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Swami Says Ohio State To Win 'Toughest Test'

Swami Says Ohio State To Win 'Toughest Test' image
Parent Issue
Ann Arbor News, November 20, 1969
Article Author
Jerry Liska
Day
20
Month
November
Year
1969
Copyright
Copyright Protected
Rights Held By
Donated by the Ann Arbor News. © The Ann Arbor News.
OCR Text

SWAMI SAYS OHIO STATE TO WIN ‘TOUGHEST TEST’

By Jerry Liska

CHICAGO (AP)—The time has come for the Midwest Swami to unravel his ink-stained turban and stow away his well-nicked crystal ball for another football season.

Beyond top-ranked Ohio State, rating the Big Ten this fall was much like handicapping a horse race with Man O’War and nine overnight entries.

The Swami enters the final round with a 45-18 guessing record, good for .714.

Ohio State 28, Michigan 18—It should be the toughest test of a meteoric Buckeye season. Well-manned Michigan not only goes for broke to share the Big Ten title and grab the Rose Bowl bid, but also has a searing revenge motive after last year’s 50-14 pasting by the Bucks.

The regionally-televised game is in Michigan’s 101,000-seat stadium where vocal Buckeye partisans will be a minority. If the Buckeyes paste the Wolverines like they did Purdue, they have to be the greatest of all time.

Northwestern 18, Michigan State 13—The Wildcats are scenting their best Big Ten finish in Coach Alex Agase’s six-year reign, 4-3. Northwestern’s sophomore quarterback find, Maurie Daigneau, should be one of the nation’s top passers next season.

Purdue 21, Indiana 14—The Boilermakers still have a slight Rose Bowl itch. It remains to be seen whether the fervor of the Old Oaken Bucket tradition will perk Purdue, smashed by Ohio State, more than the Hoosiers, upset by Northwestern. Fullback John Bullock returns to Purdue’s lineup, while halfback John Isenbarger may be Indiana’s emergency quarterback rival against Boilermaker Mike Phipps.

Wisconsin 14, Minnesota 7—A hunch based on sidelining of Gopher fullback Jim Carter. Minnesota surprised Michigan State 14-10, but the Spartans had no throwers like Badgers Neil Graff and Gary Losse. Win or lose, it was a long-awaited rebound season for the Badgers.

Iowa 24, Illinois 7—Scant chance for the Illini to avoid their worst season in history, 0-10. That would top the previous low ebb of 0-9 in 1961.

Notre Dame 28, Air Force 12—Despite a 6-3 record, the bombarding Falcons may be the roughest test for the Irish since their 14-14 tie with Southern California Oct. 18. Air Force’s Gary Baxter is the best passer to confront Notre Dame since Purdue’s Mike Phipps.

Bowl preview

Rose Bowl—Southern California 21, Michigan 14.

Cotton Bowl—Texas 19, Notre Dame 14.