Tuesday, Aug. 28, 2001 | 10:28 a.m.
Tee Martin accomplished a rare feat three years ago. No, not leading Tennessee to a win over Florida, but guiding the Volunteers to the national championship in his first season as the starting quarterback.
Martin has company, but not much. Since 1980, only three first-time, season-opening starters have been able to guide their team to the national title.
Another name might be added to that list in the 2001 college football odyssey.
Seven of the top 15 teams in the AP preseason poll, including No. 1 Florida, No. 3 Oklahoma and No. 6 Florida State, begin their title quest with newly appointed starters.
The others are No. 9 Virginia Tech, No. 12 Michigan and No. 13 Kansas State.
Besides Martin, the other quarterbacks on the short list both played for Miami -- Bernie Kosar in 1983 and Steve Walsh in 1987.
Miami has an added distinction: Two first-timers combined to pass the Hurricanes to the '89 crown -- Craig Erickson and Gino Torretta.
And there's also Oklahoma freshman Jamelle Holieway. He led the Sooners to the '85 title after taking over for the injured Troy Aikman in the fourth game of the season.
Miami, with Heisman Trophy hopeful Ken Dorsey returning after a sensational season, needn't worry about quarterback inexperience this time around.
But unless Rex Grossman or Brock Berlin at Florida, Nate Hybl at Oklahoma, Chris Rix at Florida State and Grant Noel at Virginia Tech produce special seasons, their teams will be knocked off the road to the BCS national title game in the Rose Bowl on Jan. 3.
Same is true for John Navarre at Michigan and El Roberson at Kansas State.
What's the key to success for a new quarterback? David Cutcliffe, the Vols' offensive coordinator in 1998 and now the coach at Mississippi, says it's teamwork.
"I think the most important factor for a young quarterback to remember is to focus on his role as a member of the team," he said. "Playing a sound, disciplined brand of football that allows all 10 of the other players to be the best they can be."
A look at the title prospects for the new-QB teams:
Coach Steve Spurrier wants to choose between Grossman and Berlin, but won't hesitate to alternate, which he has done frequently. Florida won three of its seven SEC titles using two quarterbacks.
Grossman, a 6-foot-1, 218-pound sophomore, started the final eight games last season (131-of-212 for 1,866 yards and 21 TDs), and gets the experience edge. But Berlin, a 6-1, 209-pound sophomore, has the stronger arm.
Spurrier expects to make his call next week.
"If he's good enough to play all year, to stay healthy and play well, he'll have a chance," Spurrier said of whomever he picks. "But if he struggles, we feel we've got a couple guys who are able to play."
Like Martin at Tennessee in '98, Florida's quarterback will be surrounded by stars, beginning with wide receivers Jabar Gaffney and a solid line headed by Mike Pearson at tackle.
The defense is anchored by cornerback Lito Sheppard and end Alex Brown. Also back is kicker Jeff Chandler, the Gators' career leading scorer.
Up steps junior Nate Hybl, the 6-3, 215-pound Georgia transfer, who beat out 6-2, 220-pound sophomore Jason White. The two have thrown a combined 16 passes at OU -- all by Hybl.
Coach Bob Stoops doesn't seem worried. He says Hybl has a better grasp of the Sooners' pass-happy offense than Heupel did when he came to Norman. Hybl also runs faster and has a stronger arm.
"The way I look at it, they're both miles ahead of where Josh Heupel was when he entered here for his first game," Stoops said.
Oklahoma returns a talented corps of receivers -- the top eight accounted for 3,512 yards and 21 TDs -- as well as running back Quentin Griffin, who had 1,189 all-purpose yards and 16 TDs. The defense is led by All-American linebacker Rocky Calmus and strong safety Roy Williams.
Last week, Rix was named the starter and Anquan Boldin, who was competing for the job, returned to wide receiver. Rix is a 6-4, 200-pound redshirt freshman with a strong arm, and he'll be backed up by freshman Adrian McPherson.
Look for the Seminoles to run early and often and their defense to excel as Rix gains experience. The 'Noles replace 15 starters from last year's team that played for the national championship.
In winning its two titles, Florida State rode the arms of Heisman-winning quarterbacks -- Charlie Ward in 1993 and Chris Weinke in 1999.
Running back Lee Suggs (1,207 yards, 28 TDs) returns, and the Hokies boast a defense that could be one of the best in the country. Special teams will be strong, as usual.
"We know he needs experience," Suggs said, referring to Noel, "but we've seen him in practice and have confidence he'll get the job done."
Noel gets the nod over redshirt freshman Jason Davis.
Also helping is a soft non-conference schedule -- UConn, Western Michigan, Central Florida. The game of the year is at home against Miami on Dec. 1.
This year, they were set to contend for another title with senior Drew Henson before the quarterback/third baseman signed with the New York Yankees for $17 million.
That leaves 6-6, 242-pound John Navarre, who started the first four games of 2000 while Henson recovered from a broken foot. The redshirt sophomore was great at home -- seven TDs in three easy wins -- and scary on the road in a loss to UCLA.
Also gone is wide receiver David Terrell and running back Anthony Davis. Navarre has only four starters back on offense. The defense returns eight starters.
"There's always a tremendous amount of pressure on the quarterback at Michigan," coach Lloyd Carr said. "I don't care who you are or who you are replacing."
Michigan's other quarterbacks include 6-2, 201-pound redshirt freshman Jermaine Gonzales and 6-5, 220-pound Spencer Brinton, a transfer from San Diego State.
The 6-1, 215-pound Roberson, a double threat in the mold of Michael Bishop, will probably start, but the 6-4, 205-pound Dunn, the JUCO player of the year, is in hot pursuit of playing time.
At Ricks (Idaho), Dunn threw for 4,351 yards and 42 TDs. He is considered the better passer; Roberson the better runner. Last season, Roberson played in six games, running for 168 yards and passing for 199 yards and two TDs.
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