Roses & Thorns

Before he put his squad on the train for the Rose Bowl, Michigan Coach Bennie Oosterbaan firmly fastened on his crown of thorns. "The boys are in terrible shape," said he. "They've put on a lot of extra weight and they're soft. And that Bear line is big and rough." Michigan's coach had reason to fret over his team's season record, too. With five victories, three losses (Michigan State, Army, Illinois) and a tie (Minnesota), Michigan had the poorest record of any Rose Bowl team in 33 years.

While Oosterbaan was building up the opposition and tearing down his own team, California Coach Lynn ("Pappy") Waldorf was keeping mum and concentrating on football fundamentals. Waldorf put his pre-game program in two words, "Hard work." His veteran squad, unbeaten for the season, had a special incentive for hard work: the rankling memory of four consecutive Rose Bowl lickings for the West Coast at the hands of the Big Ten, including California's own 17-14 defeat by Ohio State on New Year's Day, 1950.

Gloomy Bennie Oosterbaan went Waldorf one better. After getting special Conference permission for Sunday practice, he ordered an extra workout on the day before Christmas. While California took the day off, Michigan went grimly to work on a set of new plays. Oosterbaan had decided that California's powerhouse ground game would have to be met with a brand-new bag of tricks, but after the special drill, Oosterbaan was still "thoroughly discontented" with his team's progress.

In the showdown this week, Bennie lost his gloom as Michigan lived up to Big Ten tradition, beat California, 14-6.

Other bowl winners:

P: In New Orleans' Sugar Bowl, Kentucky over Oklahoma, 13-7.

P: In Dallas' Cotton Bowl, Tennessee over Texas, 20-14.

P: In Miami's Orange Bowl, Clemson over Miami, 15-14.

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