The Washington herald., 1915-12-05
~ EDWARD n. BUSHNELL.

The intercollegiate world demands 9
champion at the end Of every athletit
season. In football there Is no intercol
\ Iesiate schedule by which the premier
team works its way to the top. Occa.
slonally. as in the case Of the last three
Harvard teams, when one eleven beats ali
fteams, these in turn eliminating other
championship contenders. there 10 uni
form agreement on the team deserving
the premier title.
In the East this year things did not
work out quite SO satisfactorily. Two big
teams are left undefeated, Cornell and
Pittsburgh. Since they did not meet. and
made about the same showing against
their one common opponent. the Univer-
sity Of Pennsylvania, II is largely a mat
ter Of opinion which should be ranked
first or whether they should be brack-
eted and divide the championship between
them.
II the two were to meet. / am frank to
say l would not know which to pick as
the probable winner. Both teams were
unusually strong and versatile in their
attack. but neither had a defense that
measured up to the offense. II they were
TO play. I think both would score. and
the team with the better defense would
win. But since they did not and will not
meet. and they must be ranked in some
manner, there are two other things which
must be taken into consideration. One is
the strength OF their schedule, the other
their eligibility rules. These two points
turn the balance of the argument a little
in favor OF Cornell.
Pittsburgh played but one member Of
the Big Six. that being the University of
Pennsylvania. But this year the Quakers
we're about the weakest they have been
in thirty years. They managed to hold
Pittsburgh to a score Of IA to the
explanation being that Pennsylvania had
one of her rare good days and Pittsburgh
games Pittsburgh played were with
Washington and Jefferson and Penn
State. Pittsburgh beat w. and ]. in
one big period 10 to 0 and swamped Penn
State 20 to 0. The victory over w. and j.
took on considerable Importance because
this team had beaten Yale 16 to 0. but
Yale. like Pennsylvania. had the worst
team in her history. Penn State, after
beating Pennsylvania and virtually play
ing Harvard to a standstill. was consid-
cred to have an even chance to beat
But State College. whose
team was swamped. has always been
noted for the uneven DEVELOPMENT Of its
teams and can hardly be considered a
fair criterion of Pittsburgh's strength
Cornell. on the other hand. also went
the season undefeated. The Ith-
10 to victory over Harvard: their "a to
triumph over Michigan, and their finai
"A to victory over Pennsylvania. rejuve- !
mated and desperate. There was no COM
parison between the PENNSYLVANIA team
as it played against Pittsburgh and Cor
nell. 1t held Cornell with a lead Of to !
for more than three periods and then
collapsed. after which Cornell ran wild. |
There is no room for argument over the
that Cornell had the more diff
cult schedule.
The second point is one referred to be-
'ore-Pittsburgh's use of freshmen. Cor
,ell's football team was restricted to the |
hree upper classes. Pittsburgh used no |
irst year men except in the Pennsylvania
md Penn State games, in which they |
we're barred by a special agreement.
Pittsburgh has a freshman rule but it
loes not go into effect until next year.
There was a division of opinion among
he Pittsburgh authorities about this rule
md its operation this year was in the
ature of a compromise.
1t is no reflection on the strength Of
he Pittsburgh team that its schedule
nd the lack Of universally applied
reshman rule should award first place
o Cornell. 1t was certainly no fault
Z Pittsburgh's that it was not on the
chedule of some of the other MEM
Si VI ehS DiS SiA. II ID fuisHty ndTu |
or a newcomer. particularly as strong
S Pittsburgh. to break into this select
ompany. But Pittsburgh has grown
ig and intends to stay big Next year
Is eligibility rules will be as strict as
hose at any of the big universities, and
they are vigorously enforced Pitts
urgh cannot long be denied admission
D the ranks Of the other big teams Of
he East.
With Cornell conceded first place, Pitts
urgh must be ranked second Some crit
IS have had the effrontery to put Har-
ard above Pittsburgh. but. other things
eing equal. a defeated team has no ar
ument with an undefeated team. Har-
ard is ranked high because Of that
l-to-O defeat of Yale. But Yale
'as lamentably weak this year and went
ompletely to pieces under Harvard'sl
Harvard should be ranked
hiri and Princeton fourth. Within the
Zig Six, Dartmouth. Of course, should I
pillow Princeton. and 1t is a question
'hether Yale or Pennsylvania deserved
D be ranked last. There were several ,
ther teams that should be ranked above
and Yale, among them be-
,g Syracuse. Colgate, Brown, Penn State
nd Lafayette
o.. l.