The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-11-24
CHAMPION TEAMS
Chicago, Nebraska, Michigan
Aggies and Notre Dame.
Quartet Were Indicated Dur.
ing Season.
MISSOURI TIE WITH NEBRASKA
Minnesota Shift Unsuccessful
With Every Team Using 1t.
Haskell Allows Fewer Scores
Than Any Other in West

Chicago, Nov. 24.-ChicagO is the
home Of the football champions Of
1913. also the tailenders of the big
nine" Chicago, the champion. is an
undefeated team. Lincoln, Neb., East
Lansing, Mich, and South Bend, Ind,
also are hosts of undefeated football
squads. Somewhere among the four
teams, Chicago, Nebraska, Michigan
Aggies and Notre Dame, with the
University of Michigan at Ann Arbor
thrown in for good measure. the best
team of the west is to be found. Chi
cago has honor for an unbroken line
OF victories over all the teams of the
''big nine excepting Ohio state. Ne
braska has honor for the defeat of
two big nine" teams, three Missouri
valley teams and the Haskell Indians.
The Michigan Aggies stand high be-
cause Of the defeat Of Wisconsin and
Michigan. Notre Dame has standing
because of the humiliation Of two
strong teams of the east. Michigan
once defeated is among the leaders
because its final game, an eastern
campaign, humbled three of the
strong teams of the east. Whether
some one Of these five teams has the
right to claim the title of American
champions is capable of much dis
cussion.
The big nine championship is
clear cut. Chicago's victory is prob
ably the most impressive scored in the
nine years of the present organiza-
ton. Indiana, Iowa. Purdue. Illinois,
Northwestern, Minnesota and Wiscon-
sin all fell before the MaroOns, all
but one game being a decisive and
clear cut demonstration of the super
iOrity of the Chicago team.
Last place in the big nine" also
cannot be quibbled over. Northwest
ern's defeat before Ohio state making
them cellar champions.
For Missouri Valley Honors.
In the Missouri valley Nebraska's
honors are shared by Missouri, unde-
feated in the games of the conference.
The teams have an almost equal
standing against the two teams met
in common, the comparison being still
better because each played Kansas in
the mud and Ames on a dry field
Missouri started the season with poor
prospects. The team did not play
we'll up to the defeat by Illinois. Aft
err that the student body rushed to
the support of the eleven and Coaches
Brewer and Schultz were able to turn
out one of the best of Missouri
elevens. The defeat of Kansas in the
final game, the one objective point
in Missouri football, makes the sea-
son a success. even without equal rat
ing with Nebraska in the Valley
games. Missouri valley victories were
over Ames, Drake. Washington and
Kansas. In the last three games the
team was not scored against. Ne
braska defeated Kansas Agricultural
college, Kansas university and Ames.
Eliminate Minnesota Shift.
One of the results Of the season just
passed is the probable elimination of
the so-called Minnesota shift from the
tactical offense Of the game. Like the
guards and tackle back of Pennsylva-
MIA, which play became a back number
before it's elimination by the rules COM
mittee. opposing teams have solved the
famous evolution Of Coach Williams
and Tom Shevlin and this year not
team using the play or its adaptations
attained the highest ranking. Mime
sofa lost in the big nine" Kansas in
the Missouri valley. The play was not
a winner in the Rocky Mountain con-
ference while Yale, with the Shevlin
adaptation proved not to be a scoring
machine against the teams of the east.
Middle western football in general
was Of a higher class than before this
year. Teams of the section made the
best possible showing against the rep
resentatives of other sections, the de-
feats chalked up being Syracuse over
Western Reserve and Oklahoma over
Kansas. The Texas-Notre Dame game
Thursday is the only meeting between
teams of the middle west and the far
southwest. Texas, under the coaching
of Allerdice. former Michigan, has play
ed good football for two years, their
record holding victories over most of
the Oklahoma teams.
Most OF the teams Of the middle west
have scored about the same number Of
points, with - larger variation in the