Atlanta Daily World

WASHINGTON - Michigan State which had what many people thought was the best football team among the colleges of the country, fell from grace when the Spartan eleven ran into the Boilermakers of Purdue recently.

As far as the Oklahoma Sooners were concerned, that put them back into first place with solid emphasis, for they were-- on that very same Saturday- running over a hapless Kansas team something like 47-0. Thus Michigan State's reign was a short one.

All of which goes to prove, and it doesn't have to be proved, that a football team can be up one day and down a week later and also that any team can be upset. The Spartans just ran into a fired up Purdue team (specialists in the business of upsets) that, on this certain day, was better than Michigan State.

Why Oklahoma isn't often upset is one of those good questions. To begin with, Oklahoma doesn't play many teams that could turn out potential victors. Take this year's schedule for example. The Sooners played Pitt at the first of the season, and that was just about it.

Iowa State, Texas, Kansas, Colorado, Kansas State, Missouri, Notre Dame Nebraska and Oklahoma U. just didn't figure to upset the Sooners. Notre Dame will have an outside chance but that's only two teams on the entire schedule which might ruin the Sooner record! A team like Michigan State has a schedule loaded with tough opponents.

Year in and year out Michigan State could get beat by any of the following teams, on this season's Purdue, Illinois, Notre Dame, or Minnesota. The only way, it seems to settle the argument, is for Michigan State to find a way to meet Oklahoma in the Orange Bowl.

Oklahoma is already set for the Bowl but Michigan State, so newly arrived in the Big Ten, unfortunately can't afford to think such a natural. The tie-up with the Rose Bowl eliminates that possibility.

But it would be nice to see those two teams meet. We've said that for the past several years and it's an even better idea this year.