The 1948 Michigan Wolverines football team represented the University of Michigan during the 1948 Big Nine Conference football season. In its first year under head coach Bennie Oosterbaan, Michigan compiled a 9–0 record, defeated six ranked opponents by a combined score of 122–17,Michigan opened the season against Michigan State and Oregon. Those games were played before the first AP Poll of the 1948 season was released. Accordingly, no rankings were available at the time Michigan State and Oregon played Michigan. Michigan State was ranked No. 14 in the final AP Poll, and Oregon was ranked No. 9 in the same poll. won the Big Nine Conference and repeated as national champions. In the final AP Poll, Michigan received 192 first place votes, twice as many as second-place Notre Dame which garnered 97 first place votes. This remained the last national title won by the Wolverines until 1997, and was the last consensus national title won by the Wolverines overall until 2023.
The 1948 season was Michigan's second straight undefeated, untied season. After Fritz Crisler led the 1947 team to a perfect 10–0 record, the Wolverines entered the 1948 season with a 14-game winning streak dating back to October 1946. Despite the loss of all four backfield starters from the 1947 team (including Big Nine MVP Bump Elliott and Heisman Trophy runner-up Bob Chappuis), the 1948 team extended the winning streak to 23 games.
On offense, Michigan was led by a new backfield that included All-American quarterback Pete Elliott and halfbacks Chuck Ortmann and Leo Koceski. The team scored 252 points, an average of 28 points per game. With Ortmann as the principal passer, the Wolverines relied on an air attack, gaining more yards in the air (1,355) than on the ground (1,262). Dick Rifenburg, the team's leading receiver, was picked as a first-team All-American at the end position. Team captain Dominic Tomasi was selected as the team's Most Valuable Player. The 1949 Michiganensian wrote of the 250-pound guard, "Famous for his sharp shattering blocking, Dom tore huge gaps in the opposing lines to pave the way for Michigan's steam roller offense."1949 Michiganensian, Dom Tomasi profile, p. 96.
On defense, the Wolverines allowed only 44 points, an average of 4.8 points per game. The defense was led by tackles Alvin Wistert and Al Wahl, center Dan Dworsky, and fullback Dick Kempthorn. Michigan gave up 935 passing yards and 851 rushing yards. The team shut out Oregon despite the passing game of College and Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback Norm Van Brocklin. It also held ranked Purdue and Northwestern teams to 36 and 47 rushing yards, respectively. The defense forced a total of 32 turnovers (including 21 interceptions), an average of three-and-a-half turnovers per game.1949 Michiganensian, pp. 104–111.
As of , the 1947–48 Michigan Wolverines remain the last Big Ten team to repeat as national champions.
Schedule
Rankings
Season summary Pre-season The 1947 Michigan team finished undefeated and untied with a 10–0 record, splitting the national championship with Notre Dame. In March 1948, Fritz Crisler, who had been the Wolverine's head football coach since 1938, resigned as head coach but stayed on as athletic director. Crisler selected his backfield coach, Bennie Oosterbaan, as the new head coach. Oosterbaan had been affiliated with the Michigan football program for 24 years, as an All-American end from 1925 to 1927 and as an assistant football coach from 1928 to 1947. When the selection of Oosterbaan was announced, Crisler told the press, "Bennie has the best offense mind in football. He is the ablest assistant that I have ever had." Others questioned the choice, noting that Oosterbaan had compiled only a middling 81–72 record as Michigan's basketball coach from 1938 to 1946.
Michigan entered the 1948 season with a 14-game winning streak dating back to October 29, 1946. Despite the winning streak, Michigan entered the 1948 season expected by many to finish third in the Big Nine behind Minnesota and Purdue. In addition to the coaching change, the team lost a number of key players from the 1947 team, including all four backfield starters. Bob Chappuis, who was the runner-up in voting for the 1947 Heisman Trophy, and Bump Elliott, who won the 1947 Big Nine MVP Trophy, were both gone, as were fullback Jack Weisenburger (the 1948 Big Nine rushing leader) and quarterback Howard Yerges. The 1948 team also lost its top two scorers (Chappuis and kicker Jim Brieske), two starting tackles (Bruce Hilkene and Bill Pritula), starting center (J. T. White), and two ends (Len Ford and Bob Mann) who went on to have successful careers in the NFL.1948 Michiganensian, pp. 98–99.
The Wolverines suffered another setback when Gene Derricotte sustained an injury that limited his playing time. The Sporting News had picked Derricotte to be one of the Big Nine's two most valuable players in a pre-season feature story, calling him Michigan's best broken field runner since Tom Harmon. Derricotte began the season as Michigan's starting left halfback, but was injured in the first game against Michigan State. The new starting backfield in 1948 consisted of quarterback Pete Elliott, left halfback Chuck Ortmann, fullback Tom Peterson, and right halfbacks Leo Koceski and Wally Teninga.
Week 1: at Michigan State
Michigan opened the Oosterbaan era with a 13–7 victory over Michigan State College in East Lansing. The game was also the first to be played at Michigan State's new Macklin Stadium. Early in the opening quarter, fullback Tom Peterson threw a 40-yard touchdown pass to Dick Rifenburg. Peterson kicked the extra point, and Michigan's 7–0 lead held through halftime. Michigan State tied the game in the third quarter on a disputed play in which a pass from Lynn Chandnois was caught by both Hank Minarik and Wally Teninga. The official ruled that possession went to the offensive player as a touchdown. Peterson scored the winning touchdown for Michigan on a five-yard run in the fourth quarter, but failed to convert the extra point attempt. Late in the fourth quarter, Michigan State drove the ball to Michigan's two-yard line. With time running out, Teninga intercepted a Michigan State pass. Michigan's offense was held to 106 rushing yards and 117 passing yards in the game.1949 Michiganensian, p. 104.
A sluggish offensive performance and a narrow margin of victory over a team the Wolverines had beaten 55–0 in 1947 led some in the media to question Oosterbaan's selection as Michigan's new coach. The New York Times opined that Michigan's performance "lacked most of the precision which it had last year under H. O. Crisler." H. G. Salsinger of The Detroit News wrote:"Michigan's first game under Oosterbaan . . . was not impressive. They lacked the spark that distinguished them through the 1947 season. The offense was dull and poorly directed. . . . The critics who had judged Oosterbaan's football coaching skills on his record as a basketball coach considered their appraisal justified. The future looked dark for Michigan and Oosterbaan."
Opinions of Oosterbaan changed as Michigan shut out ranked opponents in each of the next three games. The Spartans, under second-year head coach Biggie Munn proved to be stronger than expected, finishing the season ranked No. 14 in the final AP Poll.
Michigan's starting lineup against Michigan State was Rifenburg (left end), Atchison (left tackle), Tomasi (left guard), Dworsky (center), Heneveld (right guard), Wistert (right tackle), McNeill (right end), Elliott (quarterback), Derricotte (left halfback), Van Summern (right halfback), and Ghindia (fullback).
Oosterbaan was the last Michigan head coach to win against Michigan State in their first year until 2024, when Sherrone Moore defeated Michigan State in his first year.
Week 2: Oregon
In its home opener, Michigan defeated the Oregon Ducks, 14–0. Oregon came into the game with a highly touted passing game led by quarterback Norm Van Brocklin, who was later inducted into both the College and Pro Football Halls of Fame. Michigan's defensive fullback, Dick Kempthorn, was credited with playing a major role in stopping Van Brocklin's passing game. Northwestern coach Bob Voigts said he would pick Kempthorn if he had his choice of all the players in college football. In the second quarter, Michigan drove 93 yards, culminating in a 60-yard touchdown pass (30 yards in the air) from halfback Chuck Ortmann to Dick Rifenburg. Harry Allis kicked the extra point, and Michigan led 7–0 at halftime.
An Oregon drive into Michigan territory was stopped in the third quarter when Ortmann intercepted a Van Brocklin pass. On the next drive, Charlie Lentz made his season debut for Michigan and threw a 42-yard pass to Pete Elliott who was downed inside the Oregon ten-yard line. Lentz then threw a short pass to Tom Peterson for the final touchdown, and Allis kicked the extra point. In the fourth quarter, Oregon drove the ball to the Michigan two-yard line, but Michigan's defense held and the ball went to Michigan on downs. Despite Van Brocklin's reputation, Michigan outgained Oregon 217 to 194 in passing yardage.1949 Michiganensian, p. 105. The 1948 Oregon Ducks finished the season with a record of 9–1, as co-champion of the Pacific Coast Conference, and ranked No. 9 in the final AP Poll.
Michigan's starting lineup against Oregon was Rifenburg (left end), Soboleski (left tackle), Tomasi (left guard), Erben (center), Wilkins (right guard), Kohl (right tackle), McNeill (right end), Elliott (quarterback), Ortmann (left halfback), Koceski (right halfback), and Peterson (fullback).
Week 3: at Purdue
In its third game, Michigan went on the road against a Purdue team that was ranked No. 15 in the AP Poll. Michigan won by a convincing score of 40–0. The game drew a crowd of 45,996, the largest in the history of Ross–Ade Stadium up to that time. Michigan's offense confused Purdue with a fake T formation that disguised a single-wing formation. Leo Koceski scored on a three-yard run to cap Michigan's opening drive. Michigan scored another first-quarter touchdown after Dan Dworsky intercepted a Bob DeMoss pass near midfield. Peterson scored on a two-yard run on a fake buck-lateral. Harry Allis converted the first extra point but missed on his second attempt. In the second quarter, Purdue drove the ball to Michigan's one-yard line, but Michigan's line, led by Wistert and Wahl, and backed up by Dworsky and Kempthorn, held and took over on downs. Michigan scored again in the second quarter on a 23-yard touchdown pass from Chuck Ortmann to Dick Rifenburg. Allis missed the extra point, and Michigan led 19–0 at halftime.
In the third quarter, Wally Teninga threw a 57-yard touchdown pass to Rifenburg to extend the lead to 26–0. Early in the fourth quarter, Dick Kempthorn intercepted a DeMoss pass on the Purdue 22-yard line, and Teninga scored on a 10-yard run. On the next drive, Bob Samsen of Purdue fumbled, and Dworsky recovered the ball at the Purdue 34-yard line. Michigan did not score on that possession, but Purdue fumbled again, this time at its own 23-yard line. Once again, Michigan failed to capitalize on the turnover. Michigan scored its final touchdown later in the fourth quarter on a six-yard run by Charlie Lentz. Michigan's defense forced five turnovers (three interceptions and two fumble recoveries) and held Purdue to only 36 rushing yards and 122 passing yards in the game.1949 Michiganensian, Purdue game summary, p. 106.
Michigan's starting lineup against Purdue was Rifenburg (left end), Soboleski (left tackle), Tomasi (left guard), Dworsky (center), Wilkins (right guard), Kohl (right tackle), McNeill (right end), Elliott (quarterback), Ortmann (left halfback), Koceski (right halfback), and Peterson (fullback).
Week 4: Northwestern