The 1906 Western Conference football season was the eleventh 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 1906 college football season.
In 1906, Michigan president James Burrill Angell called for several meetings to further regulate football in the Western Conference. One of the new rules would require the football coach to be a full-time employee of the university, causing Michigan's head football coach, Fielding Yost, to object. Yost convinced Michigan's board to support him over Angell and against the conference. In April 1907, Michigan was voted out of the conference for refusing to adhere to the new league rules, which they insisted they would not follow. As a result, Western Conference schools did not play Michigan again until they rejoined the league in 1918.
Season overview There was a three-way tie for the conference title between Wisconsin, who went 5-0 (3-0 in conference play); Minnesota, who went 4-1 (2-0); and Michigan, who went 4-1 (1-0)
Chicago finished with an overall record of 4-1 (3-1), Illinois went 1-3-1 (1-3), Iowa went 2-3 (0-1), Indiana wound up at 4-2 (0-2), and Purdue followed with a record of 0-5 (0-3).
Northwestern did not field a team in 1906, nor would they for the 1907 college football season. The Purple would return to the gridiron in 1908.
Wisconsin
Minnesota
Michigan
Chicago
Illinois
Iowa
Indiana
Purdue
Bowl games No Western Conference schools participated in any bowl games during the 1906 season.
All-American honors
The following Western Conference players were selected as first-team players on the 1906 College Football All-America Team. (Consensus All-Americans displayed in bold).
Bobby Marshall, End, Minnesota (College Football Hall of Fame) (WC-2) Walter Eckersall, Quarterback, Chicago (WC-1; CW-1 [fb]; NYM-1; COMP) John Garrels, Fullback, Michigan (WC-3)
Key NCAA recognized selectors for 1906 WC = Walter Camp for Collier's Weekly CW = Caspar Whitney for Outing magazine
Other selectors NYW = New York World by Robert W. Edgren NYS = New York Sun CC = Charles Chadwick NYT = The New York Times NYM = New York Mail COMP = A composite All-American team distilled from the All-American selected by nine of "the most prominent of the eastern sporting writers and critics"
Bold = Consensus All-American 1 – First-team selection 2 – Second-team selection 3 – Third-team selection
All-Western selections
Ends Bobby Marshall, Minnesota (CA, CC, CDN, CE, CEP, CIO, CJ, CRH, CT, ECP-1, OL, SLG) (CFHOF) Mysterious Walker, Chicago (CA, CC, CDN, CE, CIO, CJ, CRH, ECP-1, SLG) Charles J. Moynihan, Illinois (ECP-2)
Tackles Joe Curtis, Michigan (CA, CC, CDN, CE, CEP, CIO, CJ, CRH, CT, ECP-1, SLG) Ed Parry, Chicago (CA, CC, CDN, CE, CEP [end], CIO, CJ, CRH [guard], ECP-1, OL [end], SLG) George Leland Case, Minnesota (CC [guard], CE [guard], CEP, CRH [guard], CT, ECP-2, OL) Franklin C. Wade, Indiana (ECP-2)
Guards Forest Van Hook, Illinois (CDN, CEP, CT, ECP-1, SLG) Theodore Vita, Minnesota (CA, CDN, CE, CEP, CJ, CT, ECP-2, OL, SLG) William "Bill" Ittner, Minnesota (CC, CIO, CRH [tackle], ECP-1, OL [tackle]) Warren A. Gelbach, Wisconsin (CIO) Walter D. Graham, Michigan (CJ, ECP-2) Smith, Minnesota (CA, OL)
Centers Orren Eark Safford, Minnesota (CC, CDN, CE, CEP, CIO, CRH, ECP-1, OL, SLG) Lloyd A. Waugh, Indiana (CJ, ECP-2) Stechm, Wisconsin (CT) W. Wellinghoff, Purdue (CA)
Quarterbacks Walter Eckersall, Chicago (CA, CC, CDN, CE, CEP, CIO, CJ, CRH, CT, ECP-1, OL, SLG) (CFHOF) Frank K. Hare, Indiana (ECP-2)
Halfbacks Walter Steffen, Chicago (CA, CDN, CE, CEP, CIO, CJ, CT, ECP-2, SLG) (CFHOF) John Schuknecht, Minnesota (CC, CDN, CIO, CRH, ECP-1, OL, SLG) Heze Clark, Indiana (CE, CEP, CJ, CRH, CT, ECP-1) Hodge, Illinois (CA) Paul Magoffin, Michigan (CC, ECP-2) William C. Doane, Minnesota (OL)
Fullbacks John Garrels, Michigan (CA, CC, CDN, CE, CEP, CIO, CJ, CRH, CT, ECP-1, OL, SLG) Earl Current, Minnesota (ECP-2)
References