The 1913 Western Conference football season was the eighteenth 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 1913 college football season. This was Ohio State's first year as members of the conference.
Season overview
The Chicago Maroons won the Western title with a perfect 7âÂÂ0 record, of which all seven victories were conference wins. Chicago was also retroactively named as the 1913 national champion by the Billingsley Report and as a co-national champion by Parke H. Davis.
Iowa and Minnesota finished behind Chicago with 5-2 records and both went 2âÂÂ1 in Western play. Purdue fell right behind with a 4-1-2 record, (2âÂÂ1âÂÂ2).
Illinois ended their season at 4-2-1 (2âÂÂ2âÂÂ1). Wisconsin wound up 3-3-1 (1âÂÂ2âÂÂ1) while newcomer Ohio State came in at 4-2-1 (1âÂÂ2).
Indiana finished at 3-4 (2âÂÂ4) while Northwestern followed at 1âÂÂ6, with all six losses coming at the hands of Western rivals.
Chicago
Iowa
Minnesota
Purdue
Illinois
Wisconsin
Ohio State
Indiana
Northwestern
Bowl games
No Western Conference schools participated in any bowl games during the 1913 season.
All-American honors
- Bob Butler, Tackle, Wisconsin <small>(WCâÂÂ2; HW-1; MFP-1; SBH-1; TT-2)</small>
- Huntington, End, Chicago <small>(INS-2)</small>
- Paul Des Jardien, Center, Chicago (College Football Hall of Fame) <small>(WCâÂÂ1; HW-1; INS-1; TT-2)</small>
- Ray Keeler, Guard, Wisconsin <small>(INS-1; MFP-2)</small>
- Nelson Norgren, Halfback, Chicago <small>(WCâÂÂ3; INS-2; MFP-2; FY-1)</small>
- Elmer Oliphant, Halfback, Purdue (College Football Hall of Fame) <small>(TT-2)</small>
- Paul Russell, Quarterback, Chicago <small>(HW-1; INS-2)</small>
- Lorin Solon, End, Minnesota <small>(WCâÂÂ3; INS-2; MFP-1; FY-1)</small>
Key
NCAA recognized selectors for 1913
Other selectors
- HW = Harper's Weekly, as selected by football critic Herman Reed
- MFP = Milwaukee Free Press
- FY = Fielding H. Yost, head coach at the University of Michigan
- PHD = Parke H. Davis, Princeton's representative on the football rules committee, in the New York Herald
- TT = Tom Thorp, former captain of Columbia football team and head football coach at Fordham University
- SBH = S. B. Hunt in the Newark Sunday Call
- TET = Trenton Evening-Times, selected by a "well known gridiron critic whose name is withheld by special request"
Bold = Consensus All-American
- 1 â First-team selection
- 2 â Second-team selection
- 3 â Third-team selection
All-Western selections
Ends
- Lorin Solon, Minnesota (CDN-1, CON, CRH, CT, ECP-1, IO-2, WE-1)
- Clark Shaughnessy, Minnesota (CDN-2 [fullback], CRH, ECP-1 [guard]) (CFHOF)
- Norman K. Wilson, Illinois (ECP-2)
- Earl Huntington, Chicago (CDN-2, WE-2)
- Harold Ofstie, Wisconsin (CDN-2, IO-1)
- Harold Pogue, Illinois (IO-2)
Tackles
- Bob Butler, Wisconsin (CDN-1, CON, CRH, CT, ECP-1, IO-1, WE-1)
- Archie Kirk, Iowa (ECP-2, IO-2)
- Harold Ernest Goettler, Chicago (CDN-2)
Guards
- Ray Keeler, Wisconsin (CDN-2, CON, CRH, ECP-2, IO-1, WE-2) [CAA]
- Harris, Chicago (CDN-1, ECP-2, IO-2)
- Boles Rosenthal, Minnesota (IO-1)
- H. B. Routh, Purdue (IO-2)
Centers
- Paul Des Jardien, Chicago (CDN-1, CON, CRH, CT, ECP-1, IO-1, WE-1) [CAA, CFHOF]
- C. E. Glossop, Purdue (CDN-2, ECP-2)
Quarterbacks
- Pete Russell, Chicago (ECP-1, WE-2)
- Samuel Gross, Iowa (CDN-2)
- Wilbur Hightower, Northwestern (IO-2)
Halfbacks
- Nelson Norgren, Chicago (CDN-1, CON, CRH, CT, ECP-1, IO-1, WE-1)
- William McAlmon, Minnesota (ECP-2)
- Gray, Chicago (CDN-2, ECP-2)
- Elmer Oliphant, Purdue (IO-2) (CFHOF)
References