LOS ANGELES - Legendary Michigan coach Bo Schembechler does not plan on chewing out officials or stalking the sideline, but he's back at the Rose Bowl as part of the team's travel party.
Schembechler said he has a lot of good memories from Pasadena. Then, he laughed and added: "And a lot of bad ones, too."
The Wolverines were 2-8 in the Rose Bowl while Schembechler was their coach from 1969-89.
Schembechler said that his favorite memory was, "the first time we won."
He snapped a five-game losing streak in the Rose Bowl in 1981 with a 23-6 victory over Washington.
Eleven years earlier, he had a heart attack and missed the game.
"One minute I was studying plays," Schembechler said, "and the next minute I had a tube in my arm."
Even though Michigan is No. 4, the Wolverines almost have been an afterthought at the Rose Bowl. Most of the attention has gone to Southern Cal because despite being No. 1 in both polls, the Trojans won't be playing in the Bowl Championship Series' title game. No. 3 Oklahoma and No. 2 LSU will play in the Sugar Bowl.
If Schembechler was coaching, he said that would be used as a motivator for the Wolverines.
"I'd play it to the hilt and say, "They're only talking about three teams, and you're the fourth team,"' he said.
"Everybody assumes USC is going to win."
CAPITAL ONE: Rest easy, Georgia fans. Coach Mark Richt isn't going anywhere. While six NFL coaching jobs are available, Richt said he wouldn't even listen to an offer from the pros. "I'm not interested in any job, anywhere," Richt said after the No. 11 Bulldogs practiced for Thursday's game against 12th-ranked Purdue. "I don't care if it's the NFL, a college or the French Riviera." In three years at Georgia, he has a record of 31-8, including the school's first Southeastern Conference championship in 20 years. "I'm not interested in any job other than the one I've got," Richt said. "I want to stay here as long as they'll have us." ... Georgia tight end Martrez Milner has been getting plenty of ribbing from his teammates. That's the way it goes when you get hurt in a tug-of-war. Milner, a 255-pound sophomore, sprained his left ankle during a friendly competition involving members of both teams Sunday. He managed to practice Tuesday but still hasn't fully recovered. "I'm about 80 percent," Milner said. Teammates such as defensive end David Pollack aren't showing much sympathy. "He told me to tie my ankle to the rope and see what happens," Milner said. "Hey, what could I say?"
GATOR: West Virginia suspended wide receiver Travis Garvin for Thursday's game against Maryland in Jacksonville for an undisclosed violation of team rules. "He didn't miss curfew. Other disciplinary factors," coach Rich Rodriguez said after the Mountaineers' practice Tuesday. Rodriguez initially said that Garvin had been sent home but later issued a statement saying the player would remain with the team because his family already was en route to Jacksonville. Rodriguez said he did not "want to penalize them as well." Garvin, a senior, was West Virginia's third-leading receiver with 16 catches for 307 yards and two touchdowns.
SUN: Minnesota and Oregon each donated 1,000 game tickets to National Guard members stationed in El Paso, Texas, preparing for duty in Iraq.[Last modified December 31, 2003, 02:01:14]
