1971 Michigan
11–1 (8–0 Big Ten), coached by Bo Schembechler, finished No. 6 in the AP poll. Share
Schedule and results
- Best winBeat No. 20 Northwestern 21–6Sep 11
Over the best-ranked team it beat, on the road.
| Date | Opponent | Result | Elo |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 11 | at 20Northwestern | W 21–6 | 59% |
| Sep 18 | vs Virginia | W 56–0 | 85% |
| Sep 25 | vs UCLA | W 38–0 | 76% |
| Oct 2 | vs Navy | W 46–0 | 89% |
| Oct 9 | at Michigan State | W 24–13 | 69% |
| Oct 16 | vs Illinois | W 35–6 | 93% |
| Oct 23 | at Minnesota | W 35–7 | 75% |
| Oct 30 | vs Indiana | W 61–7 | 94% |
| Nov 6 | vs Iowa | W 63–7 | 93% |
| Nov 13 | at Purdue | W 20–17 | 79% |
| Nov 20 | vs Ohio State | W 10–7 | 73% |
| Jan 1Bowls & playoff | vs 16StanfordRose Bowl | L 12–13 | 57% |
Elo: a pregame chance from scores alone.
How it ended: Lost to Stanford 13–12 in the Rose Bowl; No. 6 in the final AP poll; Big Ten champions.
In program history: The 24th-best season in program history by end-of-season Elo (of 140 on file).
AP poll, week by week
- Wk 1: 4
- Wk 2: 4
- Wk 3: 4
- Wk 4: 2
- Wk 5: 2
- Wk 6: 3
- Wk 7: 3
- Wk 8: 3
- Wk 9: 3
- Wk 10: 3
- Wk 11: 3
- Wk 12: 4
- Wk 13: 4
- Wk 14: 4
- Final: 6
Players on this team
Reggie McKenzieGuard
Glenn DoughtyReceiver
Paul SealTight end
Ed ShuttlesworthRunning back
Tom BeckmanDefensive end
Mike KellerLinebacker
Fred GrambauDefensive end- Mike TaylorLinebacker
- Clint HaslerigReceiver
- Bo RatherReceiver
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 1971.
Big Ten champions8–0 in the conference
2 consensus All-AmericansReggie McKenzie, OG; Mike Taylor, LB
- Record
- 11–1
- Conference
- 8–0 first in Big Ten
- AP final
- No. 6 peak No. 2
- Points
- 421–83
- Coach
- Bo Schembechler
- Elo
- 1739 +103 this season
- SP+ rating
- 21.6 No. 12 of 120; offense No. 13, defense No. 16
- SRS
- 26.0 No. 6 of 128 major-college teams
- Recruiting class
- —
- Defensive coordinator
- Jim Young
- Captains
- Frank Gusich and Guy Murdock
- Most valuable player
- Billy Taylor
Drafted in 1972
The 1972 draft| Rd 1 | Thom Darden DB | Cleveland Browns |
| Rd 1 | Mike Taylor LB | New York Jets |
| Rd 2 | Reggie McKenzie OG | Buffalo Bills |
| Rd 2 | Glenn Doughty WR | Baltimore Colts |
| Rd 3 | Tom Beckman DE | St. Louis Cardinals |
| Rd 3 | Mike Keller LB | Dallas Cowboys |
| Rd 5 | Bill Taylor RB | Atlanta Falcons |
All-Big Ten
7 first team, 8 second teamFirst team
Billy TaylorRBAP-1; UPI-1- Glenn DoughtyE
- Paul SeymourE
- Reggie McKenzieOGAP-1; UPI-1
- Mike KellerDEAP-1
- Mike TaylorLBAP-1; UPI-1
Thom DardenDBAP-1; UPI-1
Second team
- Ed ShuttlesworthRBUPI-2
- Curtis TuckerOTAP-2
- Jim BrandstatterOTUPI-2
- Jim CoodeOTUPI-2
- Tom CoyleOGAP-2; UPI-2
- Guy MurdockCAP-2; UPI-2
- Alden CarpenterDEUPI-2
- Tom BeckmanDTAP-2
From Wikipedia’s 1971 all-conference team article, with the selectors that named each player (AP-1: the Associated Press’s first team).
1971 Big Ten standings
Conference page| Team | Conf. | Overall | AP final |
|---|---|---|---|
| Michigan | 8–0 | 11–1 | 6 |
| Northwestern | 6–3 | 7–4 | |
| Ohio State | 5–3 | 6–4 | |
| Michigan State | 5–3 | 6–5 | |
| Illinois | 5–3 | 5–6 | |
 Wisconsin | 3–5 | 4–6–1 | |
| Minnesota | 3–5 | 4–7 | |
| Purdue | 3–5 | 3–7 | |
| Indiana | 2–6 | 3–8 | |
| Iowa | 1–8 | 1–10 |
Ordered by conference winning percentage, then conference wins. Division splits and tiebreakers aren’t applied.