The Minneapolis journal., 1902-10-20
FIELD IS REDUCED
Wisconsin and Michigan in a Glass,
by Themselves Among the. 4 n
Western Football Teams. -
Chicago or Illinois May Threaten
the Leaders Before the End ,
" >>@e of the Season. -.

x Contestants for the western . football
championship were reduced to practically
two, as the result of Saturdays games.
Wisconsin and Michigan will settle the
title in their game at Chicago Nov. 1.
That fact now seems practically. assured,
although Chicago and Illinois loom up as
possible dark horses.
Nebraska has little show Of getting con-
sideration, not because there are not pos
sibilities in the cornhusker team, but be-
cause Booths men play no member Of the
big nine from now on, save Northwestern,
which was put out of the running yester-
day by Chicago. A victory over North
western would. mean. little for Nebraska
in the mind of the public, while it is quite
possible that the purple eleven will get
into form and defeat the Lincoln aggrega-
IiOn.5 -.
Chicago and Illinois meet next Saturday
on Marshall field, and by o'clock that
evening one of the two teams will be list
ed among. the also started. Illinois has
the advantage in the greater experience
of most Of her men. A great part of the
maroon team is composed Of raw mate
rial, while the Illini are mostly seasoned
veterans. The maroons, however, have
shown steady improvement in the last
two weeks, and the team undoubtedly has
great t possibilities.
Chicag go suffered a heavy loss in yes
terday's game with Northwestern. Schnur.
Jennison! and Bezdek, three most prom1s-
ing halfbacks, were injured and are out
of the game for some time if not for the
season.
- Michigan Gets Surprise.
+ Michigan found Notre Dame a pretty
tough proposition, and against the strong
(attaekEof the Indiana players the defense
Of :: the, Wolverines showed the points :ot
weakness which it was predicted would
be shown the first time this department
of theMichigan play was given a real test
Wisconsin scored nine touchdowns on Be-
lott, but had her goal line crossed for the
second time this season. On the whole
however, the result of yesterdays games
slightly increases the chances Of the bad
gers in their game with Michigan. Both
teams will, require lots of hard work tt
get into real championship form In two
weeKs,ss but Phil King has been very sue
cessfuI in: past years in having his teams
on edge for their important contests, and
there is no reason to believe that he will
fail this year.
Surprises In the East.
Several surprises were recorded in he
eastern games. Brown outclassed Penn.
sylyania, West Point scored on Harvard
by straight football, Carlisle, after losing
to the third-rate Bushnell eleven a week
ago, made monkeys Of the Cornell men,
and Penn. State held Yale to two touch
downs. :..t
Pennsylvania must again be classed ir
the second rank of eastern teams. The
Quakers have done nothing worthy o.
mention since 1898, and their poor show
ing in the last four years Indicates
radical weakness in the coaching, for the
large number Of students at the Pennsyl'
vania institution should insure first class
if not a championship team, every year.
Yale, Harvard and Princeton evidently
are the only championship possibilitie:
this year, and Yale at present is the best
of the trio Harvard showed no materia
advance in form yesterday, and Princeton
is an unknown quantity. Yale, although
unable to make a high score, showed hel
usual reserve strength. -:
| West Point and Cornell, which ranked
high last year, will hardly threaten. thu
traditional big three'' this season, al
though West Point with Daily in the game
probably would have given Harvard a hare
rub Saturday.. Either Michigan Or Wis
consin looks as strong as any Of the east
Eern teams outside the big three. .-.