Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, January 3, 1992 TAG: 9201030079
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B4 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
HURRICANES, HUSKIES BOTH FINISH ON TOP
For the past month, college football fans have debated the question, "Who's No. 1, Miami or Washington?" On Thursday, they got the answer:Both.
By slim margins, Miami finished first in The Associated Press media poll and Washington won the USA Today/CNN coaches' poll. The split decision won't please fanatic followers of either 12-0 team, but it seemed fair to the two head coaches.
"I'm delighted," said Washington's Don James, who cried as he recounted the moment he and his wife, Carol, learned the Huskies were No. 1 in the coaches' poll.
"I don't mind sharing it. Miami has a great team and we've got a great team. Everybody could argue forever who's the best. It doesn't matter. I'm just proud of what our guys have done."
Miami's Dennis Erickson also was satisfied with the split. The AP title was the Hurricanes' fourth in the past nine seasons, a stretch of dominance matched only by Notre Dame's four championships between 1943-49.
"Believe me, I'm not complaining," Erickson said. "We don't want to take anything away from Washington. We both had great seasons."
Miami, which blanked Nebraska 22-0 in the Orange Bowl, edged Washington by four points in the AP poll of sportswriters and broadcasters, the closest finish in its 56-year history. Washington, which manhandled Michigan 34-14 in the Rose Bowl, topped Miami by nine points in the coaches' poll.
Miami had a 32-28 edge in AP first-place votes and Washington led 33 1/2-25 1/2 in USA Today/CNN.
It is the second straight year in which the two major polls have crowned different champions. Last year, Colorado won the AP title and Georgia Tech won the coaches' poll.
Miami, which also won the AP championship in 1983, 1987 and 1989, finished first in The New York Times computer rankings. UPI and the Sporting News each crowned Washington as their champion, and the Football Writers Association of America will announce its champion today.
Players from each team thought the split was fair.
"Leaving either team with nothing would have been wrong," Washington center Ed Cunningham said.
"We pretty much knew that if both teams won, it would turn out this way. Of course, we'd like to settle the debate on the field," Miami quarterback Gino Torretta said.
Without a playoff, which Erickson and James oppose, that will not happen this season. However, the possibility has been raised of the teams meeting in the 1992 Kickoff Classic in East Rutherford, N.J.
"I told them I thought we would not have any interest in that because of the length of the schedule," Miami athletic director Dave Maggard said Thursday.
So the debate continues.
Who is better?
a team (Miami) that defeated No. 3 Penn State, No. 4 Florida State and No. 21 Tulsa, or a team (Washington) that beat No. 8 California, No. 15 Nebraska and No. 22 Stanford on the road?
a team (Miami) that handed Nebraska its first shutout since 1973, or a team (Washington) that gained 618 yards against the Cornhuskers, the most they've allowed since 1956?
a team (Miami) that has won 18 straight games overall and 45 in a row at home, or a team (Washington) that has 14 consecutive victories and just completed its first perfect season in 76 years?
a defense (Miami) that gave up 8.3 points per game, or a defense (Washington) that was near the top in every major category?
a team (Miami) that beat Arizona 36-9 on the road, or a team (Washington) that whipped the Wildcats 54-0 at home?
It's a matter of opinion.
"If we play like we did in the second and third quarters yesterday, I don't think there's any team in a long time that can play on the same field with us," Cunningham said.
Miami defensive end Rusty Medearis was just as confident in the Hurricanes.
"I really have no doubt in my mind who's No. 1," he said.
Most voters had a hard time choosing between the nation's only undefeated, untied teams. Eight AP voters made Miami and Washington co-champions; five coaches split their first-place ballots in the USA Today/CNN poll.
The strangest vote was cast by an unidentified coach who ranked Miami third.
AP released a list that showed how each voter cast his first-place ballot. USA Today/CNN provided the names of its coaches, but did not reveal how they voted.
Washington, which trailed Miami by 14 points in the AP poll before the bowls, almost overcame the deficit after demolishing Michigan. Miami barely held on for its third title in five years and second under Erickson.
The Hurricanes outpointed the Huskies 1,472-1,468 in the AP poll and Washington won 1,449 1/2-1,440 1/2 in the coaches' poll, where the teams were tied going into the bowls. Both polls award 25 points for a first-place vote, 24 for second, etc., down to one point for 25th place.
Previously, the closest final margin in the AP poll was Alabama's 16-point edge over Ohio State in 1961, when the national championship was determined before the bowls. Since the AP started its permanent postseason poll in 1968, the smallest final margin had been 20 points in 1984, when Brigham Young edged Washington.
Miami is the fifth school to capture four or more AP championships. Notre Dame leads with eight, followed by Oklahoma with six, Alabama with five and Minnesota with four.
The Hurricanes also are the first team to finish third or higher for six straight years.
Penn State (11-2) finished third in the AP poll after routing Tennessee 42-17 in the Fiesta Bowl. Rounding out the Top 10: Florida State (11-2), Alabama (11-1), Michigan (10-2), Florida (10-2), California (10-2), East Carolina (11-1) and Iowa (10-1-1).
Syracuse was 11th, followed by Texas A&M, Notre Dame, Tennessee, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Georgia, Clemson, UCLA, Colorado, Tulsa, Stanford, BYU, North Carolina State and Air Force.