European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - January 3, 1992, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Who s number 1 ? a picks Miami by 4 Points can Usa today huskies by 9 Orange bowl by Rick Warner a football writer once again College football has two National champions. Miami finished first in the associated press Media poll thursday by the Slimmest margin Ever while Washington narrowly won the Usa today can coaches title. It is the second straight split championship. Last year Colorado won the a title and Georgia tech captured the coaches Crown. Miami won its fourth a championship in nine seasons edging Washington by four Points in the closest final vote in the 56-year history of the poll. Quot it s great for the program a Miami coach Dennis Erickson said. A this football team deserves to be no. 1.�?� Washington coach Don James was disappointed by the a Vole but his spirits soared a few hours later when the coaches poll came out. A i m tremendously excited a he said. A i think it would have been a tragedy if one of us did no to get a  the hurricanes and the huskies both finished 12-0 after impressive bowl victories on wednesday the first time since the 1973 season that two major teams have gone undefeated and untied. The stars and stripes january 3,1992 c Page 28 Washington which trailed Miami by 14 Points in the a poll going into the bowls almost overcame the deficit after demolishing Michigan in the Rose bowl 34-14. But Miami which blanked Nebraska 22-0 in the Orange bowl barely held on to win the balloting by a nationwide panel of sports writers and broadcasters. The hurricanes out pointed the huskies 1,472-1,468, including a narrow 32-28 advantage in first place votes. It was such a close Call that eight voters made Miami and Washington co champs giving each school half of a first place vote. Teams get 25 Points for a first place vote 24 for second and so on Down to one Point for 25th place. Previously the closest final margin was Alabama s 16-Point win Over Ohio state in 1961, when the National championship was determined before the bowls. Since the a started its permanent postseason poll in 1968, the smallest final margin had been 20 Points when by edged Washington in 1984. While the huskies came up Short again in the a poll the coaches gave them their first National championship. Washington topped Miami by nine Points 1,4491/2-1,440 /2 and eight first place votes 33i/2-25,/2. Miami which won consensus National titles in 1983, 1987 and 1989, is Only the fifth school to capture four or More a 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 Ever to finish in the top 3 for six straight years. Miami and Washington both made a Strong Case for no. 1 on new years Day. The hurricanes handed Nebraska its first shutout since 1973 and Washington manhandled a Michigan team that had won eight straight games. The hurricanes and huskies played canes Nab 22-0 Victory a Page 26 Rose Bow Washington wins 34-14 a Page 25 two of the same opponents this year. Arizona lost to Washington 54-0 and was beaten by Miami 36-9. The other common foe was Nebraska which lost to Washington 36-21 Early in the season. Penn state 11-2 finished third in the final a poll after routing Tennessee 4217 in the fiesta bowl. Rounding out the top 10 were Florida state 11-2alabama 11-1michigan 10-2florida 10-2california 10-2east Carolina 11 -1 and Iowa 10-1-1syracuse was 11th, followed by Texas a amp a notre Dame Tennessee Nebraska Oklahoma Georgia Clemson Urcla Colorado Tulsa Stanford by North Carolina state and air Force. Texas a amp a hanker Brian Mitchell left is nailed by Florida stale Corne Tiack Terrell Buckley in aggie so 10-2 Cotton bowl loss wednesday. For More on the game see Page 23.college bowl scores summaries a Page 18