Wolfpack Recreates College Football History: Single Wing to Spread Option

[Wolfpack]

After a little layoff (compared to the long one before), I'm getting ready to resume the replay of the history of college football with my computerized version of the Quick Play Football dice 'n charts game. We had previously rolled through the years 1900, 1901, and 1902. For reference purposes, here's the links to those years:

1900 season
1900 voting--Yale is unanimous choice
1901 season
1901 poll--Harvard claims win in low turnout
1902 season
1902 voting--Yale claims second FOFC national title

EDIT to add: From here on out, I'll edit this post to link to the various years in this thread, starting with 1903:
1903 season
1903 voting--Princeton wins first computer-determined national title
1904 Season
1904 voting--Pennsylvania wins first FOFC title
1905 Season

At the end of the 1902 season replay, I posited the question to readers asking whether they'd prefer seasonal highlights rather than weekly highlights, the tradeoff being a chance to see this project through much more quickly for a much-reduced level in detail. It was generally decided that the faster progression was preferred.

Thinking a little more on it, I've decided to compromise somewhat. I will no longer be posting weekly results. However, instead of doing entire years in one shot and losing all details of any sort of a title chase, I've decided to go month-by-month. Effectively, there will be updates at the end of September, October and November. Any postseason games will be handled in a separate post.

Besides the monthly reporting, after each season is done, I'll have some posts on superlatives of the year (best games, biggest upsets, biggest departures from reality). Also, now that the clock will advance more quickly, I'll be checking in with rivalries and how they are progressing over time.

To accomodate this faster pace, it has become necessary to mostly jettison the option to have readers vote on who wins each year. Instead, I've developed a bank of 9 ratings, 6 of which are my rating system in full or in part, plus a variant on ELO, one that I made up and kind of looks like ELO, but is completely different, and an RPI rating, that will be used to conduct a "poll" at the end of the year. It won't be majority vote (i.e. who's #1 in most polls) because the ratings will fluctuate enough from one to next that splits are fairly likely to happen. Instead, it'll be like the AP or Coaches poll in that teams get points based on where they are ranked in each individual rating.

However, I'm not wanting to do away with the human interaction in selecting the winner entirely. I'm currently trying to figure out at what threshold should human interference become necessary. I'm leaning to perhaps saying if the second place team (or third, etc) has 98% of the points of the first team, that the matter is sufficiently in doubt and it will be sent to the readers to decide. For instance, it would not have been necessary to do so for 1902 because Yale was clearly #1 by the computer rankings, with 134 points and 8 first-place votes of the 9 available. (With fewer teams in 1902, I would rank teams from 1-15 instead of 1-25, accounting for the fewer points available) Michigan had 1 first place vote and 113 points, well below a "doubtful" threshold of 98% of 134, which would be 131 points. As a matter of fact, it would be impossible for a team that was all #2s to actually force a team that was #1 in all polls into a run-off because the best that a #2 team could do would be 126, and a 98% threshold for 135 points (the best available) would be 132. By comparison, if I were to use the same system against the 2005 teams as they are right now to this point in the season, VT, USC, and Penn State would all go to the run-off because USC and Penn State have 98% of VT's current total points of 213 (USC is 210, and PSU is 209 right now, BTW).

With these steps, it kind of makes it irrelevant to make up AP and UPI/Coaches polls from 1936 onward, though I may try to figure something out to add their flavor to the mix.

Beyond all the things I'm normally tracking (month-to-month, superlatives, final polling), I mentioned in the 1902 thread that I'm perfectly willing to detail how readers' favorite teams are doing going through the years. Here's who has signed up so far (I will update the list in this post as others ask for it):
Izulde: Princeton
illinifan999: Illinois
BYU 14: BYU

I still have a little more prep work to do, but 1903 should begin soon.

[Wolfpack]

1903 Overview

College football's popularity generally holds steady from 1902 to 1903 as there are actually just a few schools fewer participating in a full schedule in 1903 than in 1902, but still about 70 in all. Scoring rules remain unchanged between 1902 and 1903, with field goals still more prized (5 points) than touchdowns (4 points), though extra points make up the difference (2 points). However, changes are being considered for 1904 that will flip the values of TDs and FGs, with XPs to being reduced to the modern 1 point to make it consistent.

As in prior years, just about all the usual suspects are expected to rule the world of 1903: Yale, Michigan, Minnesota, Harvard (though this looks to be somewhat of a down year, relatively speaking, for the Crimson), Penn, Princeton, etc. Nebraska will likely continue to be the most dominant team west of the Mississippi and will also receive consideration as best in the country if things go their way.

Once again, the Western Conference is the only organized conference. Minnesota and Michigan are the heavy favorites. Of course, they're still not playing full schedules yet. Minnesota and Michigan play 4 games, while Iowa plays the fewest at two games, and Chicago and Illinois play six each in conference.

[Wolfpack]

September, 1903

Minnesota, Northwestern, and Chicago all get the big early jump and move out to 4-0 records. It should be noted that they're feasting on cupcakes, though.

Denver is close behind at 3-0 and a number of other teams are at 2-0 or 1-0. However, a large number of teams haven't even started their season yet and won't do so until October.

RK TEAM		 	W-L-T  WIN %   APD
 1 Minnesota 		4-0-0  1.000  30.8
 2 Northwestern		4-0-0  1.000  26.8
 3 Chicago		4-0-0  1.000  14.2
 4 Denver		3-0-0  1.000  22.3
 5 Carlisle		2-0-0  1.000  38.5
 6 Illinois		2-0-0  1.000  27.0
 7 Nebraska		2-0-0  1.000  26.5
 8 Colorado College	2-0-0  1.000  16.0
 9 Harvard		2-0-0  1.000  14.5
10 Lehigh		1-0-0  1.000  66.0
11 Penn State		1-0-0  1.000  59.0
12 Yale			1-0-0  1.000  40.0
13 Colorado		1-0-0  1.000  39.0
14 Purdue		1-0-0  1.000  34.0
   Dartmouth		1-0-0  1.000  34.0

[Wolfpack]

October, 1903

The action really gets going this month and everyone's getting seriously involved. Minnesota continues to remain on top of the statistical sort with 10 wins. They're also whipping opponents in convincing fashion by 43.9 points per game. Illinois has come right behind them to 9-0, including handing Chicago their first loss of the season, a 22-6 beating on the 24th. Behind them are a host of eastern powers, Penn, Princeton, Yale, and Harvard. Can the "big game" between Yale and Harvard settle things for the fourth consecutive year? Just behind those three is Fielding Yost's latest machine from Michigan at 7-0 and gaudy 49.0 ppg margin average.

As noted earlier, Illinois knocked out Chicago in convincing fashion. Chicago actually did the same to Northwestern earlier in the month that removed them from the ranks of the unbeaten. Expected national contender Nebraska suffered a disappointing tie against Denver.

RK TEAM		 	 W-L-T  WIN %   APD
 1 Minnesota		10-0-0  1.000  43.9
 2 Illinois		 9-0-0  1.000  32.1
 3 Pennsylvania		 8-0-0  1.000  34.9
 4 Princeton		 8-0-0  1.000  25.9
 5 Yale			 8-0-0  1.000  21.2
 6 Harvard		 8-0-0  1.000  15.4
 7 Michigan		 7-0-0  1.000  49.0
 8 Virginia		 6-0-0  1.000  12.7
 9 Cornell		 6-0-0  1.000  12.7
10 Wisconsin		 5-0-0  1.000  34.6
11 Vanderbilt		 4-0-0  1.000  25.8
12 Auburn		 3-0-0  1.000  23.3
13 Sewanee		 3-0-0  1.000  22.7
14 Colorado Mines	 2-0-0  1.000  44.0
15 Clemson		 2-0-0  1.000  26.0

November is chock-a-block with big games. First up is a Halloween special in Minneapolis as the mighty Wolverines come to visit Minnesota. Rumor has it Yost doesn't trust the hosts to provide good water to his team and has decided to bring his own team's water in a decent sized jug. Minnesota later on goes down to Urbana to take on Illinois and then winds up with what has become a fierce rivalry game against Wisconsin to finish the year.

Illinois will get a stern test on the same day of the Michigan Minnesota game as they take on Northwestern. Later on at Thanksgiving, they'll travel out to Lincoln to take on Nebraska.

Penn, meanwhile, gets to play host to Harvard on 11/7, Princeton is at Yale on 14th, and Harvard and Yale go at it on the 21st. So, there will be a lot of shuffling going on in that group.

[Wolfpack]

November, 1903-January, 1904

The season charges home with some great games to wind out the year. Michigan and Minnesota stage a big clash in Minneapolis and it's pretty much all Michigan. However, Yost left his water jug behind. After he discovered he left it, he called after it. However, the Minnesota staff, a little resentful at Yost's gesture of distrust, told him he'd have to come and win it from them. Thus, the "Little Brown Jug" is born as a trophy, but the loser ended up being the first holders of the jug.

On the same day, Illinois trashed Northwestern with ease. However, the Illini would themselves be knocked out in a heartbreaking loss to Minnesota two weeks later and then would drop the last game to Nebraska in Lincoln.

As for the scrum among the eastern powers, Harvard is absolutely dominated by Pennsylvania 37-12 on November 7, but Penn is then stunned a weak later by Carlisle. Yale does win "The Game" against Harvard, but Princeton trumps all as they knock out Yale in a big clash on the 14th, winning with a long field goal near the end of the game 15-12.

Princeton joins Michigan at the top of the unbeatens list. After beating Minnesota, Michigan cruises home and claims the Western Conference championship for the third straight year.

The only other unbeaten teams are Vanderbilt, who faced fewer opponents and weaker scheduling than Princeton or Michigan, and Nebraska, who have got to be kicking themselves for allowing the University of Denver to tie them.

RK TEAM		 	 W-L-T  WIN %   APD
 1 Michigan		12-0-0  1.000  39.7
 2 Princeton 		11-0-0  1.000  23.4
 3 Vanderbilt 		 8-0-0  1.000  21.9
 4 Nebraska 		10-0-1  0.955  17.4
 5 Minnesota 		14-1-0  0.933  33.4
 6 Pennsylvania 	11-1-0  0.917  29.8
 7 Yale 		11-1-0  0.917  17.7
 8 Dartmouth 		 9-1-0  0.900  25.1
 9 Virginia 		 9-1-0  0.900  14.0
10 Sewanee 		 7-1-0  0.875  12.6
11 Illinois 		12-2-0  0.857  26.6
12 Auburn 		 6-1-0  0.857  10.6
13 Lehigh 		10-2-0  0.833  23.0
14 Clemson 		 5-1-0  0.833  17.0
15 Wisconsin 		 8-2-0  0.800  20.2

It's hard to say who will be chosen as FOFC champion for 1903. It'll likely be between Michigan and Princeton. However, that will be revealed a little later. Next few posts are going into the superlatives of the year followed by rivalry games.

[Wolfpack]

1903--The Year in Superlatives

*A word about how I determine "best games". I have a few criteria: A) The game must go to the close game chart (go to the last few minutes, IOW). B) The combined points must exceed 25 points (yes, I know this would make the ND-MSU game in 1966 ineligible, but frankly, I'm biased towards more high-scoring games than defensive struggles). C) Both teams must be "rated" for the season. D) Both teams must have winning records at the end of the year. After all that's determined, we cull the list to the highest combined win percentages. Taking these steps allows me to quickly determine the games without having to examine every single score (do note any records listed are records as they were at the end of the game). I also did not bother with ranking the games in any order. Without anything but scores to go by, it's difficult to say which would be better than any other. With these caveats in mind, here's the superlative list for 1903:

Best Games

11/14/1903
Carlisle(13/-2/4/13/9/P/0) at Pennsylvania(24/-1/4/14/25/K/0)
CG:  Carlisle converts a  53-yard field goal attempt!
CG:  Pennsylvania attempts a  59-yard field goal, but misses!
TEAM                                         1Q   2Q   3Q   4Q   CG   Final
Carlisle                                      5    6    0    6    5     22
Pennsylvania                                  0    5    6   10    0     21
----------
Line:  Pennsylvania -16 (-17) *UPSET*
Carlisle 16, Pennsylvania 6 in real life (-9)
Current Records:
Carlisle:  6-3
Pennsylvania:  10-1

11/14/1903
Minnesota(34/-5/9/8/30/J/14) at Illinois(18/2/-5/12/19/M/-14)
4:  Illinois attempted to convert a field goal into a touchdown and succeeded!
CG:  Illinois fails to move the ball into field goal range.
TEAM                                         1Q   2Q   3Q   4Q   CG   Final
Minnesota                                     6   12    0    6    0     24
Illinois                                      5    6    0   12    0     23
----------
Line:  Minnesota -11 (-10)
Minnesota 32, Illinois 0 in real life (-31)
Current Records:
Minnesota:  12-1 (2-1 in Western Conference play)
Illinois:  11-1 (4-1 in Western Conference play)

11/14/1903
Princeton(17/-5/7/19/15/O/2) at Yale(19/-4/5/15/12/O/-2)
CG:  Princeton converts a  44-yard field goal attempt!
CG:  Yale fails to move the ball into field goal range.
TEAM                                         1Q   2Q   3Q   4Q   CG   Final
Princeton                                    10    0    0    0    5     15
Yale                                          0    6    0    6    0     12
----------
Line:  Princeton -3 (Push)
Princeton 11, Yale 6 in real life (-2)
Current Records:
Princeton:  11-0
Yale:  10-1

11/21/1903
***RIVALRY GAME!***
Yale(19/-4/7/15/14/O/-2) at Harvard(6/-1/9/17/6/Q/2)
CG:  Harvard turns the ball over on downs.
TEAM                                         1Q   2Q   3Q   4Q   CG   Final
Yale                                          6    5    0    6    0     17
Harvard                                       5    0    6    0    0     11
----------
Line:  Yale -8 (-2)
Yale 16, Harvard 0 in real life (-10)
Current Records:
Yale:  11-1
Harvard:  9-3

11/26/1903
Illinois(18/2/-5/12/14/O/-14) at Nebraska(19/-4/9/10/21/M/14)
CG:  Illinois fails to move the ball into field goal range.
TEAM                                         1Q   2Q   3Q   4Q   CG   Final
Illinois                                      5    0    6    6    0     17
Nebraska                                      6   12    0    0    0     18
----------
Line:  Nebraska -7 (-6)
Illinois 0, Nebraska 16 in real life (-15)
Current Records:
Illinois:  12-2
Nebraska:  10-0-1

Biggest Upsets in 1903
1. Bates 15, Tufts 5 (-33, Tufts -23)
2. Illinois 22, Chicago 6 (-24, Chicago -8)
3. Beloit 22, Knox 6 (-24, Knox -8)
4. Cornell (Iowa) 11, Iowa State 5 (-22, Iowa State -16)
5. Missouri-Rolla 21, Oklahoma 6 (-21, Oklahoma -6)

Biggest Departures from Reality
1. Chicago 55, Monmouth 5 (-55, Chicago 108-0 IRL)
2. Colorado College 16, Haskell 12 (-49, Colorado College 45-0 IRL)
3. Cornell (Iowa) 11, Iowa State 5 (-47, Iowa State 47-0 IRL)
4. Lombard 62, Hedding 10 (-46, Lombard 98-0 IRL)
5. Illinois 34, Iowa 0 (-46, Iowa 12-0 IRL)

[Wolfpack]

1903--Princeton Awarded FOFC Championship

The Final Poll

RK TEAM		 	 W-L-T  WIN %	PTS
 1 Princeton (6)	11-0-0	1.000	128
 2 Dartmouth (3)	 9-1-0	0.900	123
 3 Michigan		12-0-0	1.000	103
 4 Pennsylvania		11-1-0	0.917	101
 5 Yale			11-1-0	0.917	 87
 6 Vanderbilt		 8-0-0	1.000	 85
 7 Illinois		12-2-0  0.857    76
 8 Colorado Mines	 4-1-1	0.750	 67
 9 Minnesota		14-1-0  0.933    60
10 Nebraska		10-0-1  0.955    58
11 Lehigh		10-2-0  0.833    43
12 Wisconsin		 8-2-0  0.800    31
13 Army			 6-2-1	0.750	 29
14 Carlisle		11-3-0	0.786	 18
15 Harvard		 9-3-0	0.750	 14

I had almost made a griveous error because I used SOS instead of RPI by accident for one poll. It resulted in Georgia (0-4-3) getting 15th because they had the second-ranked strength of schedule. Fortunately, I was able to catch it and fix it. So, this is the final poll for 1903. Princeton did very well, but Dartmouth was a surprise #2 team and was just a few percentage points from forcing a run-off with Princeton. Michigan, well, they do dominate, but they just don't have the strength of schedule numbers.

I still want to do write-ups on rivalries that are now growing and blossoming around the country. I'll post on that and the reader-requested teams soon. After that, hopefully 1904 will go faster even.

[Wolfpack]

1903--Reader Favorites and How They Fared

Princeton (11-0, winners of FOFC championship)
*Princeton opened the season Sept. 26 against Swarthmore. As expected, they cleaned up, routing Swarthmore 33-0.
*In the second game on October 3rd, Princeton hosted Georgetown. The visitors put up a better fight for a half, but Princeton grinds them down in the second to win going away 28-0.
*Four days later, Princeton hosts Gettysburg. Princeton is all over the visitors from the opening kick and win a laugher 52-10. The defense shuts out Gettysburg for three quarters and then gives up meaningless scores in the fourth.
*Just three days later, Princeton plays yet again. This time, it's their first road game as they head up to Providence to face Brown. It's an even match for a quarter with Princeton leading 6-5, but then they overwhelm Brown the rest of the way and roll to a 49-5 win.
*Princeton comes back home to play Lehigh on the 14th. For the first time all year, they're in a fight. Lehigh actually jumps on them early with a touchdown in the first quarter and keep the lead through halftime. However, Princeton strikes for two TDs in the early second half and then make it stand up to win 12-6, their closest game so far.
*Princeton's busy schedule continues with a home game against Carlisle on the 17th. Princeton jumps ahead early, but the visitors don't really ever let them get away. Carlisle is ineffectual offensively for most of the game, however, allowing Princeton to claim a 20-6 win.
*On the 21st, Bucknell comes to town. Bucknell tries to stay with Princeton and trail 6-0 after one quarter, but a second quarter eruption by the home side effectively ends it as they lead 23-5 by halftime and cruise home to the 34-11 win.
*Dartmouth comes calling on the 24th. The visitors put up a solid effort and keep the Princeton offense mostly in check, but break just a little too often. Princeton's defense, however, is more than a match for Dartmouth's offense and Princeton remains unbeaten, winning 23-6. It will be Dartmouth's only loss all season.
*On Halloween, Cornell comes to town. Once again, the visitors are game, but are simply unable to keep up. Princeton picks up its third shutout of the season with a 24-0 win.
*A week later (an eternity given the hectic schedule Princeton's been playing), Lafayette visits. It's becoming a broken record now as Lafayette also can't solve the Princeton defense, aside from a third quarter field goal. Princeton goes to 10-0 with a 28-5 win.
*In the last game of Princeton's season, they finally go back out on the road for only the second time all year to visit mighty Yale, who haven't lost a game in nearly two years. It ends up being a classic. Princeton stuns the home crowd by jumping out to a 10-0 lead early, but Yale breaks through with a touchdown before halftime to cut the lead to 10-6. A quiet start to the second half gives way to an exciting finish as the crowd erupts when Yale bursts into the end zone to take a 12-10 lead with time winding down. However, Princeton's the chosen team this year. They plug away and get into field goal range. They're able to convert to retake the lead 15-12. Yale has one last chance, but the Princeton defense is stout and Yale gives up the ball on downs before they can get into field goal range. Princeton goes through 1903 unbeaten!

Illinois (12-2)
*Illinois starts off the year on September 19th with a warm-up against the kids from Englewood High School. The collegians make quick work of them and roll to a 37-6 win.
*A week later, Illinois hosts Lombard. The home side steadily wears down the opposition and moves to 2-0 with a 28-5 win.
*On the 30th, American Osteopath travels to Urbana. This time, the home side applies the blows early, jumping out to a 12-0 lead, but the visitors gamely hang in there. However, their offense is ineffective, giving Illinois their first shutout of 1903 with an 18-0 win.
*On the weekend, Knox College comes down to visit. Knox also gamely fights for a half, but Illinois overwhelms them finally in the second half to win going away, 30-5.
*Another medical school, Physicians & Surgeons comes to Urbana on the 7th of October. This one ends up as a cakewalk for Illinois, who dominate start to finish and win 45-0.
*It gets uglier still on the 10th as Rush Medical comes down. They're utterly humiliated by the home side and only a late meaningless score prevents a shutout as Illinois wins 61-6.
*What is it with these medical schools coming down to get thrashed by Illinois? On the 14th, Chicago Dental takes their turn behind the woodshed to the tune of 58-0.
*On the 17th, Illinois finally gets some real competition as they travel to Purdue. "Some" being the operative word. Purdue isn't humiliated, but they aren't able to play with Illinois, either. Illinois hops on them early, leading 18-0 by halftime and then roll to the 24-6 win. This is developing into a nice little rivalry, if a little one-sided. It was Illinois's first win against Purdue in five tries and Purdue leads 8-2-2 all-time.
*A week later, they head up the line to pay a visit to the Southside and take on Chicago in a big clash of unbeatens. Chicago gives them a good fight early, but Illinois grinds them down and wins 22-6 to remain unbeaten at 9-0.
*On Halloween, they get into another big tilt with another budding rival in Northwestern. This meeting isn't close, though, as Illinois dominates start-to-finish and walks off the field 35-10 winners.
*A week later, Illinois goes back on the road to do battle with Indiana. Indiana's had a horrible year and this game doesn't change that as Illinois puts it away early, going up 27-6 by halftime and easing to the 39-12 win.
*The 14th is a red-letter day as mighty Minnesota comes all the way from Minneapolis, sporting an 11-1 record. The visitors are coming off a tough loss to Michigan which was their first of the year. In the early going, it's a slugfest with Minnesota ahead 6-5 after the first quarter. In the second, the visitors crack the Illinois defense twice while Illinois can only answer with one touchdown, leaving the visitors ahead 18-11 at the half. Defenses dominate the early going in the second half and neither team is able to score until the final stanza. The teams trade touchdowns to make it 24-17. Illinois then gambles, bypassing a field goal for a touchdown and pulls it off to make it 24-23. However, time runs out before they have a chance to get into field goal range, handing Illinois their first defeat in 1903.
*A week later, Illinois goes on the road to Iowa and bounces back nicely from that loss, hammering the home team and producing a 34-0 shutout.
*Finally on Thanksgiving, Illinois travels way out west to Lincoln to take on western power Nebraska. The only blemish on Nebraska's record is a 6-6 tie with Denver earlier in the year. They battle evenly for a quarter before Nebraska seems to grab control of the game with a pair of touchdowns in the second quarter to lead 18-5 at the half. However, the visitors grind and work their way back into it with a pair of second half touchdowns to trail 18-17 late. But, once again, the offense fails at crucial times and they are unable to get into field goal range to win, leaving Nebraska with the win and a bum way for Illinois to finish a great year at 12-2.

BYU
*Did not play football in 1903 (will not until 1922).

[Wolfpack]

1903--The Year in Rivalries
10/3--Kansas 41, Kansas State 10
10/10--Colorado State 16, Colorado 11
10/17--Illinois 24, Purdue 6
10/17--Minnesota 56, Iowa 0
10/17--Texas 22, Oklahoma 0
10/17--Vanderbilt 33, Tennessee 0
10/23--Auburn 38, Alabama 18
10/24--Nebraska 23, Colorado 0
10/24--Princeton 23, Dartmouth 6
10/24--Dickinson 11, Franklin & Marshall 5
10/24--Georgia 11, Georgia Tech 11 (tie)
10/24--Penn State 57, Pittsburgh 0
10/24--Virginia 22, Virginia Tech 17
10/28--Clemson 35, NC State 0
10/31--Michigan 39, Minnesota 22
10/31--Illinois 35, Northwestern 10
11/7--Michigan 57, Ohio State 0
11/13--Texas 11, Oklahoma 5
11/14--Colorado State 11, Wyoming 5
11/18--Monmouth 21, Knox 0
11/21--Wabash 6, DePauw 5
11/21--Lehigh 29, Lafayette 0
11/21--Yale 17, Harvard 11
11/25--Virginia 18, North Carolina 0
11/26--Auburn 18, Georgia 11
11/26--Pennsylvania 24, Cornell 0
11/26--Kansas 16, Missouri 0
11/26--Tennessee 22, Alabama 22 (tie)
11/26--Minnesota 28, Wisconsin 10
11/28--Army 12, Navy 0
11/29--Texas 18, Texas A&M 0

*I'm still trying to figure out the best way of reporting on these rivalry games. I have a list about 160 games that are considered rivalry games, whether for trophies or bragging rights or both and have been trying to dig up the history behind them. Not all of these games cross into the major college level which Quick Play Football rates teams for, but I would still like to incorporate some of the more significant ones at least into the mix (Harvard-Yale, for instance, would no longer be played out after 1977 because both schools dropped to I-AA along with the rest of the Ivy League unless I went and found the scores for post-1977 games and added them to the schedules). Problem is, it's very time-consuming work to pull all this information together and that (along with lots of work) has been what's occupying my time and holding up the progress of history. Even so, it's been interesting to see all the information about the traditions and rivalries of even small schools, if a bit challenging to find some of the really obscure ones (we're talking DIII-type schools).

However, I feel I need to get the ball rolling again, otherwise it'll be basketball season again after the New Year and I'll begin to lose interest in carrying the replay forward after that. So, for now, I'll be noting what the outcomes of rivalry games are and unfortunately skipping out on any that don't have at least one team rated for a given season. However, at some point, I'll get all the data pulled together and be able to detail the history of each. I'll also be able to pull in the rivalries from lesser divisions so they get their due as well. As a matter of fact, the DePauw-Wabash game in the list above is one of those instances. It was the only one I put in for 1903, though.

So, at any rate, this post will close the 1903 season. On to 1904!

[Wolfpack]

1904 Overview
After a brief downturn in membership in 1903, the major college ranks jump back up to 81 members in 1904. As has been the case in years past, teams like Yale and Harvard and Michigan and Minnesota are expected to be contenders. As a matter of fact, it's an incredible shame that Michigan and Minnesota won't be taking on one another this year because both feature incredible offenses and superb defenses. Princeton looks to be in good shape to defend the mythical title awarded to them for their 1903 season.

The Western Conference continues its lone status as the only organized football conference. This year, the fight for the title that Michigan has held on to since 1901 looks particularly tough, the unfortunate lack of a game between Minnesota and Michigan aside. Chicago is also in the mix for the title and Illinois, Northwestern, Purdue, Wisconsin, and Iowa are not going to be gimme games for anybody save Michigan and Minnesota. Even Indiana will trip somebody, but their poor offense will prevent much in the way of winning this year.

Top-level football is being played by teams other the well-known teams in the northeast and midwest. Vanderbilt looks like they'll be the best team south of the Mason-Dixon. Out west, the Haskell Indian School in Lawrence, Kansas has risen up to challenge Nebraska for honors of the best team in the Trans-Mississippi region.

After many years of consideration, college football begins the march to modernity by deciding that touchdowns should be worth more than field goals. Touchdowns, once worth 4 points, are now worth 5 points. Extra points had actually been worth two before now, but to maintain the consistency of six points total, they are reduced to just one point. Field goals are now reduced to 4 points, meaning teams are going to have to work harder than before to score.

Unfortunately, this will mean that the games will get more brutal as teams now have to work harder to score more points. Remember, passing isn't legal, so it's all rushing right now. The number of deaths in college football is becoming of some concern as a result.

[Wolfpack]

September, 1904

The season gets off to a pretty late start, beginning on September 17. As such, the early results are rather sporadic. However, familiar early season frontrunners continue to lead the pack. Chicago takes the early lead at 3-0 with smashing wins over Lombard (50-6), Englewood High School (72-0), and Lawrence (30-4). Minnesota also gets blowouts in its first two games, whipping Twin Cites Central High School 52-0 in the opener and then trashing South Dakota 54-6. Another 26 teams win their opening games against mostly light competition, though Illinois and Indiana are both stunned in their openers, leaving them with 0-1 marks. Still, over half the teams in the nation's major college ranks have not played a down yet.

RK TEAM		 	 W-L-T  WIN %   APD
 1 Chicago		 3-0-0  1.000  47.3
 2 Minnesota		 2-0-0  1.000  50.0
 3 Sewanee		 1-0-0	1.000  56.0
 4 Haskell		 1-0-0	1.000  44.0
 5 Carlisle		 1-0-0	1.000  42.0
 6 North Carolina State	 1-0-0	1.000  40.0
 7 Ohio State		 1-0-0	1.000  36.0
 8 Lafayette		 1-0-0	1.000  36.0
 9 Nebraska		 1-0-0	1.000  32.0
10 Wabash		 1-0-0	1.000  22.0
11 Holy Cross		 1-0-0	1.000  18.0
12 Bucknell		 1-0-0	1.000  16.0
   Drake		 1-0-0	1.000  16.0
   Pennsylvania		 1-0-0	1.000  16.0
15 Tufts		 1-0-0	1.000  14.0
16 Washington (Missouri) 1-0-0	1.000  12.0
   Beloit		 1-0-0	1.000  12.0
   Virginia		 1-0-0	1.000  12.0
   Northwestern		 1-0-0	1.000  12.0
20 Lehigh		 1-0-0	1.000  10.0
   Bowdoin		 1-0-0	1.000  10.0

*I've decided to expand to 20 teams in the listing and that'll be the number of teams for all such polling going forward until the AP/UPI go to 25 teams in the late 20th Century.

[Wolfpack]

October, 1904

Chicago remains atop the stack after the games of October, but Pennsylvania, completing a pretty busy month, has tied the Maroons' 9-0 record. Right on the heels of both is Michigan and defending champ Princeton at 8-0.

One fairly big surprise: perennial power Yale is struggling, relatively speaking. After 8 games, the Elis have only compiled a 4-2-2 record. Yale has not lost more than a game in a single year since 1899. Yale actually rolled off four straight wins to start the year, but suffered a surprise tie against Springfield and then finally got upset by Syracuse for their first loss of the year. Army then tied up Yale in a scoreless game and finally Yale got upset again on a last second field goal by Columbia. They at least draw some comfort in that Harvard isn't doing much better, having dropped two in a row to Carlisle and Pennsylvania after starting 5-0.

RK TEAM		 	 W-L-T  WIN %   APD
 1 Chicago		 9-0-0  1.000  26.9
 2 Pennsylvania		 9-0-0  1.000  15.4
 3 Michigan		 8-0-0  1.000  47.5
 4 Princeton		 8-0-0  1.000  16.5
 5 Minnesota		 7-0-0  1.000  39.7
 6 Carlisle		 6-0-0  1.000  37.3
 7 Georgia Tech		 6-0-0  1.000  25.0
 8 Vanderbilt		 5-0-0  1.000  42.4
 9 Sewanee		 5-0-0	1.000  25.6
10 Haskell		 5-0-0	1.000  22.8
11 Dartmouth		 5-0-0  1.000  14.4
   Virginia Tech	 5-0-0  1.000  14.4
13 Texas A&M		 3-0-0  1.000  30.0
14 Lafayette		 7-1-0	 .875  22.8
15 Northwestern		 6-1-0	 .857  24.9
16 Cornell		 6-1-0   .857  15.4
17 Navy			 5-1-0   .833  19.5
18 Kansas		 5-1-0	 .833   4.7
19 Wisconsin		 4-1-0	 .800  21.6
20 Georgetown		 4-1-0	 .800  16.8

[Wolfpack]

November-December, 1904

The final month of 1904's football season arrives. We'll analyze how the unbeatens at the end of October fared in turn (until they suffer a loss, that is), starting with Texas A&M and going up the chain:
Texas A&M:
*Sewanee comes to Dallas and knocks A&M from the unbeatens, 16-4.

Virginia Tech:
*They get rival Virginia to start the month and the rivalry becomes more bitter as Mr. Jefferson's boys take out Virginia Tech 16-4 in Richmond.

Dartmouth:
*Starts the month well by handing Harvard a third straight defeat, 6-0.
*Defeats Amherst at home 10-4 to move to 7-0.
*Escapes a hard-fought game at Brown 12-10 and finishes the year a perfect 8-0.

Haskell:
*Upsets Nebraska in Kansas City, 18-14.
*Suffers a stunning upset against Washburn that ruins the perfect season, 14-6.

Sewanee:
*Knocks Texas A&M from the unbeatens in Dallas, 16-4.
*Moves to 7-0 by shutting out Tulane 20-0.
*Finally suffers defeat at the hands of Vanderbilt, blown out 46-18.

Vanderbilt:
*Drubs Tennessee 46-0 at home.
*Shuts out Nashville 48-0.
*Delivers third straight shutout to Centre College, 34-0.
*Hands Sewanee first loss of the year, 46-18 to complete perfect season at 9-0.

Georgia Tech:
*Beats Clemson in a somewhat lackluster performance, 6-0.
*Dumps arch-rival Georgia, 28-12.
*Routs Tennessee Medical, 42-0.
*Has a little trouble with Cumberland, but wins 10-4 to finish undefeated at 10-0.

Carlisle:
*Shuts out Ursinus 28-0.
*Shuts out Virginia in Norfolk 26-0 to go to 8-0.
*Suffers first loss in a heartbreaker, 18-16 to Pennsylvania.

Minnesota:
*Whips Lawrence, 40-10.
*Dumps rival Wisconsin, 48-30, now 9-0.
*Buries Northwestern in Chicago, 48-18.
*Routs Iowa, 46-12 to go to 11-0.
*Utterly destroys Shattuck 104-6 to finish unbeaten at 12-0.

Princeton:
*Suffers first loss of the year (and first loss since 1902) at Army, losing 14-12 after Army converts a last-second field goal.

Michigan:
*Plows Drake, 40-18.
*Routs Chicago, 38-6 to finish unbeaten at 10-0.

Pennsylvania:
*Whips Lafayette, 22-4.
*Knocks Carlisle from the unbeatens, 18-16.
*Shuts out rival Cornell, 24-0, to finish 12-0.

Chicago:
*Routs Texas, 40-10.
*Finally suffers first loss against Michigan, 38-6.

As a result, we have six(!) teams that have made it through 1904 unscathed. There's a very good chance that the computer polling will be close enough that human intervention will be necessary.

The final statistical sort for 1904:

RK TEAM		 	 W-L-T  WIN %   APD
 1 Minnesota		13-0-0  1.000  40.6
 2 Pennsylvania		12-0-0  1.000  15.2
 3 Michigan		10-0-0  1.000  43.4
 4 Georgia Tech		10-0-0  1.000  22.0
 5 Vanderbilt		 9-0-0  1.000  40.9
 6 Dartmouth		 8-0-0  1.000  10.8
 7 Carlisle		11-1-0   .917  26.7
 8 Princeton		 9-1-0   .900  13.4
 9 Georgetown		 7-1-0	 .875  20.2
10 Sewanee		 7-1-0	 .875  16.5
11 Wabash		 7-1-0   .875  15.8
12 Chicago		10-2-0   .833  19.2
13 Illinois		10-2-0   .833   5.7
14 Lafayette		 8-2-0	 .800  18.6
15 Kansas		 8-2-0	 .800  12.4
16 Tulane		 5-1-1	 .786   4.6
17 Iowa State		 7-2-0	 .778  16.7
18 Colorado		 7-2-0	 .778  11.8
19 Haskell		 7-2-0   .778  11.6
20 Army			 6-1-2	 .778  10.0

*If I had to guess as to who will come out on top of the computer poll, I'd say Pennsylvania. Neither Minnesota nor Michigan have the schedule strength, though the point differentials they did achieve could force a runoff with Pennsylvania. I don't think GT, Vandy, or Dartmouth have much chance at it.

*Michigan's win streak is now up to 45 games! They haven't lost since a surprise upset against Ohio State on November 24, 1900.

*However, Michigan's short schedule (just two games in-conference this year) means their run as champions of the Western Conference comes to an end. Due to the irregular schedules among members, there are three co-champions this year. Minnesota went unbeaten, but only played three games, while Illinois (4-1) and Chicago (5-2) played more games against conference members, but did take losses. Chicago actually beat Illinois head-to-head, but lost two other games, thus no real way to fairly determine who is the single champion. It is the first awarded title for each of the three schools.

[Wolfpack]

1904--The Year in Superlatives

Best Games

10/21/1904
Haskell(18/-1/7/11/24/L/3) at Texas(21/4/4/7/18/N/-3)
CG:  Haskell converts a  32-yard field goal attempt!
CG:  Texas fails to move the ball into field goal range.
TEAM                                         1Q   2Q   3Q   4Q   CG   Final
Haskell                                       6    0    2    6    4     18
Texas                                         0    0   10    6    0     16
----------
Line:  Haskell -6 (-4)
Haskell 4, Texas 0 in real life (-2)
Current Records:
Haskell:  5-0
Texas:  2-1

11/05/1904
Princeton(12/-3/6/18/9/P/0) at Army(9/-4/6/15/5/Q/0)
CG:  Army converts a  45-yard field goal attempt!
TEAM                                         1Q   2Q   3Q   4Q   CG   Final
Princeton                                     0    0    8    4    0     12
Army                                          0    6    4    0    4     14
----------
Line:  Princeton -4 (-6) *UPSET*
Princeton 12, Army 6 in real life (-8) *WIN BECOMES LOSS*
Current Records:
Princeton:  8-1
Army:  4-1-1

11/12/1904
Carlisle(22/-3/2/12/9/P/-7) at Pennsylvania(12/-7/9/16/15/O/7)
CG:  Carlisle fails to move the ball into field goal range.
TEAM                                         1Q   2Q   3Q   4Q   CG   Final
Carlisle                                      4    6    0    6    0     16
Pennsylvania                                  6    0    6    6    0     18
----------
Line:  Pennsylvania -6 (-4)
Carlisle 0, Pennsylvania 18 in real life (-16)
Current Records:
Carlisle:  8-1
Pennsylvania:  11-0

11/12/1904
***RIVALRY GAME!***
Illinois(13/-3/4/15/16/N/2) at Northwestern(25/-1/2/9/18/N/-2)
CG:  Illinois converts a  31-yard field goal attempt!
TEAM                                         1Q   2Q   3Q   4Q   CG   Final
Illinois                                      0    6    4    4    4     18
Northwestern                                  4    6    0    6    0     16
----------
Line:  Northwestern -2 (-4) *UPSET*
Illinois 6, Northwestern 12 in real life (-8) *WIN BECOMES LOSS*
Current Records:
Illinois:  8-2 (3-1 in Western Conference play)
Northwestern:  7-2 (0-2 in Western Conference play)

11/12/1904
Yale(13/-5/6/15/5/Q/-1) at Princeton(12/-3/7/18/12/O/1)
CG:  Yale fails to move the ball into field goal range.
TEAM                                         1Q   2Q   3Q   4Q   CG   Final
Yale                                          0    4    8    0    0     12
Princeton                                     0    6    6    4    0     16
----------
Line:  Princeton -7 (-3)
Yale 12, Princeton 0 in real life (-16) *WIN BECOMES LOSS*
Current Records:
Yale:  5-3-2
Princeton:  9-1

Biggest Upsets
28 pts: Denver 16, Colorado Mines 0 (Colorado Mines -12)
26 pts: Miami (OH) 20, Bates 0 (Bates -6)
23 pts: Colorado 18, Nebraska 12 (Nebraska -17)
23 pts: Vermont 14, Norwich 6 (Norwich - 15)
22 pts: North Central 6, Illinois 0 (Illinois -16)
22 pts: Washburn 14, Haskell 6 (Haskell -14)
22 pts: Wisconsin 26, Chicago 16 (Chicago -12)

Biggest Departures from Reality
82 pts: Minnesota 68, Grinnell 4 (Minnesota, 146-0)
74 pts: Wisconsin 26, Drake 18 (Wisconsin, 82-0)
74 pts: Michigan 62, West Virginia 6 (Michigan, 130-0)
71 pts: Northwestern 32, Wisconsin-Oskkosh 6 (Northwestern, 97-0)
66 pts: Mississippi 48, Union (TN) 0 (Mississippi, 114-0)

[Wolfpack]

1904--The Year in Rivalries

10/8--Kentucky 12, Indiana 8
10/8--Colorado 18, Nebraska 12
10/12--Maine 12, New Hampshire 0
10/15--Dickinson 44, Franklin & Marshall 0
10/15--Michigan 44, Ohio State 12
10/22--Illinois 10, Purdue 0
10/22--Mississippi 24, Mississippi State 24 (tie)
10/26--Amherst 6, Williams 6 (tie)
10/29--Georgia Tech 24, Auburn 4
10/29--Iowa 28, Iowa State 18
11/5--Illinois 12, Ohio State 10
11/5--Mississippi 16, LSU 16 (tie)
11/5--Vanderbilt 46, Tennessee 0
11/5--Virginia 16, Virginia Tech 4
11/12--Auburn 12, Alabama 6
11/12--Georgia Tech 28, Georgia 12
11/12--Illinois 18, Northwestern 16
11/12--Purdue 12, Indiana 6
11/12--Minnesota 48, Wisconsin 30
11/16--North Carolina 12, NC State 0
11/16--Texas 40, Oklahoma 14
11/19--Colorado 32, Colorado State 0
11/19--Yale 4, Harvard 0
11/19--Kansas 62, Kansas State 12
11/19--Tulane 12, LSU 0
11/24--Auburn 6, Georgia 6 (tie)
11/24--NC State 10, Clemson 0
11/24--Wyoming 10, Colorado State 6
11/24--Pennsylvania 24, Cornell 0
11/24--Kansas 26, Missouri 0
11/24--Lafayette 22, Lehigh 0
11/24--Minnesota 46, Iowa 12
11/24--Virginia 4, North Carolina 0
11/24--Purdue 22, Notre Dame 0
11/24--Pittsburgh 20, Penn State 6
11/24--Tennessee 8, Alabama 0
11/24--Texas 34, Texas A&M 20
11/26--Army 0, Navy 0 (tie)

[Izulde]

@#%@Q! Army!

Oh well, at least we beat those damn Yalies for the 1903 title.

[Wolfpack]

1904--Reader Favorites and How They Fared

Princeton (9-1)
*9/28: Princeton struggles a bit in the opener, but the defense delivers a shutout over Dickinson, 8-0.
*10/1: Two games, two clean sheets for the defense. Princeton wins, 18-0.
*10/5: Princeton remains unbeaten with a 32-0 romp over Wesleyan.
*10/8: Princeton goes to 4-0 with a relatively easy 24-8 win over Washington & Jefferson.
*10/12: A clash of unbeatens as Lafayette comes to Princeton. All the scoring comes in the first half and it's Princeton doing most of it. Princeton hands Lafayette their first loss of the year, 16-4.
*10/16: Princeton goes on the road to face 2-0 Navy. Princeton strikes for a touchdown early and manages to keep the lead the rest of the way, surviving a missed field goal by Navy to tie the game at the end and win 10-6.
*10/26: After a couple of decent tests, Princeton gets a breather and thrashes Lehigh 34-0 to remain unbeaten at 7-0.
*10/29: 7-0 Princeton travels to 6-0 Cornell for a big showdown. The defenses dominate the first half, producing a scoreless 0-0 tie at the half. In the second half, Princeton finally grinds down Cornell, cracking the defense for two touchdowns, while Cornell manages only a field goal. Princeton ruins another undefeated season, 12-4.
*11/5: Princeton travels to West Point to battle Army. Neither team scores in the first, but Army is able to break through with a touchdown in the second to lead 6-0 at half. Princeton boots a pair of field goals in the third, but Army gets one field goal of their own to keep the lead. Princeton then hits their third field goal of the game to take the lead in the fourth quarter. However, Army has the final say, hitting a long field goal as time runs down to defeat Princeton, 14-12. It is Princeton's first loss in almost two years, dating to a 23-6 loss to Yale to close the 1902 season. It also snaps a 19-game winning streak.
*11/12: Princeton closes the year against perennial power Yale. The old foes go back and forth the whole way, but Princeton's offense is slightly better, netting touchdowns on two occassions while Yale can only muster field goals the whole game. Princeton claims victory, 16-12, continuing a season of frustration for the proud Yalies. Princeton, meanwhile, finishes 9-1 for the 1904 season.

Illinois (10-2, 4-1 Western Conference)
*9/24: Illinois got off to a very rocky start, suffering a surprise upset at the hands of North Central, 6-0.
*9/28: Illinois rebounds from the loss to blank Wabash 16-0.
*10/1: Illinois trails Knox College early, but a better second half gives Illinois the win, 14-4.
*10/5: Illinois wins third straight with a 28-0 blanking of Physicians & Surgeons.
*10/8: Illinois goes on the roads and produces the third shutout in five games, beating Washington (MO), 18-0.
*10/15: Illinois hosts Indiana in their first conference game. Indiana gives a tougher fight than expected, at least on defense, holding Illinois to two field goals. However, the offense can't crack the scoreboard themselves and Illinois gets a hard-fought 8-0 win.
*10/22: Illinois travels to Purdue for another Western Conference tilt. The Illinois defense continues to play superbly, keeping the opponent off the board for the fourth straight game. Illinois wins 10-0 and moves to 6-1 overall.
*10/29: Illinois is on the road again, this time at Chicago, who comes in unbeaten at 8-0. After a scoreless first quarter, the home side utterly dominates and Illinois takes its second loss of the season, 38-6.
*11/5: Illinois steps out-of-conference to go to Columbus and play Ohio State. The home side jumps ahead early and the crowd senses an upset when Ohio State leads 10-0 at the half. Illinois patiently battles back with a pair of field goals in the third and then steps in front late in the game with another field goal. In the meantime, the Illinois defense asserts itself and Ohio State is never able to threaten the entire half. The late field goal provides the winning points and Illinois escapes, 12-10.
*11/12: Illinois makes a second trip to the Chicago area this year to battle rival Northwestern. It is a close, hard-fought game throughout and isn't settled until late when Illinois boots a 31-yard field goal to win the game, 18-16.
*11/19: Illinois returns home for the final game of their conference schedule to battle Iowa. After an even first quarter, Illinois seems to gain control of the game with a 10-0 second quarter to lead 16-8 at halftime. However, Iowa fights back hard in the second half, ringing up a touchdown in the third to close to 16-14 and then grabbing the lead with two field goals in the fourth, though Illinois does keep things close with one of their own. Trailing 22-20 with time winding down, Illinois is able to convert another field goal to take the lead. Iowa fails to move the ball into any kind of position to score and Illinois walks off winners, 24-22. They finish the conference schedule at 4-1 and now have one game left to play overall.
*11/24: That last game is another road trip to Lincoln to take on Nebraska. Nebraska's had somewhat of a disappointing season, but an early touchdown leaves the home crowd smiling and thinking upset. However, Illinois nets a pair of field goals in the second quarter to lead 8-6 at the break. The second half is all Illinois as the offense pounds in two touchdowns and the defense allows just a field goal and Illinois finishes the year with a strong 20-10 win. Illinois ends the year 10-2.

[Wolfpack]

1904--Pennsylvania claims first FOFC Championship

RK TEAM		 	 W-L-T  WIN %	PTS
 1 Pennsylvania (5)	12-0-0	1.000	170
 2 Princeton		 9-1-0	0.900	150
 3 Dartmouth (2)	 8-0-0	1.000	145
 4 Michigan (2)		10-0-0  1.000	132
 5 Minnesota		13-0-0  1.000	130
 6 Sewanee		 7-1-0  0.875   119
 7 Chicago		10-2-0  0.833	109
 8 Carlisle		11-1-0  0.917	105
 9 Illinois		10-2-0  0.833	100
10 Vanderbilt		 9-0-0  1.000	 97
   Wisconsin		 6-2-0  0.750	 97
12 Haskell		 7-2-0  0.778	 67
   Navy			 7-2-1  0.750	 67
14 Brown		 7-4-0  0.636	 54
15 Virginia		 6-2-1  0.722	 49
16 Army			 6-1-2  0.778	 47
17 Georgia Tech		10-0-0  1.000	 42
   Wabash		 7-1-0  0.875	 42
19 Texas		 6-2-0	0.750	 41
20 Harvard		 6-4-0  0.600	 35

Considering the number of teams in contention for the title, the final margin in the polling is somewhat surprising. I had expected it to be a little closer. I guess Dartmouth and Michigan cancelled each other out, allowing Pennsylvania to build a larger margin and avoid any chance at a run-off. At any rate, Penn becomes the fourth different team in five years to win the FOFC title.

[Wolfpack]

1905 Overview

We motor into the 1905 season. Membership at the highest level of college football grows slightly to 82 members from 81. However, something else is growing much faster and it's much more unfortunate: deaths in the game. It will reach a crescendo this year and next, ultimately forcing the game to start making rules changes for safety's sake or risk being banned altogether.

Aside from that unfortunate business, the game remains unchanged, both in rules related to scoring, and in which teams continue to dominate the scene. Two-time FOFC champion Yale, Chicago, defending champ Pennsylvania, Michigan, 1903 winner Princeton, Dartmouth, Swarthmore, Minnesota, Navy, and 1901 champ Harvard are considered to be the leading candidates for the 1905 title. Down south, Virginia Tech and Vanderbilt seem to be the best teams, while across the Mississippi, Kansas, Colorado, and Nebraska are the contenders.

The Western Conference soldiers on as the lone organized league, though there are rumblings that some of the Trans-Mississippi schools are looking at organizing their own conference. For now, though, it's just the Western Conference. Michigan, Chicago, and Minnesota are all expected to contend. Chicago's playing a very full slate with 7 games against other members, but all other members are playing just two or three games in-conference this year. It's still largely an academic association, after all.

[JonInMiddleGA]

I hadn't noticed this dynasty until today, I'll try to keep an eye on it from now on.

Are you using Mike Owens QPF for this, or another QP game?

Also, just in case it might be of interest to you ... did you see where Downey Games has started releasing an NFL QP game by decade? I picked up the 50's earlier this week but haven't rolled them yet (the 2000's are also available now), 60s,70s,80s, and 90s are supposed to be ready for release any day now.

[Wolfpack]

Yes, I'm using Mike Owens's game. Actually, it's slightly modified from that because I've turned it into a computer program that can do an entire season in a blink and makes all the decisions about going for TDs or FGs and handles all close game situations. I've done a little more tinkering today that actually allows those massive 100-point blowouts to occur (I essentially added touchdowns to whatever a team actually gets in a quarter). Theoretically, it's now possible for Tech to exceed the 222-0 demolition of Cumberland.

It's still not a perfect program yet. I've got a bug where teams are going for two, even though it's 1905. I need to track that down.

I've seen JD's been busy, but the big advantage this game has for me is that it's free and I've generally been able to crack the rating system so I can rate my own teams I've filled in the gaps in the original game by rating all NFL teams from 1920-1936 and 1942-45. I've even been able to mostly rate all the high schools in Michigan (thanks to michigan-football.com). I'm still trying to figure out the best way to rate SOS between different classes though. I have a working idea, but it's not a fast method because there's 620 high schools to rate schedules for.

[Wolfpack]

September-October, 1905

RK TEAM		 	 	W-L-T  WIN %   APD
 1 Chicago			8-0-0  1.000   22.5
 2 Minnesota			7-0-0  1.000   39.1
 3 Princeton			7-0-0  1.000   18.9
 4 Yale				6-0-0  1.000   23.3
 5 Dartmouth			6-0-0  1.000   17.3
 6 Colorado			5-0-0  1.000   46.8
 7 Vanderbilt			5-0-0  1.000   34.4
 8 Virginia Tech		5-0-0  1.000   26.4
 9 Texas A&M			5-0-0  1.000   14.0
10 Washburn			4-0-0  1.000   26.0
11 Georgia Tech			3-0-0  1.000   20.7
12 Colorado Mines		2-0-0  1.000   24.0
13 Navy				6-0-1  0.929   19.7
14 Pittsburgh			5-0-1  0.917   29.0
15 Purdue			4-0-1  0.900   17.6
16 Carlisle			7-1-0  0.875   26.8
17 Michigan			7-1-0  0.875   23.8
18 Utah				3-0-1  0.875   42.0
19 Swarthmore			3-0-1  0.875   15.5
20 Washington & Jefferson	6-1-0  0.857   22.0

*Chicago has a very impressive start to the year, moving out to 8-0 by the end of October, including four wins against fellow members of the Western Conference. Giving chase are Minnesota and Princeton at 7-0 and Yale and Dartmouth at 6-0. There are 12 perfect teams all told, plus seven others with a tie blemishing the record (two of them are currently outside the Top 20 statistical sort).

*There's something different about Michigan's record. Look. It seems there is a "1" in the loss column. It's true. It's true. Michigan finally suffered a loss. Vanderbilt traveled to Ann Arbor on October 14 and got into a wild affair with the Wolverines. After it was all over, the visitors strode triumphant off the field, winning 52-38. It proved to be a historic game, showing that teams from the South could compete with teams from the Northeast and Midwest and even beat them. After 49 games, Michigan's winning streak is over.

*Defending champion Pennsylvania seems pretty certain not to repeat as they are already 6-2 at this point. Their chances were pretty much stillborn as they suffered a surprise upset at the hands of Gettysburg college, 16-6 in their second game of the season on October 4. Swarthmore then demolished them three days later 28-0 for the second loss.

*Another 1905 contender, Harvard, started well enough, but then took an unexpected tie against Maine in the third game and then got upset by Springfield 12-6 on October 14. They managed to avoid a second loss by scoring a tying touchdown late against Brown on the 28th and now stand 4-1-2. Still won't bring a FOFC title to Cambridge, it seems.

[Wolfpack]

November-December, 1905

November starts with 12 perfect teams and 7 others unbeaten but not untied. It doesn't stay so for long, though:
10/30--Oklahoma 16, Washburn 6 (Washburn loses first game)
11/4--Minnesota 28, Wisconsin 14 (Minnesota 9-0)
11/4--Princeton 10, Dartmouth 10 (tie) (Princeton 7-0-1, Dartmouth 6-0-1)
11/4--Yale 10, Columbia 0 (Yale 7-0)
11/4--Colorado 48, Utah 28 (Colorado 6-0, Utah loses first game)
11/4--Vanderbilt 32, Auburn 0 (Auburn loses first game, Vanderbilt 6-0)
11/4--Virginia 22, Virginia Tech 20 (Virginia Tech loses first game)
11/4--Texas A&M 14, Texas Christian 0 (Texas A&M 6-0)
11/4--Georgia Tech 20, Tennessee 10 (Georgia Tech 4-0)
11/4--Navy 12, Penn State 0 (Navy 7-0-1)
11/4--Pittsburgh 78, Franklin & Marshall 8 (Pittsburgh 6-0-1)
11/4--Purdue 18, Missouri 4 (Purdue 5-0-1)
11/4--Cornell 8, Swarthmore 4 (Swarthmore loses first game)
11/4--Amherst 6, Holy Cross 0 (Amherst 3-0-1)
*The first weekend of play sees four team lose their perfect season and three other unbeatens get bounced with their first loss. Dartmouth and Princeton wind up ruining each other's perfect seasons by tying each other 10-10. Meanwhile, the hate directed by Virginia Tech at Virginia gets more palpable as once again Virginia breaks up Tech's undefeated season by beating them 22-20. The weekend leaves 8 teams with perfect records, 6 others unbeaten.

Moving to the second weekend, a few more teams suffer first losses:
11/11--Minnesota 54, South Dakota 8 (Minnesota 10-0)
11/11--Chicago 14, Purdue 0 (Chicago 9-0, Purdue loses first game)
11/11--Princeton 16, Cornell 4 (Princeton 8-0-1)
11/11--Yale 40, Brown 8 (Yale 8-0)
11/11--Amherst 8, Dartmouth 4 (Amherst 4-0-1, Dartmouth loses first game)
11/11--Colorado 28, Nebraska 10 (Colorado 7-0)
11/11--Transylvania 28, Texas A&M 16 (Texas A&M loses first game)
11/11--Georgia Tech 18, Sewanee 0 (Georgia Tech 5-0)
11/11--Colorado Mines 14, Utah 6 (Colorado Mines 3-0)
11/11--Navy 30, Bucknell 0 (Navy 8-0-1)
11/11--Washington & Jefferson 4, Pittsburgh 0 (Pittsburgh loses first game)
*Chicago and Amherst survive clashes of unbeatens, sending Purdue and Dartmouth away with losses. Joining them on the sidelines are Texas A&M and Pittsburgh. That leaves 7 perfect teams and three others unbeaten.

Moving to the weekend of the 18th:
11/18--Chicago 26, Illinois 0 (Chicago 10-0)
11/18--Minnesota 38, Nebraska 16 (Minnesota 11-0)
11/18--Yale 16, Princeton 12 (Yale 9-0, Princeton loses first game)
11/18--Colorado 34, Washburn 0 (Colorado 8-0)
11/18--Vanderbilt 28, Clemson 4 (Vanderbilt 7-0)
11/18--Georgia Tech 40, Georgia 0 (Georgia Tech 6-0)
11/18--Colorado Mines 14, Colorado College 0 (Colorado Mines 4-0)
11/18--Navy 6, Virginia 4 (Navy 9-0-1)
*The unbeaten teams get through unscathed, save one. Princeton takes its first loss in a tough contest against fellow unbeaten Yale. Still 7 perfect teams left with two others also unbeaten.

Final Saturday in November arrives:
11/25--Minnesota 58, Northwestern 0 (Minnesota 12-0, perfect season)
11/25--Yale 12, Harvard 0 (Yale 10-0, perfect season)
11/25--Colorado Mines 16, Denver AC 6 (Colorado Mines 5-0)
11/25--Navy 18, Virginia Tech 12 (Navy 10-0-1)
11/25--Amherst 14, Williams 0 (Amherst 5-0-1, unbeaten season)
*First weekend of the month no unbeatens are taken down. One weekend left in the season.

Thanksgiving weekend games to finish the year:
11/30--Michigan 38, Chicago 20 (Chicago loses first game)
11/30--Colorado 58, Haskell 0 (Colorado 9-0, perfect season)
11/30--Vanderbilt 60, Sewanee 16 (Vanderbilt 8-0, perfect season)
11/30--Georgia Tech 22, Clemson 14 (Georgia Tech 7-0, perfect season)
11/30--Colorado Mines 18, Denver 0 (Colorado Mines 6-0, perfect season)
12/2--Navy 4, Army 4 (tie) (Navy 10-0-2, undefeated season)
*So close and yet so far for Chicago. Michigan ruins the perfect season for Chicago on the last day by beating them 38-20. Otherwise, the remaining unbeatens that play manage to get through the weekend. So, that leaves 6 perfect teams and two others unbeaten at the end of the 1905 season.

Here's the final statistical sort for the season:

RK TEAM		 	 	 W-L-T  WIN %   APD
 1 Minnesota			11-0-0	1.000  37.6
 2 Yale				10-0-0	1.000  19.8
 3 Colorado			 9-0-0	1.000  40.4
 4 Vanderbilt			 8-0-0	1.000  34.0
 5 Georgia Tech			 7-0-0	1.000  18.3
 6 Colorado Mines		 6-0-0	1.000  16.3
 7 Michigan			12-1-0	0.923  26.2
 8 Navy				10-0-2	0.917  15.7
 9 Amherst			 5-0-1	0.917   5.7
10 Chicago			10-1-0	0.909  18.4
11 Kansas			10-1-0	0.909  12.0
12 Pittsburgh			10-1-1	0.875  26.7
13 Princeton			 8-1-1	0.850  14.0
14 Washington & Jefferson	10-2-0	0.833  14.3
15 Swarthmore			 6-1-1	0.812  13.2
16 Purdue			 6-1-1	0.812  11.5
17 Lafayette			 8-2-0	0.800  16.4
18 Alabama			 8-2-0	0.800   6.2
19 Notre Dame			 7-2-0	0.778  33.8
20 Iowa State			 7-2-0	0.778  17.3

*In spite of the number of unbeatens, I would expect Yale to be crowned the FOFC champion, simply because no one else will have the schedule strength necessary to take it away from them.

*The Western Conference is once again a bit of a muddle. Chicago went 6-1, but that one was to Michigan. Both Michigan and Minnesota went 3-0, but that's unfair to Chicago because Chicago played so many more games in-conference. Once again, the Conference awards a tri-championship. Chicago gets its first ever title, Minnesota now has two in a row, and Michigan wins a fourth title in six years.

[Wolfpack]

1905--The Year's Best Games and Biggest Upsets

10/14/1905
Notre Dame(27/3/-2/10/22/L/-4) vs. Wisconsin(15/-3/2/11/20/M/4) at Milwaukee WI
CG:  Notre Dame fails to move the ball into field goal range.
TEAM                                         1Q   2Q   3Q   4Q   CG   Final
Notre Dame                                    6    0   10    0    0     16
Wisconsin                                     4    4    0   10    0     18
----------
Line:  Notre Dame -2 (-4) *UPSET*
Notre Dame 0, Wisconsin 21 in real life (-19)
Current Records:
Notre Dame:  2-1
Wisconsin:  5-0

10/21/1905
Lafayette(24/-1/1/11/16/N/-3) at Princeton(15/-2/4/15/20/M/3)
1:  Lafayette attempted to convert a field goal into a touchdown and failed.
CG:  Lafayette turns the ball over on downs.
TEAM                                         1Q   2Q   3Q   4Q   CG   Final
Lafayette                                     0    4    6    4    0     14
Princeton                                     6   10    0    4    0     20
----------
Line:  Princeton -4 (+ 2)
Lafayette 4, Princeton 22 in real life (-12)
Current Records:
Lafayette:  4-1
Princeton:  6-0

10/21/1905
Nebraska(21/1/2/10/14/O/-8) at Michigan(31/-6/10/9/33/J/8)
CG:  Nebraska turns the ball over on downs in their own end of the field.
TEAM                                         1Q   2Q   3Q   4Q   CG   Final
Nebraska                                      0    6    0    6    0     12
Michigan                                      6    6    6    0    0     18
----------
Line:  Michigan -19 (-13)
Nebraska 0, Michigan 31 in real life (-25)
Current Records:
Nebraska:  4-1
Michigan:  5-1

10/28/1905
***RIVALRY GAME!***
Indiana(17/-2/3/8/12/O/-2) vs. Purdue(15/-2/5/12/16/N/2) at Indianapolis IN
CG:  Indiana attempts a  39-yard field goal, but misses!
TEAM                                         1Q   2Q   3Q   4Q   CG   Final
Indiana                                       6    0    0    6    0     12
Purdue                                        4    6    6    0    0     16
----------
Line:  Purdue -4 (Push)
Indiana 11, Purdue 11 in real life
Current Records:
Indiana:  4-2 (0-2 in Western Conference play)
Purdue:  4-0-1 (2-0 in Western Conference play)

10/28/1905
Swarthmore(15/-3/6/14/12/O/1) at Navy(13/-4/5/11/9/P/-1)
CG:  Swarthmore attempts a  39-yard field goal, but misses!
TEAM                                         1Q   2Q   3Q   4Q   CG   Final
Swarthmore                                    6    6    4    4    0     20
Navy                                          6    4    6    4    0     20
----------
Line:  Swarthmore -3 (-3)
Swarthmore 6, Navy 5 in real life (-1) *WIN BECOMES TIE*
Current Records:
Swarthmore:  3-0-1
Navy:  6-0-1

11/04/1905
Lafayette(24/-1/2/11/16/N/-6) at Pennsylvania(12/-4/8/13/15/O/6)
CG:  Pennsylvania turns the ball over on downs.
TEAM                                         1Q   2Q   3Q   4Q   CG   Final
Lafayette                                     0   10    6    0    0     16
Pennsylvania                                  0    6    0    4    0     10
----------
Line:  Lafayette -1 (+ 5)
Lafayette 6, Pennsylvania 6 in real life
Current Records:
Lafayette:  6-1
Pennsylvania:  6-3

11/18/1905
Princeton(15/-2/3/15/5/Q/-7) at Yale(15/-6/10/17/17/N/7)
CG:  Yale converts a  19-yard field goal attempt!
TEAM                                         1Q   2Q   3Q   4Q   CG   Final
Princeton                                     8    0    0    4    0     12
Yale                                          0    6    0    6    4     16
----------
Line:  Yale -12 (-8)
Princeton 4, Yale 23 in real life (-15)
Current Records:
Princeton:  8-1-1
Yale:  9-0

11/24/1905
***RIVALRY GAME!***
Iowa(23/2/4/10/25/K/0) at Iowa State(15/4/4/10/19/M/0)
CG:  Iowa State converts a  33-yard field goal attempt!
TEAM                                         1Q   2Q   3Q   4Q   CG   Final
Iowa                                         10   16    0    0    0     26
Iowa State                                   10   10    0    4    4     28
----------
Line:  Iowa -6 (-8) *UPSET*
Iowa 8, Iowa State 0 in real life (-10) *WIN BECOMES LOSS*
Current Records:
Iowa:  6-3
Iowa State:  6-2

11/24/1905
***RIVALRY GAME!***
Notre Dame(27/3/-3/10/21/M/-8) at Purdue(15/-2/5/12/22/L/8)
CG:  Purdue scores on a  10-yard touchdown run!
     Purdue converts the PAT.
TEAM                                         1Q   2Q   3Q   4Q   CG   Final
Notre Dame                                   12    4    0    8    0     24
Purdue                                        4    6   12    0    6     28
----------
Line:  Purdue -1 (+ 3)
Notre Dame 0, Purdue 32 in real life (-28)
Current Records:
Notre Dame:  7-2
Purdue:  6-1-1

11/25/1905
Virginia Tech(23/-4/5/8/14/O/0) at Navy(13/-4/5/11/14/O/0)
CG:  Virginia Tech turns the ball over on downs.
TEAM                                         1Q   2Q   3Q   4Q   CG   Final
Virginia Tech                                 0    6    6    0    0     12
Navy                                          4    8    0    6    0     18
----------
Line:  Pick 'em
Virginia Tech 6, Navy 12 in real life (No change)
Current Records:
Virginia Tech:  6-2-1
Navy:  10-0-1

Biggest Upsets
31 pts: Bethany (KS) 18, Oklahoma 16 (Oklahoma -29)
29 pts: Union (NY) 12, Columbia 6 (Columbia -23)
22 pts: Michigan 38, Chicago 20 (Chicago -4)
21 pts: Tufts 16, Wesleyan 8 (Wesleyan -13)
21 pts: Dickinson 20, Penn State 10 (Penn State -11)
20 pts: Tarkio 10, Missouri 8 (Missouri -18)
19 pts: Missouri 12, St. Louis 10 (St. Louis -17)
18 pts: Villanova 12, Steelton YMCA 0 (Steelton YMCA -6)
18 pts: Springfield 12, Harvard 6 (Harvard -12)
17 pts: Vanderbilt 52, Michigan 38 (Michigan -3)

NOTE: I've done away with departures because it is just too time-consuming to sift through all the games to find the most egregious differences from real life to replay. So, I'll stick with these two categories for now.

[Wolfpack]

1905--The Year in Rivalries

10/7--Indiana 26, Kentucky 6
10/7--Notre Dame 18, Michigan State 16
10/21--Minnesota 32, Iowa 6
10/21--Purdue 30, Illinois 4
10/21--Vanderbilt 34, Tennessee 4
10/28--Purdue 16, Indiana 12
10/28--Monmouth 16, Knox 12
10/28--New Hampshire 6, Massachusetts 6 (tie)
10/31--Texas 8, Arkansas 4
11/3--Oklahoma 18, Texas 6
11/4--Dartmouth 10, Princeton 10 (tie)
11/4--Maine 8, New Hampshire 4
11/4--Virginia 22, Virginia Tech 20
11/4--Minnesota 28, Wisconsin 14
11/11--Colorado 28, Nebraska 10
11/11--Michigan 56, Ohio State 12
11/12--North Carolina State 10, North Carolina 0
11/15--Lafayette 30, Lehigh 0
11/18--Alabama 12, Auburn 0
11/18--Georgia Tech 40, Georgia 0
11/22--Texas 20, Texas A&M 18
11/24--Iowa State 28, Iowa 26
11/24--Purdue 28, Notre Dame 24
11/25--Wabash 40, DePauw 0
11/25--Kansas 14, Kansas State 0
11/25--Utah 8, Utah State 4
11/25--Amherst 14, Williams 0
11/25--Colorado State 10, Wyoming 4
11/25--Yale 12, Harvard 0
11/30--Auburn 22, Georgia 10
11/30--Pennsylvania 26, Cornell 8
11/30--Holy Cross 18, Fordham 4
11/30--Kansas 10, Missouri 0
11/30--Virginia 10, North Carolina 8
11/30--Pittsburgh 22, Penn State 20
11/30--Alabama 24, Tennessee 22
12/2--Army 4, Navy 4 (tie)

[Wolfpack]

1905--Reader Favorites

Princeton (8-1-1)
*9/23--Princeton 24, Villanova 0 (1-0)
*9/30--Princeton 36, Washington & Jefferson 18 (2-0)
*10/7--Princeton 16, Georgetown 6 (3-0)
*10/11--Princeton 36, Lehigh 0 (4-0)
*10/14--Princeton 28, Bucknell 0 (5-0)
*10/21--Princeton 20, Lafayette 14 (6-0) (Lafayette turns the ball over on downs)
*10/28--Princeton 22, Columbia 12 (7-0)
*11/4--Dartmouth 10, Princeton 10 (tie) (7-0-1) (Princeton converts a 44-yard field goal attempt, Dartmouth fails to move the ball into field goal range)
*11/11--Princeton 16, Cornell 4 (8-0-1)
*11/18--Yale 16, Princeton 12 (8-1-1) (Yale converts a 19-yard field goal attempt)


Illinois (4-5, 0-3 Western Conference)
*9/30--Illinois 24, Knox 6 (1-0)
*10/4--Wabash 28, Illinois 0 (1-1)
*10/7--Illinois 20, North Central 10 (2-1)
*10/14--Illinois 10, St. Louis 4 (3-1) (St. Louis turns the ball over on downs)
*10/21--Purdue 30, Illinois 4 (3-2, 0-1)
*10/28--Illinois 26, Physicians & Surgeons 0 (4-2, 0-1)
*11/4--Michigan 28, Illinois 0 (4-3, 0-2)
*11/18--Chicago 26, Illinois 0 (4-4, 0-3)
*11/30--Nebraska 22, Illinois 0 (4-5, 0-3)

[Wolfpack]

1905--FOFC Championship to Be Decided By Committee

 1 Vanderbilt (5)	 8-0-0	1.000	171
 2 Yale (4)		10-0-0	1.000	169
 3 Chicago		10-1-0	0.909	161
 4 Colorado		 9-0-0  1.000	142
 5 Minnesota		11-0-0	1.000	134
 6 Princeton		 8-1-1	0.850	126
 7 Colorado Mines	 6-0-0  1.000	114
 8 Michigan		12-1-0	0.923	102
 9 Swarthmore		 6-1-1	0.812	 94
10 Amherst		 5-0-1	0.917	 93
11 Georgia Tech		 7-0-0	1.000	 84
12 Purdue		 6-1-1	0.812	 80
13 Brown		 8-2-1	0.773	 66
14 Navy			10-0-2	0.917	 62
15 Lafayette		 8-2-0	0.800	 38
16 Kansas		10-1-0	0.909	 33
17 Iowa State		 7-2-0	0.778	 32
18 Carlisle		 9-2-3	0.909	 28
   Dartmouth		 6-2-2	0.700	 28
   Notre Dame		 7-2-0	0.778	 28

*Wow. So, I was a little wrong about Vanderbilt. They do well enough overall that they actually eek out a narrow computer poll win over Yale. However, Yale has 98% of the points that Vanderbilt has, so the special clause of human intervention is triggered to settle the issue once and for all.

The 1905 poll is here. While that's being settled, I'll go on to 1906, probably tomorrow.