# 1925 Big Ten Conference football season

The 1925 Big Ten Conference football season was the 30th 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 1925 college football season. Over the course of the season, Big Ten teams played 36 non-conference games, compiling a 27–9 record (.750) in those games.
The 1925 Big Ten Conference champion was Michigan. The team compiled a 7–1 record, shut out seven opponents, and outscored opponents by a combined score of 227 to 3. The only points allowed by the team were in a 3 to 2 loss to Northwestern in a game played in a heavy rainstorm on a field covered in mud five or six inches deep in some places. Quarterback Benny Friedman and left end Bennie Oosterbaan, sometimes referred to as "The Benny-to-Bennie Show," were both consensus All-Americans and became known as one of the greatest passing combinations in college football history.
Northwestern's center, Tim Lowry, won the Chicago Tribune Silver Football trophy as the Big Ten's most valuable player. Lowry received 23 votes; Benny Friedman of Michigan finished second with 18 votes. Four Big Ten players were consensus picks for the 1925 All-America team:Benny Friedman of Michigan at quarterback; Red Grange of Illinois at halfback; Bennie Oosterbaan of Michigan at end; and Ed Hess of Ohio State at guard.

## Season overview
### Results and team statistics

| Conf. Rank | Team | Head coach | Overall record | Conf. record | PPG | PAG |
| 1 | Michigan | Fielding H. Yost | 7–1 | 5–1 | 28.4 | 0.4 |
| 2 | Wisconsin | George Little | 6–1–1 | 3–1–1 | 16.4 | 6.3 |
| 3 | Northwestern | Glenn Thistlethwaite | 5–3 | 3–1 | 10.1 | 8.6 |
| 4 | Chicago | Amos A. Stagg | 3–4–1 | 2–2–1 | 5.5 | 9.5 |
| 5 | Minnesota | Clarence Spears | 5-2-1 | 1-1-1 | 22.0 | 10.6 |
| 6 (tie) | Illinois | Robert Zuppke | 5–3 | 2–2 | 12.3 | 7.4 |
| 6 (tie) | Iowa | Burt Ingwersen | 5–3 | 2–2 | 15.1 | 9.3 |
| 8 | Ohio State | John Wilce | 4–3–1 | 1–3–1 | 6.9 | 5.6 |
| 9 (tie) | Purdue | James Phelan | 3–4–1 | 0–3–1 | 14.9 | 4.9 |
| 9 (tie) | Indiana | Bill Ingram | 3–4–1 | 0–3–1 | 12.8 | 14.4 |
Key PPG = Average of points scored per game PAG = Average of points allowed per game

### Regular season

* Index to colors and formatting
* Non-conference matchup; Big Ten member won
* Non-conference matchup; Big Ten member lost
* Conference matchup
* Big Ten teams displayed in bold

#### October 3

All 10 conference teams opened their seasons on October 3, playing 10 games against non-conference opponents, resulting in eight wins and two losses.
| Date | Home team | Visiting team | Site | Result | Attendance |
| October 3 | Michigan | Michigan State | Ferry Field, Ann Arbor, MI | W 39–0 | 30,000 |
| October 3 | Northwestern | South Dakota | Dyche Stadium, Evanston, IL | W 14–7 | 18,000 |
| October 3 | Wisconsin | Iowa State | Camp Randall Stadium, Madison, WI | W 30–0 | 10,000 |
| October 3 | Chicago | Kentucky | Stagg Field, Chicago, IL | W 9–0 | 32,000 |
| October 3 | Illinois | Nebraska | Memorial Stadium, Champaign, IL | L 0–14 | 40,000 |
| October 3 | Iowa | Arkansas | Iowa Field, Iowa City, IA | W 26–0 | |
| October 3 | Minnesota | North Dakota | Memorial Stadium, Minneapolis, MN | W 25–6 | 20,000 |
| October 3 | Ohio State | Ohio Wesleyan | Ohio Stadium, Columbus, OH | W 10–3 | 45,000 |
| October 3 | Indiana | Indiana State | Memorial Stadium, Bloomington, IN | W 31–0 | |
| October 3 | Purdue | Wabash | Ross–Ade Stadium, West Lafayette, IN | L 7–13 | |

#### October 10

On October 10, the conference teams played two intra-conference games and six non-conference games. The non-conference games resulted in six victories and no losses.
| Date | Home team | Visiting team | Site | Result | Attendance |
| October 10 | Michigan | Indiana | Ferry Field, Ann Arbor, MI | W 63–0 | 36,000 |
| October 10 | Chicago | Ohio State | Stagg Field, Chicago, IL | T 3–3 | 35,000 |
| October 10 | Northwestern | Carleton | Dyche Stadium, Evanston, IL | W 17–0 | 11,000 |
| October 10 | Wisconsin | Franklin University | Camp Randall Stadium, Madison, WI | W 35–0 | |
| October 10 | Illinois | Butler | Memorial Stadium, Champaign, IL | W 16–13 | 12,599 |
| October 10 | Iowa | Saint Louis | Iowa Field, Iowa City, IA | W 41–0 | |
| October 10 | Purdue | DePauw | Ross–Ade Stadium, West Lafayette, IN | W 39–0 | |

#### October 17

On October 17, the conference teams played three intra-conference games and four non-conference games. The non-conference games resulted in three victories and one loss.
| Date | Home team | Visiting team | Site | Result | Attendance |
| October 17 | Wisconsin | Michigan | Camp Randall Stadium, Madison, WI | L 0–21 | 44,000 |
| October 17 | Chicago | Northwestern | Stagg Field, Chicago, IL | W 6–0 | 34,000 |
| October 17 | Iowa | Illinois | Iowa Field, Iowa City, IA | W 12–10 | 24,738 |
| October 17 | Minnesota | Wabash | Memorial Stadium, Minneapolis, MN | W 32–6 | 18,000 |
| October 17 | Ohio State | Columbia | Ohio Stadium, Columbus, OH | W 9–0 | |
| October 17 | Indiana | Syracuse | Memorial Stadium, Bloomington, IN | W 14–0 | 8,000 |
| October 17 | Purdue | Rose Polytechnic | Ross–Ade Stadium, West Lafayette, IN | W 44–0 | |

#### October 24

On October 24, the conference teams played three intra-conference games and four non-conference games. The non-conference games resulted in one victory and three losses.
| Date | Home team | Visiting team | Site | Result | Attendance |
| October 24 | Illinois | Michigan | Memorial Stadium, Champaign, IL | L 0–3 | 66,609 |
| October 24 | Wisconsin | Purdue | Camp Randall Stadium, Madison, WI | W 7–0 | 14,000 |
| October 24 | Ohio State | Iowa | Ohio Stadium, Columbus, OH | L 0–15 | 33,000 |
| October 24 | Northwestern | Tulane | Stagg Field, Chicago, IL | L 7–18 | 15,000 |
| October 24 | Penn | Chicago | Franklin Field, Philadelphia, PA | L 0–7 | 55,000 |
| October 24 | Minnesota | Notre Dame | Memorial Stadium, Minneapolis, MN | L 7–19 | 52,000 |
| October 24 | Indiana | Miami (OH) | Memorial Stadium, Bloomington, IN | W 25–7 | |

#### October 31

On October 31, the conference teams played three intra-conference games and four non-conference games. The non-conference games resulted in four victories and no losses.
| Date | Home team | Visiting team | Site | Result | Attendance |
| October 31 | Northwestern | Indiana | Dyche Stadium, Evanston, IL | W 17–14 | |
| October 31 | Minnesota | Wisconsin | Memorial Stadium, Minneapolis, MN | T 12–12 | 40,000 |
| October 31 | Chicago | Purdue | Stagg Field, Chicago, IL | W 6–0 | 34,000 |
| October 31 | Michigan | Navy | Ferry Field, Ann Arbor, MI | W 54–0 | 47,000 |
| October 31 | Penn | Illinois | Franklin Field, Philadelphia, PA | W 24–2 | 60,000 |
| October 31 | Iowa | Wabash | Iowa Field, Iowa City, IA | W 28–7 | |
| October 31 | Ohio State | Wooster | Ohio Stadium, Columbus, OH | W 17–0 | 17,000 |

#### November 7

On November 7, the conference teams played four intra-conference games and two non-conference games. The non-conference games resulted in two victories and no losses.
| Date | Home team | Visiting team | Site | Result | Attendance |
| November 7 | Northwestern | Michigan | Soldier Field, Chicago, IL | W 3–2 | 40,000 |
| November 7 | Iowa | Wisconsin | Iowa Field, Iowa City, IA | L 0–6 | |
| November 7 | Illinois | Chicago | Memorial Stadium, Champaign, IL | W 13–6 | 68,864 |
| November 7 | Ohio State | Indiana | Ohio Stadium, Columbus, OH | W 7–0 | 30,500 |
| November 7 | Minnesota | Butler | Memorial Stadium, Minneapolis, MN | W 33–7 | 20,000 |
| November 7 | Purdue | Franklin | Ross–Ade Stadium, West Lafayette, IN | W 20–0 | |

#### November 14

On November 14, the conference teams played three intra-conference games and four non-conference games. The non-conference games resulted in three victories and one loss.
| Date | Home team | Visiting team | Site | Result | Attendance |
| November 14 | Michigan | Ohio State | Ferry Field, Ann Arbor, MI | W 10–0 | 59,000 |
| November 14 | Purdue | Northwestern | Ross–Ade Stadium, West Lafayette, IN | L 9–13 | |
| November 14 | Minnesota | Iowa | Memorial Stadium, Minneapolis, MN | W 33–0 | 45,000 |
| November 14 | Wisconsin | Michigan State | Camp Randall Stadium, Madison, WI | W 21–10 | |
| November 14 | Chicago | Dartmouth | Stagg Field, Chicago, IL | L 7–33 | 34,000 |
| November 14 | Illinois | Wabash | Memorial Stadium, Champaign, IL | W 21–0 | 20,466 |
| November 14 | Indiana | Rose Polytechnic | Memorial Stadium, Bloomington, IN | W 32–7 | |

#### November 21

On November 21, the conference teams played four intra-conference games and two non-conference games. The non-conference games resulted in two losses.
| Date | Home team | Visiting team | Site | Result | Attendance |
| November 21 | Michigan | Minnesota | Ferry Field, Ann Arbor, MI | W 35–0 | 47,000 |
| November 21 | Chicago | Wisconsin | Stagg Field, Chicago, IL | L 7-20 | 34,000 |
| November 21 | Ohio State | Illinois | Ohio Stadium, Columbus, OH | L 9–14 | 72,657 |
| November 21 | Indiana | Purdue | Memorial Stadium, Bloomington, IN | T 0–0 | 15,000 |
| November 21 | Notre Dame | Northwestern | Cartier Field, South Bend, IN | L 10–13 | 32,000 |
| November 21 | USC | Iowa | Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Los Angeles, CA | L 0–18 | 66,000 |

### Bowl games

No Big Ten teams participated in any bowl games during the 1925 season.

## All-Big Ten players

The following players were picked by multiple selectors as first-team players on the 1925 All-Big Ten Conference football team. Players selected as first-team players by all seven selectors are shown in bold.
* Bennie Oosterbaan, end, Michigan (AP, BE, BTW, NB, JW, UP, WE)
* Chuck Kassel, end, Illinois (AP, BE, BTW, UP, WE)
* Dick Romey, end, Iowa (JW, NB)
* Fred "Bub" Henderson, tackle, Chicago (AP, BE, BTW, JW, NB, UP, WE)
* Tom Edwards, tackle, Michigan (BTW, NB, UP, WE)
* Harry Hawkins, tackle, Michigan (AP, BE, BTW, JW)
* Ed Hess, guard, Ohio State (AP, BE, BTW, JW, NB, UP, WE)
* Bernie Shively, guard, Illinois (AP, BE, JW)
* Robert J. Brown, center/guard, Michigan (AP, BE, BTW, JW, NB, UP)
* Tim Lowry, Northwestern (BTW, UP, WE)
* Benny Friedman, quarterback, Michigan (AP, BE, BTW, JW, UP, WE)
* Red Grange, halfback, Illinois (AP, BE, BTW, NB, JW, UP, WE)
* Austin McCarty, halfback/fullback, Chicago (AP, BE, BTW, WE)
* Loren L. Lewis, fullback, Northwestern (AP, UP)

## All-Americans

Four Big Ten players were consensus first-team selections to the 1925 College Football All-America Team:
* Bennie Oosterbaan, end, Michigan (AAB, AP, COL, FW, INS, NEA, UP, A&S, BE, NB, RKN, Sun, WC, WE)
* Ed Hess, guard, Ohio State (COL, LIB, NEA, UP, A&S, BE, NB, HR)
* Benny Friedman, quarterback, Michigan (AAB, LIB, UP, RKN, Sun, SW)
* Red Grange, halfback, Illinois (AP, COL, FW, INS, LIB, NEA, UP, A&S, BE, HR, NB, RKN, Sun, SW, WC, WE)
Other Big Ten players receiving first-team honors from at least one selector included:
* Dick Romey, end, Iowa (LIB)
* Cookie Cunningham, end, Ohio State (HR)
* Harry Hawkins, tackle, Michigan (FW)
* Tom Edwards, tackle, Michigan (WE)
* Fred "Bub" Henderson, tackle, Chicago (NB)
* Merwin Mitterwallner, guard, Illinois (HR)
* Robert Brown, center, Michigan (INS, LIB, NEA, A&S, BE, NB, SW)
* Tim Lowry, center, Northwestern (FW)