Media poll chooses Nebraska to win Big 12 Conference

<br>KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) -- Nebraska has been chosen to win the Big12 football title again this season in a poll of media covering the conference. The poll was released Thursday in Kansas City, where

Thursday, July 27th 2000, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) -- Nebraska has been chosen to win the Big12 football title again this season in a poll of media covering the conference. The poll was released Thursday in Kansas City, where coaches gathered for their annual media day.

Nebraska was favored to win the North Division over Kansas State, followed by Colorado, Kansas, Iowa State and Missouri. In the South Division, Texas was the choice to win once again, setting up a rematch of last season's championship game with Nebraska, which the Cornhuskers won 22-6. Picked behind Texas in the South Division were Oklahoma, Texas A&M, Texas Tech, Oklahoma State and Baylor.

This year's championship game between the two divisional winners will be played Dec. 2 at Kansas City's Arrowhead Stadium.

The media pollsters picked Nebraska quarterback Eric Crouch as the conference's offensive player of the year, and they expect defensive tackle Casey Hampton to be the top defensive player. Their choice as the newcomer of the year is quarterback Bobby Pesavento of Colorado, who starred last year at Fort Scott Community College in Kansas.

Crouch heads the pre-season offensive all-conference team picked by the media, joined by Nebraska teammates Tracey Wistrom at tightend and Russ Hochstein in the offensive line and Dominic Raiola at center.

Kansas State choices for the offensive unit are wide receiver Quincy Morgan, offensive lineman Randall Cummmins and place kicker Jamie Rheem. Texas placed offensive lineman Leonard Davis and running back Hodges Mitchell on the unit.

Other choices were offensive lineman Josh Lind of Oklahoma State, wide receiver Javon Green of Colorado and running back Ricky Williams of Texas Tech.

Besides Hampton, the defensive unit includes his Texas teammates Shaun Rogers, a lineman. Other choices were defensive lineman and linebacker Kyle Vanden Bosch of Nebraska, lineman Justin Smith of Colorado, defensive backs Jarrod Cooper of Kansas State, Carl Nesmith of Kansas, Gary Baxter of Baylor and Kevin Curtis of Texas Tech and punter Dan Hadenfeldt of Nebraska.