Ohio State's Paul Sarringhaus returns an Illinois punt for 7 yards at Cleveland Stadium this afernoon---Acme Telephot.

2017 is the 75th anniversary of Ohio State's first national championship season. To honor the achievement, this series will post articles from the Columbus Citizen Journal on the day they ran in 1942.

 

Ohio State and Illinois collided in the Municipal Stadium today on a gridiron that was not snow-covered, thereby ruining several thousands of words about the Bucks and the Illini fighting it out until the end on a white-capped field.

The precise gridiron area was a spotty green, standing out in bold contrast to the snowy turf every place else. The field had been swept off earlier in the day after a tarpaulin had been removed and the only thing of importance uncovered was the Indians' pennant hope of 1940, discovered just in back of the goal posts at the pitchers box.

The gridiron had been ultra portable for the Notre Dame-Navy game two weeks ago was anchored a bit more securely this afternoon. There was some turf flying at the east end within two minutes after the Illinois squad had pranced forth into the cold.

The wind of yesterday which had been extraordinarily stiff had died away to a limp today, leaving only the competition and the customers in any condition resembling stiff. But the cold weather persisted and there were enough blankets in evidence to staff half the Marine detachments in the world. 

The Shaw High School band represented both teams because travel restrictions would not permit transportation of the universities' regular musical organizations from Columbus and Champaign. Oddly, several thousands of private characters managed to get here from Columbus and Champaign. These included 15 of Ohio State's 25 cheerleaders. One lone cheerleader charged for Illinois against this menage.

The uniforms of the teams were in bright contrast. The Bucks wore their solid red outfits while the Illini showed up in their dark blue shirts with orange numerals and light tan pants.

There was every prospect for a better spectator game than the Navy and the Irish were able to offer two weeks ago because the field seemed to be standing up under the cleats of the athletes pretty well after the opening plays. The sun was breaking through periodically and was cheered by that portion of the attending populace able to open frozen lips.

Most of the wagers in the press row and many in the stands were based on a comperative attendance of today's game and the Notre Dame-Navy clash. It looked like an even bet early in the first period.

It was a home-coming day for Les Horvath, Ohio State's wingback who went to Rhodes High School and who went through the Illini early today. Not considered one of the faster backs, Horvath managed to rip off a beautiful and futile punt return after five minutes of play, getting away from four tacklers before the kick was called back. But he had his inning when he sprinted 36 yards for touch-down, cutting back and running cleverly past three Illini secondary players and just managing to get to the final stripe ahead of two of them. It was a thrilling exhibition of football running.

The Illini fought back and marched 50 yards to the Ohio 30-yard strip but their attack clogged up there and before anyone knew how it happened, Tommy James outran everybody in the stadium, including the cheer-leaders, for 76 yards and a touchdown. At that point, Illini Coach Ray Eliot removed most of his first eleven and Brother James proved he didn't care whether Eliot put in his second or 12th teams. He promptly ran 32 yards for another touchdown just after the second quarter opened. Eliot then put his first stringers back in the game and the Paul Brown of Ohio took James.

There was much cheering when James trotted to the Ohio bench and there were rumors the Illini had joined in the ovation.

As the second quarter rolled along, most of the play was concentrated in an area around the 35-yard line at the east end of the field. The churning scooped up the turf and it seemed possible the final period's excavating might produce those bombs the war show lost here.

Referee Jim Masker, who officiated the Notre Dame-Navy game, stopped play midway of the second quarter and warned the teams about their rough tactics. They weren't fooling during some of the close play in the line.

Tony Buklovich, a back built as close to the ground as his name implies, became a candidate for tough luck player of the year when he broke through the Ohio line in the second period and outran everybody except one official. Tony was ahead of everybody and ran something like 70 yards down the northern side lines. He slowed up about the 5-yard stripe as he ran across some snow. The official ruled he stepped out on the 2-yard line in the snow. But on the next play, Bulkovich sprawled across the Ohio left guard for his coveted touchdown.

[...]

Just as the second half started reporters dashed to the press box from the Ohio State dressing room with information that Tommy James, who ran his team to two spectacular touchdowns in the first half, had suffered a shoulder separation in a vicious tackle by two Illini in the second period. 

When word spread among Columbus football fans in the Carter Hotel shortly before noon that Captain Eddie Rickenbacher had been rescued alive the ripple of joy which went through the crowd indicated the high regard Eddie's town folks feel for the American ace of World War I.

Ohio State's head coach Paul Brown is likely to approve of Ohio playing Michigan in Cleveland next year. He was in favor of the transfer of year's Ohio State-Illinois game from Champaign. "It means a shorter trip for Ohio State and it's a sort of home-coming for part of our sqaud. Paul said, "Horvvath, Csuri, MacCafferty, Palmer and Lipaj an Eichwald are Cleveland boys. And parents and friends of boys from Akron, Massillon and other towns in northern Ohio can get to Cleveland more easily than to Columbus with transportation being as it is."

One Cleveland group was very unhappy about today's game.

That group included officials and followers of Western Reserve which had a Saturday night game with Miami University, The Ohio-Illinois game took the play away from the Reserve game. Reserve players invited to see the Big Ten gridders in action, turned down the invitation. "We have a game of our own," they said.

Cleveland betting commissioners were asking 4-to-1 odds of Ohio State followers before the game and offering Illinois supporters 3-to-1 against the Illini.  Shortly before noon the snow on Cleveland streets was melting to slush and misting rain was mixing with snow flurries. It was colder by game time and there were occasional snow flurries.

Bob Hope, radio and screen comedian, was in Cleveland Friday but went to South Bend to see the Michigan-Notre Dame game. He'll be a guest of Scripps-Howard columnist Al Siegel at next Saturday's Ohio State-Michigan game in Columbus and is hoping to persuade Frances Langford to accompany him.

 

 

Ohio State can cinch the 1942 Western Conference title by defeating Michigan next Saturday in the annual football game of games on the Buckeye schedule.

That was assured this afternoon when the Buckeyes defeated Illinois 44-to-20 while Minnesota was winning from Iowa. That left Ohio State alone in first place in the conference and needing only the win over Michigan to win an undisputed title.

Illinois, tied with Ohio State and Iowa for first place at the start of today's play was eliminated by the Buckeye win. The Illini have no more Western Conference games to play. They play Great Lakes next Saturday and Camp Grant the following Saturday.

Iowa has one more conference game to play, against Michigan on Nov. 28.

Ohio State has one more conference game to play, against Michigan next Saturday.

Should Ohio State win, the race will be over.

Should Ohio State tie Michigan---as happened last year---the Bucks would be sure of a tie for the title but Iowa could tie for the title by defeating Michigan.

What are the chances?

They depend, largely, upon how badly Tommy James was hurt yesterday. If the sophomore back is able to play against Michigan as he did against Illinois in the first half yesterday Ohio should have a good chance to win. If he isn't it may be another one of those Ohio State disappointments of which there have been so many in Ohio State-Michigan games.

But the thing is squarely up to the Buckeyes.

They can take care of it themselves. With that sort of setup they aren't likely to miss being the sort of gang they are, and coached by Paul Brown, being the sort of guy he is.

"...it may be another one of those Ohio State disappointments of which there have been so many in Ohio State-Michigan games." This. This is why I will never take for granted this golden era of football we have experienced against That Team. This is why I relish the current winning streak and dominance. Why I never want Ohio State to lose to them again. 

One Thing After Another

Life is just one darned thing after another for Paul Brown's Ohio State footballers.

Next---Michigan.

Michigan is a pretty tough team this year---that's evident. The Wolverines have lost two games---one to Bernie Bierman's Iowa Seahawks, 26-14, and one to Minnesota, 16-14. They've won from Great Lakes, 9-0; Michigan State 20-0; Northwestern, 34-16; Illinois 28-14, and Notre Dame, 32-20.

Not stupendous but far from weak.

And play this on your juke box. Fritz Crisler is in his fifth season at Michigan. Prior to today his Wolverines had suffered just seven defeats. Five of those seven came at the hands of Minnesota. The only other teams to win from a Crisler-coached Michigan team were Illinois in 1939 and the Seahawks this spring.

An Ohio State team has never won from a Crisler-coached Michigan team. Last year when Paul Brown's first Ohio State team tied the Wolverines 20-20 it was regarded as a renewal of the age of miracles or something.

And Michigan is always Michigan. Ohio State has played Michigan 38 times. The Wolverines have won 25 of them, the Bucks 10 and three have resulted in ties. The two teams have played 15 times before Ohio State was able to win a victory. The worst defeat Ohio State ever on the gridiron was 86-to-0 at the hands of a Willie Heston team back in 1902. In the 37 previous games Michigan has scored 598 points and Ohio 278. No other school has that great a margin over the Buckeyes.

Again, I never want to see Ohio State lose this game. " But, that's not good for the rivalry." Screw that. It's not good for my soul when the Buckeyes lose to their rival. My soul is more important than the rivalry. Never lose again.

Here's the complete record of past games:

Year	OSU	Mich.			Year	OSU	Mich.
1897	0	34			1924	6	16
1900	0	0			1925	0	10
1901	0	21			1926	16	17
1902	0	86			1927	0	21
1903	0	36			1928	19	7
1904	6	31			1929	7	0
1905	0	40			1930	0	13
1906	0	6			1931	20	7
1907	0	22			1932	0	14
1908	6	10			1933	0	13
1909	6	33			1934	34	0
1910	3	3			1935	38	0
1911	0	19			1936	21	0
1912	0	14			1937	21	0
1918	0	14			1938	0	18
1919	13	3			1939	14	21
1920	14	7			1940	0	40
1921	14	0			1941	20	20
1922	0	9				---	---
1923	0	23				278	598

Today's Old School Alcohol Ad

 

The bowling lanes listed in the ad are: Olentangy Village, Hi-Goodale, Riverview Recreation, Hilltop Recreation, Getyrost Recreation, Elks Club, Burkholz Club, Knights of Columbus, Parsons Recreation and Swan Bowling.