The Run For No. 1

The National Title

First since 1948 looms large for 'M'

Redshirt freshman Steve Hutchinson has only been a member of the Michigan football team for two seasons, but he understands the importance of the Wolverines' first trip to the Rose Bowl since the 1992 season.

Four-straight four-loss seasons have kept the Wolverines out of the Rose Bowl since 1993. This season's trip to Pasadena, where the top-ranked Wolverines (8-0 Big Ten, 11-0 overall) will face No. 7 Washington State (7-1 Pac-10, 10-1 overall), carries more weight than usual with a national title hanging in the balance. It would be Michigan's first since 1948.

WARREN ZINN/Daily For making plays like this one against Iowa this season, Michigan cornerback Charles Woodson won the Walter Camp player of the year award and earned All-America honors for the second time. But can he win the Heisman Trophy?

"Right now, we're worried about the Rose Bowl," Hutchinson said. "We don't want to send another senior class out without rings."

The Wolverines have enjoyed a dream season with the nation's top-ranked defense paving the way to their first perfect regular season since 1971. A victory in Pasadena would give the Wolverines their first perfect season since 1948 and at least a share of the national title. The Rose Bowl this season has much more riding on it than Big Ten pride; it's a chance "to go out and do something that hasn't been done in 50 years," linebacker Sam Sword said.

The national title race has also been a breeding ground for controversy.

As it stands, Michigan sits atop both the AP and USA Today/ESPN top 25 Polls with its 11-0 record. Nebraska sits in second place in both polls with a 12-0 record. The Wolverines and Cornhuskers are the only two undefeated teams in the country, so what happens if both teams win their games in the Rose and Orange Bowls, respectively?

"If we beat Washington State, yes, we do" (deserve the title), Michigan senior co-captain Eric Mayes said.

The Cornhuskers have been saying that they deserve at least a share, leading up to their game against Tennessee in what was supposed to be this season's national title game. The Huskers are undoubtedly having a flashback to the 1993 season, when an undefeated Penn State team, ranked No. 2, lost all of the title to No. 1 and undefeated Nebraska.

This season, the Cornhuskers will find themselves playing the Lions' role if they and the Wolverines win their games.

"Washington State is on our schedule. We can care less what Nebraska is doing. We know we just have to win this game," Sword said. "When we went to those bowl games (in the past), nothing was at stake. Here, everything is at stake."

Washington State showcases the nation's second-ranked offense and the nation's second-best passer in Leaf. The Cougars' passing game will be the best the Wolverines have faced all season. A hefty passing attack, atypical in the Big Ten conference, is commonplace in the pass-oriented Pac-10.

The game should prove to be quite a battle between the Cougars' 344.5 passing yards per game and the Wolverines' defense, which gives up just 206.9 total yards per game. Leaf has thrown for 33 touchdowns.

"We haven't seen a quarterback like Ryan Leaf," Mayes said. "He gets the ball to the receivers. They spread you out. There is the greatest potential for the big play. We're just gonna stay together."

It can be argued that focus was one of the primary reasons the Wolverines were able to get to this point with an undefeated record, despite the challenges posed by a rather hefty schedule. The Wolverines started out the season with big wins over Colorado and Notre Dame before battling back from a 14-point deficit at halftime to beat Iowa. Punter Jason Vinson said that game proved to him that his season's squad had a legitimate shot at the Rose Bowl.

In order to keep the team focused on the game, coach Lloyd Carr announced shortly after the Ohio State game that the Wolverines would alter their usual bowl trip schedule.

In the past, the Wolverines would practice during finals and leave on Christmas Day for the bowl game. This year, the Wolverines will leave Dec. 19, and will do almost all of their practicing in California. Carr said that the move allows the football team to concentrate on finals now and then fully adjust to playing in a foreign locale.

"It will give us a chance to get adapted to the weather. Last year we went to Tampa (in the Outback Bowl), it was very hot and it took a toll on us. This year, we'll get used to the weather. We're not going to have any excuses. If they beat us, you know, they beat us."

January 1st

What: The Rose Bowl

Where: Pasadena

When: 5 p.m. EDT

Television: ABC

The matchup: Michigan, which won the first Rose Bowl, will play Washington State, which won the second. With a victory, the Wolverines could win their first national title since 1948.

Note: The Cougars haven't been to the Rose Bowl since Prohibition.

AP PHOTO Washington State quarterback and Heisman Trophy candidate Ryan Leaf has emerged not only as a longshot to win the nation's most coveted individual honor, but also as a possible top pick in next April's NFL Draft if he chooses to relinquish his final year of eligibility. The junior has posted better numbers across the board than Tennessee's Peyton Manning, the consensus All-America selection.

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