There used to be an old running joke about the trophy case in Ann Arbor being empty. That certainly isn’t the case these days. Over the last three seasons, Michigan has racked up a number of trophies – including rivalry trophies, divisional trophies, Big Ten Championship trophies, a Rose Bowl trophy, and even a National Championship trophy to cap off the 2023 season.
In fact, Michigan has been so dominant as of late that all four rivalry trophies are currently at home in Ann Arbor. Here’s a look at all of them:
Michigan vs. Nebraska: Bussin’ Bowl Trophy
Simply known as “The Bus”, the Bussin’ Bowl Trophy is the newest rivalry trophy in the Big Ten Conference. The idea came from former Wolverine offensive lineman Taylor Lewan, and former Cornhusker linebacker Will Compton. The two have teamed up for a podcast show as part of the Barstool network, and they’re love for their former schools led to a new rivalry trophy between the two programs. Since its inception in 2022, the Wolverines have claimed The Bus in back-to-back seasons.
Michigan vs. Northwestern: George Jewett Trophy
Via MGoBlue.com:
Established in 2021 by Michigan and Northwestern, the George Jewett Trophy is the first rivalry game trophy named for an African American player in Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) history. Jewett was the first African American to play football at each institution and was the first Black player in the history of the Big Ten Conference.
Michigan won the inaugural George Jewett Trophy game on Oct. 23, 2021, when the sixth-ranked Wolverines defeated the Wildcats 33-7 in Michigan Stadium.
Michigan vs. Minnesota: Little Brown Jug
It’s one of the oldest rivalry trophies in all of college football, and it’s spent the vast majority of its life in Ann Arbor. Michigan retained the trophy with a dominant 52–10 victory over Minnesota on October 7, 2023, and the Wolverines lead the all-time series with a record of 77-25-3.
This Little Brown Jug has an incredible origin story, highlight by the Bentley Historical Library:
It was 1903, and after just two seasons as head coach, Fielding Yost had already assembled a powerhouse University of Michigan football team. Michigan’s Wolverines had been playing Minnesota’s Golden Gophers off and on since 1892, but this year was different. With 29 straight victories under its belt, “Yost’s machine” prepared to take on “Doc” Williams’ veteran, 10-0 squad at Northrop Field for the “Championship of the West.”
As the Wolverines arrived in Minneapolis for the big game, Yost had a moment of paranoia. Fearing shenanigans or tampering by their rivals, he ordered Tommy Roberts, a student manager, to purchase a jug for water for his team at a local shop. A five-gallon Red Wing Pottery jug was purchased for 30 cents, and the much-anticipated game began. The teams battled fiercely through a scoreless first half. Michigan scored first, taking a 6-0 lead midway through the second half. With two minutes left in the game, the Gophers crossed the goal line to even the score. Minnesota fans erupted in celebration and rushed the field, which forced referees to call the game—at a tie.
Thanks to the chaos on the field and Michigan’s scramble to catch their train home, Yost’s jug was forgotten, abandoned in Minneapolis. That could have been the end of the jug’s story, had the Gophers’ equipment manager Oscar Munson not found it. Munson and Minnesota’s athletic director, L.J. Cooke, decided to decorate it to commemorate the results of the game. They painted the evening’s score (6-6), cheekily making Minnesota’s “6” larger than Michigan’s, with the caption “Michigan Jug Captured by Oscar, October 31, 1903.” The 1903 game was so physical and brutal that the two teams would not agree to play each other again for another six years.
For Michigan (and Yost’s) part, the inexpensive jug’s loss went unnoticed until, just before the 1909 game, Cooke suggested the teams play for its return. Yost agreed that playing for the jug could make a fine tradition, and the teams and prepared for a rematch in Minneapolis on November 20, 1909.
Once again, both teams had excellent records. Michigan’s only loss had been to Notre Dame earlier in the season. Minnesota was undefeated and the reigning Western Conference champion. With 22,000 Michigan and Minnesota fans buzzing in the stands at Northrop Field, Michigan opened the scoring with a “peculiar shift play” that had the Gophers “completely baffled” as captain Dave Allerdice crossed the goal line. Minnesota responded with a touchdown to tie the game at halftime.
Midway through the second half, Minnesota attempted a forward pass from its own 25-yard line. Michigan’s Joe Magidson leapt in front of the intended receiver to intercept and raced 35-yards for a touchdown. Allerdice later added a field goal for a 15-6 Michigan victory. Cooke would be forced to turn over the jug.
Michigan had their jug back, but more importantly, one of college sports’ greatest traditions had been born.
Michigan vs. Michigan State: Paul Bunyan Trophy
The massive a four-foot wooden statue was first presented in 1953 to celebrate the beginning of Michigan State’s football program becoming an official member of the Big Ten Conference. Since that time, the heated in-state rivalry has seen the massive trophy change locations a number of times – with extended periods in both East Lansing and Ann Arbor.
In 1999, former Michigan head coach Lloyd Carr called it “the ugliest trophy in college football.” Carr then admitted, “When you don’t have him, you miss him.”
Since the year 2000, Michigan has a 13-11 record against Michigan State, and Paul Bunyan has spent the last two seasons (2022-23) in Ann Arbor.
