Raven's Definitive History
of Michigan's Retroactive Titles

The national championship in college football is generally awarded to the top-rated team in the final rankings issued each year by the poll of sportswriters and broadcasters (Associated Press) and the poll of coaches (United Press International through 1990, USA Today/CNN from 1991 - 1996, USA Today/ESPN currently). The AP began certifying the winner of its national crown in 1936; the coaches' poll has voted a national champion since 1950. The University of Michigan was the AP National Champion in 1948 and 1997. Michigan split the 1997 championship with the University of Nebraska, which won the USA Today/ESPN poll.

Determining college football's "mythical" national champion prior to the first AP poll in 1936 is a matter of some murkiness. The first reasonably well recognized ranking system was developed in 1926 by Frank Dickinson, a professor at the University of Illinois. According to the NCAA Record Book "the annual Dickinson ratings were emblematic of the national championship and the basis for awarding the Rissman Trophy and the Knute K. Rockne Intercollegiate Memorial Trophy." Michigan won the Rockne Trophy in 1932 and 1933.

Some football historians and researchers have sought to determine the national championship team in the years prior to 1926. Championship titles for teams playing at this time are of necessity awarded retroactively. For example, Parke H. Davis, a noted college football historian, retroactively named the championship teams from 1869 through 1933. Claims to retroactive Michigan national championships can be supported by titles from The National Championship Foundation (recognized by the NCAA as a valid source of championships for the period 1900-1929) for 1903, 1904, 1918 and 1923 and by titles from the Helms Athletic Foundation for 1901 and 1902. Similarly, the Billingsly System (a well respected statistical process for determining national champions) retroactively awards Michigan pre-1926 titles in 1901, 1902, 1903, 1904, 1918 and 1923.

This site started out as a series of posts on the CNN/SI college football message boards. College football history, in particular the relative historical achievements of the various teams, is a frequent topic on the boards. Michigan undeniably has a rich football history of which Wolverine fans are justly proud. However, I felt that the historical research in the area of retroactive titles was somewhat spotty, not reflecting Michigan's true grandeur. Further research was required.

The hosts of this show are Mr. Peabody and Sherman from the classic cartoon Rocky & Bullwinkle.

Mr. Peabody and Sherman's special guest is Mark II, a well known and well respected Michigan football fan and historian who posts regularly on the CNN/SI college football message boards.

The site is intended as a good natured parody. Please note that this parody was written in 1998 and does not reflect events transpiring since then. For the record, I am a Nebraska Cornhuskers and Indiana Hoosiers fan.

Art Credits

Copyright © 1998-2010 The Raven. All rights reserved. Written by The Raven.

This site is best viewed at a monitor resolution of 1024x768 or higher.