2017 is the 75th anniversary of Ohio State's first national championship season. To honor the achievement, this series will post articles from the Columbus Citizen Journal on the day they ran in 1942.

The big news in the Buckeye football camp last night was the general return of the snap and pep which has been absent from the squad since before the game with the Wisconsin Badgers.

Coach Paul Brown noted the pickup in fire and daah that characterized the workout and remarked that "we are getting to the point where we enjoy playing football again."

I'm not sure what daah is, but I'm guessing it's a good thing.

At the same time, two of the starting posts for the game with the Panthers which have heretofore been in doubt were settled. Junior Don Steinberg and Senior Don McCafferty will team up side by side at left end and left tackle for the contest Saturday, replacing Bill Sedor, who will be out of the game entirely, and Bill Willis, who probably will be able to see some service. Both men are recovering from injuries suffered last week.

Won't Weaken Team

Substitution of these two men, however, is not expected to weaken the team to any large extent. Steinberg was the original starting left end of the season when Dante Lavelli had his knee injury. In the first two games, before he suffered a shoulder separation, Steinberg proved his ability at rough, fundamental football. He's back in first-class condition now and will be raring to go.

McCafferty is a raw-boned, six-foot four-inch, 200-pound giant who has been standing right behind Willis and pushing him for the starting tackle berth all season. He has shown to good advantage as a substitute and his presence will not handicap the forward wall.

200 pound giant? Times have changed. Today, a 200 pound lineman for an elite high school team would be considered small.

The Bucks had their usual Wednesday night workout yesterday in preparation for the invasion of the Panthers. The workout started with a rehearsal of individual assignments on defense against the Pitt offense.

Then the teams were called together and the first two teams worked both on pass offense and defense while still later a long session was devoted to polishing the Bucks' own offensive formations for use this week.

Coach Brown sounded the keynote on the attitude of the whole squad when he declared that "We're still a ball team despite that loss last week. We're not going to get panicky and jittery and destroy all the work we've done just for that reason. But Saturday we're going to see if we can't win a ball game to offset that beating."

It appears that Brown has his team focused and ready. 

The main objective of the team will be stopping "Wild Bill" Dutton, triple threat left halfback of the Panthers. Dutton is a veteran back from last year, weighing only 180 pounds, but hitting the line as most men who weigh 15 pounds more. He punts and passes well in addition.

Dutton played in the right halfback spot last season but moved this year in order to make better use of his multiple abilities. He still moves back to his old position at times.

[...]

The Pitt team, led by Coach Charley Bower, will arrive in Columbus at 1:30 p.m. Friday and will go immediately to the Deshler-Wallick Hotel, headquarters during the stay in town. The freshmen will go directly from the train to the Stadium for their game. 

The vibe coming from Hawk is that Ohio State is focused and should win the game. What do the guys in the know think?

Here are the experts' picks for the Ohio State-Pitt game Saturday:

Lew Byrer, Citizen Journal Sports Editor: "Pitt will be trying for a surprise, but, on form, Ohio State should win by three touchdowns."

Leo H. Peterson, United Press Sports Editor: "Ohio State over Pittsburgh---the Buckeyes begin another winning streak."

The Paul B. Williamson System: "Ohio State over the Panthers in a close contest."

Byrer uses his space today to address the Williamson System's close prediction for the game.

When the Paul Williamson predictions arrived yesterday predicting a close game between Ohio State and Pitt here Saturday, the boys around the office laughed.

But then they laughed last week, too, when Mr. Williamson picked Wisconsin to win over Ohio State. He was right on that one and the boys weren't laughing Saturday night.

It's hard to figure a close game on the comparative records of the two teams this season.

Look 'em over:

Pitt---Lost to Minnesota 50-7, to Great Lakes 7-6, to Indiana 19-7 and won from S.M.U. 20-7 and from Carnegie Tech 19-6.

Ohio State---Won from Ft. Knox 59-0, from Indiana 32-21, from Southern California 28-12, from Purdue 26-0 and from Northwestern 20-6 and lost only to Wisconsin 17-7.

Against one common opponent Ohio State won from Indiana 32-21 and Indian won from Pitt 19-7. If you go for comparative scores that would make Ohio State 23 points better than Pitt.

Or you might go this way. Minnesota defeated Pitt 50-7. Minnesota also defeated Northwestern 19-7. Ohio State defeated Northwestern 20-6. Which would make Ohio State two points better than Minnesota or 45 points better than Pitt.

Which is all very reassuring if you believe in comparative scores.

But I'm remembering last year when Pitt had been pushed around all fall until the Bucks and Panthers met in Pittsburgh. Then Ohio State had to go all-out to win 21-14 and about a week later Pitt astonished the football world by defeating Fordham.

It isn't comparative scores but how good each team is on the day the two meet which makes the difference.

I'm expecting Pitt to be at its peak Saturday. Ohio State should also be at close to top form after last Saturday's let-down against Wisconsin.

So I'm predicting an easy Ohio State win, say about 28-7.

But if the Bucks play like they're expecting an easy win, say about 28-7, they're liable to wake up Sunday morning and find they've lost two games in a row.

Byrer did a nice job of hedging his bets there at the end. I guess the Wisconsin game has made him a little gun shy.

Perfect Seasons Rare

Folks who have been acting broken-hearted about Ohio State's chances for an undefeated season being spoiled by the defeat at the hands of Wisconsin Saturday might be interested in just how rare an undefeated season is.

Ohio State had one in 1916 and another in 1917---though the Bucks were tied by Auburn in a post-season game at the end of the 1917 season. Then in 1920 Ohio State went through the regular season undefeated but lost the Rose Bowl game to California on Jan 1, 1921, by a 28-to-0 score.

Just once since Ohio State entered the Western Conference in 1913 have the Bucks had a perfect season.

The Bucks won Big Ten titles in 1916, 1917 and 1920.

It was 1935 before they again had any claim on the Western Conference title. They swept their conference schedule that year, though losing to Notre Dame 18-to-13. But they had to share the title with Minnesota.

In 1939 they won an undisputed Western Conference crown though they lost to Michigan in a conference game and to Cornell in a non-conference game.

Wisconsin, only undefeated team in the conference so far this year, hasn't had a perfect season since 1912. The Badgers won all their games and the Big Ten title that year but haven't won or shared in the title since.

This year with 10 games instead of the usual eight, six of them with conference teams and the other four with Fort Knox, Southern California, Pitt and Bernie Bierman's Iowa Seahawks, a perfect season seemed almost impossible for Ohio State at the start. It was only after Ohio won its first five games and misguided "experts" started hailing the Bucks as the nation's No. 1 team that folks started talking about a perfect season.

At the start most of us would have settled, gladly, for seven wins and three defeats. Now we're hoping for nine wins and only one loss, and that's asking a lot.

Today, having a ten game schedule would seem like a cake-walk. Imagine if Ohio State (and other schools) still played a total of eight games. Not sure what I would do with the other 42 Saturdays throughout the year, but they wouldn't be as enjoyable. 

First in History

This will be the first time in Buckeye history that a freshman team has participated in intercollegiate play. Admission to the game will be 50 cents or presentation of student or faculty football books.

For the Bucks, the starting lineups and the home-town school for each player will be as follows:

LE-- Lou Holzapfel, Greenville
LT---Lou Groza, Martins Ferry
LG---Warren Amling, Pana, Ill.
C---Wayne Caldwell, Springfield
RG---Ed Burres, Toledo Libbey
RT---Charles Albright, Van Wert
RE---Stan Dixon, Cincinnati-Wyoming
QB---Dave Templeton, Mansfield
LH---Tommy Phillips, Berea
RH---Russ Wolfe, Upper Sandusky
FB---Joe Whisler, Willard

Today's Old Time Ad

Hunter Picture (right)

With hunting season around the corner, The Cussins & Fearn Co. placed this ad to entice hunters to shop at their seven stores located throughout the city. In case you are unable to read them in the ad, the prices are listed below.

SHELLS 
We Still Have a Supply

Monark 12-Gauge Shells
Box 25 for 85c

Monark 16 Gauge...................................89c

Monark 12 Gauge HI-Power Shells...... $1.19

Buy while stocks are complete

Remington Kleenbore or Peters HI-Velocity
12-gauge Shells. Box 25 for..............................$1.31

GUNS

Remington Sportsman 12-gauge
Automatic Shotgun...........................................$68.15
Ajax Double Barrel Shotgun,
16 and 20 gauge................................................$31.50
Winchester 22-cal. Auto. Rifle,
Model 74...........................................................$22.25

Hoppes' No. 9 Gun Solvent.....................31c

Wood Cleaning Rods, all guagues...........29c

Hunting Clothing

Hunting Caps and Hats,
all colors and types at        69c to 95c

Hettrick Hunting Coat
at...................................................$3.95

Hettrick Hunting Pants
or Breeches...................................$2.79

Steel traps for mink, Skunk,
etc., each........................................25c