Today's Tidbit... John Heisman and Michigan's 1,000 All-Time Wins

The 1892 Oberlin football team. John Heisman sits at the far left in the second row. (1893 Obelin yearbook)

What would you think of a first-year coach who opened the season by beating Ohio State 40-0, trouncing them a second time 50-0, and ending the season with a 24-22 victory over Michigan? Those three wins define John Heisman's first season coaching at Oberlin. He also picked up two victories against Adelbert College, a predecessor to Case Western Reserve, and wins over Ohio Wesleyan and Kenyon. That 7-0 season came in 1892, immediately after Heisman left the University of Pennsylvania with a law degree and three years playing for the Quakers under his belt. (He played two years at Brown before transferring to Penn.)

Oberlin’s 1892 season results (1893 Oberlin yearbook)

It is important to note that while Oberlin counts the Michigan game as a victory, the outcome remains in dispute today due to a 130-year-old disagreement over timekeeping. As often occurred in the 1890s, the teams agreed to end the game in time for Oberlin to catch the last train home. However, shortly before the was scheduled to end, Oberlin took the lead 24-22 and, at the appointed time, left the field per the instructions of the referee, an Oberlin substitute, and the game’s timekeeper.