1947 Michigan Wolverines football team

NCAATeamFootballSeason
Year=1947
Team=Michigan Wolverines


Conference=Big Ten Conference
Division=
ShortConference=Big Ten
CoachRank=
APRank=1
Record=10-0
ConfRecord=6-0
HeadCoach=Fritz Crisler
OffCoach=
DefCoach=
OScheme=
DScheme=
StadiumArena=Michigan Stadium
Champion=National Champion
BowlTourney=
BowlTourneyResult= The 1947 Michigan Wolverines football team, coached by Fritz Crisler, were undefeated and untied with a 10-0 record. Though ranked #2 in the Associated Press poll at the end of the regular season, the Wolverines defeated the USC Trojans by a score of 49-0 in the 1948 Rose Bowl game, and were selected as the nation's #1 team by a 226-119 margin over Notre Dame in an unofficial post-bowl Associated Press conducted by Detroit Free Press sports editor Lyall Smith. [cite book|last=Kyrk|first=John|title=Natural Enemies|page=142-7|isbn=1589790901] Most independent publications recognize both schools as co-champions, although the NCAAcite web |url=http://www.ncaa.org/champadmin/ia_football_past_champs.html |title = Past Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (Division I FBS) National Champions (formerly called Division I-A) | publisher= ncaa.org | accessdate=2008-07-27] and other independent organizationscite web|url=http://www.sportsline.com/collegefootball/story/2554072|title= Past Division I-A champions | publisher= cbs.com | accessdate=2008-07-27] cite Notre Dame as the AP champion despite the post-bowl ballot. The 1947 team has been selected as the best team in the history of Michigan football. [cite book | last = Jones | first = Todd | editor= MacCambridge, Michael | title = ESPN Big Ten College Football Encyclopedia |chapter=Michigan | publisher = ESPN Enterprises | year = 2007 | isbn = 1933060492 |pages=60 ] Led by All-American halfbacks Bob Chappuis and Bump Elliott, the 1947 Wolverines outscored their opponents, 394-53. The Wolverines victory in the 1948 Rose Bowl still stands as the most points scored, and the largest margin of victory, in Rose Bowl history.

The 1947 Wolverines are also remembered as the first fully to embrace the concept of defensive and offensive specialization. Previously, most players had played their positions on both offense and defense. But in 1947, Coach Fritz Crisler established separate offensive and defensive squads. Only Bump Elliott and Jack Weisenberger played on both squads. In November 1947, Time magazine ran a feature article about the 1947 Wolverines (with Bob Chappuis’ photograph on the cover) called, “The Specialist.”cite news|title=The Specialist|url=http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,779413-1,00.html|publisher=Time |date=1947-11-03] The "Time" article focused on the new era of specialization marked by Crisler’s decision to field separate offensive and defensive units. The article noted: Michigan's sleight-of-hand repertory is a baffling assortment of double reverses, buck-reverse laterals, crisscrosses, quick-hits and spins from seven different formations. Sometimes, watching from the side lines, even Coach Crisler isn't sure which Michigan man has the ball. Michigan plays one team on offense, one on defense. . . . Whenever Michigan's defensive team regains the ball, Crisler orders: 'Offense unit, up and out,' and nine men pour onto the field at once."

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" ** In an unofficial Associated Press poll following the 1948 Rose Bowl, Michigan was voted over Notre Dame as the 1947 National Champion by a 226 to 119 margin. Both schools share the title."

The 1947 National Championship controversy

The regular season AP polls

Michigan and Notre Dame had traded the top spot in the polls through much of the season. Michigan took the #1 spot in the AP poll on November 16, 1947, and Notre Dame moved into the #1 spot on November 23, 1947, by a margin of 1,410 points to 1,289 points. This last regular season poll determined the recipient of the AP's national championship trophy.

Press and public reaction to Michigan's 49-0 win in the Rose Bowl

After the final AP poll, Michigan went on to beat USC, 49-0, in the 1948 Rose Bowl, a greater margin that by which Notre Dame had beaten USC, and the most points scored, and greatest margin of victory, in Rose Bowl history.

Football writer Pete Rozelle reported the day after the Rose Bowl on the reaction of the assembled writers in the Rose Bowl press box. "From Grantland Rice down through the ranks of the nation's top sports writers assembled in the Rose Bowl press box yesterday there was nothing but glowing expletives for the synchronized Michigan Wolverine wrecking crew that powered over Southern California, 49-0. While for the most part hedging from a comparison of Michigan with Notre Dame, the consensus of the scribes was that the offensive-minded Ann Arbor squad deserved no less than a co-rating with the Irish as America's Number One Collegiate eleven."cite news|author=Rozelle, Pete|title=Scribes Warble Praises of Mighty Big Nine Kings|publisher=Long Beach Press-Telegram|date=1948-01-02]

Grantland Rice, the dean of the nation's sports writers, lauded the Wolverines, saying, "It is the best all-around college football team I've seen this year. The backfield's brilliant passing and running skill gives Michigan the most powerful offense in the country." Red Smith of the New York Herald-Tribune said, "No other team that I have seen this season did things with so little effort. Crisler has so many that do so much."

The debate over which team was best

Notre Dame supporters argued that the post-season AP poll was final and should not be revisited. They contended that Michigan had run up the score on USC, noted that Notre Dame had not had an opportunity to play in a bowl game, and asserted that Michigan and other Big Nine schools were unwilling to schedule Notre Dame in the regular season.

Detroit Free Press sports editor, Lyall Smith, argued the debate should be answered by comparing the two team's performance against common opponents. Smith noted: "They played three common foes. Notre Dame beat Pitt, 40-6, a margin of 34 points: Michigan beat Pitt 59-0. Notre Dame defeated Northwestern, 26 to 19, a margin of seven points: Michigan beat the 'Cats 49 to 21, for a 28-point advantage. Notre Dame dropped USC, 36 to 7, in what Coach Frank Leahy termed his team's 'greatest game of the year,' while Michigan slaughtered the same Trojans, 49 to 0. Against those three common opponents the Irish scored 104 points to 32. Michigan's margin was 167 to 21."cite news|author=Smith, Lyall|title=Michigan or Notre Dame? Hot Argument Still Raging Throughout U.S.|publisher=Florence (S.C.) Morning News|date=1948-01-04]

Smith also pointed to Michigan's tougher strength of schedule: "The teams Michigan played won 42 games, lost 48 and tied five. Notre Dame's adversaries won only 30, lost 45, and tied 6."

The AP holds a special poll to "settle the argument" at "the ballot box"

In response to the debate over which team truly deserved to be recognized as the nation's best, the Associated Press decided to hold a post-bowl poll. The AP reported on the rationale for the special poll this way: "The Associated Press is polling sports editors of its member papers throughout the country to help settle the argument as to which is the better football team -- Michigan or Notre Dame. The AP's final poll of the top ten teams, relased Dec. 8 at the conclusion of the regulation season, resulted in Notre Dame winning first place with 1,410 points. MIchigan was second with 1,289. . . . Returns so far received indicate that voting in this latest poll is likely to be the heaviest ever recorded." [cite news|title=AP to Conduct Special Poll|publisher=Ironwood Daily Globe|date=1948-01-03] Another AP report indicated the special poll was "conducted by popular demand" to answer "the burning sports question of the day" and to do so "at the ballot box." [cite news|title=Michigan Winner Nearly 2-1 Over Irish in AP Poll|publisher=Albuquerque Journal|date=1948-01-07] [cite news|author=Grimsley, Will|title=Michigan the Uncrowned National Grid Champion: Wolves Win 2-1 In Special Poll; 119 Ballots Cast for Irish, 226 for Mich.|publisher=Ironwood Daily Globe|date=1948-01-06]

Michigan voted #1 in the special poll by a vote of 226 to 119

Michigan was voted #1 in the special poll by a vote of 226 to 119. The Associated Press reported on the results of its poll as follows: "The nation's sports writers gave the final answer Tuesday to the raging controversy on the relative strength of the Notre Dame and Michigan football teams, and it was the Wolverines over the Irish by almost two to one -- including those who saw both powerhouses perform. . . . In the over-all total, 226 writers in 48 states and the District of Columbia picked Michigan, 119 balloted for Notre Dame, and 12 called it a draw. Opinion of the 54 writers who saw both in action last fall coincided at almost the same ratio, with 33 giving the nod to Michigan, 17 to Notre Dame, and four voting for a tie."cite news|author=Chandler, John|title=Writers Rate Irish Second to Wolverines|publisher=The Kingsport (Tenn.) News|date=1948-01-07] [cite news|author=Chandler, John|title=Scribes of Nation PIck Michigan: A.P.'s Poll Favors Wolverines; Final Vote Stands at 226-119|publisher=The Salt Lake Tribune|date=1948-01-07] [cite news|title=With Men Who Know Football Best: It's Michigan 2 to 1 Over Notre Dame|publisher=The Amarillo Daily News|date=1948-01-07] The 357 votes cast in the special post-bowl poll represented "the largest ever to take part in such an AP voting."

Commenting on the special poll, Michigan coach Fritz Crisler said "the men who voted couldn't have made a mistake if they had picked either team." He described Notre Dame coach Frank Leahy as a "superb coach."cite news|author=Liska, Jerry|title=Leahy Praises Wolverines After Voting|publisher=The Kingsport (Tenn.) News|date=1948-01-07] Notre Dame President, Father John Cavanagh said, "We at Notre Dame feel grateful for the magnanimous statement of Coach Crisler. I listened to Michigan against Southern California and have only praise for the skill and accomplishment of your fine team."

The debate continues despite the special poll

Despite the magnanimous statements of Coach Crisler and Father Cavanagh, the reversed decision in the post-bowl poll only stoked the debate over which team was best. Said one columnist: "Hottest argument of the moment is the one over which had the better football team, Michigan or Notre Dame. To settle it the Associated Press polled better than 350 sports writers in 48 states . . . with a two to one nod for the Wolverines."cite news|author=Warden, Al|title=Patrolling the Sport Highway with Al Warden|publisher=The Ogden Standard-Examiner|date=1948-01-11]

Forty years later, the debate was still ongoing. In 1988, Michigan All-American Dan Dworsky noted: "Notre Dame still claims that national championship and so do we." [cite news|author=Florence, Mal|title="The Magicians: Split Personality in 1947 Helped Michigan Drive Everyone Crazy" | publisher = Los Angeles Times| date=1988-12-27|accessdate=2007-11-26] The NCAA, the governing body for college athletics, presently cites Notre Dame as the official AP title winner. The NCAA, however, does not control the college football national title selection process, unlike in other college sports.

tarting lineup

* Left End: Bob Mann, Ed McNeill, Len Ford
* Left Tackle: Bruce Hilkene, Alvin Wistert
* Left Guard: Dominic Tomasi, Joe Soboleski
* Center: J.T. White, Jim Brieske, Dan Dworsky
* Right Guard: Stu Wilkins, Quentin Sickels
* Right Tackle: Bill Pritula, Ralph Kohl
* Right End: Dick Rifenburg, Ed McNeill
* Quarterback: Howard Yerges, Gene Derricotte
* Fullback: Jack Wiesenburger, Dick Kempthorn, Dan Dworsky, Tom Peterson
* Left Halfback: Bob Chappuis, Jack Wiesenburger
* Right Halfback: Bump Elliott

Awards

* Captain: Bruce Hilkene
* All-Americans: Bob Chappuis, Bump Elliott
* All-Conference: Bob Mann, Howard Yerges, Bob Chappuis, Bump Elliott
* Most Valuable Player: Bump Elliott
* Meyer Morton Award: Alvin Wistert

Coaching staff

Jack Blott, George Ceithaml, Forrest Jordan, Clifford Keen, Ernest McCoy, Bennie Oosterbaan, Arthur Valpey, Walter Weber

Notes

ee also

* 1948 Rose Bowl

External links

* [http://bentley.umich.edu/athdept/football/fbteam/1947fbt.htm 1947 Football Team -- Bentley Historical Library, University of Michigan Athletics History]
* [http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,779413-1,00.html Time magazine article: The Specialist]