European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - August 21, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Wednesday August 21, 1991 the stars and Stripe pollsters see National title for Fla. St. New York up Florida state with the second Best record in College football Over the last four years but no titles to show for it was named the preseason no. 1 this week in the up National football foundation College football ratings. The seminoles who have not finished lower than fourth in the final up poll since 1988, received overwhelming support from the up off ratings panel. Florida state garnered 42 of the 70 first place votes cast to finish with 1,690 Points. No. 2 Michigan favored to win the big ten in Gary Moellers second season As coach was at the top of nine ballots and earned 1,557 Points. Defending Pac-10 Champion Washington was third with seven first place votes and 1,497 Points. Georgia tech trying to become the first school to repeat As National Champion in two decades was fourth in the voting with three first place votes and 1,435 Points. The results Are the first under a new affiliation Between up and the National football foundation. The off nominated 106 members to the ratings panel representing a Cross Section that includes former players former coaches athletic administrators and sports journalists. For the previous 41 seasons up tallied the votes of division i a coaches for its ratings. Florida state has compiled a 42-6 record since 1988, second Only to Miami a 44-4 Mark but the Best the seminoles could do in the ratings was runner up finishes to the hurricanes in both 1987 and 1989. But expectations Are High this year for a seminoles squad that finished 10-2 last season Good for fourth in the final ratings and returns 17 starters. A a we be got a Good football team no doubt about it a Florida state coach Bobby Bowden said. A but there Are probably about 8-10 teams in that category. Whoever plays the Best and Luckiest can do it. A i done to know if its Good or bad to be picked preseason no. 1. I think its better to sneak up on everybody. Being no. 1 makes your Job tougher because they re after  Bowden knows Well of the Pitfalls of entering a season As the top ranked team. His 1988 team was ranked no. 1 during the preseason then got whitewashed 31-0 by Miami opening Day. The seminoles also face a Quick test this season taking on Brigham Young and Heisman trophy Winner to Detmer on aug. 29 in the pigskin classic at Anaheim Calif. A that ought to get us focused Early a Bowden said. A we were invited the year before and turned it Down. But this year with most of our kids coming Back we might As Well find out what we be got. If we re not Good enough to win we might As Well find out where we re lacking and get started. You can to Dodge your Way to the National  Michigan boasts perhaps the biggest offensive line in the College game. The starters average 290 pounds led by 320-Pound tackle Greg Skrepenak a leading candidate for the Lombardi and outland awards. The wolverines also face one of the toughest schedules in the country with non conference games against Florida state and notre Dame in addition it its big ten slate. The Florida state Michigan game on sept. 28 looms As an Early indicator of the National title. No. 3 Washington will try for its second straight Rose bowl trip without quarterback Mark Brunell who suffered a knee injury in Spring practice. The huskies will have to rely on a defense that led the nation against the run last year while is Amu Florida state coach Bobby Bowden is expected to collect some More hardware at the end of this season. Billy Joe Hobert Steps in for Brunell. Georgia tech which surprised everybody last season in vaulting to its first National title on the final ballot will be Strong again with 15 returning starters including All America safety Ken Swilling and quarterback Shawn Jones. A the proof now is to sustain a Georgia tech coach Bobby Ross said. A you done to want to be an up and Down program. We have a two fold Challenge this year a first to sustain a consistent winning program and secondly to do that while being a targeted  Miami which won three National championships in the 1980s, was ranked fifth with one first place vote and 1,370 Points. No. 6 notre Dame rebuilding after losing three All America performers was at the top of five ballots and earned 1,321 Points. A what bothers me the most is people take for granted that we can win a notre Dame coach Lou Holtz said. A people think you put the notre Dame Jersey on and you re a Good player. The race does no to go always to the Swift. A if they think we re going to be Good we re picked no. 1. If they think we re going to be bad we re no. 15.�?� Penn state was ranked seventh followed by no. 8 Houston eligible again for the National title after serving two years of Mcaa sanctions. The cougars Quarter backed again by David Klingler received two first place votes. Tennessee was ninth and Colorado coming off two straight runner up finishes rounded out the top 10. Florida was ranked no. 11 and Oklahoma 12th, with both programs also returning to the rankings after serving out sanctions. The sooner received the / final first place vote. Clemson came in 13th, followed by Texas Southern Cal and Nebraska. No. 17 Iowa was followed by big ten rival Michigan state Auburn and Ohio state. Syracuse was ranked no. 21, followed by newcomer Alabama Brigham Young and Texas a amp a. No. 25 Urcla 5-6 in 1990 is the Only ranked team coming off a losing  poll new York up the up off preseason top 25 College too bal ratings with 1900 records Ana first place voice in parentheses fatal Points Oas oct on 25 Points Tor first place 24 Tor second Etc and last year s anal rankings. 1. Florida St. 42 10-2 .1.690 4 2. Michigan 9 9-3 .1.557 0 3. Washington 7 10-2 .1.497 5 4. Georgia tech 3 11-0-1 .1,435 1 5. Miami 1 10-2 .1.370 3 6. Notre Dame 5 9-3 .1,321 6 7. Penn state 9-3 .1,207 10 0. Houston 2 10-11.1.210 or 9. Tennessee 9-2-2 .1,020 7 10. Colorado 11-1-1 .1,019 2 11. Florida 9-2 .901 or 12. Oklahoma 1 8-3 .955 or 13. Clemson 10-2 .915 9 14. Texas 10-2 .709 11 15. Southern Cal 0-4-1 .670 22 16. Nebraska 9-3 .640 17 17. Iowa 0-4 .560 16 10. Michigan state 0-3-1 .560 14 19. Auburn 0-3-1 .530 19 20. Ohio stale 7-4-1 .514 or -21. Syracuse 7-4-2 .424 21 22. Alabama 7-5 .416 or 23. Brigham Young 10-3 .295 17 24. Texas a amp a 9-3-1 .279 13 25. Urcla 5-6 .272 or a re not ranked others receiving votes air Force Arkansas Baylor California Colorado stale Fresno state Illinois Kansas Louisiana state Louisville Miami Ohio Mississippi Mississippi state North Carolina North Carolina stale Oregon Pittsburgh san Diego state Southern mass Sippi Stanford Virginia Virginia tech. The up off National Champion will receive the Macarthur bowl Given by the National football foundation since 1959. By agreement with the National football foundation teams barred from television appearances or postseason play Are ineligible Tor the top 25 and National championship consideration by the up off ratings panel. Those schools Are Minnesota Ana Oklahoma  sacked in season of change by Rick Warner a football writer Miami is in the big East and notre Dame is on Abc. Florida state is in limbo and a better bowl system is on the Way. Welcome to the Brave new world of College football where new conferences new to deals and new alliances Are shaking up a sport that has Long prided itself on tradition and stability. The big East which Rose to prominence As a basketball league makes its debut As a football conference this season with such marquee members As Miami Pittsburgh and West Virginia. Although everyone wont play a full league schedule until 1993, the team with the highest National ranking at the end of the season will be crowned conference Champion. While the big East begins Arkansas bids Farewell to the Southwest conference and Florida state and South Carolina play their final season As independents. Arkansas  Carolina will join the Southeastern conference in 1992, while Florida state joins the Atlantic coast conference. The Sec and acc Are part of a groundbreaking Alliance designed to improve bowl matchup and increase the chances of a Clear Cut National championship game beginning with the 1992 season. The coalition includes four major bowls Orange Cotton sugar and fiesta five conferences Sec Sec big eight acc and big East and notre Dame the Only team with its own National television contract. Starting this season Abc will televise All notre Dame Home games for the next five years. The fighting Irish angered other members of the College football association when they broke away and negotiated their own $30 million Deal with Abc and reduced the value of the a fax a Deal by $50 million. Not All changes in College football Are happening off the Field. In an Effort to reduce the number of Chip shot Field goals the distance Between the goalposts has been narrowed by 20 percent a from 23 feet 4 inches to the nil Width of 18-6. It will actually be harder to make Field goals in College now because the hash Marks Are wider than in the pros meaning kickers will be forced to kick from sharper angles. While kickers adjust to new goalposts 16 division i a teams must adjust to new coaches. The most noteworthy name is Jackie Sherrill who was lured out of coaching exile by Mississippi state. A a we be got All the ingredients for Success a Sherrill said of a program which has had one winning season since 1981. A Mississippi state is a sleeping  giants such As Florida state Michigan Penn state Miami and notre Dame Are almost always awake. Once again they re among the leading contenders for the National title along with Florida Washington Georgia tech Houston Oklahoma Tennessee and Texas. Penn state and Georgia tech meet in the season opening Kickoff classic on aug. 28 at the Meadowlands in East Rutherford . The following night Florida state plays by in the pigskin classic at Anaheim Calif