Evening star., 1951-10-25
Vols, Spartans
'0n|yTopChoices
To Measure Up
Georgia Tech, Illinois
And Princeton Amonq
Surprises of Season
By the Assoeiofed Press

NEW YORK, Oct. 25.-With the
halfway point in the college foot
ball season reached and time for
stock-taking at hand, Ohio State
probably is the biggest disap-
pointment Of the campaign to
date.
Tabled as the No. 3 team in the
country in September, the Buck
eyes were supposed to win the
Big Ten title without too much
trouble. Now they are far down
the list, having lost three of their
four games.
On the other hand sports
writer's and editors who voted in
the Associated Press preseason
poll thought Tennessee and Mich
igan State would finish the cam
palgn as the first and second
teams in he country.
1t took half the season, but the
two powers found their level.
That's how they stand now, and
both seem to have a good chance
OF finishing that way.
Other Favorites Flop.
The Vols still play Tennessee
Tech. North Carolina. Washington
and Lee. Mississippi, Kentucky and
Vanderbilt - not a particularly
strong array. The Spartans face
Pitt, Notre Dame, Indiana and
Colorado in their final four games.
Actually. they're the only two
teams that have come up COM
pletely to preseason expectations.
All the other preseason favorites
have been bounced at least once
and some have fallen almost out
of sight.
According to the September
dope. Kentucky was to give Ten
nessee a stern fight for South
eastern Conference honors and
Alabama was rated high up in the
league, too Washington was the
power of the West Coast outside
of California. and if the Golden
Bears stumbled just once. the
Huskies would grab the Pacific
Coast Conference title and a Rose
Bowl spot:
Where are they now? Kentucky
is hobbling along in eighth place
in the Southeastern loop, just
keeping its head above water,
while Alabama is last with three
league defeats and no triumphs.
1t has managed to win one game
outside conference competition.
Washington Stumbles.
California stumbled, all right.
but Washington wasn't there. 1t
was Southern California, which
could go right into the Rose Bowl.
Oklahoma. the national cham
pion last year, was pegged at No. 4
this time. but the Sooners have
played just 500 football with two
victories in four games. Colorado
is leading the Big Seven. a league
which doesn't have an undefeated
team.
Texas and Texas AIM also were
voted in the first 10 before the
season opened. They both have
been beaten once. and Texas is
No. 10 in this weeks AP poll. But
their one defeat each has been in
the Southwest Conference, which
means they'll have to go fast from
here in to overtake undefeated
Baylor.
The four surprise teams of the
country have been Georgia Tech.
Northwestern, Illinois and Prince
ton. The Engineers, unnoticed be-
fore hostilities began, are riding
high in first place in the South
eastern Conference with four
triumphs and no defeats. They've
also won one outside the league
and might give Tennesse fight
Tor the loop championship.
Princeton Still Winning.
Illinois and Northwestern were
written off as also rams in the
Big Ten, with Ohio State and per-
haps Michigan the powers in fore
casts. Defending champion Michi-
gan leads the loop with two VIC
tories, but has lost two in out
side play. Both the Illini and
Northwestern are undefeated in
four games, and each has won
once in the league.
Princeton, which had virtually
its entire first offensive team
wiped out, was another potential
has-been after being ranked sixth
at the end of last year. But the
Tigers have been rolling right
along and own the longest win
ming streak of major college
teams, II games. If they get past
Cornell this week, they'll be shoo-
ms for their second straight Ivy