Illini Rated Second For Comeback
By: The Associated Press
Saturday, December 21, 1946
NEW YORK, Dec. 21 -- (AP) -- The University of Illinois football team's feat of taking a shellacking from Notre Dame and an unexpected jolt at Indiana and then getting off the floor to win the Big Nine conference and the Rose bowl bid ranked second only to Navy's showing against Army's powerful football team in the Associated Press poll for the outstanding sports comeback of the year.
Navy received 14 first place votes and a total point score of 39 based on a 3-2-1 basis. Illinois received eight votes for first place and a total of 37 points.
Others rated were Ben Hogan, golf, 29 points; the St. Louis Cardinals, 27; Hank Greenberg, 17; Tony Zale, 16; and the Boston Red Sox, 15.