Evening star., 1926-11-29
Bv the Associated Press.

Bv the Associated Press.
THE climax Of q record-shatter-
ing foot ball season Of thrills
and spills has left legacy of
i greater dispute over mythical
National championship honors
than any campaign n years.
Where Notre Danes Four Horse
men roamed VIGOROUSLY far and wide
in 1924 and Dartmouth's famous
aerial artists decorated the heights
without much controversy in 1925, the
close of the regular 1926 season finds
at least four outstanding elevens in
the title debate. Rebuttals from two
or three others further complicate the
situation.
The most conspicuous post-season
prospect, a projected New Year
battle at Pasadena between Alabama 8
Southern champions and Pop War
ner's Stanford outfit, title holders on
the Pacific Coast. may do lot to
clear the air, but it can't entirely
settle the issue. These two teams
share with Lafayette the distinction
of being neither tied nor beaten. Vic
tory at Pasadena for one or the other
would establish as strong a champion
ship claim as any contender.
Navy Has Strong Claim.
In spite of its spectacular tie with
the Army in Chicagos record-breaking
itself as very much in the running
when title laurels are passed around.
simultaneously the Army's claims
would seem to be on the same level.
but the Cadets tasted one defeat, at
the hands Of Notre Dame, while the
Navy, up to it's final tussle. sank all
opposition in nine successive games
against some Of the most powerful
outfits Of the East or Middle West.
No team anywhere put In as bris-
tling series of battles as these hard
fighting Sailors, who also covered
themselves with glory in their closing
fray. No such sustained offensive
power as that exhibited by both the
Army or Navy, but particularly by
the MiddieS, has been witnessed in
any other single game this Fall.
Brown, too, enters some claim for
recognition in spite of having its win
ming streak checked by a final tie
with Colgate. Notre Dame after eight
straight victories over rugged foes
and a defensive record of yielding only
for argument until Carnegie swooped
over the PROSTATE Hoosiers in an as
tOnishing 19-to-0 upheaval.
Notre Danes elimination left the
Middle West without real national
title contender for the first time in
years. Michigan and Northwestern.
who finished tied for the Western Con-
ference championship. both met defeat
by outsiders" the Wolverines losing
to Navy and Northwestern to Notre
Dame.
Except for a tie with Missouri,
the Mustangs of Southern Methodist
University, Southwestern Conference
champions, would be in the thick of
the fight. They won all of their re-
manning games. Oklahoma Aggies,
Missouri Valley champions for the
first time, met defeats outside the
conference fold.
Features of Season.
While the argument of experts RACES
over the relative merits of these title
claims, assessing of the more stable
products of the season reveals these
salient features:
1. Establishment of new records for
attendance and receipts, with esti-
mates placing the total number Of
spectators at 100000 and the ma
tion-wide gate" at 10000, 900, fea-
tured by figures of 10000 onlookers
and 100000 in receipts for the Army
Navy game, breaking the previous
high mark of $4,000 spectators set at
the Ohio State Michigan contest at Co
lumbus earlier in the season.
2. The dethronement of nine groups
out of fifteen 1925 champions in vart-
GUS sectional groups and conferences,
featured by the fall of Dartmouth in
the East and Washington on the Pa.
cific Coast.
3. Elevation Of the field goal as a
decisive factor in an unusual number
of big games, corresponding with a
somewhat sharp decline in the general