Evening star., 1942-12-26
Bowl TiIts Find
$50 Gridders
In Training
All of These Games
Seem Sure to Offer
Thrilling Combots
BY GRANTLAND RICE,

opcCidl SuIltopOilucHt VI iHc othis
NEW YORK, Dec. 2s (NANA).-
The toughness of sports fiber In this
country is being shown today.
For just year ago at this spot
on the calendar all sport was on the
doomed list.
The Rose Bowl game in Pasa-
dena had been shifted to Duke.
Santa Anita's purse offering OF
81, 100000 had been called off.
There certainly would be no bowl
games year ahead.
In the meanwhile, Army and
Navy and all other war forces have
put a record fighting force into the
air. along sea and land, and under
the sea.
And today more than $50 foot
ball players still are in hard train
ing for five bowl games and three
charity games at Pasadena, New
Orleans, Dallas, Miami, San Fran
cisco, Philadelphia, Montgomery and
Ell Paso.
I was in Los Angeles at this time
last wear and moved to New Or
leans to see what might be the last
Of the so-called major spectacles.
But at the finish of a fading year
and the dawn of a new year, football
still rides the skyline on a par With
any season it ever has known.
Public Gives the Answer.
Whether this is right-or whether
1t is wrong-I wouldn't know. But
it carries the support of the War
Department and millions OF people
which Is the only answer. Prac-
tically 100 per cent of the players
are on their way to war service.
From a few Army canteens ana
from many Army camps we have
been asked to name the pick OF the
bowl games, including the winners.
Within the next few days we will
be able to give you the opinions OF
all the coaches involved.
Naturally, knowing football coach
es, you will find most OF these re-
ports on the pessimistic side.
Football coaches don't like the
idea of limb climbing. Each coach
is trying to convince his squad that
only desperate effort can provide a
winning chance.
Psychology, badly underrated,
plays a big part in these post-sea-
son contests-just as it did in Au-
burn against Georgia, Holy Cross
against Boston and the Redskins
against the Bears.
Psychology Favors Underdog.
Football psychology nearly always
favors the underdog. 1t favors U.
C. L. A. over Georgia-it favors
Texas over Georgia Tech.
There is no particular psychology
involved in Tennessee against Tulsa
or Boston College against Ala
bama.
Georgia is supposed to mop up
U. C. L. A., which can happen but
may be tougher job than many
think. Wally Butts knows this.
Georgia undoubtedly is the better
all-around football team.
Georgia Tech had its heart set
on an unbeaten season and the
Rose Bowl invasion. Georgia went
over the hill after the Alabama
game. But Georgia Tech still has
one of the seasons finest records.
It will take a Georgia Tech team
at it's best to beat rugged Texas
outfit. Texas has the psychological
edge.
The hardest fought game Of the
four major bowl contests should
be between Boston College and AL
ALBANIA.
Boston College, ranked on top
for brief spell. has more than
a minor job on hand to square its
Holy Cross flop.
And it has a big, hard hitting
team to beat in Alabama, a better
team than the scoreboard shows.
Vols Have Big Target.
I'd say the psychological edge here
belongs to Boston College, but only
in minor way, for Alabama has
less to prove.
Tulsa loses her psychological mar
gin in being the only unbeaten
team of the year In bigtime play.
Tennessee has been tied and beaten.
Tennessee has the shining target
in New Orleans-the shot at the
only unbeaten, united outfit. Against
this Tulsa will be the underdog,
team that has to prove that it
didn't march into any bowl through
soft schedule.
You can count on Tulsa to give
everything 1t happens to have in
stock against better looking team
on copy paper. These are all in
teresting angles. In the next few
days I'll give you the opinions from
Frank Thomas. Denny Myers, Wally
Butts, Babe Horrell Henry Frnka.
Bobby Dodd, Dana Bible and John
Barnhill, who handle eight of the
major bowl teams.
They all have certain slants to
offer that are worth looking over.