MONDAY,AUGUST 19,2002
COLLEGE FOOTBALL
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN = 3B
Big 12 teams sure to dominate again on national stage
By Doyle Murphy Kansan staff writer
If the recently released polls are any indication, the Big 12 Conference will be a dominant force in college football again this season.
Last season four Big 12 teams finished in the top 10 of both the Associated Press Top 25 college football poll and the ESPN/USA Today Coaches Top 25 college football coaches' poll, and eight teams in the conference played in postseason bowl games.
This season continues where the last left off. Once again the top four teams in the Big 12 assume their familiar role as four of the top 10 teams in the nation.
Both polls place defending national champion Miami in the top spot but agree on little else. ESPN/USA Today ranks Texas number two followed by Oklahoma, Florida State, Tennessee, Colorado, Florida, Nebraska, Washington and Michigan.
The AP named Oklahoma number two, Florida State three, Texas four and Tennessee five. Florida leads the second five followed by Colorado, Georgia, Washington and Nebraska. Texas &M also cracked the AP Top 25 at number 23.
Presison鹅 are entirely speculative, but AP and ESPN/USA Today
polls are figured into the Bowl Championship Series format, which chooses the participants in college football's championship game.
Britton Banowsky, associate commissioner for the Big 12, said high rankings position teams for a run at the title.
"If you're outside of the polls now it's going to be difficult to be in contention at the end of the season," Banowsky said.
Texas is one of those teams hoping to play for the national title in January, and coach Mack Brown said the polls are an indication of the strength of the conference.
"After looking at the way the Big 12 teams ended the season last year and the way we're starting out in the polls this year, it's obvious that in six short years it has become the number
one football conference in the country." Brown said.
Texas learned first hand last season how difficult it is to come out of a Big 12 season unscant. They lost the Big 12 championship to Colorado 39-37 after beating them 41-7 in the regular season.
"It's a tough league, and I'm not sure that it isn't harder in some ways to win the Big 12 championship than it is a national championship," Brown said.
1. Miami
2. Texas
3. Oklahoma
4. Florida State
5. Tennessee
6. Colorado
7. Florida
8. Nebraska
9. Washington
10. Michigan
11. Georgia
12. Ohio State
13. LSU 749
14. Washington State
15. Oregon
16. Virginia Tech
ESPN/USA TODAY COACHES POLL
17. Louisville
18. Michigan State
19. USC 349
20. Maryland
21. Marshall
22. South Carolina
23. Wisconsin
24. Penn State
25. N.C. State
APTOP25
1. Miami (12-0)
2. Oklahoma (11-2)
3. Florida St. (8-4)
4. Texas (11-2)
5. Tennessee (11-2)
6. Florida (10-2)
7. Colorado (10-3)
8. Georgia(8-4)
9. Washington (8-4)
10. Nebraska (11-2)
11. Washington St. (10-2)
12. Michigan (8-4)
13. Ohio St. (7-5)
14. LSU (10-3)
15. Oregon (11-1)
16. Virginia Tech (8-4)
17. Louisville (11-2)
18. Michigan St. (7-5)
19. Marshall (11-2)
20. USC (6-6)
21. Maryland (10-2)
22. South Carolina (9-3)
23. Texas A&M (8-4)
24. Penn St. (5-6)
25. Wisconsin (5-7)
Former Texas coach cleared of charges
Staff and wire reports
AUSTIN, Texas — Former Texas basketball coach Tom Penders was cleared of charges he defamed his former assistant's reputation following a 1998 grade scandal.
A 12-member jury denied each of former Texas assistant Eddie Oran's claims Tuesday. Only 10 members of the jury had to sign off on the verdict in the civil case. Two jurors did not sign the verdict.
Oran sought as much as $900,000 in damages for loss of income,loss of his job at Texas,personal humiliation and mental anguish and suffering.
Penders received $900,000 in his resignation settlement with the university.
Oran sued Penders over statements Penders made in 1999 about the improper release of a Texas player's grades to a radio station. He claimed Penders smeared his reputation, keeping him from getting another job.
Penders did not take Oran with him to a new coaching job at George Washington University.
Oran originally took the blame for releasing芦凯 Axell's grades, a violation of federal student privacy laws. in March 1998.
Penders has since left George Washington.
Oran later changed his story and said Penders' orchestrated the release. Oran's claims first surfaced publicly in depositions taken for a lawsuit Axtell filed against the school.
Penders left Texas shortly afterward.
Jurors were not asked to decide whether Penders was responsible for the release of Axell's grades. But Penders said the verdict should resolve the conflict once and for all.
"From the very beginning I told the truth," Penders said. "I just I felt it was a closed issue."
Oran, left the courtroom without comment.
He later released a statement saying he believed testimony at the trial proved he was telling the truth about the grade release.
"I am confident that the public can now see the full spectrum of events as they occurred," he said.
Big 12 news roundup
A&M president
apologizes for article
The article, titled "Worst Atmosphere" called Tech fans "uglier than the barren stretch of dirt some West Texans call a city" for their role in a brawl after Tech defeated A&M 12-0 last season. Following the game Tech fans tore down the goal post and tried to force it into an A&M student section. The article went on to say Tech fans were "classless clowns" and "No school in America better deserves Bobby Knight than Texas Tech."
COLLEGE STATION, Texas — Texas A&M President Robert Gates has publicly apologized to Texas Tech for an article that appeared in the A&M media guide.
Following the release of the media guide Gates sent a letter of apology to Tech president David J. Schmidt.
"I want to express my personal regret over the inclusion of disparaging remarks about Texas Tech University and Lubbock in Texas A&M's football media guide." Gates said in the letter. "It was a lamentable mistake, for which a public apology already has been made."
Gates said new media guides will be issued without the article.
Colorado's Bloom must make decision
BOULDER, Colo. — Jeremy Bloom must comply with NCAA rules that prohibit him drawing money from skiing endorsements and playing football at the University of Colorado, a district judge said Thursday. Bloom, who represented the U.S. in the Salt Lake City Olympics, continues to practice with Colorado, and scored two touchdowns in a scrimmage Saturday.
Professional skiers depend on revenue from endorsements to cover training and equipment costs. Bloom said without the endorsements he would have to quit skiing.
"It's extremely disappointing for me," Bloom said. "These are my childhood dreams that I was able to pursue and work a lifetime for and
when your future is put in other people's hands and it gets denied, it's very difficult. But I stood up for myself and what I believe in and I'm proud of that."
Bloom is expected to announce his future plans sometime today.
Missouri's Farmer fights for starting job
COLUMBIA Mo. — After losing Missouri's starting quarterback job, senior Kirk Farmer made a claim for it Saturday as he threw for 250 yards and three touchdowns during the Tigers' first scrimmage of the season.
Freshman Brad Smith, who has a tenuous hold on the starting quarterback job, threw for 161 yards and one touchdown. Freshman Sonny Riccio, listed behind Smith with Farmer, threw for 121 yards with two interceptions.
Senior wide receiver Justin Gage caught two touchdown passes—one from Smith and one from Farmer Sophomore running back Tyrone Roberson also had a pair of touchdowns, scoring on runs of 1-yard and 6 yards.
Coach Gary Pinkel penciled in Smith at the top of the depth chart when spring practice ended.
Farmer started nine games last season and has started 14 games in his career. He was the No. I quarterback at the beginning of spring practice. In the Black and Gold game to end spring practice, Farmer was 11-of-18 for 118 yards with one interception.
Smith was 12-of-21 for 89 yards and one touchdown in the spring game.
Missouri opens the season against Illinois on Aug. 31 at the Edward Jones Dome in St. Louis.
Nebraska names new radio announcer
LINCOLN, Neb — Randy Lee will be the new radio voice for Nebraska men's basketball games.
Pinnacle Sports Productions announced the California Santa Barbara men's and women's basketball announcer of five years as the replacement for departed Warren Swain.
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