Will 2003 live up to hype, history?

By Ferd Lewis
Advertiser Columnist

•	Degrees of difficulty (A glance at some of UH's toughest football schedules) 1978 — From the second game at Nebraska, which would finish the year ranked No. 8, to the season finale against eventual national champion Southern California, seven of the 11 teams UH played had winning seasons. 1991 — For the only time in school history, UH played four teams — Iowa (10), Notre Dame (12), Brigham Young (23) and Air Force (25) — that finished the season in the Top 25. Overall, seven teams had winning seasons. Three of five road games were played at 4,500 feet or above. 1992 — On the way to an 11-2 season, UH played five-bowl bound teams — Air Force, Brigham Young, Fresno State, Illinois and Utah — and beat four. 1994 — UH played three teams — Utah (10), Oregon (11) and BYU (18) — that finished in the Top 25. 1984 — National champion BYU and No. 16 Iowa were the big names and UH opponents overall had a .570 winning percentage.

It makes a handy theme and, as the 2003 opener gets closer, something to talk about. And, hey, it has to help ticket sales.

To be sure it will be a tough schedule with Southern California and Alabama lurking. With six road games, there's no doubt it will be challenging.

But let's also not forget the Warriors have faced some daunting gauntlets over the years. Let's remember that history didn't start yesterday and, in nearly 30 years of playing on the Division I-A level, the Rainbows/Warriors have managed to mix it up with a few national champions and a Heisman Trophy winner or two.

Five months from now we'll have a pretty good idea how this schedule stacks up with the most formidable UH has played but, until then, here's a look at some of the measuring sticks to keep in mind along the way:

• How about bookending a season with No. 8 Nebraska and national champion Southern California? That's just about what UH did in 1978, when it played before 75,615 in Lincoln, Neb., in the second game of the year and finished with USC and Charles White, who won the Heisman the next year.

What is often overlooked, however, is that seven of the 11 games UH played that year were against teams that finished with winning records and an overall winning percentage of .550. While the Warriors will play six road games in 2003, they played five in 1978 — and did not play any I-AA schools.

• Only once has UH played a season in which four opponents ended up in the Top 25 and 1991's schedule included No. 10 Iowa, No. 12 Notre Dame, No. 23 Brigham Young and No. 25 Air Force — half of them on the road.

Overall, UH opponents — none of them Division I-AA — had a .563 winning percentage and seven of 12 foes had winning seasons. Of the five road games, three were played above 4,500 feet.

• The 1992 season was notable as the only year UH has finished in the Top 20 and also the season it won its first bowl game (the Holiday Bowl). But what UH did to get there — playing five bowl-bound teams in an 11-2 campaign — made it even more remarkable. And, it won four of them.

And, the best team UH played all season, San Diego State and Heisman runner-up Marshall Faulk, didn't even make it to a bowl.

• There are other examples of tough schedules. The 1994 team played three Top 20 teams, opponents on the 1984 schedule had a .570 winning percentage ...

Well, you get the idea. There's no question the 2003 team will have its work cut out for it both on the schedule — and in the history books.