With the odds placing it close behind Princeton and not far ahead of Yale, the University cross-country team comes up against a stiff fight in New Haven this morning in the triangular run starting from the Bowl.

The reason that the Orange and Black is generally conceded to be the slight favorite lies in the 23-32 victory which the New Jersey outfit scored over M. I. T., just a week after the Engineers had got the better of the University 21 to 35. Yet in even this apparently simple calculation there is a hitch, for Bemis, Technology's second best performer, fell and stunned himself near the start.

The time turned in by Princeton's first scorer was more than Bemis' record in his last two races, allowing for distances and the different course. Thus if he had been able to follow his team-mate Fricker and capture second place, the Engineers would have nosed out the Tiger runners 27 to 28. Even with this mishap taken into consideration, however, the Princeton team is patently among the strongest hereabouts.

The chances of the Crimson's defeating Yale today rest on the ease with which Columbia trounced the Elis 20 to 35 two weeks ago in the first and only meet of the Yale season so far. By carrying away first place the Blue demonstrated that its captain, Treadwell, is a man to be feared. That the team as a whole is not well balanced became obvious when Columbia captured the next five positions.

It is in respect to this even distribution of the scoring power that the Tiger combination excels. Although Princeton's hill and dale firmament is starless, it comprises a wealth of profitable runners. Against M. I. T., for example, the Orange and Black took second, third, fifth, sixth, and seventh places. With such contestants in the field, therefore, it appears that the outcome will probably be decided in the lower places, even though Watters, Cutcheon, and Treadwell may turn in some brilliant performances.

Although the Crimson Freshmen, led by Captain Swede, have run creditably this fall, they may more than meet their match when they come up against the Blue first-year men. The Eli 1927 outfit was defeated by the Princeton Freshmen 25 to 30, but the latter were considered a team far above the average in scoring power.

The line-up:

Harvard.--Captain Coburn, Cutcheon, Kobes, Grossman, Watters, Harrison, Parker, Chapin, Cobb, and Ryan.

Yale.--Captain Treadwell, Cureton, Davis, Freedlander, Gault, Hilles, Scoville, Weicker, Wilmot, Farnum.

Princeton.--Captain Conger, Gordon, Kopf, Leeming, J. K. Vodrey, W. H. Vodrey, Raymond, Schwartz, Jones, Plath.

Harvard 1927.--Captain Swede, Shaw, Teele, Smyth, Davidson, Pierce, Jacobs, Gordon, Haggerty, and Slade.

Yale 1927.--Smith, Willard, Mutter, Evans, Elliott, Doyle, Cooke, Cleveland, Speer, Withington