1898 Western Conference football season

American college football season August 2023 1898 Western Conference football season Football 7 Michigan Champion Football 1897 1899 The 1898 Western Conference football season was the third season of college football played by the member schools of the Western Conference (later known as the Big Ten Conference) and was a part of the 1898 college football season. The 1898 Michigan Wolverines football team, under head coach Gustave Ferbert, won the conference championship with a 10–0 record, shut out six opponents, and outscored all opponents by a combined total of 205 to 26. The team concluded its season by playing Amos Alonzo Stagg's 1898 Chicago Maroons football team for the conference championship. The Wolverines beat Chicago by a 12–11 score in a game that inspired Louis Elbel to write Michigan's fight song "The Victors." Wisconsin, under head coach Philip King, compiled a 9–1 record, lost to Chicago, and finished in third place in the conference. Season overview Results and team statistics Conf. RankTeamHead coachOverall recordConf. recordPPGPAG1MichiganGustave Ferbert10–03–020.52.62ChicagoAmos A. Stagg14–2–13–117.02.83WisconsinPhilip King9–12–131.81.74IllinoisGeorge Huff4–51–19.28.75MinnesotaJohn Minds4-51-210.28.16NorthwesternW. H. Bannard9–4–10–416.48.87PurdueAlpha Jamison3–30–15.75.5 Key PPG = Average of points scored per game PAG = Average of points allowed per game1898 Western Conference Year Summary Sports Reference LLC SR/College Football December 26, 2016 https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/conferences/western/1898.html Regular season Only 10 conference games were played during the 1898 season as follows: October 22, 1898: Chicago defeated Northwestern, 34-5, at Chicago October 29, 1898: Wisconsin defeated Minnesota, 29-0, at Madison, Wisconsin November 5, 1898: Chicago defeated Purdue, 17-0, at Chicago November 5, 1898: Michigan defeated Northwestern, 6-5, at Ann Arbor, Michigan November 12, 1898: Chicago defeated Wisconsin, 6-0, at Chicago November 12, 1898: Michigan defeated Illinois, 12-5, at Detroit November 12, 1898: Minnesota defeated Northwestern, 17-6, at Minneapolis November 24, 1898: Illinois defeated Minnesota, 11-10, at Champaign, Illinois November 24, 1898: Michigan defeated Chicago, 12-11, at Chicago November 24, 1898: Wisconsin defeated Northwestern, 47-0, at Evanston, Illinois Notable non-conference games during the 1898 season included the following: October 8, 1898: Chicago defeated Iowa, 38–0, at Chicago October 8, 1898: Illinois lost to Notre Dame, 5–0, at Champaign, Illinois October 12, 1898: Michigan defeated Michigan Agricultural, 39–0, at Ann Arbor (first Michigan–Michigan State football rivalry game) October 18, 1898: Purdue defeated Haskell, 5–0, at Lawrence, Kansas October 22, 1898 Purdue defeated Haskell, 15–0, at West Lafayette, Indiana October 22, 1898: Minnesota lost to Iowa State, 6–0, at Minneapolis October 23, 1898: Michigan defeated Notre Dame, 23–0, at Ann Arbor, Michigan October 29, 1898: Michigan lost to Penn, 23–11, at Philadelphia November 5, 1898: Minnesota defeated 1898 North Dakota Flickertails North Dakota, 15–0, at Minneapolis November 12, 1898: Purdue defeated Indiana, 14–0, at West Lafayette, Indiana November 19, 1898: Illinois lost to Carlisle, 11–0, at Chicago Bowl games No bowl games were played during the 1898 season. All-Western players Ends Neil Snow, Michigan (CW) (CFHOF) John W. F. Bennett, Michigan (CW) Tackles Allen Steckle, Michigan (CW) Bothne, Northwestern (CW) Guards Rogers, Chicago (CW) Bunge, Beloit (CW) Centers William Cunningham, Michigan (CW) Quarterbacks Walter S. Kennedy, Chicago (CW) Halfbacks William Caley, Michigan (CW) F. L. Slaker, Chicago (CW) Fullbacks Pat O'Dea, Wisconsin (CW) (CFHOF) References