Sports Daily hansan 55th Year, No.1 v during his law he was money and for the Welfare a under Atatee justice of John attorney Section B LAWRENCE, KANSAS Society Thursday, Sept. 12, 1957 Experts Pick KU Third; Sooners No.1 Jayhawkers Loom As Conference Darkhorse 1957 Forecast | | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4* | 5 | 6 | 7 | TP | | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | | Oklahoma | 67 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 67 | | Colorado | 0 | 36 | 15 | 13 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 184 | | Kansas | 0 | 16 | 22 | 13 | 14 | 2 | 0 | 232 | | Missouri | 0 | 11 | 21 | 22 | 7 | 6 | 0 | 244 | | Nebraska | 0 | 4 | 7 | 14 | 26 | 14 | 2 | 313 | | Kansas State | 0 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 13 | 36 | 13 | 395 | | Iowa State | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 9 | 52 | 441 | To determine totals multiply the number of votes times the number of that position. The Big Eight title has been unanimously conceded to the Oklahoma Sooners for the tenth straight year. All 67 sports writers in the 12th annual Big Eight pre-season poll picked the Big Red to continue its domination of its conference foes. All that apparently remains to be seen is just how bad the Sooners will wallop their conference brothers on their way to their third consecutive national title. For the second straight year the Sooners were unanimous winners of the pre-season title. In the past four years they have gathered a total of 240 first place votes from a possible 249. OU Still Tops But there is little wonder the sports writers have been so vehement in backing the Sooners. OU has won nine straight conference titles after sharing the 1946 and 1947 top spots. In Bud Wilkinson's ten-year stretch at Oklahoma his teams have only two ties to mar their conference records. CHUCK MATHER After entering the Orange Bowl from a predicted fifth-place finish last year, Colorado was voted second in the 1957 poll with 184 points. Kansas with 232 points and Missouri with 244 were third and fourth, Nebraska had 313, Kansas State 395 and Iowa State 441. Oklahoma State, voted membership in the conference last May, was tabbed by the pollsters as future trouble for all league teams, but the Cowboys will not play a full league schedule until 1960. Kansas and Missouri, the latter under new head coach Frank Eroyles, were mentioned often by the sports writers as the most improved teams in the conference. There was widespread warning that Colorado, despite heavy line losses, should be as good or better than last year's surprise team. There was much earlier comment of better balance in the conference this season, but according to the sports writers they will not be packed as closely as last year. Last year only 53 points separated Missouri, Nebraska and Kansas in the predicted race for second, and only 105 separated the second-place Tigers and the sixth-place Wildcats. This season the poll has a spread 1957 Schedule Sept. 21 T.C.U.* ** Fort Worth Sept. 28 Oregon St. * Lawrence Oct. 5 Colorado* ** Boulder Oct. 12 Iowa St.* Lawrence Oct. 19 Oklahoma* ** Norman Oct. 25 Miami* ** Miami Nov. 2 Nebraska* ** Lincoln Nov. 9 Kansas St.* Lawrence Nov. 16 Okla. St. * Lawrence Nov. 23 Missouri* * Lawrence (Homecoming) *Big Eight conference games. **Night game. of 257 points between the top and bottom of the also-ran list (excluding Oklahoma). Everette Montgomery of the Dodge City Globe struck what has become a traditional keynote when he said, "Same song, tenth verse . . . as the Oklahoma vacuum cleaner picks up everything in its path." Same Song 10th Verse "No matter if they use the single wing or the Platte river spread, the Sooners will run off and leave them all," said John Cronley, Oklahoma City Oklaoman. Said Budd Pritchford, Longmont, Colo., Times-Call, "Death and taxes have always been two sure things. Now they have added a third, the Oklahoma Sooners." Jack Payne, WOW-TV, Omaha, said, "The loss of talent from last year's national championship team is overshadowed by a varsity squad which smacks the alumni for the first time in a coon's age." "The only fair match for Oklahoma is the H-bomb," said Ed Garich. Kansas City Star. Kay Melia, KAYS radio, Hays said, "Indications are that the Oklahoma Tornado will roar through the conference with even more devastation than last year. Second place should be a toss-up between Kansas and Colorado." Webster Hawkins, Russell Daily News, typified the feelings of the sports writers when he said, "Again this year the only contest will be for runner-up honors." Dev Nelson, WIBW, Topeka, thinks Kansas "will have its greatest year of the Chuck Mather regime." Coffeyville Journal sports editor Clyde Walthall handed KU the "most improved team" label. Jay Simon, also of the Oklahoma, went so far as to predict that the Sooner victory string, now at 40 games, would hit 51 with a victory in the Orange Bowl next New Year's Day. Said Wally Wallis, Oklahoma City Oklahoman. "Kansas is the real darkhorse in the conference race." KU a Darkhorse Oklahoma halfback Clendon Thomas, the nation's 1956 scoring leader, and Bill Krisher, Sooner guard, drew most of the pre-season individual praise. BY GEORGE ANTHAN (Dell) Sports Editor A hustling Kansas football team began pre-season practices amid an aura of optimism toward this. Chuck Mather's fourth year at KU. But while this team hustles, strains and groans, and coaches toil over what coaches toil over, grumbling and forboding sounds can be heard. These noises emit mainly from those cities of violently partisan alumni 39 miles east. There, in no man's land, (between MU and KU) where the all-powerful alumnus sits, watches and waits, lay the fortunes of this man from Massilon who came to Kansas in 1954 and found everyone giving the glad hand to the man who would put their school "right up there with Oklahoma." Is Parade Over? Mather replaced Jules Sikes. Sikes had one bad year. Sikes in turn replaced George Sauer, the last conference coach to defeat Oklahoma. So again, after three years of hiding behind the "rebuilding" slogan, the specter that has, and will, until concepts of alumni and administration change, haunt football coaches in Lawrence, again rears its head. Such a great amount of confidence was placed in coach and team last spring that Mather was given a 1-year contract. Too Much Pressure There's too much pressure on college football teams. There always has been. So right or wrong the clamor will begin and it will be heard because its that same clamor that keeps college athletics prominent in the thoughts of administrations that sometimes tend to forget the relative value placed upon sports by the American people. But this Kansas team may pull some surprises out of the bag. Mather's sounds have certainly kept pace with the rest of the conference. In fact Kansas has gone steadily up since 1954, faster perhaps than most Big Eight schools. Departing to a more cheerful subject on Mount Oread—basketball. Our cheer was shortlived, however, when, in Chicago, a bona-fide Ivy Leaguer, upon our telling that we attended Kansas said, "Isn't that where Wilt the Stilt works?" The perfect squelch. This year, thanks to a loyal group of KU students whose sole aim is the benefit of their fellow students plus some front-page publicity, Jayhawk-er fans will occasionally watch their Basketball Heroes on television. Students in the nation's thousands of other colleges and universities don't know what they're missing by not organizing similar non-profit organizations. At K-State, for example, they would call them the Wildwatchers. Will KU Finish Third? That Kansas has a tough schedule makes a nice alibi to fall back upon if necessary and it will probably be necessary. However, with the conference very unsettled (three new coaches and heavy letterman losses elsewhere) the Jayhawkers have a better than even chance of defeating Iowa State, Kansas State and Missouri. They will be underdogs to Nebraska and Colorado but inspired play may do the trick. Big Eight Waits For OU To Falter, But When? By MALCOLM APPLEGATE (Daily Kansas Sports Editor) Although sportswriters and football experts the nation over have voted unanimously that Oklahoma University will field the nation's best college fooball team this fall, the feeling now is one of anticipationanticipation of Oklahoma's defeat at the hands of a Big Eight Big 8 To Be Strongest Ever Taking a pre-season look at the Big Eight basketball picture, Jawbawker Coach Dick Harp believes that the conference will be the strongest ever in over-all strength and will rate near the top in the national picture. Pacing the Jayhawkers in their bid to repeat as conference champions will be All-American Wilt Chamberlain, a 7-foot junior. "There has never been any question about Wilt returning to school." Harp said. K-State A Favorite Harp expects every team in the conference with the possible exceptions of KU and Missouri to be improved over last season. He singled out Kansas State as the most likely pre-season favorite, but said that KU and Iowa State would probably also be mentioned as top contenders. The Jawhawkker coach considers Colorado, Nebraska and Oklahoma capable of defecating any of the conference 4cams. Top candidates for the forward spots on the KU team are Ron Loneski, the other returning regular besides Chamberlain, a junior; juniors Gary Thompson and Monty Johnson, and sophomores Al Donaghue, Jim Hoffman, and Dick Keith. Thompson Still Recovering Thompson will be late in reporting for practice, because he is recovering from an operation for an ulcer. Bidding for the guard positions will be junior Bob Billings, who looked good in late season relief roles last year; John Cleland, the only senior on the squad; junior Lynn Kindred, and sophomores Bob Hickman and Phil Raiser. Good Chance To Take Title KU has a very good chance to continue its string of 10 conference championships in cross country, Bill Easton, coach of track and cross country, said this week. Leading the team will be senior Jerry McNeal, defending conference individual cross country champion and defending conference champion in the two-mile, both indoor and outdoor. Other seniors on the squad are Harold Long, defending conference mile champion, Verlyn Schmidt, who placed third in the conference two mile last season, and Bob Nicholson. Two juniors, Barry Crawford, who lettered last year, and Bob Harrison, also on the squad last year, are back this season. Sophomores out for the cross country team are Cliff Cushman, Tom Skutka, Dale Lubs, Bob Tague, Bryon Travis, and Don Greenele. Skutka, who was eligible for varsity competition last spring, placed second in the conference outdoor two mile. Coach Easton expects Oklahoma to be the stiffest competition for the Jayhawkers in the Big Eight. football team. Which team in the conference will defeat the mighty Sooners who are now riding high on a 40-game winning streak? Kansas was the last team to do it. This was way back in 1948. Some think the Jayhawkers have a chance this year. But until it is done, the Sooners still are the heavy favorites to win in a walk away in the conference football race. Oklahoma, the three-time national champion, is aiming for a fourth win. The Sooners have 25 lettermen returning. Eighteen others were lost through graduation. Dal Ward's Colorado Buffaloes, who led Oklahoma at the half in Boulder last fall, will have to fill gaps left by the loss of all but four of last season's team members. Buffs Suffer Losses BUD. WILKINSON Missouri fans will probably see a distinct change in the Tigers this fall as Frank Broyles takes over as head coach. He replaces the inventor of the Split-T formation, Don Faurot. Kansas State will probably not finish in the Big Eight's top three. Fourth or fifth is more like it for the Wildcats whose lack of experience is Bus Mertes main worry. Oklahoma traditions will be carried on in Nebraska even after the sudden departure to California of Bill Elliot, a former Wilkinson aide. Bill Jenning, the new head coach, was Elliot's assistant and a former Sooner player. Single Wing For Cyclones Single Wing For Cyclones Iowa State fans will see the single wing formation replace the T where Jim Myers replaced Vince DiFrancesca. The Cyclones won only two games last season and are not expected to climb much higher this year. They could, however, surprise some of the middle teams such as Kansas, Missouri, Kansas State, and Colorado. The Oklahoma Aggies, who will not compete in the Big Eight title race this year, return 29 lettermen who are mostly juniors. They rate a good chance to pull some upsets. Nineteen of the 29 can be regarded as top-notch players who will probably play 1-2 this fall. (Detailed Roundup of Each Big Eight School on Page Eight)