CollegeFootballDigestfrom CooperSearch

1931 Michigan

8–⁠1–⁠1 (5–⁠1 Western Conference), coached by Harry Kipke.

Michigan, 1931
Photo: Photographer not named, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Schedule and results

Michigan in 1931, game by game: won vs. Central Michigan 27–0; won vs. Eastern Michigan 34–0; won vs. Chicago 13–7; lost vs. Ohio State 7–20; won at Illinois 35–0; won at Princeton 21–0; won vs. Indiana 22–0; tied vs. Michigan State 0–0; won vs. Minnesota 6–0; won vs. Wisconsin 16–0+35−13Won 27–0 vs. Central Michigan+27Central MichiganWon 34–0 vs. Eastern Michigan+34Eastern MichiganWon 13–7 vs. Chicago+6ChicagoLost 7–20 vs. Ohio State-13Ohio StateWon 35–0 at Illinois+35IllinoisWon 21–0 at Princeton+21PrincetonWon 22–0 vs. Indiana+22IndianaTied 0–0 vs. Michigan State0Michigan StateWon 6–0 vs. Minnesota+6MinnesotaWon 16–0 vs. Wisconsin+16Wisconsin
Each game’s margin, wins above the line and losses below.
DateOpponentResultElo
Oct 2vsCentral MichiganW 27–⁠095%
Oct 3vsEastern MichiganW 34–⁠097%
Oct 10vsChicagoW 13–⁠780%
Oct 17vsOhio StateL 7–⁠2065%
Oct 24atIllinoisW 35–⁠047%
Oct 31atPrincetonW 21–⁠072%
Nov 7vsIndianaW 22–⁠079%
Nov 14vsMichigan StateT 0–⁠071%
Nov 21vsMinnesotaW 6–⁠065%
Nov 28vsWisconsinW 16–⁠070%

Elo: a pregame chance from scores alone.

How it ended: Beat Wisconsin 16–⁠0; Western Conference champions.

In program history: The 79th-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 1931.

Western Conference champions5–⁠1 in the conference, shared with Northwestern and Purdue

Record
8–⁠1–⁠1
Conference
5–⁠1 shared first in Western Conference
AP poll
Began in 1936
Points
181–⁠27
Coach
Harry Kipke
Elo
1636 +67 this season
SP+ rating
—
SRS
10.4 No. 28 of 110 major-college teams
Recruiting class
—
Captain
Roy Hudson
Most valuable player
Bill Hewitt

All-Big Ten

3 first team, 4 second team

First team

  • Ivy WilliamsonEAP-1; UP-1
  • Bill HewittE
  • Maynard MorrisonCAP-1; CPT; UP-2

Second team

  • Ted PetoskeyEUP-2
  • Howie AuerOTUP-2
  • Harry NewmanQBAP-2
  • Stanley FayRBAP-2; UP-2

From Wikipedia’s 1931 all-conference team article, with the selectors that named each player (AP-1: the Associated Press’s first team).

1931 Western Conference standings

TeamConf.OverallAP final
Purdue5–⁠19–⁠1
Michigan5–⁠18–⁠1–⁠1
Northwestern5–⁠17–⁠1–⁠1
Ohio State4–⁠26–⁠3
Minnesota3–⁠27–⁠3
Wisconsin3–⁠35–⁠4–⁠1
Indiana1–⁠4–⁠12–⁠5–⁠1
Chicago1–⁠42–⁠6–⁠1
Iowa0–⁠3–⁠11–⁠6–⁠1
Illinois0–⁠62–⁠6

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