Up-And-Coming Badgers Next Test For Michigan

UP-AND-COMING BADGERS NEXT TEST FOR MICHIGAN
By Wayne DeNeff

Michigan captain Jim Mandich and middle guard Henry Hill strolled across the Memorial Stadium turf with “The Little Brown Jug” between them while the Michigan band played “By the Time I Get to Phoenix.”
Maybe the Wolverines and the bandsmen were thinking Pasadena instead of Phoenix because Michigan had just handed Minnesota a 35-9 defeat, giving its Rose Bowl chances a hefty boost.
There’s still a rough road ahead for the Wolverines, starting Saturday against Wisconsin which just upended Indiana.
The Rose Bowl picture still is cloudy because there are five teams—Michigan, Purdue, Indiana, Northwestern and Wisconsin—each with just one loss and each very much in the running.
But this much is clear.
Michigan can make that Pasadena trip if it wants it badly enough and plays hard enough. The opportunity is there with little need for outside help.
What the Wolverines have to do is win their remaining four games with Wisconsin, Illinois, Iowa and Ohio State. It’s a mighty big order, to be sure, but the opportunity is there.
It’s a sure thing the Big Ten representative will have at least one conference loss on its record and it could be two.
The Wolverines can go a long way toward knocking Wisconsin out of the picture this Saturday when they engage the Badgers at Michigan Stadium in Michigan’s homecoming game. After Saturday, the Badgers must meet the severe challenge of Ohio State before finishing up against Illinois and Minnesota.
It’s easy to see why the game here Saturday is a mighty big one for the Badgers. If they can get by the Wolverines, then even if they lose to Ohio State, they still could finish with a 5-2 record. If all the other contenders lose one more game, they Badgers would stand an excellent chance of being selected. They haven’t been to Pasadena since winning the 1962 Big Ten title.
Either Purdue or Indiana will get another loss on Nov. 22 when they engage each other in the traditional game for the Old Oaken Bucket. In between, Purdue plays Illinois, Michigan State and Ohio State—a tough November schedule. In between, Indiana faces Michigan State, Iowa and Northwestern.
Northwestern must run the November gauntlet of Ohio State, Minnesota, Indiana and Michigan State.
Only once in the more than 20 years that the Big Ten has been playing in the Rose Bowl has it sent a two-game loser to Pasadena. That was in 1959 when Wisconsin won the title with a 5-2 record while MSU, Illinois and Purdue all tied for second on 4-2 marks.
A Big Ten team losing two games could make the trip again this year and on that basis, Michigan State and Iowa, each 1-2, still must be considered in the running.
The Spartans tangle with Indiana, Purdue, Minnesota and Northwestern to finish their schedule while Iowa has games with Minnesota, Indiana, Michigan and Illinois.
The impressive things about Michigan’s victory over Minnesota were that the Wolverines played over numerous injuries, got a great game from sophomore tailback Bill Taylor who appears to have as much potential as injured sophomore Glenn Doughty, and kept to a sound game plan which eventually paid off.
Michigan figured to hammer away at the Gophers and there might have been some doubt at the half when the Wolverines trailed, 9-7.
But they came back after intermission and marched 75 yards for a touchdown, staying on the ground for 13 of the 14 plays, to go ahead, 14-9. Then they picked up two more TDs with a solid ground attack.
Taylor runs with speed, quickness and excellent power. He’s only 5-10 but weighs in at 190 pounds.