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The Red Grange football show with that all-time All-American Red Grange.
Yes, football fans, it's time to step into the huddle once again,
while Red Grange relates interesting inside stories behind the football headlines,
interviews outstanding gridiron personalities,
and predicts the winners of all the top college and professional games.
Now here he is, the man they call the galloping ghost from Illinois,
Mr. Football himself, Red Grange.
Thanks, Bob Finnegan.
Well, fans, the season is far enough along now for us to single out the really outstanding players
of this topsy-turvy football campaign.
We'll be back in a moment with our nominations for the great stars of 1950.
We'll also have our predictions on all the outstanding college and professional games.
But first, a brief timeout for an important message from our announcer.
One of the interesting things about football is that teams and players never quite develop the way
that the experts and coaches predict that they will in their preseason estimates.
Now, for example, down at Illinois this fall, the talk was all about Johnny Karas.
Of course, Johnny broke the Big Ten ground-gaining record last season as a sophomore.
But even though Karas has played brilliantly again this year,
The biggest ground-gainer for Illinois has been a fullback named Dick Raklewicz.
Dick was converted from quarterback to fullback more or less as a desperation move.
Now, our guest today probably follows the ups and downs of the star players
as closely as anyone in the country.
He's Bill Fay, sports editor of Colliers Magazine.
And each fall, Bill works with the American Football Coaches Association
in selecting Colliers All-American team.
Bill, have you noticed any surprises this year?
Any players who have unpredictably developed into stars?
Well, there's a boy named Andy Hillhouse down at Texas A&M.
Andy is a draft choice of the New York Giants, and he might have gone into pro football this fall,
but instead, at the last moment, he went back to school.
They were so surprised to see him down there that they didn't have his name in any of the preseason releases,
and I don't think his name was even in the opening game program.
But since then, he's been one of the four or five outstanding ends in the country.
Red, can I break in here with a question?
You mentioned Raklewicz a few minutes ago, and it brings up a question
which came in this week in a listener's letter.
The question is this, Red, how can Raklewicz, who probably doesn't weigh 180 pounds soaking wet,
play fullback and do such a good job?
Bob, I think that there's a misconception about fullbacks in the key formation.
Now, they don't have to be the same type of big, heavy, powerful runner
that you need in that single wingback.
That just isn't so.
I think the big assets of a key formation fullback are probably, well, let's say three.
He must be speedy, he must be able to run and get outside of those ends,
he must have maneuverability to get around, and he must be able to go each way,
that is, to his right or to his left.
He has just about the same plays that the halfbacks have going each way.
Of course, a key fullback must have a fair amount of power,
but his big assignment is to be able to get outside the end, and I mean either end.
Actually, powerful halfbacks who are a step closer to the scrimmage line when the play starts
usually are the most effective in the key formation, even more so than the fullback.
Red, when the Bears were introducing the key back in 1940,
I think their most potent runners on quick openers were the halfbacks McAfee and Galernow,
whereas Phil Osmanski, their famous fullback, is the man who started that business of running around the end.
That's right. Bill could really move, and he was a great fullback, Bill.
And getting back to our midseason size up of the outstanding stars,
I was wondering, Bill, who seems to be shaping up in the coaches' scorecard as the player of the year?
Well, first I'd say Janowitz of Ohio State.
He's a one-man backfield, he does almost everything.
And right behind him, there's Heath of Oklahoma, the man they call Yuletrain out at Oklahoma.
Good word for it, I guess.
But, Bill, every year, Bill, it seems you can find a few players who seem to stand out by virtue of their color as well as their ability.
And thinking back, I can always remember fellas like Jack Cannon,
The old Notre Dame guard who played out there without a headgear, and little Albie Booth of Yale.
Has 1950 produced anyone as colorful as, say, Cannon?
Well, there's Bud McFadden. I think he plays guard, the same position that Cannon used to play.
Bud's down at Texas. He weighs 245 pounds.
He weighs a size 48 suit coat.
And he ambles around the campus in blue jeans, boots, and t-shirts.
Bud also plays the fiddle left-handed and goes on the radio.
And he's quite a guard. I think he's an outstanding candidate for All-American.
And a little story about Bud when he was first thinking about coming down to Texas.
He wrote a letter and wanted to bring his horse to school.
And they wrote back and said that Bud could have the scholarship, but he'd have to leave the horse at home.
Well, thanks, Bill Faye, for being our guest. We've enjoyed it very, very much.
And we'll be looking forward to seeing you again in about a month to talk over the final 1950 All-America selection in Coggers,
who the players are, and why the coaches picked them.
Now, fans, let's take a quick rundown on the team still in the running for the national championship.
In the East, ArmyThe Army got over its last big hurdle by beating Pennsylvania.
I think they have a pushover with New Mexico this coming week.
And undoubtedly, they will go through the season undefeated on tide,
but probably will not be the mythical national title holders because they played too easy a schedule.
Ohio State, I think that they're looking better each Saturday and probably right now are the best team in the country.
Down south, it's Kentucky. But Kentucky-like Army have not played too robust a schedule.
They'll have to win convincingly over Tennessee two weeks hence to merit real national championship consideration.
In the Southwest, Oklahoma's on top by virtue of an earlier 14 to 13 win over Texas.
And that looms more impressive in light of Texas upsetting Southern Methodist 23 to 20 last Saturday.
Now, you have to rank Oklahoma on top on account of the scores. But actually, all three are so closely matched
that the results would probably be different every time they played.
Out in the far west, California. California's on their way to their fourth straight Coast title.
They have one big obstacle coming up this Saturday, and that's beating UCLA. And UCLA really have a tough line.
Summing up, Brad, how do you rate the top team?
Well, I think the best team is Ohio State. Now, fans, we'll be back in a moment with our predictions
on all the big college and professional games. But first, a brief timeout for an important message from our announcer.
And now for those predictions. Down east, Army may have a hard time against New Mexico.
Hard time keeping the score down to 70 points, that is.
New Mexico, you fans may recall, is the powerhouse that coach Earl Blake added to the Army schedule to replace Notre Dame.
Clemson to whip Boston College. Cornell to win over Colgate.
Although Cornell has been disappointing to its followers ever since the upset by Princeton.
Dartmouth to edge out Columbia. Now, Lou Little's Lions have had two tough Saturdays.
First Army, then Cornell. And even though they surprised everyone by beating Cornell,
I don't think that they can stay up emotionally this week. So we're picking Dartmouth.
Fordham to beat Georgetown. Princeton over hapless Harvard.
Tulane to defeat Navy. West Virginia to edge out Penn State.
And Penn to win over Brown without too much trouble.
In the Midwest, there's an important Big Ten clash between Ohio State and Wisconsin.
Well, Wisconsin is a resourceful team. Now, the Badgers have an alert defense, and they capitalize on fumbles and interceptions.
However, Michigan moved through them for three or four touchdowns.
And I think that indicates that their line has a weakness, and a weak line isn't going to stop Ohio State from scoring.
We'll take the Buckeyes, and I don't think it's going to be too close.
Let's say 35 to 6. I think that'll be a good guess.
Now, elsewhere in the Midwest, it's Michigan State over Minnesota. Nebraska to edge out Kansas State.
Michigan to beat Indiana. Although the Wolverines are having a lot of backfield injuries up there,
and Indiana could win if the Chili can click as he did against Notre Dame.
Illinois to top Iowa. Northwestern to beat Purdue. Iowa State to win over Drake, despite Johnny Bright's powerful running.
Drake should set a big, new, intercollegiate record for total offense in this game.
And I like Notre Dame to beat Pitt.
Red down south, unbeaten Kentucky goes after its ninth straight against Mississippi State.
Yes, and I think the Kentucky Wildcats are going to get number nine.
With Dave Perilla passing and Bill Laskovar picking up plenty of yardage at fullback,
they'll have entirely too much offense for Mississippi State.
Alabama to top Mississippi Southern. Georgia to edge out Florida. Louisiana State to beat Vanderbilt.
Although Vanderbilt's passing attack with Bill Wade tossing to Bucky Curtis makes this game a definite upset possibility.
Now, Curtis, I think, is the best pass catching in to come out of the south since Ken Kavanaugh.
He's the boy the Chicago Bears have, you know. And I think that this boy is definitely an All-American.
Maryland over North Carolina in a close one. And I like South Carolina to top Citadel.
Tennessee to win over Tennessee Tech. And Georgia Tech to defeat VMI.
How about that West Coast battle between California and UCLA?
Well, here's one I'm going to stick my chin out on, Bob.
Now, California, which beat Washington last Saturday, seems well on its way to another Pacific Coast Conference Championship.
Now, we have a hunch that UCLA will stop California's ground attack, and they might squeak through to a close victory.
Let's say it'll be 7-6 or maybe even 6-0 with that good defensive club that they have.
Now, also out on the West Coast, we're picking Wyoming over Brigham Young.
Washington to top Oregon. Santa Clara to defeat San Francisco. And Oregon State to whip Idaho.
In the National Pro League Red, those New York Yankees will try to protect their one game lead over the Chicago Bears this Sunday in the Western Division.
The Yanks upset the Bears in New York two weeks ago. You think they can repeat this trick in Chicago?
Well, I think they have a good chance, Bob, and I'm going to pick the Bears to take the Yanks.
I like the Eagles to beat Washington, the Steelers to take Baltimore, the Browns to lick the San Francisco 49ers,
The Giants to take the Chicago Cardinals, and the Rams over Green Bay.
Well, fans, those are our predictions on all the top college and professional games coming up this weekend.
Now, here's Bob Finnegan.
Thanks, Red. Football fans, Red Grange will be back again next week at the same time with more interesting inside stories about your favorite teams and players,
and his exclusive predictions on all the outstanding games.
This is Bob Finnegan inviting you to listen next week to the Red Grange Football Show.
Till then, so long, football fans.