The Washington times., 1911-11-20
Penn State, Army, and Navy
Figure They Have
Chance.
CARLISLE INDIANS
ARE OUT OF CONTEST
Smaller Elevens Bound to Gel
it
IN Their Proper
E4W Ratings.
By LOUIS A. BOUCHER.

~ by LOUlS "A. DOuGHEK.
Princeton Is acclaimed the football
championship of 1911 ~ all who continue
to uphold thai ancient feudalism Of the
big Four" Princeton, somehow or
other. has defeated Harvard, Dartmouth
and Yale. the Tigers chief opponents on
the gridiron. But does this really de-
eide the championship?
What Is the football championship? ?
fs there any football championship at
al? II there is, why does not Penn
State, Army and Navy now stand, the
three OF them, shoulder to shoulder with
Princeton. tied for the premier honors
of the East? If Princeton is to be given
great honors. how can the. eleven which
Was tied by Lehigh and the Navy pre-
sumo to be better than the Middies?
3 OF course, there Is that old, moth
eaten argument that the big Four
train for one game. caring little for the
rest. This argument Is supposed to
dispose of the little fellows like Brown,
Carlisle, Army. Navy. Penn State, Van
derbilt, Lafayette, Georgetown and Vir-
sfnia. Using this argument, Princeton
could not be tied now by the Navy
team: The Tigers are supposed to gain
added strength for their own big
Luck Decides Victory.
Against Yale Saturday the Princeton
attack failed. Nothing but luck pure
and simple decided that victory. Who
can say emphaticaliy that that attack
would do any better today against the
Army forwards, some of the hardest
players on the gridiron? Who can say
that that luck would give the Tigers VIC
ut goes without saying that football
teams founder around for more than
half the season before hitting their true
stride, before playing their real game.
far bettor football In November than in
october. Sometimes the change In a
teams playing strength comes over
Hg rour tas or hs sn sE tEuf ssh sh OF of the the
Bigger Hundred" All football eleyens
are alike in this respect,
sCarlisle gets going with it's first game,
running up more than fifty points. ii
goes down the Hne, as this year. defeat
Ing Georgetown, Pittsburgh, Lafayette,
pennsylvania, and Harvard. Had Car
hsle won from Syracuse Saturday and
defeated Brown on Thanksgiving. few
would have awarded the football title
to Warmers eleven And yet how is Il
possible to reason that Carlisle, or any
ether team, can hit its stride early and
keep 1t up any longer than the Big
Flour" are able to do?
y They Show Nothing.
Comparative scores show little or
npthing. The absence of a running half
back or a wonderful punter, or drop
kicker may determine the victory of a
day. A tumble frequently swings the
tide of glory. A missed goal from touch
down saved Michigan from being tied
% Vanderbilt. Such a missed goal
would have caused Princetons defeat
by Lehigh. A successful forward pass,
tried in the last few minutes OF the
game, brought Penns downfall Satur-
eWhy not allow the games of a season
to stand for what they are worth on
their faces? If Princeton's team Is only
tentative in October, why isn't Navy's
Rays to use at West Point, how is that
Me soldiers have so very much more?
II Harvard is but cropping in the dark
Wy Is Carlisle so very much farther
..Frequently elevens representing the
kp-called small colleges are far and
kway better than many of the big
tsams. Several West Point teams could
gave defeated Harvard, Yale, Pennsyl-
kania, Or PRINCETON on Thanksgiving.
Swarthmore, Lafayette, Brown, and
Dartmouth can point to similar strong
Hams in the last ten years.
!. Yale, Has Influence.
.Yale's influence has long been pre-
eminent in football. What Yale
wanted in the rules. Yale got into the
tules. Right now Harvards influence
y very strong, especially so since the
eooption of the so-called new rules
Goth Harvard and Yale are members
of the Big Four"
4 Since 1889 Walter Camp. Yale's
great authority, has selected a myth
Eal team at the close of each season
Is G0nsiderfd the greatest honor
fpr this All-America eleven, Not til
1896 did any team but Yale. Harvard
princeton, and Pennsylvania manage
eam e nand TbHn + man C6rnd1i:. on this Ai,America
quarterback. Wyckoff, landed on 1t.
II Three years later Chicago's marvel.
bus punter. Herschberger. was select
Made the team in 1899 and in Is0l
Morley. the Arizona sheriff who wen
40 Columbia 20 play football. wa!
Shosen. In the first twelve years o.
aour players from teams outside tn,
sBig Four" had been picked.
!. Thirty-two Land.
:: In the ten years beginning with 1870
:thirty-two players have made th
All-America team without bein,
Dnembers of big Four" teams. Th
Arst Western player did not make hi
appearance until 1908. when Martin
Meston, of Michigan, was picked 70
4he backfield. Since his time severa
Western elevens have Deen so honor
ed.
I; Football is broadening out. The tim
rs coming, and coming fast .whel
yale and Harvard and Princeton will
Needle just their own three -cornere
championship. Then such stronI
Heams as Carlisle, Lafayette. Swarth
more. Penn state, Brown. and Dart
.plouth frequently possess will &c
thsir just dues.
/. Cornell Men Hurt.
II ITHACA, N. Y, Nov. a.-The injur