The AP noted: "Western Conference coaches whose football teams will battle Michigan this Fall have passed out word that they fear Bill Renner, of Youngstown, O., quarterback candidate, will be another Harry Newman 'or even worse.'

Observers who saw Ben Friedman and Newman throughout their forward passing careers at Michigan maintain that Renner is the best ball tosser the Maize and Blue ever had.

"[1] Renner won the starting quarterback job in 1933,[2] and expectations ran high as reflected in the following newspaper profile:"A slender youth from Youngstown, Ohio who specializes in throwing a pigskin to exactly the right place at exactly the right time is the center of attention on Michigan's 1933 team.

... Kipke again has an 'ace in the hole,' an undercover star, to make Wolverine fans forget Bennie Friedman and Harry Newman.

[4] An Associated Press story described Renner's impact in the scoring drive against Ohio State: "When he finally trotted out on the gridiron, the consternation of the Buckeyes was obvious to the 93,508 spectators.

The defensive halfbacks backed away from the line, the center and fullback retreated and rubbed their hands, the linemen raised their heads.

By the fall of 1934, most of the players with whom Renner had entered the university in 1930 (Herman Everhardus, Chuck Bernard, and Whitey Wistert) had graduated.

With Renner as captain, the team got off to a 4–1 start but finished the season with three straight losses (to Illinois, Minnesota and Ohio State) in which the Wolverines were unable to score a point.

[13] In 1937, Renner and his former Michigan teammate Gerald Ford were charged with coaching Yale's junior varsity football team.