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STRIFE, AS THEY SAY, IS RAMPANT IN THE BOWLS

Football fans will find enough action to last until fall in traditional year-end feuds

September, it seems, was only yesterday, and now Football '56 is history. The next order of business on the agenda is the Battle of the Bowls. Whether this postprandial menu is good for the game of football I don't honestly know; but I do know that to millions the pageantry, the excitement and the games themselves offer a truly fitting finale, uniquely American, to the holiday season. And perhaps more important, regardless of what you may have heard, the players get a whale of a bang out of the bowl games. Win, lose or tie, it is a milestone they will always remember and cherish.

Only a few hundred thousand will be fortunate enough to be sitting in the stadiums at game time, but well over half the nation will be watching or listening on TV and radio. So to you, the great majority: shake off your headaches, gather about you a congenial group, mixed company preferred. If your New Year's resolutions won't be affected, maybe a cooling drink might be in order. Open to SPORTS ILLUSTRATED'S scouting reports, relax in a soft chair and thank God you are an American. Bring on the bowls.

IN PASADENA, THE ROSE BOWL PITS OREGON STATE AGAINST INVADING IOWA

IN NEW ORLEANS, BAYLOR AND TENNESSEE ARE THE SOUTH'S ANTAGONISTS IN SUGAR BOWL

IN MIAMI IT WILL BE COLORADO AGAINST CLEMSON AT THE ORANGE BOWL

IN JACKSONVILLE'S GATOR BOWL, PITTSBURGH AND GEORGIA TECH TANGLE

IN DALLAS, TCU DEFENDS ITS HONOR AGAINST SYRACUSE IN COTTON BOWL

FIVE ILLUSTRATIONS

MARC SIMONT

For scouting reports and other bowl news, see following 16 pages