The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-10-20
GRANGE IS PEER
 OF ALL BACKS Illinois Star Runs Wild Through Strong Mich
 igan Team
lRv A,t,oniatal Press. ]


 CHICAGO, Oct. 19.-Illinois looms tonight as the ranking favorite to cap ture the 1924 gridiron championship of the Western Conferences title that re- suited in deadlock between Michigan end Illinois in 1923.
 The powerful Illinois eleven, with the sensational Harold (''Red") Grange as it's stellar performer, is awarded this ranking, having trounced Michigan, 39 to IA at Urbana yesterday in a game that ruined the Wolverines chances. The experts agree that no team Tn the '.Rig Ten" has much of chance of de- fcating Illinois, provided Grange keeps his health or does not break leg.
 Grange Runs Wild
 This amazing half back. rated as the greatest in the game today, is the man Michigan had been waiting for more than a year to halt in his sensational flights across the chalk marks. But he tore the Michigan defense 10 pieces al- most before the Wolverines knew they were in football game. In less than 12 minutes of the opening play, Grange had scored four touchdowns after four of the most sensational runs seen on any gridiron in years. The critics agreed that no player his equal has been seen in the west since the days of Walter Eckersall, noted University of Chicago quarterback.
 The Illinois eleven with Grange out of the lineup, seems very ordinary team, that might be lclassed on even terms with Michigan. This contention seems true because Michigan, beaten in the first period and fighting game, but hopeless battle, outplayed Illinois in the last three periods of the game during which Grange was on the sidelines. He went back again at the start of the second half, and with Michigan mean time gathering 14 points while Hi nois made only 12 after the first quar- ter.
 Without Peer In Open
 Grange revealed that as an open field runner he was without a peer in the west. if not in the nation. Coach Zuppke of the Illini seems to have kept under cover, until yesterday, the fact that Grange instead of going to the outside of the field as he did all last season, has mastered the art of cutting back through a broken field, leaving a flock of amazed tacklers laundering in his wake.
 Wisconsin and Minnesota, as a result of their to z tie, stood apart enveloped in a northern fogbank of uncertainty because neither of these powerful teams has played opponents which would give an index to their strength fcompared with the southern and west ern teams of the big ten. The index will be furnished next week when Wis consin plays Michigan and Minnesota meets Iowa.
 Ohio State Cleans Up
 Ohio State, beating Ohio Wesleyan, 10 to O, has made a .hitless wonder record. It was the only Big Ten team still unscored upon with two wins and one tie. It has made this record with only two touchdowns and one field goal and Raintained a perfect scoring aver age By kicking. goals after both touch- downs.
 Iowa remained in the unsolved puzzle class Saturday when it defeated Law renee, IS to 5, showing the same streaks of unbeatable football, mixed with lapses, as in previous games.
 Chicago Strong
 Chicago added something definite to the annual Maroon menace when in de- feating Indiana, 23 to 0, it showed sey- eral fast substitutes. Indiana lived up ti it's earlier record of strong eleven despite the score, for it made Il first downs against IS for Chicago.
 Purdue's 7-to-3 victory over North western showed a new contender for line honors in Captain Claypool, center. He played all over the field on defense, but showed his real class when he snapped the ball for punt and then broke through to run down the field under 45-yard kick and tackled the receiver.