THE MICHIGAN DAILY Thursday, August 29, 1969 TH_.H G N A L h rs a , A g st 2 , 1 6 Depth problem hurts Michigan in struggle for Big Ten crown apoplexyI, doug heller (Continued from Page 1) wasn't injured through the course of 1967, might lose his job to sophomore phenomenon Rex Kern. And Woody Hayes has to decide who will start at fullback between Paul Huff and Jim Otis, and also the starter at center as he has John Muhlbach and Jim Roman. Meanwhile, -almost the entire defense is backso Hayes has been able to concentrate on building; even more depth than he already has. Minnesota also has most of its entire team back. People like Bob Stein, Del Jesen and .Dennis Hale plus four other defensive starters should be sufficient to keep the opposition down, while the Goph- ers amazingly have nine offensive regulars returning from last sea- son's ponderous machine. They did lose their starting{ qatHerbacks CurtiWilson-eymio These stalwart characters comprise the WONDERFUL, AMAZING, NON-PAREIL, COLOSSAL Cot- tage Inn Slow Pitch Softball Team. They just concluded their full-blown fantastic season by beating out 18 other teams in their local league and going to the district championships. There they finished secoid to Jackson. Coach of the team is Terry Darling, far left, and chief guru and spiritual ad- viser is Magic Sam the Manager Man, center. Sam attributes the team's success to "good boys, good coaching, and good pizza." First in Pizza-First in Delivery COTTAGE INN 512 E. Williams Nearly 20 years of experience serving U. of M. & Ann Arbor LEROY KEYES CHICO KURZAWSKI 5: hat's ,as ee sthe Hoosiers' comparatively minor that's not as bad as it seems. losses like fullback Terry Cole. The r Coach Murray Warmath went problem is that many people still b a rthog th eniesao wth can't believe how Indiana won the out a satisfactory signal caller and first tie hs Itden o shrt still managed to tie for the title. pschomo. have then1s oson .This season his professiona psyed oSo gy ehain their9minBs. Newly appointed Michigan benchwarmers, Phil Hagen and Red Sox fresh in their minds. athletic trainer Lindsy McLean Ray Stepens are joined by- sopho- Indiana played like Michigan in critical need for mores Walter Bowser and Greg reverse. The Hoosiers came from reports a tus-Mitchell. behind by doing the wrong thing dent trainers and managers for If Minnesota ever does get an at the wrong time and making it this year's varsity and freshmen adequate quarterback, they really somehow work out all right. football squads. Anyone inter- could cause trouble. After the top four schools, the ested is urged to go to the REAL PROOF Big Ten this year will present the REAL ROOF"little six." Heading this group training room at Yost Field- Indiana's Gonso - Isenbarger - (which might be compared to the house as soon as possible. Butcher aggregation is back for Ivy League) is none other than its junior year and Coach John Michigan. From the talent angle Pont and friends will have to the familiar stars look as good as u.... prove they are for real all over anyone else's, but behind them is again. It's not so much because of nothing at all., All-time recorn against 1968 foes Won by Won by Tied Mich. Opp, Mich. ' Opp. Pts. Pts. DUKE 3 0 0 69 27 MICHIGAN STATE 36 19 ' 5 1177 555 CALIFORNIA 4 1 0 91 30 NAVY 4 5 1 198 133 INDIANA 20 8 0 676 220 MINNESOTA 34 21 3 823 608 Y. - NEE Lv SU PE R $ 5 "WH ITE" v LEVI'S 5 COLORS HOPSACK S-T-R-E-T-(-H a 55 BUTTON $529 FLY GUARANTEED TO SH RINK-WRINKLE-FAD PRE-SH RU NK DUNGAREE $579 urTA-PREST WHITE $A98 LEVI'S LAMB'S WOOL V-NECK and CREW SH4 S$495$ i ; . If LEV'SfllflI49 This total lack of depth will be felt with the season's first injury and with it any serious dreams of Wolverine success go out the window. Michigan State is in even a worse situation than Michigan, in that while the Spartans have no depth also, they are plagued by a shortage of starters. Such is the problem that Duffy Daugherty has been trying out his star ends, like Al Brenner, for possible double duty at defensive back. Quarterback Bill Feraco will have to show he can move the team behind a not-so-great offen- sive line while a fair defense should be able to prevent any slaughters. Illinois has their star quarter- back, Bob Naponic, back after missing nearly all of 1967 because of injury. Fullback Rich Johnson and halfback Dave Jackson are also returning but the team has many unproven linemen. PODOLAK IS IOWA Ed Podolak, the quarterback, is really the only player worth men- tioning for Coach Ray Nagel's Iowa Hawkeyes. Podolak has been a distinguished running and pass- ing threat when he wasn't lying on his back during the past two years. Iowa claims to have some fine sophomores. If any of them are any good at all, Nagel will make them starters immediately. Northwestern has several good players including halfbacks Chico Kurzawski and Bob Olson. How- ever, the Wildcats play what could be the toughest schedule of all time. They may recover by 1970. Wisconsin's Badgers have their great linebacker Ken Criter and a "MICHIGAN" season There's an old myth that the Michigan football tradition means an undefeated season and a crushing Rose Bowl triumph nearly every year. Well-surprise, surprise, blecchh. All that stuff about 1902 or 1924 or 1947 is ancient history, not' tradition. Tradition is supposed to be something that is contiguous with the present. What really is contiguous with Michigan's football present began in the early 1950's and can be summed up in one word: mediocrity. Mediocrity is caused by the "middle-of-the-packism" phi- losophy of existence. Every year a team is picked for the middle of the pack, then goes along and wins a few, loses a few, wins a couple of well-played games, loses a few it should have won and absolutely never upsets anybody. Hence we consider the 1964 championship for what it really was-a glaring exception to tie rule. In fact, in rereading accounts of that season we find a team that was totally amazed at its own success, but found it pleasant and decided to keep going at the same pace. f Still, many teams hold to the "middle-of-the-packism" philosophy. What we are looking for is that vital element which makes Michigan football uniquely mediocre. And really, it's not too hard to find. MICHIGANSTATEPHOBIA, that dread disease, has taken hold of the Michigan football effort in epi- demic proportions, and has proven itself almost unbeatable. The affliction is a medical rarity. For years and years the Wolverines nabitually destroyed this team from "down north," But this awful little squad began to grow in ferocity, until one day the Wolverines turned around and were bombarded. Figuring it a fluke, Michigan continued this annual habitual 'confrontation, but the bombings got worse. Now, the sickness affects the entire schedule. A sample Michigan season follows. Read it and weep, for the same thing (more or less) happens every year. GAME 1: Michigan begins the year on a happy note. Showing a great desire to play football, the team shakes off all early season mistakes for a victory. A fast start for the Wolverines is a tradition. California is the victim. GAME 2: Against Duke the offense falls apart. Coming off the first week's euphoria, the team puts in a dismally erratic showing. This is a very close game against a horrible team, decided in the last seconds as the Wolverines lethargically try to stave off a final Blue Devil push. A true toss up, while Michigan State awaits over the horizon. GAME 3 MSU is a week away, and the coaching staff cautions the squad not to worry about State so much, as Navy has a respec- table aggregation. Unfortunately, the constant admonishing not to worry about State backfires totally, and Michigan gets pre-MSU game jitters a week in advance. Against Navy the defense is use- less, and the offense would be too, except some star (probably Ron Johnson or Dennis Brown, this year), keeps the Wolverines in the game all the way. However, Michigan always loses the last game before Michigan State, and this year is no exception. GAME 4: With confidence totally destroyed by the previous week's loss, the Wolverines are in no condition to face the Spartans. Although MSU has a nine game losing streak going into the game, they manage to humiliate Michigan. The stands empty before the end of the first quarter, and most of the people have no intention of returning again this year, GAME 5: In a state of shock after the MSU fiasco, Michigan can't get up at all for Indiana, and loses in a long boring contest. Ann Arbor gets ready for the basketball season with homecoming a week away. GAME 6: The team is up for homecoming, and plays a sur- prisingly strong game against the favored Big Ten contender. How- ever, Minnesota is just too strong and after a hard fight, Michigan loses on a field goal with one second left after a Gopher fumble recovery. GAMES 7, 8, 9: "Gee, we're not so bad after all" say the Wol- verines collectively after Minnesota, and run up a three game winning string against weak Northwestern, Illinois and Wisconsin, to prevent a disasterous year. Confidence is restored at long last. DRE s <:< ':::$ E : f'£ { _'' :'i I ?f .;,E I : . tr: is ' :: ! j ;i;i;: 1 NORTHWESTERN ILLINOIS WISCONSIN OHIO STATE 27 11 35 22 18 7 2 808 0 767 1 625 4 1010 435 463 241 611 37 23 ---- STUDENTS a lot of guys named should it be Jo-Ann). Joe (or, WELCOMEr!! OPEN MON. thru SAT. 8:30 to 5:30 P.M. DASCOLA BARBERS Near Michio-n Theatre SPECIAL RATES FOR WEEKENDS 438 W. Huron 663-2033 GAME 10: Unfortunately, it was all a set-up. Ohio State goes into the final contest ready to draw blood from its chief rival, Mich- igan. And the Wolverines, who do not reciprocate in the rivalry, are merely confident after their recent modest successes. The result is an easy win for the Buckeyes. And the fans ask again, will next year be another rerun? w mmmmw Make WAHR'S your headquarters for all your textbook and college supplies SERVING U OF M STUDENTS SINCE 1883 ID°g )L (.P.O. 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