The Washington herald., 1915-11-21
By EDWARD r.. BUSHNELL.


Cornell VS.. Pennsylvania In Philadel-
phia. Pittsburgh VI. Penn State. and the
Army VS.. the Navy in New York and the
football season OF 1915. one Of the queer
est on record. will be over. Never have
there been such strange upsets on the
college gridiron with SO many big uni
versities defeated by the minor colleges.
Freakish games have abounded and with
hardly an exception even the best Of
teams have played erratic football all
fall.
or the big games that remain that be-
tween Pennsylvania and Cornell Is the
most important, though that between
Pittsburgh and Penn State College on the
ant bearing. The Cornell game is criti-
cal because the Ithacans need victory
to insure them the intercollegiate grid
iron championship. Cornell has not been
beaten to date. and its victories over
Harvard and Michigan make the Big
Red team in line for premier honors.
. II Cornell beats Pennsylvania and Pitts
bursh triumphs over Penn state the fol-
lowers of Cornell and Pittsburgh will
have something to argue about during
the winter. On the basis of games won
and lost their claims would certainly be
equal. There are two other facts then
to be cited which In the minds Of most
men. would probably swing intercollegiate
opinion In favor OF Cornell. These are
Cornelrs decisive victory over Harvard
and Pittsburgh's action In playing fresh
men in several games. Some Of Pitts
burgh's well-wishers foreseeing just such
a situation as this, suggested that this
institution should adopt the freshman
rule at once instead Of waiting until next
season. Pittsburgh did observe 1t in the
Pennsylvania game because Pennsylvania
would not have played under any other
condition. 1t will also be observed in
the Penn State game because Penn State
now bars freshmen. 1t will be a pity IL
such a point should eventually initiate
against Pittsburgh's championship claims.
Cornell the Favorite.
On the records OF the two teams to date
Cornell will enter the game an over
wheIming favorite. While the Ithacans
have not been beaten Pennsylvania has
lost four games and been played to
tie twice. The Quakers have not won
game outside of the first three of their
schedule. The two universities have
played just one team In common and the
evidence Is all with Cornell The Itha-
cans fairly overwhelmed Michigan, "a to
I. while Pennsylvania, although outplay-
ing the Wolverines, was held to a 90 tie.
Michigan furnished little more opposi-
ton for Cornell than did the majority
Of the minor colleges on the Ithacan's
schedule.
But in spite of all this the Pennsyl-
vania players are not at all dismayed.
There were certain features OF their game
against both Michigan and Dartmouth
that convince them that Cornell Is vul-
nerable. While they are mighty shy in
the matter of scoring touchdowns the
PENNSYLVANIA men think that they have
the best defensive team in the East. They
also believe that Cornelrs defense is
vulnerable. With the exception Of Pitts
burgh. not a team the Quakers have
played this year has been able to cross
their goal line on straight football. To
do this has required the use OF the for
ward pass or trick plays. This defense
has been steadily growing better and Is
especially adapted to the Cornell style
OF ofrense which is a plunge outside OF
tackle or a wide end run from the fake
kick formation. Pennsylvania coaches
feel certain that they can stop Barrett,
Collins and Shiverick on their running
game and that they can likewise break
up forward passes just as they did for
the most part against Michigan.
But even II Pennsylvania can hold Cor
neil to possibly one touchdown the Quak-
ers would still be unable to win unless
they develop more Of an attack than they
have shown this year. The weakness Of
the Pennsylvania offense is that 1t con-
sists Of nothing but line buck and q
smash OF tackle. The Quakers have
tried to operate q running attack from
the fake kick formation, but with the
exception Of Berry, the back field has
never contained a man fast enough to
take advantage of the interference.
What Pennsylvania 1oes have is a !
SPLENDID tandem attack on tackle. No
team the Quakers have met has been
able to stop 1t short of marches of from
DO to 40 yards. But the trouble is that
the team has always had to use it to
get the ball past midheld. Almost any
sort Of defense can stop such an attack
In the shadow OF its goal after It has
exhausted itself. The Quakers' forward
passing game amounts to nothing, for
Il is only q hit-or-miss affair. |
Thousands OF college men will pull for
Cornell to win this game because the |
Lthacans have never captured a football
That is about the only
sport in which they have not been su-
preme.
Army Looks Better than Navy.
Although the Army and Navy teams
his year are weaker than for many sea-
sons the Navy looks the worse. Instead
4 the better team winning 1t will be q
Ease of the poorer team losing. The rec
ords Of the two are identical in that