CollegeFootballDigestfrom CooperSearch

1923 Illinois

8–⁠0 (5–⁠0 Western Conference), coached by Robert Zuppke.

Illinois, 1923
Photo: Unknown author, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Schedule and results

Illinois in 1923, game by game: won vs. Nebraska 24–7; won vs. Butler 21–7; won at Iowa 9–6; won at Northwestern 29–0; won vs. Chicago 7–0; won vs. Wisconsin 10–0; won vs. Mississippi State 27–0; won at Ohio State 9–0+29Won 24–7 vs. Nebraska+17NebraskaWon 21–7 vs. Butler+14ButlerWon 9–6 at Iowa+3IowaWon 29–0 at Northwestern+29NorthwesternWon 7–0 vs. Chicago+7ChicagoWon 10–0 vs. Wisconsin+10WisconsinWon 27–0 vs. Mississippi State+27Mississippi Sta…Won 9–0 at Ohio State+9Ohio State
Each game’s margin, wins above the line and losses below.
DateOpponentResultElo
Oct 6vsNebraskaW 24–⁠734%
Oct 13vsButlerW 21–⁠793%
Oct 20atIowaW 9–⁠627%
Oct 27atNorthwesternW 29–⁠058%
Nov 3vsChicagoW 7–⁠049%
Nov 10vsWisconsinW 10–⁠057%
Nov 17vsMississippi StateW 27–⁠076%
Nov 24atOhio StateW 9–⁠061%

Elo: a pregame chance from scores alone.

How it ended: Beat Ohio State 9–⁠0; Western Conference champions.

In program history: The 13th-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 1923.

National championsa title the school claims

Western Conference champions5–⁠0 in the conference, shared with Michigan

2 consensus All-AmericansJim McMillen, OG; Red Grange, RB

Record
8–⁠0
Conference
5–⁠0 shared first in Western Conference
AP poll
Began in 1936
Points
136–⁠20
Coach
Robert Zuppke
Elo
1645 +167 this season
SP+ rating
—
SRS
21.9 No. 3 of 109 major-college teams
Recruiting class
—
Captain
Jim McMillen
Offense
Single-wing

All-Big Ten

2 first team, 3 second team

First team

Second team

  • Frank RokusekENB-2; WE-2
  • Harry A. HallQBWE-2
  • Earl BrittonFBNB-2; WE-3

From Wikipedia’s 1923 all-conference team article, with the selectors that named each player (AP-1: the Associated Press’s first team).

1923 Western Conference standings

TeamConf.OverallAP final
Illinois5–⁠08–⁠0
Michigan4–⁠08–⁠0
Chicago5–⁠17–⁠1
Minnesota2–⁠1–⁠15–⁠1–⁠1
Iowa3–⁠35–⁠3
Indiana2–⁠23–⁠4
Wisconsin1–⁠3–⁠13–⁠3–⁠1
Ohio State1–⁠43–⁠4–⁠1
Purdue1–⁠42–⁠5–⁠1
Northwestern0–⁠62–⁠6

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