A topological obstruction to the geodesibility of a foliation of odd dimension

Let M be a compact Riemannian manifold of dimension n, and let be a smooth foliation on M. A topological obstruction is obtained, similar to results of R. Bott and J. Pasternack, to the existence of a metric on M for which is totally geodesic. In this case, necessarily that portion of the Pontryagin algebra of the subbundle must vanish in degree n if is odd-dimensional. Using the same methods simple proofs of the theorems of Bott and Pasternack are given.