Michigan Coach Still Upset Over Split 1997 National Championship

[knapplc]

My thoughts on the subject from past threads:

 

---

 

That's what pissed me off so much about the candy-asses in the Big Ten back in the 1990s. Their damned Rose Bowl was SOOOOO important that they couldn't join the Bowl Coalition, so they didn't get the chance to prove on the field they had earned their 1997 National Championship.

 

Because I will guara-and-GODDAM-tee you that Heisman trophy winner Charles Woodson would have filled once, maybe twice, on the Option before developing an injury or simply being in "the wrong position" the rest of the game.

 

That skinny runt wouldn't have fared well trying to tackle Ahman Green. Green puts a shoulder into him once and that's the last tackle Howard would have made that game. I'll give him the benefit of the doubt and say he would have tried to tackle Frost twice before giving up.

 

He gets half a share of a "National Championship" and Michigan gets a nice little High School shop class quality wooden plaque for ducking the Huskers and cowering off to the Rose Bowl. And he and they are welcome to it.

 

We'll take our Sears trophy and our crystal football.

 

You know, the REAL trophy.

 

 

 

It's one of these. Sorry, we have so many I forget which one was for 1997.

 

---

 

I think we played some really weak teams that year, and the Big Ten was mediocre, but not bad enough overall to warrant dragging down Michigan's SOS.

 

Doesn't matter. What matters is, if we'd have played them, we'd have steamrolled them. Ask Peyton Manning. There was more talent on one side of that Tennessee team (either offense or defense, your pick) than there was on that whole Michigan roster. Nothing was going to stop that 1997 team from letting Osborne go out a winner.

 

Bottom line is this - 1997 Michigan should be kissing Jim Delaney's hind end from here to China, thanking him for failing to jump on board the BCS (or whatever version it was at the time), because that is the ONLY reason they didn't play Nebraska, and that is the ONLY reason they have their little wall plaque right now.

 

---

 

Sagarin's final ranking for 1997 had Nebraska ahead of Michigan. In fact, Michigan finished fourth, behind Nebraska and Florida/FSU, in Sagarin.

 

 

Carr can flap his gums all he wants. They'd have been demolished if they'd have faced that 1997 Nebraska team. They should just be damned happy they even got a share of that title and shut up.

[hskerprid]

Not to mention that when the Buckeyes played UM they gashed them for over 5yds per carry that year in their game.

 

But hey, they could of most certainly stopped the best rushing team in the nation that year. GMAFB

[74Hunter]

My thoughts on the subject from past threads:

 

---

 

That's what pissed me off so much about the candy-asses in the Big Ten back in the 1990s. Their damned Rose Bowl was SOOOOO important that they couldn't join the Bowl Coalition, so they didn't get the chance to prove on the field they had earned their 1997 National Championship.

 

Because I will guara-and-GODDAM-tee you that Heisman trophy winner Charles Woodson would have filled once, maybe twice, on the Option before developing an injury or simply being in "the wrong position" the rest of the game.

 

That skinny runt wouldn't have fared well trying to tackle Ahman Green. Green puts a shoulder into him once and that's the last tackle Howard would have made that game. I'll give him the benefit of the doubt and say he would have tried to tackle Frost twice before giving up.

 

He gets half a share of a "National Championship" and Michigan gets a nice little High School shop class quality wooden plaque for ducking the Huskers and cowering off to the Rose Bowl. And he and they are welcome to it.

 

We'll take our Sears trophy and our crystal football.

 

You know, the REAL trophy.

 

 

 

It's one of these. Sorry, we have so many I forget which one was for 1997.

 

---

 

I think we played some really weak teams that year, and the Big Ten was mediocre, but not bad enough overall to warrant dragging down Michigan's SOS.

 

Doesn't matter. What matters is, if we'd have played them, we'd have steamrolled them. Ask Peyton Manning. There was more talent on one side of that Tennessee team (either offense or defense, your pick) than there was on that whole Michigan roster. Nothing was going to stop that 1997 team from letting Osborne go out a winner.

 

Bottom line is this - 1997 Michigan should be kissing Jim Delaney's hind end from here to China, thanking him for failing to jump on board the BCS (or whatever version it was at the time), because that is the ONLY reason they didn't play Nebraska, and that is the ONLY reason they have their little wall plaque right now.

 

---

 

Sagarin's final ranking for 1997 had Nebraska ahead of Michigan. In fact, Michigan finished fourth, behind Nebraska and Florida/FSU, in Sagarin.

 

 

Carr can flap his gums all he wants. They'd have been demolished if they'd have faced that 1997 Nebraska team. They should just be damned happy they even got a share of that title and shut up.

And "Boom! Goes the dynamite!!"

 

/discussion

[Redux]

Knapp deserves a trophy for that speech. Anything a Michigan supporter could have countered with is moot at this point.

[Husker John]

[BIG ERN]

We CRUSHED a Peyton Manning Tennessee team who also went on to win the national title the following year w/o him. Get serious Carr

[Redux]

MAYBE and I do mean M A Y B E , HAD Nebraska struggled to beat Tennessee AND Michigan won the Rose bowl in a Blowout, you could make the case the coaches vote was a sympathy vote to the retiring Osborne.

 

BUT thats not how it went down. Nebraska was the dominant victor. Nothing about those two squads leads me to think Michigan wouldve held a candle to us.

[Branno]

It's funny how you never hear quotes from Dr. Tom complaining about sharing the MNC with Michigan that year.

[shyndy]

Lol 94 penn state has a much more valid argument can't believe the butthurt, and he doesn't say anything about wishing that he'd been able to play us, only that the voters screwed him. Bottom line he didn't want to lose to us just wanted credit for kinda sorta beating a meh at the time PAC 12 team

[TGHusker]

NOTE EVEN DEBATABLE Just watch the 2 bowl games - NU would have blown UM out of the stadium. It would have been NU vs Florida all over again.

[zoogs]

I wonder if anyone voted Nebraska lower than #2 in the AP poll so that Michigan would win.

[Husker NoNo]

This took longer than I expected. Honestly...I thought Michigan would have started these comments the second we started in the B1G. I guess it is tough being tied with Indiana for 8th in the Big 10...ouch.

[Haspula]

Show me the trophy then

[Redux]

Here it is

[knapplc]

I wonder if anyone voted Nebraska lower than #2 in the AP poll so that Michigan would win.

 

Good question. I don't have that specifically, but I do have the nationwide votes for 1997:

 

 

Focusing solely on the Big Ten region:

 

 

 

 

 

BTW - does anyone know who had the AP vote in Omaha that year? I think I know, but I can't find anywhere to confirm it.