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 7–0 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 2–1 in Western play. Purdue fell right behind with a 4-1-2 record, (2–1–2).
Illinois ended their season at 4-2-1 (2–2–1). Wisconsin wound up 3-3-1 (1–2–1) while newcomer Ohio State came in at 4-2-1 (1–2).
Indiana finished at 3-4 (2–4) while Northwestern followed at 1–6, 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 (WC–2; HW-1; MFP-1; SBH-1; TT-2) Huntington, End, Chicago (INS-2) Paul Des Jardien, Center, Chicago (College Football Hall of Fame) (WC–1; HW-1; INS-1; TT-2) Ray Keeler, Guard, Wisconsin (INS-1; MFP-2) Nelson Norgren, Halfback, Chicago (WC–3; INS-2; MFP-2; FY-1) Elmer Oliphant, Halfback, Purdue (College Football Hall of Fame) (TT-2) Paul Russell, Quarterback, Chicago (HW-1; INS-2) Lorin Solon, End, Minnesota (WC–3; INS-2; MFP-1; FY-1)
Key NCAA recognized selectors for 1913 WC = Collier's Weekly as selected by Walter Camp INS = Frank G. Menke, sporting editor of the International News Service
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 – First-team selection 2 – Second-team selection 3 – 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