By: David Ware (@davidware)
Michigan is On the Verge of History
Throughout the 22 seasons in the CFSL, there have been 49 different teams taking the field and competing to be the best of the best. We are about to wrap up the 22nd season and this season has been entertaining every night. The number of one-score games, the upsets we have seen, and the pure class we have seen this season make it one of the greatest seasons in CFSL history in my opinion at least. As Billy Mays once said though, “Wait there’s more” as the Week 8 matchup of Ohio State and Michigan on Monday night not only has playoff implications but some more history can be made.
The Michigan Wolverines joined the CFSL in Season 2 and have been a staple in the league ever since. In the 21 seasons, there have been four different athletic directors leading the program, but only two of them stayed for more than two seasons. Allan led the program for the first 11 seasons and compiled 42 wins and 54 losses. Aaron Ike is in his seventh season and has a record of 43 wins and 24 losses during his tenure.
This past week Aaron passed Allen for most wins in school history and next week he can lead Michigan to its 100th win in the CFSL! Ike has had five winning seasons in his seven here and that accounts for exactly half of the winning seasons the program has had in its time in the CFSL. Last season was an off-year for Ike and the Wolverines and this season they can clinch the number two seed with a win against Ohio State at Ohio.
Currently, only four teams have reached the 100-win mark and those teams are Texas, Notre Dame, Auburn, and Ohio State with Texas having the most wins at 124. This will be a huge accomplishment for Michigan and they get the opportunity to set the mark on their rival’s home field of all places. Allowing the home-field fans to celebrate with your team is the ideal situation, but if you are Michigan and you have to pick one team to make them watch you celebrate on their field, well it has to be Ohio State.
Michigan has never won a championship in the CFSL, but they have won two Big10 conference titles back in Seasons 15 and 20. Athletic Director Aaron Ike has not only the most wins in school history, but he also has the highest winning percentage of all Michigan ADs with at least 20 games coached. His career winning percentage is .642 and that ranks fifth among all active athletic directors. His 43 wins also rank fifth among the active athletic directors in the CFSL as he has constantly delivered wins for the Wolverines. His dedication to the program is obvious and he continues to deliver for his team on and off the field. To compare Ike and his wins in his first seven seasons, let’s look at the all-time wins leader in the CFSL Tom Pence. Pence had 25 wins after his first seven seasons at Florida State and has gone on to have a Hall of Fame career.
It will be fun watching Ike continue to develop and grow and to see him climb the list of wins, will he stick around long enough to pass Tom Pence one day? We will have to wait and see. Good luck against Ohio State and the quest for 100 wins! There are four other schools on the verge of winning their 100th game and two of those teams could accomplish the feat this season as well. Alabama has 97 wins and would need to win Week 8 and the first two rounds of the playoffs. Miami has 96 and they would have to win out and claim their second championship in the CFSL. Next season we will be looking at Florida State and Oregon as two teams fighting to join the very exclusive club.
Until Next Time, Keep Your Game Face On and Your Spirits High
