Evening star., 1932-10-19
SCORES W|[LAMAN
FOR POOR 0FFENSE.
Loss of Game to Michigan
Bitterly Resented-Hard
to Blame Material.
BY FRANCIS ]. POWERS.

~HICAGO, October 19.-The
war party among Ohio
~ State University alumni
and followers already de-
mands the scalp of Samuel Villa
man, who has been head coach of
the Buckeye foot ball team these
four seasons.
It took little to infiame certain
of the Ohio State partiSanS
against Willaman, who never has
been entirely acceptable to the
university'S alumni as whole,
and the defeat by Michigan was
the short circuit that started the
combustion.
Much was expected of Ohio State in
the Western Conference campaign this
year. The material was good and plen-
tiful. Few players were lost by gradua-
tion last June and the incoming crop of
sophomores was stamped the best in
several seasons. Consequently, Ohio
State was rated second only to Purdue
in early Big Ten calculations.
The Buckeye stock collapsed like a
punctured balloon when Indiana came
over to Columbus and held the domestic
prides to a tie. That setback then was
momentarily forgotten in the enthu-
siasn over the annual big game with
Michigan. 1t was recognized that In
diana had one of its best teams in a
generation and argued that Ohio took
the Hoosiers too lightly while looking
forward to Michigan.
Willamans teams had won two out
of three games from the Wolverines
and it was confidently believed Ohio
would find itself and defeat Michigan
again to make amends for the Indiana
tie.
OHIO STATE followers are willing
~ to call any season virtual success
if Michigan is beaten. Michigan
is Ohio States oldest and most beloved
Big Ten rival, which makes the victory
more to be desired. So when Michigan
scored a smashing victory Ohio's sea-
son was ruined and the blundering, in
efficient offense of the Buckeyes let
loose the wrath against Willaman.
1t has been II seasons since Ohio
State won its last Big Ten champion
ship. A tremdous drought after three
championships and two runner-up teams
in five years, 1916-1921. Jack Wilce,
who built the early Buckeye champions.
was, the storm center from 1924 until
his resignation at the end of the 1928
season, but the tall doctor was some
what of an institution at Ohio and had
many stanch supporters during his
stormiest years.
With Willaman it has been some
what different. His appointment as
successor to Wilce never received full
approval of many Ohio State alumni.
His material has been rather uniformly
good and this season was excellent.
Yet, he never has been able to develop
q winner. Willaman went to the
Warner double wing-back style of play
in his second season as Ohio's head
coach, but never has been able to make
that oftense produce expected results.
TN extenuation of Willaman. it must
i be said that not always did his ma
terial prove to be pure wool. 1t
IS becoming traditional in the Big Ten
that at no school does material promise
more and produce less than at Ohio
State. Not all of that can be blamed
on the coaching staff. This season, how
ever, much of the onus for Ohios
failure does seem attributable to the
coaches-or so many Buckeye alumni
believe.
One very tangible factor in Ohio's
failure is the slump Of Carl Cramer. As
sophomore, Cramers play at quarter
back was brilliant, he was a powerful
punter and good runner and passer.
All-America honors we're predicted for
him by his more enthusiastic admirers.
For no apparent reason, Cramer is per
forming poorly this season; his handling
of the team has been dull; his punt
ing erratic and no longer is he the
demon on returning kicks.
If Ohio State rallies and wins the
remaining games on its schedule the
Willaman cabinet may survive, but it
will demand a tremendous improvement
fer the team to conquer Pittsburgh,
Northwestern, Wisconsin and Pennsyl-
Nania.