| 1941 Big Ten Conference football season | |
| Sport: | Football |
| No Of Teams: | 9 |
| Top Pick: | Bob Westfall |
| Season Champs: | Minnesota |
| Season Champ Name: | Champion |
| Mvp: | Jack Graf |
| Seasonslistnames: | Football |
| Prevseason Year: | 1940 |
| Nextseason Year: | 1942 |
The 1941 Big Ten Conference football season was the 46th season of college football played by the member schools of the Big Ten Conference (also known as the Western Conference) and was a part of the 1941 college football season.
The 1941 Minnesota Golden Gophers football team, led by head coach Bernie Bierman, compiled a perfect 8–0 record, led the conference in both scoring offense and scoring defense, was ranked No. 1 in the final AP Poll, and won the program's second consecutive national championship. Halfback Bruce Smith was a consensus All-American and won the 1941 Heisman Trophy. Tackle Dick Wildung was also a consensus first-team All-American.
Michigan, under head coach Fritz Crisler, compiled a 6–1–1 record, outscored opponents 147 to 41, and was ranked No. 5 in the final AP Poll. Fullback Bob Westfall was selected as a consensus first-team player on the 1941 College Football All-America Team. In addition to Westfall, two other Michigan players received first-team honors on the 1941 All-Big Ten Conference football team: center Robert Ingalls and tackle Al Wistert.
Ohio State, under head coach Paul Brown, compiled a 6–1–1 record, outscored opponents 167 to 110, and was ranked No. 13 in the final AP Poll. In the Chicago Tribunes poll of coaches, officials and experts, Ohio State fullback Jack Graf was selected as the Big Ten's most valuable player.[1]
Northwestern lost to three top 10 teams (Minnesota, Michigan, and Notre Dame) and was ranked No. 11 in the final AP Poll. Two Northwestern players received first-team honors on the All-Big Ten team: tackle Alf Bauman and end Bob Motl. The team also featured halfback Otto Graham who was later inducted into the Pro and College Football Halls of Fame.
| Conf. Rank | Team | Head coach | AP final | AP high | Overall record | Conf. record | PPG | PAG | MVP | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Minnesota | Bernie Bierman |
|
| 8–0 | 5–0 | 23.3 | 4.8 | Bob Sweiger | |
| 2 (tie) | Michigan | Fritz Crisler |
|
| 6–1–1 | 3–1–1 | 18.4 | 5.1 | Reuben Kelto | |
| 2 (tie) | Ohio State | Paul Brown |
|
| 6–1–1 | 3–1–1 | 20.0 | 13.8 | Jack Graf | |
| 4 | Northwestern | Pappy Waldorf |
|
| 5–3 | 4–2 | 21.6 | 8.4 | Alf Bauman | |
| 5 | Wisconsin | Harry Stuhldreher | NR | NR | 3–5 | 3–3 | 18.0 | 26.0 | Pat Harder | |
| 6 | Iowa | Eddie Anderson | NR | NR | 3–5 | 2–4 | 11.4 | 12.4 | Bill Diehl | |
| 7 (tie) | Purdue | Mal Elward | NR | NR | 2–5–1 | 1–3 | 3.4 | 7.8 | Bill Combs | |
| 7 (tie) | Indiana | Bo McMillin | NR | NR | 2–6 | 1–3 | 12.6 | 15.8 | Billy Hillenbrand | |
| 9 | Illinois | Robert Zuppke | NR | NR | 2–6 | 0–5 | 14.0 | 20.4 | Nathan Johnson |
| Index to colors and formatting | |
|---|---|
| Non-conference matchup; Big Ten member won | |
| Non-conference matchup; Big Ten member lost | |
| Conference matchup | |
| Winning teams displayed in bold | |
| Result column from perspective of Big Ten school for non-conference games, from perspective of winning team for conference games |
Six conference teams opened their seasons on September 27, playing six games against non-conference opponents, resulting in four wins and two losses. Northwestern, Wisconsin and Illinois did not play.
| Date | Home team | Visiting team | Site | Result | Attendance | Source | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| September 27 | Washington | Minnesota | Husky Stadium, Seattle, WA | W 14–6 | 43,000 | [3] | |
| September 27 | Michigan | Michigan State | Michigan Stadium, Ann Arbor, MI | W 19–7 | 67,079 | [4] | |
| September 27 | Ohio State | Missouri | Ohio Stadium, Columbus, OH | W 12–7 | 49,671 | [5] | |
| September 27 | Iowa | Drake | Iowa Stadium, Iowa City, IA | W 25–8 | 20,000 | [6] | |
| September 27 | Purdue | Vanderbilt | Ross - Ade Stadium, West Lafayette, IN | L 0–3 | 17,000 | [7] | |
| September 27 | Indiana | Detroit | Memorial Stadium, Bloomington, IN | L 7–14 | 10,000 | [8] |
Eight conference teams played games on October 4, consisting of one conference matchup and six non-conference games. The non-conference games resulted in four wins and two losses. Minnesota did not play.
| Date | Home team | Visiting team | Site | Result | Attendance | Source | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| October 4 | Michigan | Iowa | Michigan Stadium, Ann Arbor, MI | W 6–0 | 29,807 | [9] | |
| October 4 | USC | Ohio State | Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Los Angeles, CA | W 33–0 | 65,000 | [10] | |
| October 4 | Northwestern | Kansas State | Dyche Stadium, Evanston, IL | W 51–3 | 40,000 | [11] | |
| October 4 | Wisconsin | Marquette | Camp Randall Stadium, Madison, WI | L 7-28 | 40,000 | [12] | |
| October 4 | Pittsburgh | Purdue | Pitt Stadium, Pittsburgh, PA | W 6-0 | 24,000 | [13] | |
| October 4 | Notre Dame | Indiana | Notre Dame Stadium, South Bend, IN | L 6-19 | 42,000 | [14] | |
| October 4 | Illinois | Miami (OH) | Memorial Stadium, Champaign, IL | W 45-0 | 20,585 | [15] |
Six conference teams played games on October 11, consisting of two conference matchups and two non-conference games. The non-conference games resulted in a win and a loss. Ohio State, Iowa, and Purdue did not play. After three weeks, Big Ten teams had compiled a non-conference record of 9–4.
| Date | Home team | Visiting team | Site | Result | Attendance | Source | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| October 11 | Minnesota | Illinois | Memorial Stadium, Minneapolis, MN | W 34–6 | 50,435 | [16] | |
| October 11 | Michigan | Pittsburgh | Michigan Stadium, Ann Arbor, MI | W 40–0 | 34,403 | [17] | |
| October 11 | Northwestern | Wisconsin | Dyche Stadium, Evanston, IL | W 41–14 | 40,000 | [18] | |
| October 11 | Indiana | TCU | Memorial Stadium, Bloomington, IN | L 14–20 | 24,000 | [19] |
All nine conference teams saw action on October 18, consisting of three conference games and three non-conference games. In the week's biggest matchup, No. 6 Michigan defeated No. 5 Northwestern. The non-conference games resulted in three wins. After four weeks, Big Ten teams had compiled a non-conference record of 12–4.
| Date | Home team | Visiting team | Site | Result | Attendance | Source | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| October 18 | No. 1 Minnesota | Pittsburgh | Memorial Stadium, Minneapolis, MN | W 39–0 | 35,000 | [20] | |
| October 18 | No. 5 Northwestern | No. 6 Michigan | Dyche Stadium, Evanston, IL | W 14-7 | 47,000 | [21] [22] | |
| October 18 | No. 10 Ohio State | Purdue | Ohio Stadium, Columbus, OH | W 16–14 | 66,074 | [23] | |
| October 18 | Wisconsin | Iowa | Camp Randall Stadium, Madison, WI | W 23–0 | 20,000 | [24] | |
| October 18 | No. 15 Nebraska | Indiana | Memorial Stadium, Lincoln, NE | W 21–13 | 33,000 | [25] | |
| October 18 | Illinois | Drake | Memorial Stadium, Champaign, IL | W 40–0 | 12,000 | [26] |
All nine conference teams saw action on October 25, consisting of four conference games and one non-conference game. In the week's biggest matchups, No. 1 Minnesota defeated No. 3 Michigan, and No. 13 Northwestern defeated No. 11 Ohio State. The non-conference game resulted in three wins. After five weeks, Big Ten teams had compiled a non-conference record of 12–5.
| Date | Home team | Visiting team | Site | Result | Attendance | Source | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| October 25 | No. 3 Michigan | No. 1 Minnesota | Michigan Stadium, Ann Arbor, MI | W 7–0 | 85,753 | [27] | |
| October 25 | No. 11 Ohio State | No. 13 Northwestern | Ohio Stadium, Columbus, OH | W 14–7 | 71,896 | [28] | |
| October 25 | Wisconsin | Indiana | Camp Randall Stadium, Madison, WI | W 27–25 | 33,000 | [29] | |
| October 25 | Purdue | Iowa | Ross–Ade Stadium, West Lafayette, IN | W 7–6 | 22,000 | [30] | |
| October 25 | No. 7 Notre Dame | Illinois | Notre Dame Stadium, South Bend, IN | L 14–49 | 45,000 | [31] |
All nine conference teams saw action on November 1, consisting of three conference games and three non-conference games. In the week's biggest matchup, No. 1 Minnesota defeated No. 9 Northwestern. The non-conference games resulted in one win and two losses. After six weeks, Big Ten teams had compiled a non-conference record of 13–7.
| Date | Home team | Visiting team | Site | Result | Attendance | Source | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| November 1 | No. 1 Minnesota | No. 9 Northwestern | Memorial Stadium, Minneapolis, MN | W 8–7 | 64,464 | [32] | |
| November 1 | Illinois | No. 7 Michigan | Memorial Stadium, Champaign, IL | W 20–0 | 30,101 | [33] [34] | |
| November 1 | Pittsburgh | Ohio State | Pitt Stadium, Pittsburgh, PA | W 21–14 | 50,000 | [35] | |
| November 1 | Wisconsin | Syracuse | Camp Randall Stadium, Madison, WI | L 20–27 | 19,000 | [36] | |
| November 1 | Iowa | Indiana | Iowa Stadium, Iowa City, IA | W 13–7 | 28,000 | [37] | |
| November 1 | No. 3 Fordham | Purdue | Polo Grounds, New York, NY | L 0–17 | 20,500 | [38] |
Eight conference teams played games on November 8, consisting of three conference games and two non-conference games. The non-conference games resulted in a win and a tie. After seven weeks, Big Ten teams had compiled a non-conference record of 14–7–1. Michigan did not play.
| Date | Home team | Visiting team | Site | Result | Attendance | Source | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| November 8 | No. 2 Minnesota | Nebraska | Memorial Stadium, Minneapolis, MN | W 9–0 | 42,893 | [39] | |
| November 8 | No. 20 Ohio State | Wisconsin | Ohio Stadium, Columbus, OH | W 46–34 | 58,519 | [40] | |
| November 8 | No. 10 Northwestern | Indiana | Dyche Stadium, Evanston, IL | W 20–14 | 35,000 | [41] | |
| November 8 | Illinois | Iowa | Memorial Stadium, Champaign, IL | W 21–0 | 14,339 | [42] | |
| November 8 | Purdue | Michigan State | Ross - Ade Stadium, West Lafayette, IN | T 0–0 | 17,000 | [43] |
Eight conference teams played games on November 15, consisting of three conference games and two non-conference games. The non-conference games resulted in a win and a loss. In the week's biggest matchup, No. 5 Notre Dame defeated No. 8 Northwestern. After eight weeks, Big Ten teams had compiled a non-conference record of 15–8–1. Indiana did not play.
| Date | Home team | Visiting team | Site | Result | Attendance | Source | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| November 15 | Iowa | No. 1 Minnesota | Iowa Stadium, Iowa City, IA (rivalry) | W 34–13 | 43,200 | [44] | |
| November 15 | Columbia | No. 7 Michigan | Baker Field, New York, NY | W 28–0 | 35,000 | [45] | |
| November 15 | No. 20 Ohio State | Illinois | Ohio Stadium, Columbus, OH (Illibuck Trophy) | W 12–7 | 41,544 | [46] | |
| November 1 | No. 8 Northwestern | No. 5 Notre Dame | Dyche Stadium, Evanston, IL (rivalry) | L 6–7 | 48,000 | [47] | |
| November 15 | Wisconsin | Purdue | Camp Randall Stadium, Madison, WI | W 13–0 | 25,000 | [48] |
All nine conference teams played games on November 22, consisting of four conference games and one non-conference game. In the week's biggest matchup, No. 7 Michigan played No. 14 Ohio State to a 20–20 tie. The non-conference game resulted in a loss. Big Ten teams finished the season with a non-conference record of 15–9–1.
| Date | Home team | Visiting team | Site | Result | Attendance | Source | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| November 22 | No. 1 Minnesota | Wisconsin | Memorial Stadium, Minneapolis, MN (Slab of Bacon) | W 41–6 | 52,984 | [49] | |
| November 22 | No. 7 Michigan | No. 14 Ohio State | Michigan Stadium, Ann Arbor, MI (rivalry) | T 20–20 | 85,753 | [50] | |
| November 22 | No. 10 Northwestern | Illinois | Dyche Stadium, Evanston, IL (rivalry) | W 27–0 | 5,000 | [51] | |
| November 1 | Nebraska | Iowa | Memorial Stadium, Lincoln, NE (rivalry) | L 13–14 | 20,000 | [52] | |
| November 22 | Indiana | Purdue | Memorial Stadium, Bloomington, IN (Old Oaken Bucket) | W 7–0 | 23,000 | [53] |
During the 1941 season, the Big Ten maintained its long-standing ban on postseason games. Accordingly, no Big Ten teams participated in any bowl games.
The following players were picked by the Associated Press (AP), the United Press (UP), and/or the International News Service (INS) as first-team players on the 1941 All-Big Ten Conference football team.[54] [55] [56]
At the end of the 1941 season, Big Ten players secured three of the 12 consensus first-team picks for the 1941 College Football All-America Team.[57] The Big Ten's consensus All-Americans were:
Other Big Ten players who were named first-team All-Americans by at least one selector were:
Two Big Ten players, Bob Westfall and Urban Odson, were selected in the first round of the 1942 NFL draft. In all, 26 players from Big Ten football teams were selected in the 1942 NFL Draft, as follows:[58]
| Name | Position | Team | Round | Overall pick | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bob Westfall | Fullback | Michigan | 1 | 5 | |
| Urban Odson | Tackle | Minnesota | 1 | 9 | |
| Alf Bauman | Tackle | Northwestern | 2 | 15 | |
| Bob Sweiger | Back | Minnesota | 3 | 23 | |
| Len Levy | Guard | Minnesota | 4 | 27 | |
| Gordon Paschka | Guard | Minnesota | 4 | 28 | |
| Bill Green | Back | Iowa | 5 | 39 | |
| Italo Rossi | Tackle | Purdue | 7 | 52 | |
| Bob Fitch | End | Minnesota | 7 | 56 | |
| Joe Rogers | End | Michigan | 8 | 59 | |
| John Petty | Back | Purdue | 9 | 80 | |
| Jud Ringer | End | Minnesota | 10 | 84 | |
| Bill Diehl | Center | Iowa | 10 | 85 | |
| Gene Flick | Center | Minnesota | 10 | 89 | |
| Tom Farris | Back | Wisconsin | 11 | 99 | |
| Jim Daniell | Tackle | Ohio State | 12 | 110 | |
| Bruce Smith | Back | Minnesota | 13 | 119 | |
| Bill DeCorrevont | Back | Northwestern | 14 | 126 | |
| Jim Trimble | Tackle | Indiana | 15 | 139 | |
| Tom Kinkade | Back | Ohio State | 16 | 149 | |
| Don Clawson | Back | Northwestern | 17 | 152 | |
| Dick Fisher | Back | Ohio State | 17 | 155 | |
| Jack Graf | Back | Ohio State | 18 | 162 | |
| Robert Ingalls | Center | Michigan | 18 | 169 | |
| George Benson | Back | Northwestern | 19 | 179 | |
| Al Couppee | Back | Iowa | 22 | 196 |