Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1916-09-18
Big NINE STARTS
SEASON THIS WEEK
Advance Notices on Conference
Elevens Indicate a Tendency
Toward Bear Stories.
CHICAGO UNI IS HOPEFUL

of fall foot ball practice among the
Big Nine Conference teams takes
place next Wednesday, September 20,
but already preliminary work has
been begun throughout this section
of the country wherever coaches have
been able to get enough men togeth'
er. Rudimentary drill is on the pro-
gram for the first week at most insti-
tutions in the central states, and a
few of the more prominent elevens
will have early opening games.
Among contests scheduled for Sep
TENDER 80 are:
Bloomington-Depauw against In
diana.
Notre Dame--Case against Notre
Dame.
East Lansing-Olivet against Mich
igan Aggies,
Manhattan-Bakcr against Kansas
Aggies,
Fayetteville - Arkansas Normal
against Arkansas.
The season in the central states will
be remarkable for the tendency OF the
leading elevens to break away for
games against teams outside OF their
usual list of rivals. Indiana takes on
two games OF inter-sectional interest,
playing Tufts at Indianapolis Octo-
Der Il and Florida at Bloomington
November IS. Wisconsin meets South
Dakota October IA and the Haskell
Indians October 81, and Notre Dame
takes on Case and Western Reserve
for early season games in addition to
contests with South Dakota, West
Point, Michigan Aggies and Ne
braska. Northwestern plays Drake
this year and Michigan takes on
Washington university OF St. Louis,
while Illinois meets Kansas in its
opening game and Colgate in its sec
ond.
Advance notices on conference foot
ball squads indicate a tendency to
bear stories from Wisconsin and Hi
nois, with strong undertone OF
hopefulness at the University OF Chi
cago. Loss OF half dozen stars is
severe one to the Illini, and with Ma
comber practically the only one left
Coach Zuppke apparently will have
hard job to build up team like those
to which Urbana rooters have been
accustomed in the last few years.
Fair Prospect at Chi.
A set of fleet backs, most OF them
with at least a years experience, and
line heavier than last seasons are
compensations to Coach Stage for
the loss by graduation OF Russell and
Flood. At Madison, with a rather raw
team the rooters are none too san
guine for a good showing this year,
though hopeful OF good results from
the Harvard style Of coaching, to be
drilled into the Badgers by Paul
Wilmington.
Preseason information from Min
nesota say prospects for a first-class
team are better than they have been
for years. Basing their arguments on
the fact that the Gophers tied the
Illinois for leading honors In the Big
Nine last year fans in the north be-
lievc their favorites are due to clear
a title to the championship this fall.
There is a chance that Ohio State
with squad of veterans will prove a
dark horse, especially when one re-
calls the surprise the Buckeyes sprang
on Illinois last year. Indiana also is
expected to have a better team than
usually represents the Bloomington
school, and reports from Purdue and
Northwestern are more optimistic
than usual. Iowa's chances are con-
sidered only fair
Michigan Puzzle.
Michigans strength is problemati-
cal. Captain Maulbetseh, all-America
half of two years ago, will be back,
but is said to be somewhat below the
form which, in 1914, opened eastern
eyes at Harvard. A large staff Of as
sistants will strive with Coach Yost
to develop a fair team from material
short OF his expectations.
Notre Dame has lost some OF the
best men that ever carried its gold
and Blue in the face of one OF the
most difficult schedules ever under
taken by any eleven-east or west.
The team will maintain its reputation
as a champion among Nomads, with
games at West Point, N. y; Lincoln,
Neb., and Vermilon, s., D., on its
schedule.
The Michigan Aggies. for whose
fame the foot ball knowledge Of John
Macklin was largely responsible, will
start the season under a new master
Frank Sommer, once Quaker. The