Evening star., 1952-10-17
Sooners, Kansas
due 10 Decide
Big Seven Title
OkIuhomuns Favored; !;
81 Season Has Fewer
Upsets Than in Past
BY the Associated Press

/ BY the Associated Press
NEW YORK, Oct. 17.-This
1852 college football season, which
has not even reached the halfway
point, has showed at least two
unusual tendencies:
/. There have been fewer upsets
than usual. 2. The defense has
become almost as important as
offense.
The teams that were thought to
have the power at the start of
the season generally have come
through. One of the biggest re-
versals of form to date was Pitts
triumph over Notre Dame last
week. But the Irish were not con-
sidered any great shakes.
Wisconsin was beaten by Ohio
State in another upset. but there
again the Buckeyes always we're
tough and anything is likely to
happen when a Big Ten title is
involved.
The others all were strictly
minor, a surprising situation in
these days of teams facing major
opponents without warmup games
or even without spring practice
Defense Licked Badgers.
AS for defense, since the two
platoon system went into effect
the kids who tried to hold the
enemy were the unsung heroes.
Most of them, in fact, weren't
even heroes. They were just un-
sung. Period.
But it was the defense that
licked Wisconsin for Ohio State
It was Penn's defense that held
off Princeton and enabled the
Quakers to snap the Tigers "a
game winning streak, and it is
the defensive platoon that's carry
ing Southern California, unbeaten
in four games.
There's no guarantee, of course
that those trends will continue
tomorrow. They're talking about
conference titles already and the
big Seven race should be decided
when two of the top-ranking
teams in the weekly Associated
Press poll tangle at Lawrence
Kans. Oklahoma, No. 6, meets
Kansas, No. 8. and to the winner
will go the spoils barring a big
upset later in the campaign.
Oklahoma. the defending cham
Ipion, probably will enter the game
a slight favorite, although Gil
Reich. the ex-Army star, will have
la lot to say on behalf of the
Jayhawks.
Spartans Meet Syracuse.
Michigan State, the No. / team
in the country. takes Oh once
beaten Syracuse. The Orange is
one of the better teams in the
East, but isn't given much chance
lagainst the Spartans. Syracuse
might make it close-lesser lights
in the football world have-but
when Biggie Munn's youngsters
get ready to roll. they should
make it 10 straight victories.
Maryland and California, which
have been waiting for Michigan
State to falter, tangle with oppo-
nents that are not calculated to
do any damage. The Terrapins
under a years probation by the
Southern Conference for playing
in the Sugar Bowl, face Navy, a
substantial. but untested, team
California, the class of the Pacific
Coast Conference with Johnny
Olszewski in the drivers seat
plays Santa Clara.
Georgia Tech, which would like
to get recognized as the top team
in the South, plays Auburn, which
should prove no problem. The big
game of the day in Dixie, however,
lpits surprising Alabama against
Tennessee at Knoxville and the
Vols will be a one-touchdown
underdog.
Duke, the likely winner of the
Southern Conference, plays North
Carolina State, while Southern
California and UCLA, a couple OF
pretenders to the Pacific Coast
title, meet, respectively. Oregon
State and Stanford.
Yale plays Cornell in the
NCAA's television game of the
week. It's also the top Ivy League
contest. Best game on the South
west Conference slate is Texas.
Arkansas with the Longhorns
favored, while in the Big Ten
Illinois should beat Minnesota in
the headliner.