[1] One year earlier, the 1900 Albion team was the MIAA champion with a 6–1–2 record and six shutouts to its credit.
Albion opened its season with a loss to national champion Michigan, a team that outscored its 1901 opponents by a total of 550 to 0.
[5] Albion was led in 1901 by third-year head coach Chester Brewer who went on to be the head coach at Michigan State for 10 years and the athletic director at the University of Missouri for 13 years.
[6] Joe Maddock played principally at right halfback and was the star of the 1901 Albion team.
[7] He was so effective against Michigan that coach Fielding H. Yost enticed him to transfer there.