FROM THE LOCKER ROOMS / WASHINGTON STATE

QUARTERBACK RYAN LEAF

Q: What have you decided about turning pro?

A: “I’ll hold a press conference [this morning] at my hotel. Right now, this is about what Washington State accomplished this year and the precedent we set for next year. I want everything in the newspaper [today] to be about this football team. After that, then it can be, ‘Wow, Ryan Leaf’s staying,’ or ‘Yeah, Ryan Leaf’s going.’ ”

RUNNING BACK MICHAEL BLACK

Q: Could you have come back and played after injuring your calf?

A: “I took two pain-killers and retaped the muscle, but it was so knotted up it didn’t respond. . . . I couldn’t run. To have an injury like this--it doesn’t hurt so much, but it stopped me from running.”

COACH MIKE PRICE

Q: Did you think the clock ran out before it should have, keeping you from attempting a final play?

A: “That was the official’s mistake. It doesn’t take two seconds to snap the ball and down it. But [Michigan] made the plays when they had to make them, and that’s the sign of a national champion.”

LEAF

Q: Do you think Michigan is No. 1?

A: “They’re a tremendous team. We’ll see what happens. If Nebraska beats Tennessee, I think there could be a split there.”