NBA
The Utah Jazz sign former Kansas center Greg Ostertag. Page 3B
BASEBALL
The playoffs heat up. Page 48
SPORTS
UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 6.1995
A call for football playoffs
Penn State lost to Wisconsin on Saturday night.
By the sad looks on the players' faces and the depressed voice my mother used to recall the post-game mourning, it was clear Penn State's national championship hopes had ended.
If you don't remember, let me take you back to last season.
I'm not here to rehash any old "Penn State got the shaft" talk. Nebraska had a great undefeated season last year. They won the Big Eight Conference, were undefeated in the regular season and defeated a tough Miami team in the Orange Bowl.
Or did they have any hopes?
Coincidentally, Penn State went undefeated, won arguably the best college football conference, the Big 10, and won the granddaddy of them all, the Rose
Bowl, against — weak as Oregon may have been — the Pacific-10 Conference champions.
SPORTS REPORTER
As a product of the great state of Pennsylvania, I've been a life-long Nittany Lions fan. I was taught that if God wasn't a Penn State fan, then why is the
SECTION B
sky blue and white. My Cornhusker friends and I have argued until we were blue in the face about who was the better team last season — Nebraska or Penn State. But I can make only two statements with complete assurance.
One, Penn State vs. Nebraska would have been a great game.
Two, the postseason format the NCAA sets up prevents great match-ups and, as in the 1994 season, denies college football an undisputed national champion.
What other sport brings out as many fans and generates as much revenue, yet has such a lousy postseason system?
Imagine if the NCAA controlled the NFL. Whatever teams had a good season would be eligible to play in one playoff game.And from that one game, sportswriters would decide which team was best.
If that were the case, I might be wearing a Philadelphia Eagles 1993 World Champions T-shirt. After all, the Eagles had an impressive first-round victory against New Orleans, only to be defeated in the second round by Dallas.
If reporters voted on major league baseball, the Yankees might be the baseball champions. After all, the team won its first post-season game in an impressive fashion. But to be true to its form, the NCAA would let the other teams in the post-season action play one game and then put it in the sportswriters' hands to decide who's best.
If the national title is just a campaign to get as many votes as possible from the press, then top schools should spend money trying to sway reporters. The best college football teams might want to hire people to stand outside sports reporters' offices to hand out buttons and flyers.
But if there were a tie, how many Cornhuskers or Lions faithful would proudly wave a pennant that says, "We're No. 1, Too?"
I'm all for the idea of conational champions. But what are the chances of thousands of sportswriters' votes resulting in an exact tie for the national championship?
The solution to this problem is simple: College football needs a playoff system. The NCAA should stop allowing the national title to be decided on paper and let it be decided on the gridiron.
A ballot box should be a method by which presidents are chosen, not national champions.
Volleyball rivals share similarities
By Bill Petulla
Kansan sportswriter
With barely enough time to catch its breath from a loss to top-ranked Nebraska on Wednesday, the Kansas volleyball team will be back in action tomorrow against No. 20 Colorado in Allen Field House.
The struggling Buffaloes share some similarities with the Jayhawks. Both teams have lost their last five matches, and both are winless in Big Eight Conference play.
To make matters even worse for Colorado, standout freshman middle blocker Melissa Schutz tore her anterior cruciate ligament on Saturday against Kansas State. Although she played in only 13 matches,
Schutz's .330 hitting percentage broke Colorado's previous freshman record of.273 percent.
"This is going to be an important match," Colorado assistant volleyball coach Katie Zabransky said.
Even though things haven't been going the Buffaloes' way lately, the Jayhawks will have their hands full tomorrow night with a team that has seven consecutive 20-win seasons and at least 10 conference wins in the last four years.
"We're going to need to play as well on defense as we did in the Nebraska match and play as well on the offensive end as we did in the Oklahoma and Missouri matches," Kansas volleyball coach Karen Schonewise said.
Kansas is led by senior middle blocker Jenny Larson, sophomore outside hitter Leslie Purkeypile and freshman middle blocker/outside hitter Moira Donovan. Each had four kills against Nebraska.
"I felt we showed a great improvement on defense in the Nebraska match." Schonewise said.
The Buffaloes, who began the season 8-2, are looking at the Kansas match as a way to get back on the winning track.
"I'm concerned with the play on our side of the net," Zabransky said. "Since losing Melissa Schutz for the season, we've had to make a lot of adjustments."
Colorado senior hitter Leah Williams and junior side hitter
Rachel Vacholder provided offensive punch for the Buffaloes in Wednesday's loss to Colorado State. Both had double figures in kills and digs.
Williams, who was named to the first All-Big Eight team last season, enters tomorrow's match with 130 kills and a team-leading .360 hitting percentage. Wacholder, last season's conference leader in service aces, has a team-leading 24 aces this season.
"Our whole team is going to have to step up Saturday night," Zabransky said. "We have great athletes and unselfish players that have had to make a lot of adjustments."
The match begins at 7:30 p.m. and is free to students with a KUID.
BIG EIGHT
VOLLEYBALL
Conference Standings
| | Conf. | Overall |
| :--- | :--- | :--- |
| Nebraska | 2-0 | 12-1 |
| Iowa State | 1-0 | 10-5 |
| Kansas State | 1-0 | 13-2 |
| Oklahoma | 1-1 | 12-5 |
| Missouri | 1-1 | 3-12 |
| Colorado | 0-2 | 7-6 |
| Kansas | **0-2** | **5-10** |
This Weekend's Games
Todav
Tomorrow
Buffaloes capable of stampede
Oral Roberts at Missouri, 7:30 p.m.
Kansas State at Oklahoma, 7:30 p.m.
Colorado at Kansas, 7:30 p.m.
Nebraska at Iowa State, 7:30 p.m.
By Robert Sinclair
Kansan sportswriter
Kansas football coach Glen Mason thinks he has the answer to Colorado football coach Rick Neuheisel's dilemma concerning which quarterback to start against the No. 24 Jayhawks this weekend.
"I'd go with the third guy if I was Neuheisel." Mason joked. "I've seen the other two guys. Let's see what the third one can do. He might even be better."
The "other two guys" are Colorado junior quarterback Koy Detmer and sophomore quarterback John Hessler.
Detmer was the Buffaloefs' starting quarterback and Heisman Trophy candidate before he tore a ligament in his right knee in the team's 29-21 victory against Texas A&M two weeks ago.
Enter Hessler.
The native of Brighton, Colo., not only led the team to a victory in that game but also defeated then-No. 10 Oklahoma in Norman, Okla., the next week.
"Obviously when everybody was asking whether he'd play well, I was crossing my fingers." Neuheisel said.
In his two-week stint at the helm, Hessler completed 34 of 54 passes for 525 yards and six touchdowns. He also has earned Big Eight Conference offensive player of the week honors twice.
So what's the problem?
Detmer has decided to postpone knee surgery until after the season and was given the OK to start practicing again on Wednesday. Although he is wearing a knee brace, Detmar is ready and will most likely play Oct. 21 when Colorado travels to Iowa State, he said.
Before his injury, Detmer completed 60 of 87 pass attempts for 1,014 yards and eight touchdowns and threw only one interception.
Even third-string quarterback Ayyub Abdul-Rahmaan has played in four games and completed three of five passes for 32 yards.
There isn't much of a drop-off in the talent level anywhere else on the Colorado team, either.
"Needless to say, they're a very, very talented football team," Mason said. "I guess you always try to focus, as a coach, to try to find out what their outstanding strengths are and also their weaknesses.
"They don't have any weaknesses."
See FOOTBALL, Page 3B.
And the Buffaloes already have faced a tough schedule. They have risen to the occasion by defeating top-25 teams Wisconsin (43-7), Texas A&M (29-21) and Oklahoma (38-17). They have outscored opponents 218 to 73, outrushed them
Oct. 7 and 8, 1995
Pigskin Predictions
Jenni Carlson
Kansas Sports Editor
Record: Last Week 4-1
Season 19-6
Tom Erickson
Kansan Assoclate Sports
Editor
Record: Last Week 3-2 Season 18-7
Guest of the Week: Jim Carothers
Associate Dean, College of Liberal Arts
and Sciences
Guests' Record: 17-8
Chris Austin
Kansan Sports Columnist
Record: Last Week 2-3
Season 19-6
Ohio St. Penn St.
PSU 17 OSU 14
III. 24 Ind. 10
CU 42 KU 24
Cinn. 20 T.B. 7
Cle. 14 Det. 13
OSU 21 PSU 19
III. 24 Ind. 14
CU 35 KU 10
Cinn. 28 T.B. 21
Cle. 17 Det. 13
OSU 17 PSU 9
III. 27 Ind. 19
CU 38 KU 28
T.B. 21 Cinn. 14
Cle. 20 Det. 10
OSU 35 PSU 31
Ind. 28 III. 14
CU 31 KU 17
Cinn. 20 T.B. 3
Cle. 24 Det. 7
Guests' Record: 17-8
File Photo / KANSAN
Kansas senior quarterback Mark Williams and the Jayhawks will take their unblemished record and No. 24 national ranking to Boulder, Colo., tomorrow. No. 4 Colorado's offensive leader is sophomore quarterback Hessler, who has replaced senior Kay Detmer and has passed for 525 yards and six touchdowns.
Women's swimming captains take jobs seriously
Kansas team leaders try to motivate squad to finish in the top 15
By Bill Kenealy
Kansan sportswriter
The captains of the Kansas women's swimming team are preparing their squad for an assault on the Big Eight Conference title.
Peltier enjoys being a captain, even if the job entails more than she initially envisioned.
Captains Andee Greves, Jennifer Peltier and Jeanne Poggio are motivating the team through grueling practices as the season approaches.
"it's pretty cool, but it's hard work," she said.
Captains are called upon to preform many duties. They organize
team functions, schedule team meetings and secure team apparel such as T-shirts — not an easy logistical task on a 30-member squad. They also are expected to
Andee Greves
act as liaisons between the swimmers and the coaching staff.
However, these duties are secondary in light of Peltier's main mission: to motivate her teammates. The Albany, Ore., senior believes the Big Eight title is a realistic goal if the team stays motivated.
"We've got the talent to do it," she said.
Peltier wants her teammates to have the same intensity against lesser opponents, such as Missouri, as they do against lasting powerhouses, such as Nebraska. Peltier is impressed with this year's freshman class. Freshman swimmers are leading the
Jennifer Peitler
lanes in practice, a first since she arrived.
For Peltter, her Kansas career has come full-circle. She remembers the encouragement the team captains, who seemed old at the time, gave her when she was a freshmen. Now she's in their position and gladly returns the favor to this year's newcomers.
Knowing that this is her final year has brought out Peltier's best. The knowledge that this is her last chance to best a certain
Peltier, a physical education major, looks forward to some time
Jeanne Poggio
"I know I'll miss it too much," she said. "I can't be away from the pool too long. I'll go crazy."
Greves is adjusting to life as a captain as well. She realizes that more will be expected of her.
Greves doesn't have to worry about being out of the pool for a while — she's a junior.
off after this season. After 15 years of swimming, she is ready for a break but probably won't be away from swimming for long.
But she also expects more from
her team. Last year, the women's team cracked the top 25, and this year the team is aiming for the top 15, Greves said. She looks forward to a great improvement in team depth because of the contribution of freshmen. Additionally, she expects more of her team-mates to qualify for the NCAA Invitational, which follows the season.
A more immediate goal is capturing the Big Eight title, though. Last season's champion, Nebraska, was weakened when several key team members graduated and may face further attrition if some of its swimmers from foreign countries leave to train for the Olympics.
"Regardless of who they have coming back, we're going to be extremely competitive." Greves said. "We have all our stars returning, plus the depth from the freshmen. It's going to be a battle until the end."
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