Evening star., 1940-10-08
Hagery Willing Pit His Georgetown Eleven Against Any Country
The
SPORTLIGHT
Wealth of Fine Teams
Makes Going Tough
Bv GRANTLAND RICE,


Two weeks of action of the major
football fronts indicate that this is
going to be a very tough season on
practically everybody concerned.
Some teams, highly regarded in the
forecasts, already have fallen. 9th
ers, having hit an early peak, must
hold it-or try to hold it-against
rugged assaults through the next
seven weeks.
In the Midwest, Minnesota, Michi-
gan, Ohio State and Northwestern,
and Notre Dame stand out-but are
looking ahead for trouble spots now,
Minnesota's defeat of Nebraska last
Saturday was sign that the Goph-
ers are strong again, for Nebraska
rightly is rated as one Of the best
teams in the country.
Michigan. with Tommy Harmon,
out in front. is off to great start.
Ohio State beating Pitt and Pordue,
is rolling-and YET had an uneXpect-
edly hard time subduing Purdue.
Harvard Held No Match
For Michigan Power.
Minnesota doesn't play this week
end. Michigan shouldn't have much
trouble with Harvard, for the Grim
son seldom clicks this early In the
season. But Ohio State draws
Northwestern. and the way North
western sloughed Syracuse last Sat
urday was a tipoff that Lynn Wal
dorf has something at Evanston this
year since Syracuse Is way beyond
the pushover division. Notre Dame,
with only one game behind it, takes
on a terrific assignment against
Georgia Tech in one of the weeks
most attractive games.
Cornell. rolling over Colgate,
again showed the stuff that made
1t the best team IN the East last
year and figures to top Army and
Syracuse. Ohio State will be at
Ithaca and Snavelv's young men
will be under heavy fire Boston
College, unbeaten last year and with
victories over Center and Tulane
already chalked up, moves toward
the Temple game on Saturday. The
main test that Boston College faces
the way 1t looks from here-will
be the Georgetown game. George
town was overlooked last year, yet
it was unbeaten and was tied only
by Syracuse, and this year comes
swinging back with a world of
power, as it proved against Temple
In the South, Tennessee, with its
two-touchdown defeat of Duke, has
taken the lead in Dixie-but it will
have to get by Alabama. That may
prove a hazardous journey. Ala
bama hasn't yet had to turn on the
heat, but, along with Georgia Tech
which Tennessee doesn't play-it
menaces the Vols drive for the top
spot in the South.
Southwest Toughest Loop,
Stronger Than Last Year.
The Southwest is stronger than
It was year ago. This Is the
toughest football league in the
country in the sense that all the
teams are so strong and well
matched. Texas A. and M. rated
by many as the Nations best team.
will have trouble moving through
to another unbeaten season, al
though it slammed over Tulsa. Al to
by way of showing that it hasn't
wasted any time hitting its stride.
The wierdest situation We have
belongs to the Pacific Coast. Along
this far Western border the tangle
Is terrific. Washington already has
been beaten. So have California
and U. c.. L. A. Southern California
has been tied twice oregon and
Washington State both have been
tied. If you can locate Rose Bowl
party from this scrambled start you
are 100 per cent magician. For the
worst is yet to come. So far, the
West Coast has taken quite lam
basting in an intersectional way.
The outsiders have furnished all the
trouble.
Duke and Tulane were rated
among the tops in Dixie. Both have
been beaten decisively-Tulane
twice.
Outside of Alabama, you can
figure that neither Vanderbilt nor
Kentucky will be easy marks. Van
derbilts showing against a strong
Princeton team was among Satur-
days features. And you can slip
few sprigs of wild laurel to Virginia
for beating a good Yale team.