Getting To Know Central Michigan

Central Michigan University
Founded: 1892
Enrollment: 28,389
Fun Fact: Central Michigan is located in Mount Pleasant, a town that is, according to the school's website, considered the "oil capital of Michigan." Can't say I've ever associated oil with the state of Michigan, but apparently it ranks 17th in the U.S. for oil production. David Ward purchased the land on which the town sits in 1855 and used it for his logging operations. He named it Mount Pleasant, and no doubt did so in the summer.

Central Michigan Chippewas Football
Affiliations: Division I-A (FBS), Mid-American Conference
First Game: 1896
All-Time Record: 575-369-36 (.605)
Head Coach: Dan Enos (2nd season; 5-12 at CMU)
Fun Fact: Central Michigan's big rivalry game is with Western Michigan, and since 2008 those schools have played for the right to hold the Victory Cannon. As you might expect, the Victory Cannon is used by members of the triumphant football team to hasten the exit of the opponent's fans from whichever stadium they are in. Legend has it that the cannon is a distant relative of a cannon that served several months under George McClellan in the Army of the Potomac doing little save overestimating the size of Confederate forces.

There's also a Michigan MAC Trophy because it's the midwest and if there aren't two or three trophies associated with every game, it's not football. (Case in point: in five games with Wisconsin, Russell Wilson has already won six variously-colored jugs, four ceremonial fifths of bourbon, two golden cheese wheels, and a bronzed copy of Field of Dreams.) This particular trophy goes to whichever Michigan MAC school beats the other two. (Eastern Michigan gets in on this action too.) Here you can see the kids from CMU hoisting both trophies after defeating WMU last season.
Bonus Non-Football Fun Fact: Former Suns and Heat sharpshooter Dan Majerle played his college ball at CMU and is second on the school's all-time scoring list.
All-Name Team: Ramadan Ahmeti, Curtis Huge, Zurlon Tipton.
Returning Starters: 14 (8 offense, 6 defense)
Basic Offense: There's like some shotgun and other stuff.
Basic Defense:  4-3

NCAA Ranks (Offense): 103rd in rushing, 62nd in passing, 94th in passing efficiency, 96th in total offense, 99th in scoring (20.6 PPG).

NCAA Ranks (Defense): 71st in rushing, 82nd in passing, 70th in passing efficiency, 96th in total defense, 98th in scoring (32.6 PPG).

2011 Schedule / Results