SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 1950 THE MICHIGAN DAILY r lion McEwen Sets New U.. Cross Gountry Mark IOLVERINES by BOB SANDELL Associate Sports Editor THOSE INDESCRIBABLE and unpredictable quirks of football called psychological factors are again popping up in the Big Ten scramble for the Rose Bowl bid and conference title. This time they could very well send the Wolverines to Pasadena or just as well close the door on the worst campaign since 1937. The key to the whole affair lies in the dramatic clash this afternoon at Champaign, Illinois. The high-flying Buckeyes of Ohio State smack head on with Ray Eliot's defensive minded Illini, and the setting is a natural one for one of the top contests of the 1950 season. You might say that the game is a "must" for both schools. Illinois has to win or tie to stay in contention for the New Year's Day classic and the boys from Columbus have to have it for an undisputed - claim to the Western Conference pigskin crown. Both go into the traditional battle with identical 6-1 records and something has got to give. But just where do the Wolverines fit into the picture? They hope to come into the act the following week in the Ohio Stadium. They're hoping (accent on hope) to catch the Buck- eyes on some sort of a letdown and possibly pull what would be classed as a major upset. This upset could send the Maize and Blue out to the West Coast on January first and salvage quite a bit of lost prestige. We'll hastily add that the latter is naturally contingent on the Wolverines,, getting by the invading Wildcats this afternoon. But presumably the Wolverines will not build themselves up to as high a mental pitch this week as the Buckeyes might. * * * * THIS MIGHT all sound like a wild pipedream to figure out some way to get Bennie Oosterbaan's crew out to the Rose Bowl, but nobody can deny that the psychological angle is an important one.1 It has figured quite prominently in every football season and that includes this one. It has possibly come into play in two ways this fall as far as the Wolverines are concerned. Besides the inevitable letdown after a big game, injuries have had their effect on the team's1 outlook and confidence. Certainly the Wolverines had their big buildup this year. It was against Army. Oosterbaan didn't try to fire up the boys for the Yankee Stadium clash, but there was little he could do. Any player on the squad will tell you that they were as hepped-up for that one as any game since last year's Minnesota contest. It's true they didn't let down the following week against Wisconsin. But it's the opinion of some that against Minnesota the Wolverines could not overcome the disastrous effects of injuries to key players that otherwise would not have affected their play on an ordinary Saturday. What we're saying is that they mayc have suffered a mental let-down two weeks later that could not cope with other misfortunes. This bit of analytical hodge-podge is by no means to be con- strued as any sort of an alibi for the Wolverine season which is by any standard below the usual par for Michigan teams. But it is1 meant to point out that you have to occasionally; look behind the scenes to find out what makes a team tick and not take them on face value on Saturday afternoon.1 If anyone thinks Michigan -hasn't had more than its share of1 'njuries this year, he can ask Jim Hunt, the trainer. He claims thatc he and his associates used as much tape for the first six games thisr fall as they did for the entire nine games last year. s . * *e THE WOLVERINES are apparently over the hill as far as injury troubles are concerned. But three weeks ago the fact that Ort- mann was hobbling, Koceski was out, several key linemen were limp-E ing, and right halfbacks were falling like tenpins, was more thant enough to shake the confidence of a quarterback and the team back him. It may seem that we have left the track In connection with the coming Buckeye-Illini set-to this afternoon. The tie-in -is l something like this. The Buckeyes might be in for a bruising and rugged battle at Champaign and could receive a physical beating against the rugged Illini linemen than they haven't had this year. It could even the odds considerably the following week. There is a catch. And that's the perennial feeling there is against any blue uniformed grid team that appears in the Ohio capital. Those fans like to beat Michigan and there is little doubtC that the team will keep something in reserve for Oosterbaan'sc warriors.f Lest anyone still have doubts about what part the psychological factor plays in the playing of a football schedule or of any sport fora that matter, he can ask "Biggie" Munn, the Michigan State mentor.a The signs in the Spartan lockerroom read something like this:F "Remember Maryland, don't let it happen again." LONGLIVE THE KINGS: All Undefeated Major Elevens StrongFavorites to Triumph Cagers Drill For Opener With Miami The opening of the Wolverine cage season just two short weeks from tonight has Coach Ernie Mc- Coy hustling his squad into pre- paration for a tough, competitive schedule. Now that Michigan State's Spar- tans are a full fledged member of the Big Ten insofar as basketball is concerned, the normal Confer- ence schedule has jumped from the usual 12 games to 14 tilts this year. * * IN ADDITION to the hardwood opener December 2 against Miami University (Ohio), the Maize and Blue fivewill take on seven other squads this season besides the regular Conference competition. Thus Michigan is slated for . 18 basketbal contests in the com- ing months. McCoy, starting his third year as chief cage mentor, makes no bones about the fact that the lack of height and experience prevalent in Michigan's current aggregation will find the Wolverines in for a tight race to keep their heads above water. CAPTAIN CHUCK MURRAY heads the list of only four re- turning- lettermen from last year's squad. Center Leo VanderKuy (who was recently in the hospital for two weeks), guard Jim Skala and forward Bob Olson round out the foursome. Additional experienced talent is also found in Frank Gutowski and Tommy Tierman. Although Gutowski and Tierman did not receive varsity letters last year, they boost McCoy's small ex- perienced nucleus to six men- hardly enough manpower from which to build a pre-season first-rate ball club. Regarding Michigan's heavy conference competition this sea- son, Coach McCoy puts heavy em- phasis at this time on the clubs of Minnesota, Illinois and Iowa as being the teams to beat. The loss of Michigan's stellar performers in 6'2" Mack Supruno- wicz, 6'4" Don McIntosh and 6'" Hal "Lefty" Morrill leaves the height problem right in McCoy's lap and without adequate control of the backboards, the Wolverines may be in for a long winter. * . *4 THE MANPOWER situation is not all black for the Maize and Blue, however. Forced with prob- ably having to use two or possibly even three inexperienced men on the first five, McCoy feels that no one's job is on ice since there are several players showing.rapid pro- gress in gaining varsity stature. Up from last year's Frosh team and showing great promise are Lysle Smith, Mark Scar, Harry Lauder, David Krupp, Russell Smith, Paul Geyer, Don Johnson, Carl Brunsting and Bill Wisner. McCoy declined to mention spe- cific names but hinted that a few of the above mentioned are de- finitely slated for key roles. The rest of the Varsity candi- dates trying out for regular berths are Joe Auer, Bob Steinberg and Bob Littlesome.1 The complete Michigan basket- ball schedule for the year is as follows: Wisconsin Wins Meet Title As 'M' Takes Fourth Place MICHIGAN'S MIGHTY DON McEWEN * * * * Special to The Daily CHICAGO - Michigan's mighty Don McEwen, running with the en- durance that led him to nation wide fame in one short year, won his second straight Big Ten Cross- Country title yesterday, setting a new record time of 19:34.1 for a four mile course. Last year's team champion, Wis- consin, was an upset repeat win- ner, edging out favored Michigan State, who was making its first official appearance in Big Ten competition. MICHIGAN'S harriers, who were just given varsity status by the Michigan Board in Control of Ath- letics, ended up fourth in their first team venture in cross country in twenty years. McEwen won with a margin of 200 yards over Bob Rodibaugh of Purdue. His time was much bet- ter than his record shattering 19.44.5 run in beating the heralded Don Gerhmann in last year's conference championship, but it must be modified slightly, as the course was slightly make- shift due to a washed out foot bridge. As to the question about the of- ficiality of McEwen's record, Coach Canham said, "I disagree with some sources that Don's time was not a record because the course was revamped. The Big Ten has never used the same course for every Championship meet, and McEwen's time is definitely a new four mile conference record as the course was measured yesterday morning. It just isn't a Washing- ton Park record." , MORE SIGNIFICANT, however, is the fact that this timing was the fastest ever recorded in the United States for a four mile cross- country course, throwing McEwen even more so into national promi- nence. Michigan State's hones for a title in their first official Big Ten competition went by the waysides as their highly regard- ed Warren Dreutzler, supposed to give McEwen his main competi- tion in defending his crown, came in fourth. Walt Deinke was a surprise third in leading his Wisconsin mates, to the unexpected victory. The Bad- ger winning combination included third, ninth, eleventh, thirteenth, and twentieth places. McEWEN, in winning by 200 yards, started out slowly, and was fourth at the end of the first mile. He took a never relinquished lead at 12/ miles, stretched it to 10 yards at two miles, and had the margin built up to 100 yards at the end of three miles. His endurance paid off, as he stretched the lead another 100 yards in the last mile, finishing way ahead of the closely group- ed Rodibaugh and Deinke. Dreu- tzler was another 100 yards be- hind them. Two Maize and Blue sophomores, Bob Guise and DeLance Hyde were the next placing for Michigan, coming in sixteenth and seven- teenth, respectively. BILL HICKMAN in twenty-sixth place and Aaron Gordon in thirty- fourth place completed Michigan's scoring. Team points total were Wis- consin 56; MSC 61; Indiana 70; MICHIGAN 94; Purdue 122; Il- linois 137; OSU 142. Iowa had only two men entered, and Min- nesota and Northwestern were not represented. Rounding out the top ten indi- vidual leaders were Len Truex, OSU; George Lynch, Illinois; Bob Dillinger, Indiana; Jim Kepford, MSC; Dick Randolph, Wisconsin; and George Branam, Indiana. According to Coach Don Can- ham this will be the last of harrier competition for this year, as cross country is primarily used for track conditioning. He said Michigan would definitely not enter anyone in National Collegiates, as the .,,a- son would stretch out too long if they did. OSU-Illinois Billed Big T~en Game of Year CHAMPAIGN - (P) -- Big Ten football's Game of the Year here today pits formidable Ohio State, against a hard-punching Illinois team swinging for the Rose Bowl. A capacity crowd of 71,119 is expected in Memorial Stadium for the game. THE BUCKEYES from Colum- bus have been virtually, conceded the Big Ten Title. They lead the Conference with a 5-0 record and were voted best in the country in this week's Associated Press poll. However, they're ineligible for the Pasadena splurge because of a tri- umphant rose safari last JIan. 2. If they lose, Wisconsin prob- ably would be the choice. The Badgers have only one conference game left-against underdog Min- nesota next week. Wisconsin has lost two Big Ten games so far but play one more than the Illini. t. By The Associated Press NEW YORK-Although the bat- tle of the Midwestern titans-Ohio State and Illinois-will steal the spotlight from the activities of the other members of the first ten, there are still some reputable games being played across the nation today. Of these, Army's Black Knights attract the greatest interest with one of their rare excursions to the Pacific Coast. The West Pointers, unbeaten in 27 games, will play twice-beaten and once- tied Stanford at Palo Alto, Calif., on a field heavily soaked by con- tinuing rains. THEY ARE ranked third at the moment, behind Oklahoma, hav- ing plummeted from the top after a 51-0 "under wraps" conquest of little New Mexico. Earl Blaik's hard-hitting ath- letes rule 20-point favorites over the Indians. The other unblem- ished powers-Oklahoma, Ken- tucky, California and Princeton -also are two to three touch- down choices. Wyoming and Loyola of Los Angeles, who round out the seven- team unbeaten and untied list, are idle. OKLAHOMA will attempt to make Missouri No. 29 in its string of victories, already a modern day record. California's fourth-ranked Bears will tackle San Francisco before closing out the season Nov. 25 with Stanford, a game that is expected to plant Pappy Waldorf's boys in the Rose Bowl for the third straight year. Kentucky, eyeing a major bowl assignment, takes it easy with North Dakota while looking ahead to the finale with rugged Tennes- see. Princeton, pride of the East, will try to put another nail in the Ivy League Championship against improved Yale at New " Haven, Conn. Texas, fifth-ranked, is rated two touchdowns over Texas Christian at Fort Worth. DECEMBER 2 Miami (Ohio) 6 Toledo 12 Marquette 16 Butler 18 North Carolina State 22 Stanford 27 Pennsylvania JANUARY 2 Purdue 6 Wisconsin 8 Northwestern 13 Illinois 15 Minnesota 20 Michigan State FEBRUARY 3 Western Reserve 10 Northwestern 12 Minnesota 17 Michigan State 19 Ohio State 24 Iowa 26 Wisconsin MAR CHI Here There Here There There Here There There Here Here There There Here Here There here There Here There There i t t L 'E '',T 'il ' ION I i L 3 Indiana Here 5 Iowa Here BANK BY MIL you save time and en- ergy when you Bank by Miai. There is no wait- ing, no delay. Just walk to the nearest mail box at your own conven- ience, and do the easy, MILLER'S DAILY' FEATURE