The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1386887
THE WOLVERINE 2021 FOOTBALL PREVIEW ■ 17 MICHIGAN FOOTBALL Although the Wolverines lost college football's all-time lead in winning per- centage after the 2019 season, they still hold the record for wins in the sport. Michigan added just two to its total last fall, while Ohio State closed the gap by five after a 7-1 campaign and Alabama made up even more ground with a 13-0 showing, giving the Crimson Tide a sterling 127-12 mark over the last decade. Notre Dame would actually rank ahead of both if not for its 21 vacated victories. The race for the best all-time winning percentage is much more competitive, and Michigan continues to head in the wrong direction on that list. After losing the top spot on that list following the 2019 campaign, U-M slid two more slots after last fall's disappointment. — Ryan Tice Division I Football Bowl Subdivision All-Time Wins Leaders Rk. School Years W L T Change 1. Michigan 141 964 350 36 — 2. Ohio State 131 931 327 53 — 3. Alabama 126 929 331 43 Was T-3rd 4. Texas 128 923 378 33 Down 1 5. Notre Dame 131 918 329 42 Was T-5th 6. Oklahoma 126 917 329 53 Down 1 7. Nebraska 131 905 400 40 — 8. Penn State 134 902 398 42 — 9. USC 127 852 352 54 — 10. Tennessee 124 849 402 53 — Source: Winsipedia.com Division I Football Bowl Subdivision All-Time Won-Lost Records By Percentage Rk. School Games Pct. W L T Change 1. Boise State 639 .73083 466 171 2 Up 1 2. Ohio State 1,311 .73036 931 327 53 Down 1 3. Alabama 1,303 .72947 929 331 43 Up 2 4. Notre Dame 1,289 .72847 918 329 42 — 5. Michigan 1,350 .72741 964 350 36 Down 2 6. Oklahoma 1,299 .72633 917 329 53 — 7. Texas 1,334 .70427 923 378 33 — 8. USC 1,258 .69873 852 352 54 — 9. Penn State 1,342 .68778 902 398 42 Up 1 10. Nebraska 1,345 .68773 905 400 40 Down 1 * Note: Programs had to have a minimum of 25 years at the Division I level to qualify for the list … The chart does not include victories that have been vacated. Source: Winsipedia.com Michigan Remains Second On Big Ten Lists Ohio State continues to build on its all-time wins and win percentage leads within the Big Ten, after a perfect 5-0 campaign against league foes last year. There were actually no positional changes in the win percentage rankings from 2019 to 2020, and U-M continues to have a sizable lead for the No. 2 slot in both categories. — Ryan Tice ALL-TIME BIG TEN STANDINGS Rk. School Years G W L T Pct. 1. Ohio State 107 725 526 175 24 .74207 2. Michigan 114 752 519 215 18 .70213 3. Penn State 28 228 143 85 0 .62719 4. Michigan State 68 519 284 226 9 .55588 5. Nebraska 10 84 43 41 0 .51191 6. Wisconsin 125 808 388 379 41 .50557 7. Minnesota 125 788 359 401 28 .47335 8. Iowa 121 749 341 383 25 .47196 9. Purdue 125 779 337 410 32 .45315 10. Illinois 125 825 349 444 32 .44242 11. Northwestern 125 806 294 490 22 .37841 12. Indiana 121 759 221 507 31 .31159 13. Maryland 7 57 16 41 0 .28070 14. Rutgers 7 61 10 51 0 .16393 Michigan Hanging On To All-Time Wins Lead In College Football From Michigan linebacker to high school coach to graduate assistant to linebackers coach at Hope College, James Ross continues to work his way up the coaching ladder. The former Orchard Lake (Mich.) St. Mary's All- State selection and U-M standout is one of the up- and-comers in the coaching profession, one to watch closely in the years to come. Ross and Hope head coach Peter Stuursma were very familiar with each other before Ross joined the staff, facing off against each other a few times in the Michigan high school state playoffs. Stuursma was at powerful East Grand Rapids, which got the better of Ross' St. Mary's teams two times in the finals from 2008-11. "He hasn't let me forget about it," Ross said with a laugh after joining the Hope staff in March. "But he was one of the guys who just recognized me as a player. When I was a sophomore, I played against them first game of the season, last game of the sea- son, and he just had a lot of great things to say about me. We just gained that respect from one another when I was playing against him. "… When he called me, it seemed like we knew each other. Just talking about football, it was just natural. My process and what I went through, his message he has here at Hope just fit like a glove. It's been per- fect ever since. It seems like we've known each other forever." Ross became an immediate impact player at U-M in 2012 and started 21 of the 50 games in which he appeared in his four years. He earned a bachelor's de- gree in African American Studies, spent a preseason with the NFL's San Diego Chargers and coached high school ball for a year before returning to U-M, where head coach Jim Harbaugh gave him an opportunity. "He's been a very, very strong person in my life, blessed me with a lot of different opportunities," Ross said, insisting Harbaugh would bring the pro- gram back from last year's disappointing 2-4 season. "Just the way he thinks is what I want to carry on as a coach … always try to think of something to be innovative and really put my players first." He is on his way, former Michi- gan defensive coordinator Don Brown said. Ross also learned plenty from the current Arizona defensive coordinator and hopes to follow Brown's path, and even- tually become a head coach some- day. "James is one of the hardest- working men I know working in the coaching profession," Brown said. "He is destined for greatness in this great game. He also under- stands the meaning of family. I look forward to watching his progression at Hope College and know that he will make a difference with the young people he coaches." — Chris Balas Ross spent the past three seasons as a U-M graduate assistant, and was hired this offseason as the Flying Dutch- man's linebackers coach. PHOTO COURTESY U-M ATHLETICS Alum James Ross Lands First Position Coach Job At Hope College