Countdown to College Football Kickoff 2015: Day 43, A CFB First in 1943

The 2015 college football kickoff just 43 days away, we continue our countdown with a first in the sport that happened during the 1943 season.

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From the time of its inception in 1936, the Associated Press football poll had never seen its number one and number two ranked teams meet on the football field. That is, until the 1943 season.

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It was on Oct. 9 of that season when the two top teams in the nation would lock up on the gridiron, and it wasn’t just any two teams, it was two of the biggest programs and most bitter rivals in the country at that time.

Michigan and Notre Dame.

The game — which drew a then-record crowd of 85,688 — was played at Michigan Stadium and was easily the most noted and anticipated game of the entire season. The No. 1 Fighting Irish were coached by Frank Leahy and led by 1943 Heisman Trophy winner Angelo Bertelli. No. 2 Michigan countered with All-American Bill Daley and Elroy “Crazy-Legs” Hirsch in the backfield.

“Creighton Miller against Michigan in 1943” by Unidentified – February 1944 Michiganensian, p. 91. Licensed under PD-Pre1978 via Wikipedia – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Creighton_Miller_against_Michigan_in_1943.png#/media/File:Creighton_Miller_against_Michigan_in_1943.png

The game didn’t nearly live up to the hype, as Notre Dame ran away with it (as well as passed) on the way to a 35-12 victory, leaving the Big Blue faithful at the Big House dazed from the beating.

Despite the lopsided game, it still marked a momentous occasion in college football history, and was one more chapter in the long and storied rivalry between these two incredible programs.

Keep checking back every day for new features, highlighting the history of the game as we count down to the 2015 college football kickoff.

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