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.

In Today's paper:

• Don Hawk gives roster updates for Michigan and Ohio State, gives a little history lesson and the latest injury update for the Buckeyes.
• The CJ shares the latest season stats for Ohio State. 
• Lew Byrer breaks down the possibilities for all the teams in contention for the Big Ten championship. 
• Today's old school ad tries to shed a light on Hirsch. 

The Ohio State win over Illinois by a surprisingly large score last Saturday put the finishing touches on the setting of the stage for this week's game with the Michigan Wolverines expected to pack the huge Ohio Stadium to the rafters.

It'll be homecoming at the Buck school, for the first thing, and the graduates will be flocking back to watch the best Buck team in years play their favorite opponents, the Wolverines.

The two teams will be fighting to remain in the picture for the Western Conference Crown. Ohio State can cinch the title by closing its conference season with a win over the Wolverines. If the Wolves win on the other hand, they will be able to cinch a tie for the championship by trimming Iowa the following week---will win it if they whip Iowa and if the Gophers top the Badgers.

All in all, the real climax to a hectic Ohio State season, to be followed by the finale against the Iowa Seahawks a week later.

The Game deciding the Big Ten title. The way it should be and almost always is.

Michigan on Top

Coach Fritz Crisler brings an undefeated record at the hands of Ohio State while the Michigan team as a whole holds a great advantage over the Buck squad in their long rivalry.

Starting in 1938, Crisler directed his team to consecutive victories over the Bucks by scores of 18-0, 21-14 and 40-0 before Coach Paul Brown rallied his team last year to win a moral victory and gain a 20-20 tie.

The history of Buck-Michigan games is a long one dating back to 1897. In 38 games since that time, Michigan has won 25, tied three, and lost only 10 games to Ohio State teams. Twelve of the Michigan victories, however, came before Ohio State entered the Big Ten as did two of the ties leaving the Wolves with 13 victories, one tie---last year's 20-20 thriller, and 10 losses since the two schools have been in conference competition.

Today, Ohio State holds the conference edge against their rival by a 49–46–5 edge (NCAA sanctions be damned).

Won Last in '37

The last Ohio State victory came in 1937, climaxed a string of four consecutive wins, and was followed by the selection of Fritz Crisler as the new Michigan head coach.

The Wolverines are rated one of the best teams in the Western Conference so far as all-around talent and personnel is concerned. They have an ace backfield in Captain George Ciethaml, quarterback; halfbacks Tommy Kuzma and Paul White (brother of the Ohio State end, John White), and fullback Robert Wiese, a line-busting sophomore who has made Michigan fans forget Bob Westfall.

The line is just as rugged and just as tough as is the backfield Center Merv Pregulman is flanked by Bob Kolesar and Julius Franks and these three men are considered to be just about the best trio in the middle of the line that can be found on any team in the conference.

Wistert at Tackle

"Whitey" Wistert, brother of All-American Francis Wistert, is stationed at one tackle and many think that he will rate the all-star notices his brother had. Bill Pritula stands at the other tackle while ends Phil Sharpe and Elmer Madar round out one of the finest forward walls in the Big Ten.

After giving the low-down on Michigan's roster, Hawk turns his attention to Ohio State's players and their numerous injuries.

The loss of Left Halfback Tommy James leaves Brown with only three tested halfbacks. Starters Les Horvath and Paul Sarringhaus are still in one piece with George Slusser, ace passer and steady runner, available for durty.

The list of halfback injuries is long. James has a shoulder separation, Bob Frye has a broken leg, Tom Cleary has a fractured wrist, Paul Selby received a badly sprained ankle in the Pitt game and Bill Durtschl is still limping on a knee that was severely twisted in mid-season. That leaves only light Loren Staker on call for halfback duty. Staker is small, a sophomore and has had little experience.

If Brown's Buckeyes lose any of their halfbacks, the small, sophomore Staker might have to be called upon.  

Not as nice a fella as his brother, John, is Paul White of Michigan, who'll do his best to upset any plans the Buckeyes (and brother John, an Ohio State end) may have to beat the Wolverines here Saturday. White is a starting halfback for the visiting wrecking crew from Ann Arbor.

Time for the weekly update on Big Ten stats and where Ohio State and its players rank. 

At the end of eight games of the 10-game schedule, the fine Ohio State defense was far and away ahead of the Buckeye opponents' in the scoring, first downs and yards-gained columns.

The Bucks had nearly a 3-1 margin in scoring 275 points as against the opponents' 95, and they had more than a 3-1 margin in yards gained, better than a 2-1 lead in first downs, and even led in the passing department which is only a secondary threat to the running offense.

Fekete Tops Offense

Gene Fekete continued to be the leading individual in the Buck offense with 826 yards in 151 trips with the ball for an average of 5.49 yards per try. His point-total of 78 was 24 above his nearest rival, Paul Sarringhaus.

Sarringhaus is still the runner-up in the ball-carrying department with 491 yards in 91 tries for an average of 5.39 yards per try. He leads the passers with 357 yards on 14 passes completed out of 35 thrown for an average of .400.

James Jumps Average

The injured Tommy James rolled up a total of 122 yards in five trips with the ball last Saturday and jumped his average to 8.48 yards per run to boast the best average among the regular ball carriers. Horvath was third in total yards gained running and second in yards gained passing, 23 yards ahead of George Slusser. 

Lew Byrer uses his corner to wax about The Game.

 

If this were a normal football year Ohio State's season would now be closed and a highly successful one.

The usual Ohio State season consists of eight games.

The Bucks have played eight, winning seven and losing one, and are now in first place in the Western Conference.

But they have two more games to go and what games!

It's Michigan here next Saturday in what many folks are calling the game of the year. Then Bernie Bierman's Iowa Seahawks the following Saturday in the season's finale.

You might work up some optimism about the Ohio State-Michigan game by scanning comparative scores against common opponents.

Let's skip the many words Byrer devoted to the comparative scores as he even states "Just to show how little comparative scores mean." Enough said.

Precedent Discouraging

If it's precedent you go by you're not apt to be optimistic. 

Ohio State has never won form a Michigan team coached by Fritz Crisler. For that matter neither has anyone else except Minnesota, Illinois and the Iowa Seahawks. The Gophers have done it five times.

The closest Ohio State ever came was last year when a great game at Ann Arbor ended in a 20-20 tie.

Coach and Scout Fritz Mackey of Ohio State watched the Wolverines against Notre Dame Saturday at South Bend and came back to say: "Michigan has the most powerful team I have ever seen."

Head Coach Ray Eliot of Illinois said after Saturday's game: "Ohio State has great team, just about the greatest we have run up against this season." He wouldn't be pinned down to a comparison of Ohio State with Michigan though his team has played both but did say the Ohio-Michigan game ought to be one of the greatest of the year.

[...]

The Bucks have scored 275 points to Michigan's 176. The Bucks have allowed (a) combined opponents 95 points and Michigan has had 99 points scored against its defense.

On that basis it's a toss-up and looks like a great ball game.

Byrer now breaks down the scenarios for each of the Big Ten title contenders.

Title Possibilities

Just what are the title possibilities in the Western Conference?

Five teams are still mathematically in the running for the crown or a share in it.

They are Ohio State, Wisconsin, Michigan, Minnesota and Iowa.

Ohio State has won four and lost one. If the Buckeyes win from Michigan Saturday they'll cinch an undisputed title.

Wisconsin has won three and lost one. If the Badgers win from Minnesota Saturday they'll wind up the season with four wins and one defeat in conference play. If Michigan should win from Ohio State that would put Wisconsin in undisputed first place, but leave Michigan a chance to tie for the title by defeating Iowa the following Saturday.

Michigan ha won two and lost one. If the Wolverines should win from Ohio State next Saturday and Iowa the following Saturday the Wolverines would be sure of at least a tie for the title.

Illinois has won three and lost two but has no more conference games so that the Illini are definitely out of the running.

Minnesota has won three and lost two. If the Gophers should win from Wisconsin next Saturday they'd finish the conference season with four wins and two losses and a chance for a title tie.

Iowa has won three and lost two. If the Hawkeyes should win from Michigan a week from Saturday they'd finish the conference season with four wins and two defeats and a chance for a title tie.

The simplest way to settle it, of course, would be for Ohio State to defeat Michigan. Then it would be over.

Today's Old School Alcohol Ad

I'm not sure if Hirsch is a lawyer or an insurance company. I hope the people living in Columbus during the 1942 season knew exactly what Hirsch offered. If not, the money spent on advertising was a waste as this ad doesn't explain what Hirsch does.