Michigan vs Bye Week: a history

First we must define what a bye week is. 

The NFL brought back the Bye Week in 1990. I can't speak for the rest of college football but it was around that time that Michigan started having Bye Weeks beginning in 1991 after not having a scheduled week off during the season since 1945! Since 1991, Michigan has had a bye week in all but 4 seasons. 

Bye Weeks according to this list are a week off during the college football season. I have to preface this post with that because there have been points throughout history Michigan took a longer break in between games played than just a week. In fact, Michigan played 2 games in April of 1888 at Notre Dame and then didn't play again until November.

A 7-month bye? I don't think so. 
 

TALE OF THE TAPE

Games Following a Bye Week-

NOTES:

• 1918: While not listed here because there was more than a 1 week span in between games, Michigan did not play for 4 weeks after the season opener vs Case on 10/5/1918.
  
  Games vs Camp Custer (10/12), vs Michigan State (10/19), at Ohio State (10/26) and vs Northwestern (11/2) were all cancelled in response to the influenza epidemic and World War I travel restrictions. 
   
• 1963: Michigan was not supposed to have a week off in 1963. The Game was supposed to be played on 11/23/1963 but it was postponed after the assassination of President John F. Kennedy the day before on November 22.
   
• 2001: Michigan was supposed to play Western Michigan on September 15, 2001. The game was postponed a week due to the September 11 attacks. 

Source: Michigan Football SuperGuide 
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