The Waterbury Democrat., 1940-12-20

| m the Omteu fFeSS year-en
 review of sports.
 BY JACK GUENTHER
 United Press Staff Correspondent New York, Dec. 20-UP)-A mar ked shift of strength to the middle west, after two years of southern rule, and the return of Minnesota to the mythical national champ ionship gave teams and individual' of the western conference almost complete domination of college foot ball in 1940.
 The sectional swing, sudden but definite, balanced the remark able rebound of Stanford i1 the far west and t husperuge of indepen- dents in the east. Four midland teams were ranked by the United Press among the 10 best in the na- ton and four midland players were named All-America.
 Michigan Second
 The United Press placed Minne- sota at the head of the, parade with Michigan a close second and Stanford, Tennessee, Boston College Texas A. & M, Nebraska, Mississip- pi State, Fordham and Northwest ern following in order. Washington Georgetown, Pennsylvania, ano Cornell barely missed.
 Minnesota's Gophers obviously were the strongest. They played through perfect season, winning the big 10 title and defeating Ne braska and Washington in inter- sectional games. Michigan, loser bJ only a point to the Gophers, crush ed Penn, Harvard and California and produced the standout indi. vidual performer in the great Ton Harmon. Northwestern, although twice beaten was unquestionably strong. | Stanford, in climbing from tht cellar to the peak on the Pacifit coast, contributed a great come. back and gave Clark Shaughnessy first claim to the title of coach O. the year. Tennessee stretched it victory string in regular games tc 32 straight and Boston whipped Il foes with tremendous power.
 The season by sections:
 The EaSt-BoSton college was tht und1sputed leader, celebrating a sec ond season under Frank Leah, without defeat or tie and receiviny the Sugar Bowl bid. Fordham' Rams, their hopes for perfec year broken by a SS. Mary,s fielt goal, were invited to the Cotto1 Bowl. A third Catholic independent Georgetown, had a three-yea streak snapped by a.point but sal vaged bid to the Orange Bowl ant gave the east dominant represen tation in bowl contests.
 Notable teams at Penn and Cor . nell prevented a collapse in the Iv league. Yale and Harvard fell apar Prlnceton and Dartmouth were be low average, and Columbia, whil } strong, lacked scoring punch. Dart . mouth cut the long Cornell strea In the famed fifth down" gam and Penn won the unofficial cham p1onshlp a week later by finishin, off the Ithacans, 22-2O. Army turn ed out it's worst team of all tim while Navy achieved a fairly sue cessful comeback. Lafayette, un feated and united, was the best O the minor leaguers.
 Mississippi Third
 The South-Tennesse swept t the southeastern conference til without setback and topped its sec ton. Mississippi State, with tn best team in it's history, had rec ord marred only by a tie and wa second with Mississippi a stron, third. Tennessee drew the Suga Bowl bid-The Vols third success sive invitation to a post-season con test-while Mississippi State accept ed the offer of the Irange Bow For the first time in years Alabam was not a, factor. Clemson won tn southern conference pennant for tn first time in history while Duk placed second. Both were defeate, outside their league.
 1 The Middle West-Minnesota wa the powerhouse and took the big Il crown by virtue of two one-poin triumphs. Michigan came up wit Harmon, one of the foremost back of all time. Harmon broke Re Oranges conference scoring recor with B touchdowns and 45 conver Sions. The biggest surprise in thi conference was the disintegration c Ohio States Buckeyes, who had on of their worst teams of all time. In the Big Six Nebraska broke tn reign of Oklahoma and took the ti tie and the Rose Bowl bid withou a conference defeat. The Corn huskrs lost to Minnesota by touch down, but whipped Pitt, Iowa an Indiana. Oklahoma was secon with one conference defeat an ] Missouri was third. Tulsa won ou } in the Missouri Valley race withou defeat in it's own circuit and Oklaho ma A. & M. was second. The bi disappointment in the midwest wa Notre Dame. The Irish scored points in winning their first fou games, then counted only 30 in tn last five while being blanked by To wa and Northwestern.
 The most pertinent legislative de velopment in this section was re jection by the Big Ten Athleti boards of a pact proposed by tn . Pacific Coast loop with the west ern title winner in the Rose Bow making the New Years game closed corporation. Minnesota head ed the opposition and rallied enougl votes to kill the proposal at the con ference meeting.
 Last Game Jinx
 The Southwest-The jinx tha } champions never repeat was born out again when Texas A. & M. fin ally was beaten in the Aggies' fins game of the season. After rollin undefeated through 1889 and tn first eipht oames nf 1940 they how