Fans Get Their Say In New Polls
Coaches and sports writers have been doing it for years. Now, fans also can vote on their top college football teams every week.
Two new polls give fans the opportunity to rank teams. In one, fans call a 900 number to list their picks. In the other, they vote on their computers through the Internet.
Results of the Top 10 phone poll will be carried by Sports Illustrated, ESPN and USA Today. The Top 25 computer poll will appear on the NewSport cable network and the web site of SportsLine USA, a computer information service.
The computer poll will be con ducted each Sunday until 2:30 p.m. (Pacific) at SportsLine’s web address - http://www.sportsline.com. To participate in the phone poll, sponsored by Burger King, fans can call 1-900-773-3000 any time during the week. The call will cost 79 cents per minute, and you must be at least 18 years old to vote.
The preseason fan polls had Florida State No. 1 and Nebraska No. 2.
Cooper deal finalized
Ohio State coach John Cooper has received final approval of a five-year contract, including incentives that could add two years to the deal.
The university’s Board of Trustees approved the contract Tuesday.
Cooper, in his eighth season, will get a base salary of $130,000 this year and incentives that could add a year to the contract each season, depending on whether Cooper’s teams reach certain performance levels, such as winning the national title or going to the Rose Bowl.
Army salute
The glory days of Army football will be celebrated Sept. 30 when the Cadets host Rice at Michie Stadium.
Heisman Trophy winners Doc Blanchard and Glenn Davis will be among the former players participating in the ceremonies to honor the great Army teams of 1944-46, which went 27-0-1 and won two consensus national championships.
It will be the first time the legendary backfield duo has visited West Point together since the late 1970s. Blanchard won the Heisman in 1945, and Davis won it the following year.
Where’s the beef?
The Oklahoma Sooners should be better this season, but they won’t be bigger.
Unhappy with the physical condition of his players, new coach Howard Schnellenberger instituted a weight-loss program by putting the team through boot camp-like drills.
“We’ve lost between 800 and 1,000 pounds,” Schnellenberger said.
Also, Schnellenberger said redshirt freshman Eric Moore will be the starting quarterback when the 16thranked Sooners open the season Sept. 9 against San Diego State.
W. Michigan 28, Weber St. 21
At Kalamazoo, Mich., David Miller scored on a 12-yard run in the fourth quarter as Western Michigan beat Weber State. Quarterback Jay McDonagh set up Miller’s run with a 30-yard dash. McDonagh rushed for 70 yards on 12 carries and passed for 236 yards, connecting on 19 of 35 attempts.
N.C. State 33, Marshall 16
At Raleigh, N.C., North Carolina State escaped its third scare in five years against Marshall, rallying behind quarterback Terry Harvey in the second half for the win.
S. Miss 45, N. Illinois 13
At Hattiesburg, Miss., Fred Brock caught a touchdown pass, forced a safety and returned a kickoff for a score in a 5-minute span as Southern Mississippi beat Northern Illinois.
Appalachian St. 24, Wake Forest 22
At Winston-Salem, N.C., running back Scott Satterfield scored two touchdowns and Appalachian State’s defense held off a second-half rally by Wake Forest.
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