07-25-2005, 10:47 AM | #1 | ||
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Wolfpack recreates college football history: 1902--The game spreads
After a long layoff, I have decided to resume my replay of college football history using the score-generating dice 'n charts game Quick Play Football, which I have converted to a computer program to speed the process. I had completed 1900 and 1901 previously, about 18 months ago, with FOFC readers selecting who they thought was the best team in each of those seasons.
For a refresher on those years: 1900 season 1900 voting--Yale is unanimous choice 1901 season 1901 poll--Harvard claims win in low turnout The year is now 1902. College football seems to have reached a critical mass as the game has suddenly spread from its northeastern base to now feature teams across the South and westward from the Plains to the Rockies. While schools may have fielded teams prior to now, they are only now beginning to take the game seriously. Even with the expansion of the game, the only organized body is the Western Conference, which once again is an academic alliance rather than an athletic one. Still, the dominant teams are the ones that have always lead. Harvard, Yale, Michigan, and Minnesota, among others, are ready to do battle once again. Scoring remains as it has been for a couple of years now, with 5-point touchdowns equated with 5-point field goals. However, there are considerations to perhaps emphasis the greater challenge of touchdowns by perhaps reducing the value of field goals, perhaps by next year. After a one-year experiment, the Tournament of Roses committee in Pasadena, California have decided against renewing the "Rose Bowl" for 1902. This news came about after inviting Western Conference champion Michigan to face Stanford resulted in a 50-0 Michigan rout that was called after three quarters. So, the Rose Bowl will not be played this year and not for a while in the future. There are no expectations of other "post-season" games appearing, either, so the season ends promptly at the end of November once again. As is typical of the early part of the season, the initial couple of weeks of 1902 will have major college teams taking on inferior competition. With that in mind, we head once again to Chicago on September 13, 1901, where the University of Chicago begins its season with a by-now-traditional opener against a local high school. This year, it is North Division High. |
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07-25-2005, 11:14 AM | #2 |
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September 13, 1902
Code:
Schedule of games for September 20, 1902 (9/17) Englewood HS at Chicago (1-0, 9-6-1 in 1901) Cortland State at Syracuse (5-4 in 1901) Dickinson Seminary at Penn State (3-5 in 1901) Fort Sheridan at Northwestern (9-2 in 1901) Grinnell Alumni at Grinnell (6-2-1 in 1901) Haskell at American Osteopath Lebanon Valley at Carlisle (7-5-1 in 1901) Lincoln HS at Nebraska (5-2-2 in 1901) Lombard at Chicago (1-0) Maryland at Georgetown North Division HS at Illinois (7-3 in 1901) Rock Island AC at Knox St. Paul Central HS at Minnesota (9-2 in 1901) Tufts (8-4-1 in 1901) at Boston College (2-7 in 1901) |
07-25-2005, 12:51 PM | #3 |
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Headline for September 20, 1902
HIGH SCHOOLERS TIE UP MINNESOTA Once again the Gophers take on a group of kids from a local high school. Again, the Gophers find a way to struggle with them. This time, they gaff in a rather unspectacular tie ball game. Code:
Game of the Week Northwestern 11, Fort Sheridan 6 Troops from Fort Sheridan come down to Evanston to take on Northwestern and give a good fight. The teams battled to a scoreless halftime before Northwestern moved in front in the third. Fort Sheridan jumped ahead with a TD in the fourth, but Northwestern rallied to retake the lead. In the late moments, Fort Sheridan had a chance to tie, but missed the field goal. Code:
Upset of the Week Haskell 5, American Osteopath 5 It's not much, but it's the only game of the week where a team that was supposed to win did not. It was almost an outright upset as Haskell needed a late field goal to tie the game. Code:
Biggest Departure from Reality Chicago 18, Englewood HS 5 In real life, the Marooons plowed the high schoolers easily. Not so this time around. While Englewood could not generate points to beat Chicago, good defense combined with less-than-spectacular offense by Chicago kept Chicago from RUTSing Englewood. Code:
Comeback of the Week None to award this week. How Everyone Fared (9/17) Chicago 18, Englewood HS 5 Syracuse 24, Cortland State 10 Penn State 22, Dickinson Seminary 0 Northwestern 11, Fort Sheridan 6 Grinnell 12, Grinnell Alumni 5 Haskell 5, American Osteopath 5 (tie) Carlisle 44, Lebanon Valley 0 Nebraska 18, Lincoln HS 6 Chicago 34, Lombard 15 Georgetown 22, Maryland 6 Illinois 35, North Division HS 5 Knox 47, Rock Island AC 6 St. Paul Central HS 5, Minnesota 5 Tufts 28, Boston College 6 Schedule for September 27, 1902 (9/24) Guilford at North Carolina (9/24) Hyde Park HS at Chicago (3-0) (9/24) Minneapolis Central HS at Minnesota (0-0-1) Albion at Michigan (11-0 in 1901) Boston College (0-1) at Wesleyan (4-5-1 in 1901) Boulder HS at Colorado Carleton at Minnesota (0-0-1) Colgate at Cornell(10-1-1 in 1901) Colorado Springs HS at Colorado College Doane at Nebraska (1-0) Englewood HS at Illinois (1-0) Franklin at Purdue (6-3 in 1901) Freeport HS at Beloit (5-5-1 in 1901) Gallaudet at Lafayette (8-4 in 1901) Georgetown (1-0) at Navy (5-5-1 in 1901) Gettysburg at Carlisle (1-0) Golden HS at Colorado Mines Grinnell HS at Grinnell (1-0) Lawrence at Wisconsin (9-0 in 1901) Lebanon Valley at Dickinson (5-5 in 1901) Lehigh (1-11 in 1901) at Pennsylvania (10-3-2 in 1901) Massachusetts (4-3-2 in 1901) at Holy Cross (7-1-1 in 1901) Michigan State at Notre Dame (7-1-2 in 1901) Monmouth at Chicago (3-0) Mooney at Sewanee North Central at Northwestern (1-0) Oak Ridge at Davidson Onondaga at Syracuse (1-0) Pittsburgh at Penn State (1-0) Steelton YMCA at Bucknell (6-4 in 1901) Swarthmore at Princeton (9-2 in 1901) Trinity (Connecticut) (2-6 in 1901) at Yale (12-1 in 1901) Tufts (1-0) at Maine Upper Iowa at Knox (1-0) Vanderbilt at Cumberland Vermont Methodist Seminary at Vermont (4-7 in 1901) Washburn at Haskell (0-0-1) Washington & Lee at Virginia Williams (5-4-1 in 1901) at Harvard (12-0 in 1901) Still at Iowa State (4-6-0) The first big weekend of the 1902 season sees all three unbeatens from 1901, including defending "champion" Harvard, kick off their seasons. In addition, most of the remaining Eastern powers like Yale also start play. Last edited by Wolfpack : 07-25-2005 at 03:09 PM. |
07-25-2005, 04:17 PM | #4 |
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Headline for September 27, 1902
HARVARD BEATS WILLIAMS IN OPENER The Crimson extend their unbeaten streak to 13 games as they come out and shut out Williams in the opening game of 1902 for both teams. Harvard leapt ahead 12-0 in the first and never looked back. Code:
Game of the Week Pennsylvania 15, Lehigh 12 Lehigh has never been a really good team, but they seem to have a good defense this year. Penn is probably a little weaker than they've been. As a result, they stage a great contest in Philly. Penn took the early lead with a FG in the first, but Lehigh grabbed the lead in the second with a touchdown. Penn dominated the third quarter, putting up a pair of field goals to lead 15-6 after three. Lehigh tried to rally in the fourth, breaking through for a touchdown, but then could not get close enough to attempt a field goal after that and Pennsylvania eeks out the win. Code:
Upset of the Week North Central 11, Northwestern 6 It was the only upset in a week of massacres across the country. Neither team scored in the first, both scored TDs in the second, and neither scored in the third to make it 6-6 going to the fourth. North Central booted through a field goal to take the lead. Northwestern could not penetrate the North Central defense and their last gasp attempt was a very long 53-yard attempt that never had a chance. Code:
Biggest Departure from Reality Syracuse 21, Onondaga 11 Onondaga shows up like they never did in real life, never really threatening Syracuse, but never letting them get comfortable, either. A 24-point difference from the real life score of 34-0. Code:
Comeback of the Week Chicago 10, Monmouth 6 This game had been a candidate for departure from reality because Chicago had won 24-0 IRL, but Monmouth nearly upset the script this time. They held Chicago scoreless through three (though they failed to score themselves) and got ahead with a TD in the fourth. Chicago needed a pair of field goals, one late in the game from 37 yards, to come back and win and move to 5-0. Code:
How Everyone Fared North Carolina 34, Guilford 6 Chicago 5, Hyde Park HS 0 Minnesota 28, Minneapolis Central 5 Michigan 85, Albion 6 Wesleyan 17, Boston College 0 Colorado 16, Boulder High 0 Minnesota 34, Carleton 5 Colgate 10, Cornell 10 (tie) Colorado Springs HS 23, Colorado College 0 Nebraska 36, Doane 0 Illinois 62, Englewood HS 6 Purdue 58, Franklin 0 Beloit 86, Freeport HS 6 Lafayette 29, Gallaudet 10 Navy 12, Georgetown 0 Carlisle 27, Gettysburg 5 Colorado Mines 5, Golden 0 Grinnell HS 10, Grinnell 6 Wisconsin 17, Lawrence 10 Dickinson 16, Lebanon Valley 0 Pennsylvania 15, Lehigh 12 Massachusetts 12, Holy Cross 0 Notre Dame 27, Michigan State 0 Chicago 10, Monmouth 6 Sewanee 30, Mooney 0 North Central 11, Northwestern 6 Davidson 27, Oak Ridge 5 Syracuse 21, Onondaga 11 Penn State 16, Pittsburgh 6 Bucknell 5, Steelton YMCA 0 Princeton 23, Swarthmore 6 Yale 35, Trinity (CT) 0 Maine 16, Tufts 0 Knox 40, Upper Iowa 10 Vanderbilt 61, Cumberland 5 Vermont 42, Vermont Methodist Seminary 6 Haskell 53, Washburn 5 Virginia 22, Washington & Lee 10 Harvard 22, Williams 0 Iowa State 40, Still 0 Ranking the 15 Best Code:
Schedule for the Top 15 for October 4, 1902 Code:
Last edited by Wolfpack : 07-25-2005 at 04:19 PM. |
07-25-2005, 05:09 PM | #5 |
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Headline for October 4, 1902
CHICAGO EDGES KNOX, REMAINS PERFECT The first big clash of the 1902 season is everything people were hoping to see. The teams go back and forth in the first quarter with Knox gaining the upper hand at 15-10. Knox puts up 10 more in the second compared to a Chicago touchdown to lead 25-16 at the half, leaving the home crowd wondering if they'll pull this out. They do it in fine fashion as the defense, non-existent in the first half, plays with purpose in the second half and shuts out Knox. Meanwhile, the offense works through two touchdown drives in the third and fourth quarters to put Chicago ahead 28-25. Knox never threatens and the Maroons move to 7-0 after completing another weekend sweep of games. Code:
Game of the Week Princeton 27, Lehigh 26 Ordinarily, the Knox-Chicago game should win the award, but this game had a little more. Lehigh again plays hard and gets in front at halftime 16-12. Penn rallies in the third with 10 unanswered to lead 22-16 going to the fourth. Lehigh cuts it to 22-21 with a field goal, then the Lehigh kicker stuns the crowd by converting an astonishing 53-yard attempt. Penn still has time and the offense is able to get into position for one last chance from 44 yards. He's able to boot it through and Penn pulls out a thrilling 27-26 win. Code:
Upset of the Week Hyde Park HS 15, Wisconsin 11 Wisconsin did not lose a single game in 1901 and usually razed their opponents with ease. So, to have a bunch of kids from Chicago's South Side come walking onto the field in Madison, hang with Wisconsin for four quarters, then stun everybody in attendance with a 45-yard field goal to win the game pretty much clinches this category. Code:
Biggest Departure from Reality Amherst 45, Union (NY) 0 Gets the award because Amherst actually improved on its shutout of Union in real life. A 16-0 pasting turns into a 45-0 humiliation of Union this time, a 29-point tilt in favor of Amherst. Code:
Comeback of the Week Chicago Dental 10, Northwestern 10 Northwestern shouldn't have struggled as they did, but they did. Frankly, they should have lost the game. Chicago Dental put Northwestern in a 10-0 hole at the half and kept it that way through three quarters. However, Northwestern managed to net a pair of field goals that forged a tie that would stand the rest of the game. Good on them for rallying, but they shouldn't have had to. Code:
How the Top 15 Fared Code:
Ranking the 15 Best Code:
Schedule for the Top 15 for October 11, 1902 Code:
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07-25-2005, 05:53 PM | #6 |
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Glad you resurrected this dynasty Wolfpack, I always enjoyed it!!
Since you have converted this to a computer program, any chance it could get hosted for download? |
07-26-2005, 09:49 AM | #7 |
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I haven't given much consideration to making it publicly available on a site since I keep finding a bug or two (I actually found a new one yesterday) and I'd rather just fix it on my own schedule rather than have everyone and his uncle point out where I screwed up. However, I could pass it along to you directly in email if you like (it's not a very big program at all).
Thanks for the good words, BTW. Feel free to chime in any time. This goes for anyone else reading, as well. If it'll provide a little more personal interest, I can post updates on particular schools and how they fare if anyone's interested. In the early going, I can't promise much because the membership rolls at the top level are going to vary wildly from year to year (such as jumping from 45 to 72 from 1901 to 1902) and I'm at the mercy of what the game has for primary teams. BTW, would anyone have a suggested method for replicating a poll? I've been noodling on the idea for a while, but can't seem to come up with a satisfactory system. At its most fundamental, it's easier to fall after a loss than climb after a win, but trying to determine how much falling and how much rising should occur isn't simple to determine. It's true that there will be no opinion polls until 1936 when the AP started, but I had wondered if I could produce an experimental one for 1902. I couldn't get it to work how I felt it should and so just went back to statistical rankings again. It's not as if statistical ranking isn't bad, either. After all, the MNC is usually the team with the best record anyway. |
07-26-2005, 03:31 PM | #8 |
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Headline for October 11, 1902: PURDUE STUNS CHICAGO
*Chicago always has a fast start to the season, feasting on high schoolers and other weak fare, but once again they break their teeth on tougher competition. After scraping by Knox last week, then struggling with Cornell (IA) earlier this week, the visitors from West Lafayette finally tip Chicago over the edge. Purdue pounded the ball early and often, ending up with a 16-0 halftime lead. Chicago made a heroic effort to come back, but a Purdue TD in the third proved critical as they survived a missed field goal late to claim the win. Code:
Game of the Week: Purdue 22, Chicago 21 Gets the nod because there weren't that many other great contests, but the implication of the statistical #1 going down is enough by itself. Upset of the Week: Iowa 18, Drake 12 *Iowa's had a rough descent from their great team in 1900, to the point where Drake was a decent favorite to beat them. Surprisingly, this was a touchdown-fest as both teams scored nothing but TDs, with Iowa getting one more than Drake. Interestingly enough, Iowa actually thumped Drake in real life 12-0, so Drake just can't seem to beat Iowa. Code:
Biggest Departure from Reality: Carlisle 30, Bucknell 17 *In reality, this was a game that Carlisle should have won, but for whatever reason, Bucknell wiped the floor with them 16-0. As a result, it's a 29-point swing to Carlisle and wins this week's award. Code:
Comeback of the Week: Purdue 22, Chicago 21 *Chicago trailed 16-0 at the half and 22-10 after three and almost pulled off the win. Still a valiant effort that just came up a little short. How the Top 15 Fared Code:
Rating the 15 Best Code:
*Number of unbeaten/untied teams remaining: 26 *Number of unbeaten/tied teams remaining: 3 Schedule for the Top 15 for October 18, 1902 Code:
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07-26-2005, 04:45 PM | #9 |
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Headline for October 18, 1902: PURDUE THUMPS ILLINOIS
*The boys from Purdue are on quite the roll right now. For the second straight week they cut down the #1 team, this time administering a beating to Illinois that stuns the home crowd in Champaign. Purdue started fast, going up 11-5 after one and kept it through the half. They built it up to 23-11 after three and then applied the final knockout punch in the fourth. Code:
Game of the Week: Lehigh 22, Navy 18 *A good little see-saw battle a bit off the beaten path from the top team clashes. Lehigh has been featured in hard-luck circumstances, but they finally catch the breaks. They get ahead early and keep it to lead 12-6 at the half. Navy knots it up in the third, but Lafayette is able to put up a pair of field goals to retake the lead. Navy fights back with a TD and then almost snatches the win, but the late field goal from 45 yards is no good. Code:
Upset of the Week: Purdue 29, Illinois 11 *Illinois was a 9-point favorite, but were absolutely flogged by the boys from Purdue. An upset in how badly Illinois played. Biggest Departure from Reality: Purdue 29, Illinois 11 *The game is a superlative hog. Headliner, biggest upset, now biggest departure. IRL, Illinois manhandled Purdue 29-5, so it was a 42-point reversal of fortune that suddenly sees Purdue surging towards the top while Illinois is the one taking the plunge. How the Top 15 Fared Code:
Ranking the 15 Best Code:
Schedule for the Top 15 for October 25, 1902 Code:
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07-27-2005, 01:31 PM | #10 |
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Headline for October 25, 1902: PRINCETON SHUTS OUT BROWN
*It wasn't the most scintillating of affairs, but it did reduce the unbeatens by one more as Princeton used their stellar defense to stifle the visitors from Brown. With the three front runners all easily remaining unbeaten this week, it gives Princeton a leg up on everyone else in taking advantage should any of the frontrunners stumble. Code:
Game of the Week: Vanderbilt 23, Tennessee 23 (tie) *There were three games where both teams exchanged field goals late to decide outcomes. This wasn't one of them, but it had consistent scoring throughout and the delicious irony of a tie that winds up bouncing both out of the ranks of the unbeaten/untieds. Code:
Upset of the Week: Georgia Tech 16, Georgia 6 *This should get the hackles up of the Bulldog followers. UGA was a nine-point favorite and Tech's an abysmal team with a horrid offense and defense. But, the Engineers managed to manufacture points on two drives in the third to provide the difference, while the visitors from Athens struggled all day to score, managing just a single touchdown in the second. Rivalries are begun with such stinging defeats. Code:
Biggest Departure from Reality: Michigan 52, Ohio State 5 *This only gets the nod because Yost's boys couldn't beat the visitors worse than they did in real life. The only way a 52-5 drubbing actually compares favorably for Ohio State is if you stack it against the 86-0 ass-handing they took in real life. Code:
Comeback of the Week: None this week *Just isn't a good week for rallies. Mostly one-sided contests and very few where a team that won was trailing by any decent amount. How the Top 15 Fared Code:
Ranking the 15 Best Code:
*Unbeaten/untied teams left: 10 *Unbeaten/once tied teams left: 3 Schedule for the Top 15 for November 1, 1901 Code:
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07-27-2005, 04:32 PM | #11 |
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Headline for November 1, 1902: HARVARD WIN STREAK SNAPPED
*A stunning development at Cambridge as Carlisle comes in and proceeds to pound the Crimson into the turf, going up 12-0 by halftime and then keeping Harvard at arm's length the rest of the way. The loss snaps Harvard's 20-game winning streak dating to the end of the 1900 season when they lost to Yale. Yalies rejoice as they continue to retain the longest win streak record at 24 games set during their run in 1900 and 1901. Michigan now holds the longest streak at 19 games after drubbing Wisconsin 51-12 this week. Code:
Game of the Week: Cornell 22, Princeton 22 *Once again, a pair of teams play hard for sixty minutes and all they have to show for it is a tie. Unfortunately for Princeton, it pretty much kills their chances at a spot at the top of the statistical order at the end of the year. Code:
Upset of the Week: Williams 22, Syracuse 12 *Carlisle' beating of Harvard was big. Georgia knocking off Alabama was bigger. This was biggest. Syracuse has had the wheels come off since they started 4-0 and got as high as #5 in the statistical order. This marks their third straight loss and it was to a Williams team they should have handled relatively easily. Code:
Biggest Departure from Reality: (tie) Minnesota 47, Grinnell 0 *This ones a bit of a head-scratcher. Minnesota was the vastly superior team, but only won 2-0 IRL. Here, they rightfully plow Grinnell into the ground by 47 points. Code:
*After a 3-0 start, Iowa has been crushed the last two weeks by Minnesota and Iowa State. Doubly painful for Iowa fans was the fact that Iowa won this game IRL 12-6. Iowa got 12 points, but they gave up way more than 6 this time. Code:
Comeback of the Week: Holy Cross 21, Tufts 21 *Holy Cross started fast with 10 points in the first quarter, but Tufts dominated for a long while after that, building a 21-10 lead by the end of the third. Holy Cross managed to rally for a touchdown and then booted through a 35-yarder late in the fourth to force a tie. Code:
How the Top 15 Fared Code:
Ranking the Top 15 Code:
*Unbeaten/untied teams left: 4 *Unbeaten/once tied teams left: 4 Schedule for the Top 15 for November 8, 1902 Code:
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07-28-2005, 10:29 AM | #12 |
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Headline for November 8, 1902: COLORADO MINES BESTED BY COLORADO
*The only unbeaten/untied team to lose of the four left was Colorado Mines, who are shut out by Colorado in Boulder. Colorado jumped out to a 10-0 lead after the first quarter and dominated play throughout to hand Colorado Mines their first defeat of the season. Code:
Game of the Week: Illinois 27, Minnesota 22 *Minnesota's been on a roll of late, while Illinois is rebounding from a couple of tough losses over the last few weeks. Illinois jumped ahead early on a field goal, then the teams exchanged even blows throughout the second quarter, leaving Illinois ahead 16-11 at halftime. Defenses asserted themselves in the third with neither team scoring, setting up the dramatic final quarter. In the fourth, Minnesota booted a field goal to tie, Illinois got ahead with a touchdown, then Minnesota struck back with their own touchdown to make it 22-22 with time running out. Minnesota had first crack to win the game, but their long attempt missed. Illinois had enough time to try a long attempt of their own and made the most of it, stunning the home crowd with a remarkable 58-yard attempt to win the game. Code:
Upset of the Week: Northwestern 16, Wisconsin 11 *Wisconsin's season is coming undone in a hurry. They were heavy favorites against Northwestern, but were ineffectual most of the game. Northwestern found holes in the defense they shouldn't have and stymied Wisconsin's offense when they weren't supposed to and ended up walking off winners. Code:
Biggest Departure from Reality: Northwestern 16, Wisconsin 11 *This game takes honors based on the fact that Wisconsin annihilated Northwestern 51-0 in real life. So, that makes it a whopping 56-point swing in favor of Northwestern. Yikes. Comeback of the Week: Grinnell 17, Drake 17 (tie) *Grinnell's not had a very good year, but they've been troublesome to their opponents. Drake had them dead-to-rights after the third, ahead 17-6, but Grinnell found a way to come back, striking for a touchdown, then booting a field goal late to salvage a tie. Code:
How the Top 15 Fared Code:
Ranking the Top 15 Code:
*Unbeaten/untied teams left: 3 *Unbeaten/1+-tied teams left: 4 (Tennessee is the other) Schedule for the Top 15 for November 15, 1902 Code:
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07-28-2005, 12:50 PM | #13 |
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Ha! I just found a small error in the data I've been feeding to the game. I accidentally chopped off the hundreds place (yes, the hundreds place) in the score column when I set up the schedule file, which is why Minnesota only beat Grinnell "2-0". The actual score wasn't 2-0. It was 102-0. This extends to a couple of Michigan games. Michigan didn't beat Michigan State 19-0 in early October. It was 119-0 (yes, 119-0). Michigan also defeated Iowa 107-0, rather than 7-0.
I figured out the mistake because I was doing a write-up for 11/15 and wanted to look up Michigan's 1902 schedule to see who they had left. I then noticed that Michigan had scored over 100 points in a couple of games, which I didn't remember seeing in the replay. Oops. It doesn't affect much of anything really, other than Michigan should have had a lot more points against Michigan State than they did. Oh, well. I'll have to be a little more careful going forward. |
07-28-2005, 02:55 PM | #14 |
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Cool to see this back. I've put mine on hold so that I could make a small program to sim the game for me like you did. Doing all of the games by hand is quite the....handful....no pun intended.
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07-28-2005, 03:23 PM | #15 |
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Yeah, I hear that. I rapidly came to that conclusion when doing my 1900 season. The first version of the program I had written up had just an interface to produce quarter-by-quarter scores. I still had to track standings "by hand" in Excel (mostly through use of lots of formulas on two different sheets in a workbook). Even doing it that way was a fairly tedious process. I can't imagine trying to assemble all these numbers with just pencil and paper.
So, starting with 1901, I began working out a bulk playing utility that generally rounded into shape when I did the greatest pro team tournament a while back. I'm still finding the occasional bug in it, but it's a pretty good system now. However, I've discovered some more info about how college football was way back in the day and it turns out my understanding was a little off. Turns out XPs were worth two points, not one, until 1904. This meant that TDs were actually worth 4 points, not 5. (Be that as it may, it wouldn't really affect anything since 99% of all TDs on the charts assume the XP was made, and I usually turned any "6" on modern charts into "10" to represent two field goals.) Also, the usage of quarters wasn't developed until 1912. Before that, it was more like soccer in that they played halves. I'm getting this info from here. (This site and some others have a bazillion tons of information which helps flesh out the world pretty well) Seeing all that info, I've had a temptation to restart so that I can actually get every school that played involved. Many teams that started play this year have actually been playing since the 1890s, but they didn't play enough to merit getting rated by the game's creator. Of course, if I did that, may as well go all the way back to 1879 and see Princeton and Rutgers go head-to-head for the only two games played that year. |
07-29-2005, 12:48 PM | #16 |
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Headline for November 15, 1902: MICHIGAN CRUSHES CHICAGO
*It seems there is no stopping Yost's "point-a-minute" machine. The Michigan men calmly stride into Chicago, administer another punishing beating of an opponent, and walk off again. They have a speed bump game next week (if they can feel it) before a season-ender against a reeling Minnesota squad. It's a virtual certainty they'll go unbeaten. Code:
Game of the Week: Wisconsin 36, Minnesota 22 *Gotta go with rivalry week at Minnesota for this one. Minnesota hasn't won a game from Wisconsin since the early 1890s and that streak continues. Is it a rivalry if only one team wins? Code:
Upset of the Week: Wisconsin 36, Minnesota 25 *The killer for Minnesota supporters was that this was supposed to be the year they finally beat Wisconsin. Nope. Biggest Departure from Reality: Washington (MO) 27, Iowa 17 *It looks like Iowa has packed it in for the year. How else can you explain a reversal from 61-0 to a 10-point defeat? Code:
Comeback of the Week *None this week. How the Top 15 Fared Code:
Ranking the Top 15 Code:
*Unbeaten/untied teams left: 3 *Unbeaten/1+-tied teams left: 3 Schedule for the Top 15 for November 22, 1902 Code:
Last edited by Wolfpack : 07-29-2005 at 01:36 PM. |
07-29-2005, 01:34 PM | #17 |
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Headline for November 22, 1902: YALE ROUTS HARVARD
*In the end, it's anti-climatic. Yale starts slow, but is running like a well-oiled machine in the second half. Harvard never got started at all. It is the second worst beating in series history, the worst being a 52-0 pasting by Yale in 1884. Code:
Game of the Week: Iowa 23, Missouri 22 *A very quiet start belied a second quarter where both teams marched up and down the field at will. The result left Iowa ahead 17-16 at the half. In the second half, the defenses regained control, which means Missouri ends up behind the eight ball when Iowa breaks through for a TD in the third. They do manage to get it back in the fourth, but are still down one. Unfortunately, they can't find a way to score the rest of the way and Iowa walks off winners. Code:
Upset of the Week: Dickinson 11, Penn State 6 *A very poor effort by Penn State allows Dickinson to hang around the entire contest until they are able to boot through the winning field goal at the very end. Code:
Biggest Departure from Reality: Purdue 50, Butler 12 *Another of those games thats difficult to replicate just because one side so thoroughly manhandled the other in real life. In this case, Purdue won 87-0, so Butler made it just slightly more respectable this time and actually scored a pair of touchdowns to boot. Code:
Comeback of the Week *None this week. How the Top 15 Fared RK TEAM OPPONENT 1 Yale W vs #5 Harvard, 33-0 2 Michigan W vs Oberlin, 79-16 3 Purdue W vs Butler, 50-12 4 Vanderbilt (11/17) W at Louisiana State, 23-22 5 Harvard L at #1 Yale, 0-33 6 Cornell bye 7 Nebraska bye 8 Virginia L vs Carlisle, 0-28 9 Sewanee bye 10 Chicago bye 11 Princeton bye 12 Clemson bye 13 Colorado bye 14 Colorado Mines bye 15 Tennessee W at Georgia Tech, 6-5[/code] *Virginia was knocked off by Carlisle, which means teams in back will take advantage of that loss and the Harvard loss to bump up a couple of places. Ranking the Top 15 Code:
Schedule for the Top 15 for November 27, 1902 Code:
*One other note: If Michigan beats Minnesota, they will claim the Western Conference championship by a half-game over Purdue, who is going out of conference against Notre Dame this week. A tie will create a co-championship, while a loss gives it to Purdue. Last edited by Wolfpack : 07-29-2005 at 01:35 PM. |
07-29-2005, 02:05 PM | #18 |
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Headline for November 27, 1902: NOTRE DAME STUNS PURDUE
*Purdue's unbeaten season hopes are dashed in the final game. A hard way to go. Notre Dame hopped on Purdue early, getting ahead 11-0 by the second quarter. Purdue put up a field goal to get on the board in the second. The teams exchanged TDs in the third, leaving Notre Dame ahead 17-11 after three. Purdue knocked through another field goal to make it 17-16, but was unable to close the deal, missing their last chance late and suffering their first loss of the year. Code:
Game of the Week: Pennsylvania 18, Cornell 12 *A tough, hard-fought contest all the way. Cornell got ahead early, Penn tied it up in the second, and then stayed even after three. In the fourth, Penn pushed ahead for the first time. Cornell didn't have an answer and they take their first loss of the season in the last game just like Purdue. Code:
Upset of the Week: Navy 22, Army 0 *In the renewal of the service academy rivalry at Philadelphia, the Cadets had to wonder what in the heck happened. A solid favorite against the Middies, Army gets beat eight ways from Sunday as Navy pounds them with surprising ease. Code:
Biggest Departure from Reality: Navy 22, Army 0 *A complete reversal of fortune from real life, when Army soundly beat Navy 22-8. Comeback of the Week: Charleston 15, Furman 10 *It came in a loss, but Furman rallied from 10-0 in the fourth to tie it up. Charleston had one more drive in them, though, as they booted through a 45-yarder. Furman couldn't respond and Charleston got the win. Code:
How the Top 15 Fared Code:
*Michigan's win cements their 1902 Western Conference championship by 1/2 game over Purdue (5-0 to 4-0). Final Top 15 Rankings Code:
Last edited by Wolfpack : 07-29-2005 at 02:05 PM. |
07-29-2005, 02:45 PM | #19 |
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Here is the final full table of all teams and how they compared to their real life 1902 seasons:
Code:
There seemed to be a little more variance this time across all areas, but nothing totally out of the ordinary. The lone exception is Navy, which improved five games from their real life 1902 season. The majority finished within a game or so of their real-life marks. |
07-29-2005, 08:37 PM | #21 |
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I wish to throw out a point of discussion to the small audience I have. Do people prefer I continue to detail each year as I've done, or would they prefer I just make one thread and blaze my way through history?
If I continue as I have, the advantage would be that each year gets full discussion and dissection, evolving week-by-week. However, even with my automated program, it still took a week to get through 1902. At that rate, I won't get to the end if I went non-stop until around mid-2007. If I went to a single thread and reported yearly outcomes, it would speed up the process very significantly. However, detail would be lost as I concentrated posts on highlights of the season (big games, rivalries, bowl games, etc) with an overall summary of the season itself. Anybody have any thoughts? (I've not had much luck in getting opinions, so I'm not holding my breath here...just wanted to see if anyone cares.) |
07-30-2005, 12:02 AM | #22 |
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I vote for condensing it, only because you want to get through the entire history.....I enjoy your current write-ups but also think it woul be cool if you made it all the way through. Maybe when you are finished you can do a detailed summary of your results???
Last edited by BYU 14 : 07-30-2005 at 12:03 AM. |
07-30-2005, 01:32 AM | #23 |
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I'll be reading either way.
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07-30-2005, 03:45 AM | #24 |
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I'd go for the highlights option, myself.
But I would like Princeton to be included as one of the schools closely followed, if possible.
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07-30-2005, 07:25 PM | #25 |
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Alright. Initial indications are that I'll be going season-by-season starting in 1903, unless there's a general outcry against over the next few days the other way.
I should note that my hands are tied by what the game has available for teams. Princeton shouldn't be a problem until about 1977 or so (or whenever they were officially dropped to I-AA). Generally, the game ratings are available for all D I-A teams or the various equivalent throughout history. Speaking of which, anyone else wants to pipe in for teams that they want to see a little more, let me know. I presume illinifan would like to see Illinois in detail and BYU wants, well, BYU? |
07-30-2005, 07:34 PM | #26 |
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I see I just passed 1900 posts. W00t! (Okay, maybe not...)
At any rate, another thought occurs to me. If I go season-by-season, how will a champion be determined? Do you want to continue to vote on them (obviously polling may end up lagging the seasons played)? Or do you want me to devise some method of determining a champion (rating, dartboard, something else)? I'd prefer to stick to the realism, which means no tournament to determine winner. |
07-30-2005, 08:10 PM | #27 |
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Yeah I'd like some stuff on the Illini, unless they're doing horribly, then I'd rather not know.
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07-30-2005, 08:44 PM | #28 |
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I'd say for the champion to use a supersecret formula known only to you.
That way we can bitch and interact with you if we disagree about a choice of national champ.
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07-30-2005, 09:00 PM | #29 | |
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Quote:
I second that, always up for some bitching. And yes, please include BYU, I know they will suck until 1974, but thats fine, their last three seasons have mirrored their first 73 of the century so I should be able to handle it Last edited by BYU 14 : 07-30-2005 at 09:01 PM. |
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08-01-2005, 03:49 PM | #30 |
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FOFC FOUNDATION HANDS 1902 NATIONAL TITLE TO YALE
A strong belief in tough competition has resulted in the FOFC Foundation awarding their 1902 national championship to Yale. It is the second FOFC Foundation championship for Yale, who won it in 1900. Harvard won it in 1901, handing Yale its only loss in three full seasons. The only other team on the ballot for the proceedings was Michigan, who had an incredible team offensively. However, they were hobbled by what many considered a weak schedule. "It is clear that a majority of our committee members prefer that the best team plays the best schedule," said foundation chairman Wolfpack. "They were impressed by Michigan's dominance of their opponents, but not by who they dominated. They clearly preferred Yale's schedule and the fact that they went unbeaten against it." It is the second straight year Michigan's weak schedule has hampered their chances for the FOFC Foundation championship. Similar complaints were made regarding the 1901 team when they were competing with Harvard for the title. Going forward, the FOFC Foundation is reviewing the rules governing the awarding of championships. "We are looking at incorporating some sort of computerized analysis to evaluate teams in the future. We figure it will be helpful in situations where it is obvious or mostly obvious who is the best team. However, if the analysis is inconclusive, we will likely turn the process over to our committee to make the final determination." Last edited by Wolfpack : 08-01-2005 at 03:50 PM. |
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