A master at the option play, split-T-auarterback Ralph Guglielmi—who's also silhouetted on our cover—sparks Notre Dame's mighty offense PRANCIS m4LLACE'S 15TH FOOTBALL PREVIEW AY I say, I told you so? Last year at half; and 71 plugged for liberalization, usu­ this time I predicted enthusiastic ac­ ally to the extent of permitting a player to M ceptance of the new substitution rule return once in each quarter. (My informa­ which ended two-platoon football and forced tion is that this last proposal missed by only a return to the traditional system requiring a 10-7 vote at the last meeting of the Rules gridmen to play both offense and defense. Committee; so you can expect it next time.) Now, after a season's trial, the invaluable Actually, despite the volcanic dissent 186 helpers who participated in my fifteenth which followed its unexpected adoption, the Football Preview voted this way: only 22 new substitution rule went into effect would return to the two-platoon; 93 are for smoothly. Coaches were gradually converted the present rule, which prohibits a man from to the conversion as they got into the neces­ returning in a period in which he has played, sary job of teaching fundamentals. With lit­ except during the final four minutes of each tle time, they swung en masse to the split-T, €i»uch #f liir Year John Vaught, Mississippi 36 PRODUCED BY UNZ.ORG ELECTRONIC REPRODUCTION PROHIBITED ••^ #- Ever see a prettier car than the Chevrolet Bel Air Sport Coupe? And this is just one of a great line of Chevrolet beauties. Best choice in the field. loure only young twice! Once when you take your first battered old jalopy field. Two good points there that are hard to beat. to your heart . and once again when you put And it's the only low-priced car with a full yoior first brand-new Chevrolet on parade! After length box-girder frame for extra safety. A little that—your motoring life is young for good! You've more car under you is always nice assurance. discovered the Fountain of Youth on wheels. And if you're interested in those new automatic WHAT'S CHEVROLET GOT power features a family car ought to have, you'll THAT YOUNG PEOPLE GO FOR? find that Chevrolet offers them all—optional at First of all: It's smooth! Real cool! It looks as a extra cost if you want them. car ought to look that's loaded with youngsters YOUR MONEY'S WORTH who love the feel of a spirited pick-up and the IN FUN, TOO! power of broad-shouldered brakes. Chevrolet is the When you put your money in a Chevrolet you're only low-priced car in the world with a Fisher Body. SAFER STOPPING, TOO! The going's great putting it into the closest thing there is to a savings and so is the stopping! Those broad- And what a pleasant surprise to discover that bank on wheels! And you'll get your money's shouldered Chevrolet brakes are actually you can run the new Chevrolet with the kind of worth in fun all its long life. the largest in the low-price field. That's to give you easier stops and safer con­ money that fits a young man's budget. And, of Why don't you drop around to your dealer's and trol—anywhere, any time! course, everybody knows that Chevrolet's original take a ride in a new Chevrolet? . Chevrolet cost is less than any other line in the low-price Division of General Motors, Detroit 2, Michigan. ^aOUOPS^V,^^^ YEAR AFTER YEAR MORE PEOPLE BUY CHEVROLETS THAN ANY OTHER CAR! ^•'^^teMopHXcev.v.*'" PRODUCED BY UNZ.ORG ELECTRONIC REPRODUCTION PROHIBITED Preseason All-America Eleven 38 MAX BOYDSTON, Oklahoma End Muskogee, Okla, Back on top in the East, the Army may h' DAN SHAININON, Notre Dame End Chicago, III. SID FOURNET, LSU Tackle Bogalusa, La, HERB GRAY, Texas Tackle Baj'tOKn, Texas a strong running formation; and usually added enough single wing or straight-T (both good passing formations) to prevent defenses from CALVIN JONES, Iowa Guard Sleuhcnville, O. overloading against the running game. This mixture, with its many variations, adds up to what is called the multiple offense and will be the JIM SALSBURY, UCLA Guard Los Angeles, Cal. popular maneuver this season. The net result has been stronger empha­ sis on the running game and on players who can star on offense and de­ LARRY MORRIS, Ga. Tech Center Decatur, Ga. fense. Actually, as the '53 season ended, alert college coaches were RALPH GUGLIELMI, Notre Dame Back Columbus, 0. moving toward a new two-platoon system which calls for two teams of two-way stars, thus incorporating the best of the old into the new. J. C. CAROLINE, Illmois Back Columbia, S. C. The Rules Committee pretty much decided to let last year's regula­ tions ride. They did approve some new hand signals for officials. And ALAN AMECIIE, Wisconsin Back Kenosha, Wis. an "off-the-bench" tackle hereafter will be penalized by disqualification of the offender. Also "interpretive information" was sent to all member GEORGE SHAW, Oregon Back Portland, Ore. groups to discourage sucker shifts and other false starts, reported on the increase despite an attempt to tighten up last year. And a strongly worded resolution, rather than specific legislation, is being relied upon to check the faking of injuries to stop the clock-—the stratagem so effec­ Back of the Year RALPH GUGLIELMI Notre Dame tively used by Notre Dame against Iowa. But the majority of my corre­ spondents, while approving the objectives, doubt that the ingrained Lineman of the Year LARRY MORRIS (c) Georgia Tech practices against which these steps were taken can be so easily stopped. The newly created coaches' Ethics Committee will work on such matters. Coach of the Year JOHN VAUGHT Mississippi Meanwhile, football on the field will be easier to watch and under­ stand than ever before; and TV set owners will also get a much better home show—partially because of a business war between the colleges themselves, and also because of the alliance between pro football and those TV networks shut out of the monopoly created by the four-year- old NCAA program which controls telecasting of college games. The All-America Squad Here's the situation: (Does not include All-America Eleven) • The college telecasts, to be presented by ABC this year, ran into trou­ ble when sponsors finally developed resistance to an expensive package ENDS- Pyburn (Aub.) ; Intihar (Corn.) ; Walker (Md.); Garrily (Penn from which some of the more attractive games were withheld by the Si.) ; Biubaker (Ohio St.) ; Clarke (USC) ; Gilliam (Iowa) ; DuckeU NCAA, whose policy seeks to spread TV's financial and prestige bene­ (Mich. SI.) ; Hair (Ca. Tech.) ; Dickerson (Miss.) ; Schricwer (Texas) ; fits over the country at large. Somewhat improved coverage has resulted. Loudd(UCLA) • The colleges will have direct opposition on Saturday afternoons from TACKLES- Ellena (UCLA); Smilli (Baylor); Boggan (Miss.); Grier Canadian pro games, to be carried by NBC, which had previously han­ (I'enn St.); Lansford (Texas); Yoiingeiman (Ala.); Varrichione and dled the NCAA program. Palumbo (ND) ; U'Agoslino (Aub.) ; Boslcy (W. Va.) ; Walker (Tex. • The American pros, whose national telecasts will be handled by Du Tech) ; Morze (CC) Mont, this season will play eight Saturday-night games, two on Satur­ day afternoons (after the end of the college season) and one at noon on ciiARDS- Bettis (Purd.); Lemek (ND); Smid (111.); Brooks (Ga. Tech); Chesnauskas (Army); Paul (Rice); Bullough (Mich. Si.); Thanksgiving Day. The colleges fear that the pros may be moving to­ Slensby (Wis.) ; St. Pierre (BC) ; Shugarl (Yale) ; Birchficld (Duke) ; ward full-time Saturday play and recognize at least the possibility that Lamonc (W. Va.); T. Roberts (Mo.) their TV problem could be settled in a manner none of the colleges wants —by eventually being shut out entirely from the major TV market. CF.NTKtis Ilazehinc (Calif.); Easterwood (Miss. St.); K. Burris Up to now the NCAA TV program has been solidly supported at (Okla.) ; Pheistcr (Ore.) ; Irvine (Md.) ; Tatum (Texas) ; Cunning­ ham (S. Car.) ; Vargo (Ohio St.) the annual meetings; but there are strong indications that the present policy will get powerful opposition at the New York convention next BACKS- Moegle (Rice); Larson (Calif.); Boldcn (Mich. St.); Calanie January. It is the present intention of a bloc of conferences, led by the (Okla.) ; Dupre (Bay.or) ; Quinn ( lexas) ; Heap (ND) ; Dandoy Big Ten, to seek "controlled television within regional boundaries." (USC); Tharp (Ala.); Davenport (UCLA); Bielski (Md.); Broedcr And if an open fight should develop between the major conferences (Iowa); MrCool (Miss.) ; King (Clem.); Moore (Penn Si.); Vann (Army) ; Womack (Texas) ; Bargcr (Duke) ; Freeman (Aub.) ; Teas and the smaller schools, there might also be a showdown at last between (Ga. Tech.) ; Kirpatrick (Tex. Tech) ; Uehel (Army) ; Hardy (Colo.) ; the idealists and the realists over the question of de-emphasis. Starr (Ala.) ; Flippin (Prince.) ; Lalla (Colg.) ; Wade (Tenn.) ; Borton That just about covers the grown-up stuff. Now let's move in the (Ohio St.) ; Malsock (Mich. Si.) general direction of the boys on the field, pausing en route for a partial checkup on last year's selections. The little gridiron gods who use broken bones and funny bounces to plague pigskin prophets were kind again. I missed on Notre Dame as national champion, and Red Sanders of UCLA as Coach of the Year; but each finished second. (The winners —Maryland and Jim Tatum—had been my '52 selections and were Top Twenty Teams merely delayed a year.) Six of my first eight top teams finished in the final top eight of the .Associated Press ratings; and 11 of my 20 in the AP National Champion: MISSISSIPPI 10-0 20.