9712310139
DETROIT FREE PRESS
971231
Wednesday, December 31, 1997
METRO FINAL
16F
MITCH ALBOM, KEITH GAVE, BILL L. ROOSE, HELENE ST. JAMES, JACK
SAYLOR, DREW SHARP, CHARLIE VINCENT
SPECIAL SECTION; ROSE BOWL '98
Copyright (c) 1997, Detroit Free Press
FREE PRESS PREDICTIONS
Free Press sports writers pick the Rose Bowl:
MITCH ALBOM
First we never heard of Ryan Leaf, then he was going to win the Heisman, then
he was going to single-handedly beat Michigan. I prefer first impressions.
Michigan 31, Washington State 10.
KEITH GAVE
The defense rocks and the offense rolls as Michigan ends a perfect season with
an exclamation point. The Wolverines can move the ball on Washington State and
will score enough points to take a lot of drama out of the game. And on the
other side of the line of scrimmage they will show how defense wins
championships. Michigan 31, Washington State 17.
BILL L. ROOSE
Washington State's one-back offense is like nothing Michigan has seen this
season. The last time the Wolverines faced a strong-armed quarterback like
Ryan Leaf was in 1978, when they were heavy favorites to beat the Washington
Huskies and some guy named Warren Moon. Oh, yeah. Can Heisman winner Charles
Woodson and Marcus Ray cover five receivers in the Cougars' high-octane
passing offense? Not without leaving someone open. Washington State's five
receivers (known as the Fab Five) will do something U-M's heralded basketball
equivalent couldn't -- win the big game. These Cougars will shock the world.
Washington State 31, Michigan 24.
HELENE ST. JAMES
Legend has it that when the Spartans played in the Rose Bowl in 1988, players
kept having to remind everyone that they were from Michigan State, not
Michigan, so quit assuming they would lose (they didn't). The moral: When it
comes to losing Rose Bowls, nobody does it better than the Wolverines. Bo took
the team to 10 of them -- and won just two. Oh sure, everything is different
this season because the Wolverines are sooo focused (heck, they have scheduled
nap times!). But please, name all the great quarterbacks they have faced this
season. Now name all the five-receiver sets they have stopped. Washington
State 28, Michigan 17.... The tradition continues.
JACK SAYLOR
Everybody deserves a national championship every 50 years or so. The
Wolverines ride strong offensive line play, solid quarterbacking and their
Heisman-heroic defense in the Big One. U-M turns over new Leaf. Michigan 31,
Washington State 14.
DREW SHARP
No matter how strong they are, strong defenses can't completely shut down
strong offenses. Washington State will score some points as quarterback Ryan
Leaf introduces himself to Big Ten fans who had no clue he even existed. The
key will be the Washington State front seven's ability to contain Michigan's
power running game. Michigan's offense picks the wrong time to start getting
careless with the ball. Washington State 27, Michigan 23.
CHARLIE VINCENT
During the regular season, Washington State averaged almost a point and a half
for every minute its offense had the ball; during the regular season
Washington State did not play against Michigan's defense. Michigan 31,
Washington State 17.
THIS ELECTRONIC VERSION MAY DIFFER SLIGHTLY FROM THE PRINTED ARTICLE.
COLLEGE; FOOTBALL; U-M; ROSE BOWL; PREDICTION; DFREEPRESS