WHY NUMBER THREE? Last Saturday, on Oct. 12, in the second half of the game seen on nat ional TV, the Nittany Lions virtually overwhelmed formidable UCLA in Bruin territory to post an impressive vic tory of 21-6. Also, on the same day, USC just bearly managed a 3-point edging of a stubborn Stanford team. This is fact. Two days later the UPI major coll ege football ratings were announced. Prior to this Penn State had been rank ed #3 and USC #2. Since top-ranked Purdue had been upset 13-0 by a rug ged Ohio State team, it was expected by many that they would drop in the ratings. Also, since USC had so much trouble overcoming Stanford, they did not seem likely to move anywhere but down in the ratings. It seemed like a race between Ohio State and Pena State for the top two positions on the poll. As was stated before, the results of the poll came out on Monday, Oct. 14. Did Purdue lose its first place ranking?....Yes. Did USC slip from its second place position' Yes, if you call moving upward a slip. It is also true that Ohio State moved up in the polls. However, what be came of Penn State's impressive foot ball team? They remained in third place despite a substantial vic6 tory. A brief rundown now shows USC first, Ohio State second, and Pena State third (according to UPI). The sports staff of the Nittany Cub strong2y disagrees with the top three rankings (UPI) of the major college football teams. What we believe to be more accurate is: Ohio State first, Penn State second, and USC third. This selection of Penn State in second has nothing to do with our loyalty to the school, for we have tried and feel we have succeeded in being im partial in our decisions. Unbeaten Ohio State has shown us that they shall be the team to beat and the race for "NUMBERI' starts down the stretch. Our ratings hold to the fact that the true determinents of a football team's superiority in a sense is not only the ability they possess but rather how they utilize this ability. It is our opinion that Ohio State as well as Penn State has shown this fact conclusively. Nevertheless, some peo ple may disagree with these ratings, saying "You must look at the schedule the team faces. Penn State has not played any major ranked teams." True, according to the UPI ratings, Penn State has not, but the UPI may not base their decisions on the same cri- LIONS TAME BRUINS Who: Penn State and UCLA What: football game When: Saturday, Oct. 12 Where:at UCLA These are the facts that led up to a most exciting football gape between two highly talented teams. Both teams knew they needed this game: Penn State, to remain unbeaten and stay up in the top in the race for number one; UCLA, who had registered one loss already, to possibly regain a high berth and also some of its lost status. However, it was Penn State in the end who finally overcame to register the win by a lop sided 21-6 margin. In this encounter, some of the names that stood out over all were Steve Smear Denny Oakotz on defense and Charlie Pittman and Tow Cherry on offense for Penn State, not neglecting the running of Greg Jones and Mickey Cureton for UCLA. Nevertheless, it was Penn State's teamwork that excelled in the final analysis, and it is because of this point that they succeeded as they did. Anyone who saw this game, which was shown on national TV, would be able to verify this fact, but no bet ter than the UCLA team itself who was subject to State's fearsome attack. Briefly, the scoring went as fol lows. Tallies for Penn State came in the second, third, and fourth periods. They were Jim Kates' 36-yard return of a punt blocked by Jack Ham, Tom Cherry's 76-yard run off, a Chuck Burkhart pass, and Charlie Pittman's 29-yard TD on a slant off the left side. The lone UCLA score came in the second stanza when quarterback Jim Nader threw 2-yards to Mike Garratt in tl - te end zone. PENN STATE 0 7 7 7 -- 21 UCLA 0 6 0 0 -- 6 teria as we. Our ratings are based upon team superiority, not upon individual superiority; on performance, not on po tential. Also, our ratings are not es tablish on the record each team posses ses, but rather on how they have played and why their record is what it is. It is aot our intention to debase or degrade the UPI ratings in this ed itorial, but rather to exhibit our o pinions on an interesting, surprising, and exciting 1968 college football race. Douglas A. Brower Sports Editor Nittany Cub 11, /Ai the t2 - R c K rn OAm ti Art LTD. - 2 cola W. 8 -v k u.st. £v' C. Pa..., ColoA)y Fla za ''
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers