Ranking the Top 131 College Football Programs of the Last 40 Years: 74. Western Michigan
King of the Directional Michigan Schools
Make way for the king of the directional Michigan schools. Western Michigan consistently puts out good-not-great teams, and you pretty much always have a 50/50 shot at betting on if they’ll be bowl eligible or not. Western Michigan’s had a few record-breaking players including Corey Davis (2013-16) who holds the NCAA receiving record with 5,278 yards, Jason Babin (2000-03) who holds the NCAA TFL record with 75, and Greg Jennings who holds the record for most 1000 yard receiving seasons with 3. Famous actor Terry Crews played DE/LB at Western and was an 11th round pick in the 1991 NFL Draft.
Best Seasons and Highlights
+------+------------------+------+--------------+--------+
| rank | team | year | resume score | record |
+------+------------------+------+--------------+--------+
| 11 | Western Michigan | 2016 | 30.081 | 13-1 |
| 17 | Western Michigan | 2000 | 17.394 | 9-3 |
| 28 | Western Michigan | 1988 | 11.079 | 9-3 |
| 44 | Western Michigan | 2020 | 3.169 | 4-2 |
| 33 | Western Michigan | 1992 | 2.834 | 7-3-1 |
| 48 | Western Michigan | 2021 | 1.288 | 8-5 |
| 53 | Western Michigan | 2015 | 0.968 | 8-5 |
| 43 | Western Michigan | 1997 | 0.841 | 8-3 |
| 49 | Western Michigan | 2008 | -0.437 | 9-4 |
| 46 | Western Michigan | 1990 | -1.676 | 7-4 |
| 36 | Western Michigan | 1993 | -1.878 | 7-3-1 |
| 52 | Western Michigan | 1995 | -4.883 | 7-4 |
| 62 | Western Michigan | 2014 | -5.472 | 8-5 |
| 56 | Western Michigan | 2006 | -5.712 | 8-5 |
| 50 | Western Michigan | 1994 | -6.403 | 7-4 |
| 51 | Western Michigan | 1998 | -7.92 | 7-4 |
| 55 | Western Michigan | 1999 | -8.144 | 7-5 |
| 68 | Western Michigan | 2011 | -10.15 | 7-6 |
| 61 | Western Michigan | 2005 | -10.189 | 7-4 |
| 59 | Western Michigan | 1991 | -13.19 | 6-5 |
| 77 | Western Michigan | 2017 | -13.779 | 6-6 |
| 74 | Western Michigan | 2019 | -14.304 | 7-6 |
| 62 | Western Michigan | 1983 | -15.897 | 6-5 |
| 77 | Western Michigan | 2010 | -16.284 | 6-6 |
| 76 | Western Michigan | 2001 | -19.549 | 5-6 |
| 94 | Western Michigan | 2018 | -20.174 | 7-6 |
| 72 | Western Michigan | 1989 | -22.108 | 5-6 |
| 83 | Western Michigan | 2007 | -22.445 | 5-7 |
| 71 | Western Michigan | 1985 | -22.534 | 4-6-1 |
| 77 | Western Michigan | 1984 | -23.415 | 5-6 |
| 77 | Western Michigan | 1987 | -24.4 | 5-6 |
| 100 | Western Michigan | 2022 | -25.414 | 5-7 |
| 84 | Western Michigan | 2003 | -26.814 | 5-7 |
| 99 | Western Michigan | 2009 | -29.948 | 5-7 |
| 85 | Western Michigan | 2002 | -30.82 | 4-8 |
| 95 | Western Michigan | 2012 | -32.129 | 4-8 |
| 87 | Western Michigan | 1986 | -34.831 | 3-8 |
| 101 | Western Michigan | 1996 | -48.951 | 2-9 |
| 116 | Western Michigan | 2004 | -60.627 | 1-10 |
| 118 | Western Michigan | 2013 | -61.23 | 1-11 |
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Overall Score: 12595 (74th)244-219-3 record
2 conference titles
2-8 bowl record
1 consensus All-American
28 NFL players drafted
They don’t just have 23 winning seasons in 40 years, they have 33 seasons with at least 5 wins (also counting the 4-2 covid year)! That’s a remarkable run thanks to coaches Al Molde (9 out of 10 qualifying seasons), Gary Darnell (6 of 8), Bill Cubit (7 of 8), PJ Fleck (3 of 4), and Tim Lester (5 of 6). Western Michigan only has 2 conference titles, but has routinely finished among the top teams in the MAC, winning in 1988 and 2016. They’ve been pitiful in bowls by comparison, winning their first ever bowl game in 2015. The lone consensus All-American is WR Corey Davis in 2016.
Top 5 Seasons
Worst Season: 2013 (1-11 overall, 1-7 MAC)
Wait, PJ Fleck!? Originator of “Row The Boat”? Going 1-11? Yeah, Western Michigan was in rough shape when he first took over in 2013. Which makes his coaching tenure all the more impressive. It took WMU 9 tries to win their first game, losing to FCS Nicholls State, 3-59 to Iowa, and 0-33 to Buffalo. UMass scored a TD with 22 seconds left, but failed on their 2 point conversion attempt, giving WMU their first win 31-30. Fleck’s team also showed improvement by the end of the year, losing by a combined 8 points to Eastern and Central Michigan, and just 14-33 to #18 Northern Illinois. A freshman WR Corey Davis showed promise with 941 receiving yards. Despite the 1-11 season, Fleck’s 2014 recruiting class was the highest rated in MAC history, and would set the stage for the magical 2016 season.
5. 1992 (7-3-1 overall, 6-3 MAC)
It’s very close for WMU’s 4th and 5th best season slots. This could’ve gone to about 5-10 other teams. 1992 gets the nod here. Western Michigan earned a 2nd place finish in the MAC, beating 4th place 7-3-1 Akron while losing to 1st, 3rd, and 5th placed MAC teams. Western Michigan won the Michigan MAC Trophy (technically, it didn’t exist until 2005) by beating both Central and Eastern Michigan by a combined score of 39-33. QB Brad Tayles led the MAC with 2462 passing yards and finished as WMU’s all-time leading passer with 8717 yards. Kicker Jay Barresi was a whopping 7/18 on FG attempts, but did finish 2nd in school history in FGs made with 45.
4. 2020 (4-2 overall, 4-2 MAC)
Is it kind of a cop out to still write about 2020 even though they only played 6 games? Yeah, but after writing an article a day for nearly 60 straight days I’ll take whatever break I can get. 2020 cracks the top 5 despite just 6 games played, but overall was a pretty good year. Armed with a stacked receiving core and talented QB, Western Michigan couldn’t stop scoring, averaging 45 PPG in a 4-0 start. One of the wins was over perennial MAC power Toledo, and another over Central Michigan, who was coming off a MAC championship game appearance in 2019. WMU appeared to be on the fast track for a MAC title game appearance, but lost in an upset to Eastern Michigan and dropped their last game to Ball State, who made the title game over them. In hindsight, this was not just the most talented offense in the MAC but arguably the most talented in the entire Group of 5. QB Kaleb Eleby ranked 3rd in the nation in passing efficiency, throwing 18 TD to 2 INT in just 6 games. WR D’Wayne Eskridge led the MAC with 768 receiving yards, in just 6 games! WR Skyy Moore was 2nd Team All-MAC, and WR Jaylen Hall was 3rd Team. Eskridge and Moore were eventual 2nd round NFL Draft picks. WMU’s offense finished 10th in the country in scoring with 41.7 PPG.
3. 1988 (9-3 overall, 7-1 MAC)
One of the most magical seasons in school history. The season opened with a 24-14 win over Wisconsin in which Western Michigan never trailed. It was also their first ever win over a Big Ten school. A 5-0 start included the win over Wisconsin and a dominant 31-9 win over Toledo at the Glass Bowl. After a 28-45 loss to Kent State, WMU had their toughest games ahead. Facing defending MAC champs and rival Eastern Michigan on the road, Western came up with a goal line stop as time expired to beat the Eagles 31-24 and took control of the MAC. That was followed up by a 42-24 win over rival 5-2 Central Michigan. All that was left was 7-1 Ball State (5-1 MAC), perhaps the toughest test yet. Kicker John Creek nailed 3 FGs on a rainy day in a 16-13 road win for Western Michigan, clinching their first outright conference title in 60 years. WMU went 1-2 the rest of the year, losing 30-35 to 10-2 Fresno State in the California Bowl.
QB Tony Kimbrough, who was recruited as a WR, won MAC Offensive POTY with 2831 passing yards 21 TD 14 INT and 6 rushing TD. OL Kevin Haverdink was voted a 3rd Team AP All-American, and coach Al Molde won MAC Coach of the Year. DE Joel Smeenge was a 3rd round pick in the 1990 NFL Draft and played 11 seasons for the Saints and Jaguars. Even famous actor Terry Crews was on this team! Known as T.C., he racked up 47 tackles at DE and was a vocal leader as you’d expect.
2. 2000 (9-3 overall, 7-1 MAC)
Western Michigan randomly had one of the best defenses in the country in 2000. Opening at Camp Randall against #4 Wisconsin, they held the Badgers to just 19 points in a 7-19 loss. They then went on one of their most impressive streak of games in the 2000s. An 8 game win streak incuded a 27-21 win over Iowa at Kinnick, a 21-14 win over eventual 10-1 team Toledo, 23-10 over 7-4 Ohio, 30-10 over eventual MAC champion Marshall, 52-22 over 6-5 Northern Illinois, and a combined 84-3 beating of Ball State and Kent State. WMU lost a shocking 17-21 upset to 1-8 Central Michigan to kill the win streak, but took out their frustrations on poor Eastern Michigan, 28-0. That set up a rematch with Marshall in the MAC title game who Western had previously beaten, but this time Marshall got the better of them 19-14, winning their 4th straight MAC title. Western Michigan wasn’t invited to a bowl despite going 9-3 with one of the best defenses in the country, because why would they? I’m glad the NCAA’s added more bowls since.
Western Michigan’s defense ranked 4th in the nation, giving up just 11.6 PPG and holding opponents to 10 points or less 6 times. It was a consistent defense too—the most they gave up all year was 22 to Northern Illinois. RB Robert Sanford won MAC MVP and MAC Offensive POTY, ranking 5th in the nation with 1571 rushing yards and 18 TD. Gary Darnell was named MAC Coach of the Year. Western Michigan finished unranked in the AP Poll, but I had them finishing all the way up at 17th in my final rankings.
1. 2016 (13-1 overall, 8-0 MAC)
Western Michigan was the conference favorite going into 2016, and PJ Fleck’s team rowed that boat all the way to an unbeaten regular season and New Years 6 bowl appearance. Non conference wins included 22-21 over Northwestern, 34-10 over Illinois, and 49-31 over Georgia Southern. Their run in the MAC was even more dominant, going 8-0 with an average score of 45-18. In the second to last week of the regular season, 10-0 Western Michigan hosted Buffalo with ESPN College Gameday in attendance, beating a helpless Buffalo team 38-0. Facing 9-2 Toledo in the final week of the regular season with the winner going to the conference title game, Western Michigan dominated 55-35 and punched their ticket to their first MAC title game since 2000. Frank Solich’s Ohio team put up a good fight, but Western Michigan prevailed 29-23, securing a spot in the Cotton Bowl. WMU played very well against a #8 Wisconsin team that had 3 wins over top 10 opponents, falling 16-24. They finished #15 on the season and #11 in my rankings. PJ Fleck accepted the Minnesota head coaching job after the season, thus ending the “Row The Boat” era in Kalamazoo.
As you’d expect, All-MAC honors were overwhelmingly in favor of Western Michigan. QB Zach Terrell earned 2nd Team All-MAC, won the MAC’s Vern Smith Leadership Award, and ranked 4th in the nation in passer rating, completing 70% of throws for 3533 yards 33 TD 4 INT. RB Jarvion Franklin also earned 2nd Team All-MAC, rushing for 1353 yards with 12 TD. WR Corey Davis was a consensus All-American and MAC Offensive POTY, catching 97 passes for 1500 yards and 19 TD, setting the NCAA career record for receiving yards. CB Darius Phillips was 1st Team All-MAC on defense and won MAC Special Teams POTY with 1 kick return TD and 1 punt return TD. PJ Fleck won MAC Coach of the Year. 6 players were drafted into the NFL over the next 2 years including Corey Davis going #5 overall in 2017, and OT Taylor Moton going in the 2nd round of the same draft.
2016 Western Michigan is my 40th best Group of 5 team since 1983.
5th Quarter
Is this a fair ranking for Western Michigan? What plays/players/games do you remember of theirs? If you thought PJ Fleck would/wouldn’t be successful outside of Western Michigan, why or why not? What makes Western Michigan such a hotbed for WR talent with players like Greg Jennings, Corey Davis, Skyy Moore, Jordan White, Daniel Braverman, D’Wayne Eskridge and more coming through in the last 2 decades? What about that 2016 team, do you feel their ranking as the 40th best Group of 5 team in the last 40 years is accurate?
Ranking the Top 131 College Football Programs of the Last 40 Years - Main Hub
