Professor Charlie Nichols is the crackerjack coach of the freshman debating team at a small prestigious college. Some of his top debators are Tucker, a poor chicken farmer's son on scholorship; Monica, a bright and beautiful young woman, also on scholarship; and Gar, Tucker's wealthy roommate. Suspense builds as they compete against Harvard for the national championship.

The animal action consists of some chickens in the background on Tucker's farm, turtles seen briefly when the students are betting on a turtle race and a ride in a horse-drawn carriage. The dead fish held up by the tail by a student is not real, but a prop.