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1903 Michigan

11–⁠0–⁠1 (3–⁠0–⁠1 Western Conference), coached by Fielding Yost.

Michigan, 1903
Photo: Unknown author, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Schedule and results

Michigan in 1903, game by game: won vs. Case 31–0; won vs. Albion 76–0; won vs. Beloit 79–0; won vs. Ohio Northern 65–0; won vs. Indiana 51–0; won vs. Ferris State 88–0; won vs. Drake 47–0; tied vs. Minnesota 6–6; won vs. Ohio State 36–0; won vs. Wisconsin 16–0; won vs. Oberlin 42–0; won at Chicago 28–0+88Won 31–0 vs. Case+31CaseWon 76–0 vs. Albion+76AlbionWon 79–0 vs. Beloit+79BeloitWon 65–0 vs. Ohio Northern+65Ohio NorthernWon 51–0 vs. Indiana+51IndianaWon 88–0 vs. Ferris State+88Ferris StateWon 47–0 vs. Drake+47DrakeTied 6–6 vs. Minnesota0MinnesotaWon 36–0 vs. Ohio State+36Ohio StateWon 16–0 vs. Wisconsin+16WisconsinWon 42–0 vs. Oberlin+42OberlinWon 28–0 at Chicago+28Chicago
Each game’s margin, wins above the line and losses below.
DateOpponentResultElo
Oct 3vsCaseW 31–⁠096%
Oct 8vsAlbionW 76–⁠096%
Oct 10vsBeloitW 79–⁠088%
Oct 14vsOhio NorthernW 65–⁠096%
Oct 17vsIndianaW 51–⁠088%
Oct 21vsFerris StateW 88–⁠096%
Oct 24vsDrakeW 47–⁠081%
Oct 31vsMinnesotaT 6–⁠647%
Nov 7vsOhio StateW 36–⁠094%
Nov 14vsWisconsinW 16–⁠073%
Nov 21vsOberlinW 42–⁠097%
Nov 26atChicagoW 28–⁠053%

Elo: a pregame chance from scores alone.

How it ended: Beat Chicago 28–⁠0; Western Conference champions.

In program history: The 8th-best season in program history by end-of-season Elo (of 140 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 1903.

National championsa title the school claims

Western Conference champions3–⁠0–⁠1 in the conference, shared with Minnesota and Northwestern

Consensus All-AmericanWillie Heston, RB

Unbeaten again, 11–⁠0–⁠1. The one blemish was a 6–⁠6 tie at Minnesota, the game that started the Little Brown Jug.

Record
11–⁠0–⁠1
Conference
3–⁠0–⁠1 shared first in Western Conference
AP poll
Began in 1936
Points
565–⁠6
Coach
Fielding Yost
Elo
1778 +92 this season
SP+ rating
—
SRS
25.6 No. 4 of 70 major-college teams
Recruiting class
—
Captain
Curtis Redden
Offense
Short punt

1903 Western Conference standings

TeamConf.OverallAP final
Minnesota3–⁠0–⁠114–⁠0–⁠1
Michigan3–⁠0–⁠111–⁠0–⁠1
Chicago4–⁠1–⁠112–⁠2–⁠1
Northwestern1–⁠0–⁠210–⁠1–⁠3
Iowa1–⁠19–⁠2
Indiana1–⁠24–⁠4
Illinois1–⁠58–⁠6
Wisconsin0–⁠3–⁠16–⁠3–⁠1
Purdue0–⁠24–⁠2

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