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Kansas State Quarterback Quandary; Split National Title?

Aired January 02, 2004 - 15:11   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: What do you think, Steve? Peach Bowl fans there, Clemson fans?
STEVE OVERMYER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I think a lot of people are in the building right about now.

PHILLIPS: And I think they're really excited to be on CNN.

Well, a quarterback quandary, I guess you could say, for Kansas State, as the team gets set to play in the Fiesta Bowl tonight. Quarterback Ell Roberson is questioned in a sexual assault case. And now we're waiting to find out whether he'll play.

CNN Sports' Steve Overmyer joins us now with more.

Will he be suspended or not?

OVERMYER: That's really the big question.

And the tough thing is, Kansas State just won their first Big 12 championship. And here we are just hours before the game and we're talking about this. The Kansas State Wildcats may be without one of their starters when they take on Ohio State in tonight's Fiesta Bowl. Quarterback Ell Roberson is accused of sexually assaulting a woman yesterday at the team's hotel.

Police say Roberson was taken in for questioning, but it's still up to the DA's office if he'll be charged. Roberson told police the sex was consensual. The Kansas State athletic director says it's up to Bill Snyder if Roberson will suit up, Kyra, for tonight's game.

So it is a bit surprising, though, that they are allowing Bill Snyder to make that decision, Kyra. In this day and age, it seems like the presidents really want to maintain control of the universities and rein in the athletic departments. Here's Bill Snyder being allowed to make this decision on whether or not...

PHILLIPS: Is that unprecedented?

OVERMYER: It's not unprecedented. This has happened before. Tough situations like this have happened before.

In the year 2000, Joe Paterno, the head coach of Penn State, had to make a very difficult decision about their quarterback. Rashard Casey was accused of assaulting a police officer, actually charged with assaulting a police officer. And he decided to play him in the game against Indiana. And you know what? He took a lot of heat for it, but the charges were eventually dropped. So he was proven right in that particular instance.

PHILLIPS: What do we know about Roberson? He hasn't really been in trouble since we've been following his career? How is he as a team player?

(CROSSTALK)

OVERMYER: Yes, he is the team player. He is the leader of that team. And he is the reason -- one of the reasons why Kansas State won the Big 12 championship.

And you go back to Bill Snyder, this is such a difficult decision for a coach to make. It's almost like a no-win situation for him. But I do know that Roberson was taken in for questioning at 4:30 in the morning yesterday. At 8:30 in the morning yesterday, Kansas State's coach, Bill Snyder held a team meeting and announced that third-swing quarterback Jeff Schwinn will be the starter in this game.

He made that announcement to the team at that time. Now, we don't know if that means that Roberson will not play in the game whatsoever, because, remember, he can be suspended from this game, not necessarily for the charges. But because this happened at 3:30 in the morning, he could be suspended because he broke curfew. Curfew for Kansas State is 11:00.

So Bill Snyder has kind of a -- he has a way out, I guess. If he wants to suspend Roberson for this game, he can, because he broke curfew.

PHILLIPS: Wow, curfew. It's like we're back in high school.

OVERMYER: Well, it's a bowl game. You got to be there in bed at curfew.

(CROSSTALK)

PHILLIPS: ... disciplined.

All right, Steve, thank you.

Well, Louisiana State is getting ready for Sunday's national title game against Oklahoma. But, after yesterday's win by No. 1 USC -- thank you -- over Michigan in the Rose Bowl -- yes! -- it's looking a lot, I guess you could say a split title this year.

CNN's Josie Burke live from New Orleans to explain -- hi, Josie.

JOSIE BURKE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Kyra.

Today is what they call media day here at the Sugar Bowl. The game is, of course, on Sunday night. But today's the day when the players from both teams are supposed to meet the press and answer all their questions. LSU drew the early card today, so they were out there this morning. But one thing was missing, namely, a huge contingent of the media. That's because so many people were still making their way from the West Coast eastward, after watching that Rose Bowl last night, USC, of course, the No. 1 ranked team in both of the human polls.

And with that victory over Michigan, they virtually assure themselves at least a share of the national title. The winner of this game on Sunday night is supposed to be deemed the BCS national champion. But, of course, everyone looking at both of these games -- well, I say everyone. Yesterday, not everyone was paying particularly close attention to that Rose Bowl.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

NICK SABAN, LSU HEAD COACH: You know, I was so interested in the USC game yesterday, I didn't even watch it, all right? So, all these questions about USC, although it makes great media controversy, really means nothing to us. We have a game against Oklahoma.

It's an opportunity for us to play against a good football team and continue to show that we are a good football team. And I think the two good teams, the two teams that the BCS chose -- and I'm going say it again -- that everybody decided and respected that this system was something we that could all live with for now. And we may fix it for the future. But the two teams, based on that information, are going to play in this game.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BURKE: We can talk in a lighthearted way about the fact that the magnitude of the Sugar Bowl might be diminished a little bit.

But the people in charge of security here certainly are not taking that attitude. In fact, they had to change their security plan around a little bit, because they learned on Monday that the terror threat level would remain at orange throughout the game. When they made the preparations for security months ago, they weren't planning on that. They had to implement a couple of new things.

And when I say new, they're new for this plan, but they are certainly things that they've done here in the past. The main thing that you'll notice is that there's going to be a fence around the entire perimeter of the Superdome, in that every fan who comes in will be screened by a metal detection device. This is something that they weren't planning to do, but they've done in the past when the Super Bowl was here -- they had the first Super Bowl post-9/11 -- and also for the Final Four last year.

And now it's something that they're going to do for Sunday night's game -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: All right, Josie Burke, thank you.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com






Aired January 2, 2004 - 15:11   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: What do you think, Steve? Peach Bowl fans there, Clemson fans?
STEVE OVERMYER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I think a lot of people are in the building right about now.

PHILLIPS: And I think they're really excited to be on CNN.

Well, a quarterback quandary, I guess you could say, for Kansas State, as the team gets set to play in the Fiesta Bowl tonight. Quarterback Ell Roberson is questioned in a sexual assault case. And now we're waiting to find out whether he'll play.

CNN Sports' Steve Overmyer joins us now with more.

Will he be suspended or not?

OVERMYER: That's really the big question.

And the tough thing is, Kansas State just won their first Big 12 championship. And here we are just hours before the game and we're talking about this. The Kansas State Wildcats may be without one of their starters when they take on Ohio State in tonight's Fiesta Bowl. Quarterback Ell Roberson is accused of sexually assaulting a woman yesterday at the team's hotel.

Police say Roberson was taken in for questioning, but it's still up to the DA's office if he'll be charged. Roberson told police the sex was consensual. The Kansas State athletic director says it's up to Bill Snyder if Roberson will suit up, Kyra, for tonight's game.

So it is a bit surprising, though, that they are allowing Bill Snyder to make that decision, Kyra. In this day and age, it seems like the presidents really want to maintain control of the universities and rein in the athletic departments. Here's Bill Snyder being allowed to make this decision on whether or not...

PHILLIPS: Is that unprecedented?

OVERMYER: It's not unprecedented. This has happened before. Tough situations like this have happened before.

In the year 2000, Joe Paterno, the head coach of Penn State, had to make a very difficult decision about their quarterback. Rashard Casey was accused of assaulting a police officer, actually charged with assaulting a police officer. And he decided to play him in the game against Indiana. And you know what? He took a lot of heat for it, but the charges were eventually dropped. So he was proven right in that particular instance.

PHILLIPS: What do we know about Roberson? He hasn't really been in trouble since we've been following his career? How is he as a team player?

(CROSSTALK)

OVERMYER: Yes, he is the team player. He is the leader of that team. And he is the reason -- one of the reasons why Kansas State won the Big 12 championship.

And you go back to Bill Snyder, this is such a difficult decision for a coach to make. It's almost like a no-win situation for him. But I do know that Roberson was taken in for questioning at 4:30 in the morning yesterday. At 8:30 in the morning yesterday, Kansas State's coach, Bill Snyder held a team meeting and announced that third-swing quarterback Jeff Schwinn will be the starter in this game.

He made that announcement to the team at that time. Now, we don't know if that means that Roberson will not play in the game whatsoever, because, remember, he can be suspended from this game, not necessarily for the charges. But because this happened at 3:30 in the morning, he could be suspended because he broke curfew. Curfew for Kansas State is 11:00.

So Bill Snyder has kind of a -- he has a way out, I guess. If he wants to suspend Roberson for this game, he can, because he broke curfew.

PHILLIPS: Wow, curfew. It's like we're back in high school.

OVERMYER: Well, it's a bowl game. You got to be there in bed at curfew.

(CROSSTALK)

PHILLIPS: ... disciplined.

All right, Steve, thank you.

Well, Louisiana State is getting ready for Sunday's national title game against Oklahoma. But, after yesterday's win by No. 1 USC -- thank you -- over Michigan in the Rose Bowl -- yes! -- it's looking a lot, I guess you could say a split title this year.

CNN's Josie Burke live from New Orleans to explain -- hi, Josie.

JOSIE BURKE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Kyra.

Today is what they call media day here at the Sugar Bowl. The game is, of course, on Sunday night. But today's the day when the players from both teams are supposed to meet the press and answer all their questions. LSU drew the early card today, so they were out there this morning. But one thing was missing, namely, a huge contingent of the media. That's because so many people were still making their way from the West Coast eastward, after watching that Rose Bowl last night, USC, of course, the No. 1 ranked team in both of the human polls.

And with that victory over Michigan, they virtually assure themselves at least a share of the national title. The winner of this game on Sunday night is supposed to be deemed the BCS national champion. But, of course, everyone looking at both of these games -- well, I say everyone. Yesterday, not everyone was paying particularly close attention to that Rose Bowl.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

NICK SABAN, LSU HEAD COACH: You know, I was so interested in the USC game yesterday, I didn't even watch it, all right? So, all these questions about USC, although it makes great media controversy, really means nothing to us. We have a game against Oklahoma.

It's an opportunity for us to play against a good football team and continue to show that we are a good football team. And I think the two good teams, the two teams that the BCS chose -- and I'm going say it again -- that everybody decided and respected that this system was something we that could all live with for now. And we may fix it for the future. But the two teams, based on that information, are going to play in this game.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BURKE: We can talk in a lighthearted way about the fact that the magnitude of the Sugar Bowl might be diminished a little bit.

But the people in charge of security here certainly are not taking that attitude. In fact, they had to change their security plan around a little bit, because they learned on Monday that the terror threat level would remain at orange throughout the game. When they made the preparations for security months ago, they weren't planning on that. They had to implement a couple of new things.

And when I say new, they're new for this plan, but they are certainly things that they've done here in the past. The main thing that you'll notice is that there's going to be a fence around the entire perimeter of the Superdome, in that every fan who comes in will be screened by a metal detection device. This is something that they weren't planning to do, but they've done in the past when the Super Bowl was here -- they had the first Super Bowl post-9/11 -- and also for the Final Four last year.

And now it's something that they're going to do for Sunday night's game -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: All right, Josie Burke, thank you.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com