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1918 Illinois

5–⁠2 (4–⁠0 Western Conference), coached by Robert Zuppke.

Illinois, 1918
Photo: Unknown author, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Schedule and results

Illinois in 1918, game by game: won at Chanute Field 3–0; lost vs. Great Lakes Navy 0–7; lost vs. Chicago Naval Reserve 0–7; won at Iowa 19–0; won at Wisconsin 22–0; won vs. Ohio State 13–0; won at Chicago 29–0+29−7Won 3–0 at Chanute Field+3Chanute FieldLost 0–7 vs. Great Lakes Navy-7Great Lakes NavyLost 0–7 vs. Chicago Naval Reserve-7Chicago Naval R…Won 19–0 at Iowa+19IowaWon 22–0 at Wisconsin+22WisconsinWon 13–0 vs. Ohio State+13Ohio StateWon 29–0 at Chicago+29Chicago
Each game’s margin, wins above the line and losses below.
DateOpponentResultElo
Oct 4atChanute FieldW 3–⁠085%
Oct 12vsGreat Lakes NavyL 0–⁠788%
Oct 26vsChicago Naval ReserveL 0–⁠787%
Nov 2atIowaW 19–⁠046%
Nov 9atWisconsinW 22–⁠043%
Nov 16vsOhio StateW 13–⁠048%
Nov 23atChicagoW 29–⁠063%

Elo: a pregame chance from scores alone.

How it ended: Beat Chicago 29–⁠0; Western Conference champions.

In program history: The 31st-best season in program history by end-of-season Elo (of 135 on file).

Players on this team

Before 2004 our records hold honors and the draft; these are the players whose college years here, from their Wikipedia articles or their honors, include 1918.

Western Conference champions4–⁠0 in the conference, shared with Michigan and Purdue

Consensus All-AmericanJack Depler, C

Record
5–⁠2
Conference
4–⁠0 shared first in Western Conference
AP poll
Began in 1936
Points
86–⁠14
Coach
Robert Zuppke
Elo
1598 +39 this season
SP+ rating
—
Recruiting class
—
Captain
Burt Ingwersen
Offense
I formation

All-Big Ten

8 first team, 1 second team

First team

  • George BuchheitEMF; WE-2
  • Burt IngwersenOTHP; MF; WE-1
  • Albert W.T. Mohr Jr.OGHP; WE-1
  • Jack DeplerC
  • Robert H. FletcherQB
  • Jess KirkpatrickRBHP; WE-1
  • Ralph E. FletcherRB
  • William K. KoppFB

Second team

  • Fred R. HanschmannOGWE-2

From Wikipedia’s 1918 all-conference team article, with the selectors that named each player (AP-1: the Associated Press’s first team).

1918 Western Conference standings

TeamConf.OverallAP final
Illinois4–⁠05–⁠2
Michigan2–⁠05–⁠0
Purdue1–⁠03–⁠3
Iowa2–⁠16–⁠2–⁠1
Minnesota2–⁠15–⁠2–⁠1
Northwestern1–⁠12–⁠2–⁠1
Wisconsin1–⁠23–⁠3
Indiana0–⁠02–⁠2
Ohio State0–⁠33–⁠3
Chicago0–⁠54–⁠6–⁠1

Ordered by conference winning percentage, then conference wins. Division splits and tiebreakers aren’t applied.