Nation's worst vie for bottom
By JAY THOMAS
Kansan Sports Editor
Well here we are with the football season on top of us and everybody and their Aunt Martha is already playing the Rating Game. Life and Look. Playboy and Sports Illustrated. The Congressional Record and the Wall Street Journal. Everyone's got their own Top Ten and All-This and That.
Great. But it has gotten so far out of hand that if anyone were to really check, it's 3 to 2 that just about every school in the country has made somebody's Boss Twenty or whatever. Every school but a few that is. Some for various reasons (most centering upon ample degrees of incompetency) have virtually no chance to rise into the category of gridiron respectability. Today we salute these teams, whose upcoming seasons promise nothing but nightmares like Jack Mitchell's, in our inaugural Bottoms-Up Poll.
At the top of the bottom comes the choice for this year's most ignominious outfit, the Northwestern Wildcats. Barring an upset win, the 'Cats should grab it all. NU combines all the necessary ingredients or a truly horrendous season: a legitimately poor team and an absolutely murderous schedule. Only quarterback Dave Shellbourne, guard Mike Sikich, tackle Bill Galler, and linebackers Don Ross and Ray Forsthoffer are proven performers, and sophomores are holding down most of the other key positions.
But that's only half the problem. Northwestern opens against Notre Dame then takes on Southern Cal and UCLA. The Wildcats could louse up a perfect season in the next two weekends by toppling either Illinois or Wisconsin (both weak) but should be home free after that when they close against Purdue, Ohio State, Minnesota, Indiana, and Michigan State. By any standard, Alex Agasev's Wildcats are a solid pick.
Lobos Close Behind
The runner-up almost has to be New Mexico. Anyone who saw the Lobos here last year would have to rate them a contender. Fortunately Coach Rudy Feldman had to greet only 11 returning lettermen off of last fall's 0-10 aggregate but must depend upon — gasp — 40 sophomores to plug
Sept. 17
1969 KANSAN 7
the dike. Although New Mexico's schedule is nowhere near as demanding as Northwestern's (only Army, Kansas, Arizona State, and Wyoming are tough). they stand a great chance to extend their 20 game losing streak to 30 before the last long runback.
Naming the remaining pretenders to the crowned is no easy task but several have a good shot at losing them all. Pitt (1-9 last year) runs into UCLA and Oklahoma for starters and catches West Virginia, Syracuse, Notre Dame, Army, and Penn State before it's over. That should do the job even though the Panthers will be improved.
Marshall, holder of the nation's longest non-winning streak of 21, aces a reasonable schedule but could nevertheless be up there when the shooting is over. A cheer making the rounds there this fall goes. "When things are looking good, Marshall will find a way." Once again they probably will.
Others in the running
Others in the running
The rest of the worst is, at best, difficult to select. Each could conceivably produce a remarkable season and cop out with two or three victories. Still, even if God doesn't make little green apples, it should rain in Wisconsin all year because the Badgers defense still leaks like Old Fraser.
Maryland, fighting dissension and Penn State the same year, might not equal last season's 2-8 mark. VMI plays a nothing schedule but also has nothing to play it with. Mississippi State probably does not belong with this group because they boast two or three genuinely talented ball players, All-American candidate QB Tommy Pharr for one. But the Bulldogs collide with Houston, Florida State, Alabama, Auburn, LSU, and Mississippi in a year when all of them are up.
Rice and Tuane should also make it big but could relinquish their spots to Colorado State and Navy with any effort at all. Nonetheless, either will be a threat to lose anytime they take the field. Of course, so were the Mets.
Here then are our sentimental
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favorites for, as everyone is saying these days, College Football's Centennial Season: (Last year's Won - Lost mark plus points scored and surrendered are included)
1. Northwestern (1-9) 109 325
2. New Mexico (0-10) 120 403
3. Pittsburg (1-9) 99 393
4. Marshall (0-9-1) 129 358
5. Wisconsin (0-10) 86 310
6. Maryland (2-8) 171 299
7. VMI (1-9) 90 290
8. Mississippi State (0-8-2)
146 260
9. Rice (1-9) 151 326
10. Tulane (2-8) 163 300
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