Griese’s Football magazine notes: “The Wolverines welcome back quarterback Scott Dreisbach.”

The QB who filled in for Dreisbach last year?

Brian Griese, the magazine editor’s son.

4-3

The new defensive alignment Florida will employ after giving up 62 points to Nebraska. The man running the Gator defense this year is Bob Stoops. Spurrier lured him away from Kansas State, which led the nation in total defense last season.

5-feet-6

The approximate height of Auburn Coach Terry Bowden, which once prompted rival Alabama defensive coordinator, Bill Oliver, to dub Bowden “Buster Brown.” The same Oliver who bolted Alabama this year to become the defensive coordinator at ... Auburn.

48-47-9

The record of Missouri versus Kansas in 104 meetings since 1891. Missouri will tell you it has dominated the series, but Kansas gets a chance to even the books Nov. 23 when the Jayhawks travel to play the Tigers.

911

The number opposing Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference offensive coordinators will want to keep handy now that former Philadelphia Eagle safety/knee hunter Andre “Dirty” Waters has taken over as defensive coordinator at Morgan State.

18-16

The score of Florida State’s 1994 Orange Bowl victory over Nebraska. Had kicker Byron Bennett made a 45-yard field goal at game’s end, the Cornhuskers would be shooting for a fourth consecutive unbeaten season.

2,010

The number of yards running back Troy Davis gained in 1995 on an Iowa State team that finished 3-8. The most amazing aspect? “Not that he did it in a conference with some of the nation’s top defenses,” Bob Dutton of the Kansas City Star writes, “but that he did it without getting the chance to run against the Cyclones’ own atrocious unit.”

2,450

The number of yards rushing (1,285) and passing (1,165) amassed last season by Air Force quarterback Beau Morgan, the eighth player in NCAA history to gain at least 1,000 yards passing and rushing in the same season.

6,000

The number of angry calls and hate-mail letters the Jackson Clarion-Ledger received after local phenom Peyton Manning spurned the University of Mississippi to sign with Tennessee. Peyton faces Ole Miss for the first time when the teams meet Oct. 3 in Memphis.

11,137

The total yards amassed in high school by quarterback Scott Frost at Nebraska’s Wood River High School. Frost jilted the Cornhuskers by signing with Stanford and guru Bill Walsh, but returned just in time to replace Tommie Frazier at quarterback.

Also: the projected number of calls for Frost’s head should he lose the team’s opener Sept. 7 against Michigan State.