Did Michigan really challenge a cricket club to play "football"? And a surgical college? And a small military school? And they count those all on their "All-Time Wins" list? YES THEY DID, and YES THEY DO.
And they feel so good about it! Indeed, where would the average Walverine be without their belief that Michigan has won more COLLEGE FOOTBALL games than any other college football team?
And they feel so good about it! Indeed, where would the average Walverine be without their belief that Michigan has won more COLLEGE FOOTBALL games than any other college football team?
The only way UM can lay claim to the
"All-Time Wins" record in COLLEGE FOOTBALL
is to count non-events from the days of the covered wagon.
Here are five more BOGUS WINS
that UM lists in their mythical game-count:
1894 vs Michigan Military Academy - Event Date - October 21, 1894
The Michigan Military Academy, was an all-boys military prep school in Michigan. It was founded in 1877 and closed in 1908 due to bankruptcy. Over the course of its 30-year history, the Michigan Military Academy had 2,558 enrollments and 458 graduates. That's 85 new students per year, graduating about 15 annually (for a graduation rate of about 18%). Very prestigious institution.
1895 vs Michigan Military Academy - Event Date - October 5, 1895
No proof that the MMA had an athletic department. No evidence that they had a football coach or a practice schedule. Looks like the "big boys" from UM didn't exactly pick on someone their own size.
1885 vs Peninsular Cricket Club - Event Date - November 26, 1885
The Peninsular Cricket Club began as a cricket club in 1858 but by 1885 it had evolved into the city's leading all-purpose athletic club, featuring baseball, tennis, and bicycling. The UM student newspaper described this team as "a club composed of men in Detroit who play without practice." In 1887, it would become part of the new Detroit Athletic Club.
1896 vs College of Physicians & Surgeons - Event Date - October 15, 1896
The school was located on the corner of Harrison and Honore streets in Chicago, and was named the College of Physicians and Surgeons. Its doors opened in 1882, with a class of 100 students and a faculty of 27 physicians. This game was played "mid-week", on a Thursday between two Saturday games against Grand Rapids High School and "Rush Lake Forest". (Is that a college?)
1904 vs College of Physicians & Surgeons - Event Date - October 12, 1904
For some reason, UM decided to play this "team" again. The Second Half of this game lasted seven minutes. Touchdowns were worth five points. The 1904 Michigan squad is called the "point-a-minute" team, and you can see why; they were playing against opposition like this small single-building surgical training school.
We have identified 20 BOGUS WINS on the "all-time record" list that UM fans talk about incessantly. Their self-proclaimed lead over Notre Dame is 34 wins. We are now merely 15 games away from proving that Michigan is NOT IN THE LEAD FOR ALL-TIME COLLEGE FOOTBALL WINS.
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1885 vs Peninsular Cricket Club - Event Date - November 26, 1885
The Peninsular Cricket Club began as a cricket club in 1858 but by 1885 it had evolved into the city's leading all-purpose athletic club, featuring baseball, tennis, and bicycling. The UM student newspaper described this team as "a club composed of men in Detroit who play without practice." In 1887, it would become part of the new Detroit Athletic Club.
1896 vs College of Physicians & Surgeons - Event Date - October 15, 1896
The school was located on the corner of Harrison and Honore streets in Chicago, and was named the College of Physicians and Surgeons. Its doors opened in 1882, with a class of 100 students and a faculty of 27 physicians. This game was played "mid-week", on a Thursday between two Saturday games against Grand Rapids High School and "Rush Lake Forest". (Is that a college?)
1904 vs College of Physicians & Surgeons - Event Date - October 12, 1904
For some reason, UM decided to play this "team" again. The Second Half of this game lasted seven minutes. Touchdowns were worth five points. The 1904 Michigan squad is called the "point-a-minute" team, and you can see why; they were playing against opposition like this small single-building surgical training school.
We have identified 20 BOGUS WINS on the "all-time record" list that UM fans talk about incessantly. Their self-proclaimed lead over Notre Dame is 34 wins. We are now merely 15 games away from proving that Michigan is NOT IN THE LEAD FOR ALL-TIME COLLEGE FOOTBALL WINS.
More to come on this web site!
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While we are at it, why not bring up Joy Miller and the 1909 season...
ReplyDeleteJoy Miller never attended class. The UM student body voted to expell him. UM sent letters of apology to all 6 opponents, well 5 actually since one opponent was the Michigan Alumni team, offering to vacate or forfeit the games. The apology was good enough, apparently.
http://mvictors.com/tag/trouble/
76: Great lead, I didn't know about this before now. I found some more references for it, and the article will appear tonight, on the "8:00 Edition" of this web site. (!)
ReplyDeleteMight also want to look up Kipke and the 1937 season. If memory serves, that was the year UM managed to block MSU's application to the Big Ten based on alleged (and unfounded) recruiting misdeeds all the while they were conducting their own (and unsanctioned) violations. Talk about deflection!
ReplyDelete