1,300 Game Club
As others on MGoBlog have noted, this Saturday Michigan will play their 1,300th game. Michigan will join Penn, Rutgers, Yale, Lehigh, Lafayette, and Navy as the only programs who have played 1,300 or more games.
Michigan and Harvard entered the 2016 season tied at seventh place with 1,292 games played, but because of the Ivy League's late start, Harvard will play their 1,300th game on November 5 at home versus Columbia. (Incidentally, Columbia's 665 losses are the second highest of any team at any level of college football. VMI is the lead with 679 losses. Indiana is third with 662 and Northwestern is fourth with 655)
Three other schools have already played or will soon play their 1,300th game. Lafayette played their 1,300th game on Sep. 17 when they lost at Princeton 31-35. Navy was next on Oct. 1 when they lost at Air Force 14-28. Nebraska will be the last program to reach 1,300 this season when they play at Iowa on Nov. 25.
Penn State and Virginia will play their 1,300th games in the 2017 season. Texas can join them if they can make a bowl game this year and the national title game next year.
Moving Up the List
Michigan could pass Navy in just a a few years with playoff and Big Ten Championship game appearances. Michigan could pass Rutgers in fifteen years or so for the same reason.
The two FCS Patriot League teams ahead of Michigan currently play 11-game regular seasons and participate in the FCS playoff system. With Michigan's longer season and return to success under Coach Harbaugh, Michigan should pass Lafayette in a few years and and could pass Lehigh in less then twenty years.
The two Ivy League teams ahead of Michigan play only 10-game seasons and do not participate in the FCS play-off system. With Michigan's 12-game season and the possibility of Big Ten Championship, Bowl, and National Championship games, Michigan should pass Yale no later than 2025. Michigan should pass Penn to be the all-time leader in games played by 2051 at the latest, and could do so as early as the late 2020s depending on playoff success.
900 Win Club
Michigan is the only NCAA team in any division with at least 900 wins. Of the thirteen teams with at least 800 wins, Notre Dame (892), Yale (890), and Texas (886) began play this season with the possibility of winning their 900th game by the end of the season. Notre Dame is the only one of the three that can still reach the milestone this year, but to do so they have to win out and then win their bowl game.
Michigan could play for their 1,000th victory as soon as the early 2020s.
October 25th, 2016 at 1:36 AM ^
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October 25th, 2016 at 1:48 AM ^
October 25th, 2016 at 1:36 AM ^
October 25th, 2016 at 1:41 AM ^
The chart states that the wins data is through Aug. 1, 2016.
October 25th, 2016 at 2:02 AM ^
October 25th, 2016 at 2:28 AM ^
Everyone please note: August 1, 2016 is in the past.
October 25th, 2016 at 8:15 AM ^
October 25th, 2016 at 8:39 AM ^
Thanks Maize - unlike VictorValiant, I was able to deduce that on my own (as were most people, I suspect).
October 25th, 2016 at 9:35 AM ^
October 25th, 2016 at 8:52 AM ^
Where does October 25th, 2016 fall on that timeline?
Good early week post.
October 25th, 2016 at 3:43 PM ^
Indeed it is, and your post is well written.
October 25th, 2016 at 1:37 AM ^
October 25th, 2016 at 1:42 AM ^
The wins data is through Aug. 1, 2016.
October 25th, 2016 at 8:40 AM ^
OK, so I was wrong in my previous comment. Come on people!
October 25th, 2016 at 1:38 AM ^
thanks for the info. It's nice to see a little gain in the winning percentage column too.
October 25th, 2016 at 2:23 AM ^
That is really cool to see all of that information. Thank you for sharing it all .
How awesome would it be to beat Ohio State in 2023 and have that be the programs 1000 th all time win ? I think it will come earlier in the year or maybe If Michigan and Harbaugh can keep winning maybe it would come late 2022. Either way how cool would it be to have a win against OSU be number 1000 ?
October 25th, 2016 at 4:17 AM ^
October 25th, 2016 at 8:55 AM ^
The "terrible play on their part" part of the equation looks all set.
October 25th, 2016 at 5:23 PM ^
A game that's cancelled because of "Michigan coming to town" won't help us much.
October 25th, 2016 at 6:11 AM ^
I'm shocked to see Rutgers actually winning over 50% of their games. I do expect them to drop below 50% perhaps as soon as next year though.
October 25th, 2016 at 6:19 AM ^
October 25th, 2016 at 6:28 AM ^
October 25th, 2016 at 8:55 AM ^
They've retired that several weeks old tradition until they get back to number one in win percentage, which means it is never coming back hopefully.
October 25th, 2016 at 8:57 AM ^
Notre Dame is the only one of the three that can still reach the milestone (900th game) this year, but to do so they have to win out and then win their bowl game.
*snort*
October 25th, 2016 at 7:25 AM ^
October 25th, 2016 at 7:25 AM ^
Just go 15-0 each of the next five seasons and the 1,000th win will be at the 2021 National Championship game (which would be our 5th in a row). Easy as that.
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October 25th, 2016 at 11:40 AM ^
I noticed that when doing the research. I didn't want to jinx it. :)
October 25th, 2016 at 7:56 AM ^
Ohio State is closing quickly on Notre Dame for #2 in win percentage.
I do not know how I feel about this.
October 25th, 2016 at 8:20 AM ^
October 25th, 2016 at 8:27 AM ^
October 25th, 2016 at 1:21 PM ^
October 25th, 2016 at 8:49 AM ^
Mother of God, Rutgers has played 1321 football games?
I would have sworn they started playing football for the first time last year.
October 25th, 2016 at 8:57 AM ^
Should be an asterisk next to the Rutgers stats, lol.
October 25th, 2016 at 9:03 AM ^
October 25th, 2016 at 5:27 PM ^
As noted in several posts above, that chart is as of August, 2016.