The Washington times., 1914-11-30
Harvard Earns Place
At Head Of Procession
With Country's Teams
Dartmouth Entitled to Second Place and Yale Is Ranked Third
by Herbert Daily, Who ExpIans-CorneN Is Given Fourth
Place lust Ahead of the Army.

pressiols which occasionally are as
misleading as those which led me
to suggest that Yale would score
oftener than Harvard in that memoir
able game on November u. There
are those who contend that you can't
20 behind scores. but in football this
is just plain idiocy. II requires a lot
Of time and lot of building to de-
velop a football eleven. ard cOnse-
uuenuy teams must be judged when
at the top of their form, late in the
season. This puts comparative scores
out of the reckoning. except so far as
they affect teams when they are pre-
sumed to be at the height of their
power and efficiency, writes Herbert
Daily in today's New York Tribune.
Judging from my mall. there seems
10 be general demand for ranking
and also for the much abused all
American, all-Eastern team. other
wise, ! would have avoided the neces-
sfty this year of floundering around
in the mire Of comparisons, some OF
which are bound to be odious. The
ranking is submitted here as the
opinion of one who has talked with
many coaches and critics and who
has studied the question from every
possible angle. So have ranked
them
Onion and Wesleyan: Fordham, the
Springfield Training School, which
beat Amherst, by the way; Franklin
and Marshall, Buckneu. University of
Maine and Vermont, among others,
string along with little or nothing
TO choose. The Carlisle Indians un-
questionably would beat some of the
teams rated. but after losing the big
majority Of their games they do not
seem to be worthy of ranking.
Harvard gets the place at the top
for the third time in three years, and
in all probability is the only one that
VIII go on unchallenged. The Grim
son eleven as it played against Yale
was just about the most powerful,
took the gridiron. Gordon Browns
famous Yale team Of a few years ago
is the only one, in my opinion, that
can dispute the honor, and 1t is quite
on a par. It can be said without fear
Of contradiction, however, that the
Harvard team Of 1914 was Percy D.
Haughton's masterpiece and the
greatest every developed since the
playing code was revised and the
game materially changed. 1t had
everything. Nothing was lacking in
either team or individual excellence.
1t took long time to find itself, but
on the day when most was required 1T
blossomed forth in all the fulness OF
football efficiency
Dartmouth comes second, in my opin-
ion, without any hesitancy. and this in
spite Of defeat by Princeton. In that
game the men from Hanover bungled
and fumbled away their chances, and
the Tigers took full advantage. Since
that game Dartmouth has shown such
power that up to Harvard's wonderful
game against Yale had q feeling that
il was the strongest team in the country
Dartmouth simply buried Tufts, which
held Harvard to a score of Is to and
rode roughshod over Pennsylvania and
Syracuse, the conQueror Of Michigan.
II was truly great team, remarkably
well equipped by Frank Cavanaugh
with telling weapons Of offense ana Il
sturdy defense.
Yale was not thirty-six points behind
Harvard in general development and
finish, and must be ranked third. On
the football played a score of % or at
the most 9 to 16, would have been a
far more accurate measure of the
strength of the two elevens. Yales
chief weakness lay in its defensive line
play. The forwards, most of whom
were green and more or less inexperi-
enced, were simply unable to cope
with the Crimson's smooth and vicious
running attack. Extensively, however,
the team was quite the equal of any
developed this year, but against Har-
ward in particular the attack lost much
OF its power for the reason that the
forwards did not furnish the proper
protection for the plays to get under
way. II the Yale team should line up
tomorrow against any team rated be-
hind il few good Judges would venture
TO wager even money on its opponent
II strikes me that Cornen's claim Tor
number four is by all odds the strong
est The eleven suffered two early sea-
son defeats at the hands of Pittsburgh
and Colgate. but the team on those
one which later beat Brown, Michigan.
and Pennsylvania among the others.
Cornell gathered strength from game TO
game, and probably was at the height
OF its power against Michigan. / had a
feeling OF slight disappointment after
the game with Pennsylvania on Thurs
day and yet close analysis OF the play
reveals only one material weakness
the lack OF proper defense against the I
forward pass. A few fundamental (
be seen with the best Of teams on GER
tain days. On the whole, the eleven I
was well grounded, well coached, and (
well equipped. both Extensively and de- |
fensively. with the one exception men /
toned.
Pennsylvania was much better repre- |
scented than in any other game this |
season. but for all that the only real I
strength Of the team lay in its use and |
adaptation of the forward mass Tho
defense was easily broken down: the /
straight running attack was impotent I
OF lighting spirit IL had plenty. for /
which all credit must he given, coming !
on top Of the most disastrous season /
ever suffered.
Fifth on the list comes West Point. /
Jnbeaten In nine games and winding /
up the season with a clean-cu victory
over the Navy. some may consider the
Army eleven worthy OF a better rank
ing. The team would give Cornell and
even Yale and Dartmouth a hard bat
tie, but on the play last Saturday
Il lacked the finish of those mentioned
The ofrense was powerful and rea-
sonably varied. although some of tie \
formations date back several years. II !
was well carried out, too. by a fine set |
OF backs and a strong line. The de-
Tense also was well knit. while the 1
forward pass carried a satisfying final /
ity in its clever execution and direct
ness. Prichard and Merrillat work in
combination better than any other play
OF All-Eastern cal.ber. The Navy |
eleven suffered in comparison in practi-
cslly every particular except grit, de-
termination, and fighting spirit.
With these five places established.
n is much harder TO rate the next six
or eight What 10 do with Princeton
II puzzle. Beaten by Vale and Har-
yard, and held to tie by Williams In 1
the three closing games was not in
dicattVe Of greatness. and yet thai
fourth period against Yale on a sud
den awakening was convincing OF re-
Tnarkable latent power and ability. The
ssscass simply failed 20 make the