Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-10-29
POOR SCHEDULE
HANDICAP FOR
CORNELL TEAM
Penn May Surprise Itha-
cans in Battle Thanks
giving Day
QUAKERS SHAPED WELL
By EDWARD R. BUSHNELL

By EDWARD r. BUSHNELL
A lot of people are already giving Cor
nell the football championship of the
Big Six on the assumption that Harvard,
whom Cornell has already beaten, will
win from Princeton and that the Itha-
cans will go straight down the line un-
defeated and score their third straight
victory over Pennsylvania without
doubt, Cornell would be entitled to that
distinction if the dope worked out thus
considerably.
The most serious obstacle to Cornelrs
ambition is Cornells schedule for the
remainder of tho season. There is prob
ably no university in the East that has
suffered more from Unbalanced football
schedules than Cornell. The difficulty
used to be that during October Cornell
played opponents little stronger than
high school teams and then was battered
all to pieces when the big teams were
encountered. From this extreme Cornell
then went to the other pole, and for two
or three years met teams in October
which should have been played in No
vember
Cornell still has four games to play,
and 1t is a question whether or not they
are of the sort to bring the big Red
Team" along gradually for the Penn
sylvania game on Thanksgiving Day.
The Ithacans may consider themselves
fortunate If the schedule works out to
their satisfa action. Tomorrow they play
the Virginia Polytechnic Institute. The
Nirginians may play good football and
they may not If they are very easy
they will not give Cornell the preparation
needed for the Michigan game, which is
played one week later. Michigan also
may or may not be very weak this year.
1t is not unusual for the Michigan Ag-
gies to win as they did last week, but
granting that the Wolverines were still
a disappointment we shall know more
about Michigan's strength after the game
with Syracuse tomorrow.
But If Michigan proves to be below her
usual standard and, therefore, easy for
Cornell, the Ithacans will find themselves
I'm more or less difficulty to prepare prop
erly for Pennsylvania. After the Michi-
gan game Cornell meets Washington and
Lee, a new opponent In other words, be-
tween the Harvard game, played last
week. and the Pennsylvania game on
Thanksgiving Day the Cornell team will
have had only one opponent which looks
to be strong It may be that one OF the
others will give the Ithacans a fight but
1t will be a surprise If this results.
Pennsylvania, en- the other hand, is
Just emerging from an October schedule
such as no other team i'm the East at
tempts TO play 1t is really stronger than
the Quakers should try in view Of their
ineXperience. But il at least has re-
suited in hardening the players, and II
the men get through without injuries
they will be i'm first-class shape for their
November games While Cornell is tun-
ing up on such teams as Virginia p. l.
and Washington and Lee, Pennsylvania
will be battling with Lafayette and Dart
mouth, both tough customers. Michigan,
the two teams play in common.
Cornell needs a victory over Pennsyl-
yania this year as never before. II would
be a severe blow for the Ithacans to win
all their other games and then lose TO
Pennsylvania, already twice defeated. A
victory for Pennsylvania Is even more
appealing TO the Quakers.
Virtually nothing new has been shown
in football attack this year. though two
or three teams have worked out some
variations OF the forward pass. There
have been reports that Pennsylvania had
something new In football offense to show
In her championship games. But the
team has shown none of il to date. Some
new formations have been tried out In
secret practice. but If they amount TO
anything they will not be developed until
the Dartmouth game. Coaches have not
been able to improve very much on the
old style attack, and every year lot of
plays in which a team Is carefully
coached are never used.