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Michigan Coach Still Upset Over Split 1997 National Championship


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Here's a good read by the Tip Top 25 on "Fixing the AP Top 25 - 1997."

 

LINK

 

It's a loooong read, so if you want the Cliff's Notes version, it goes like this:

 

As you can see, I have written an enormous amount on this issue by now (and have spent many hours on it). That is because I don't like to reverse an AP poll decision at the top. So I looked at Michigan's case from every angle, trying to find some solid reason to keep them #1. But the fact is, no such reason exists. As far as I can tell, Michigan was voted #1 not by merit, but because that was the result AP voters wanted. So, being writers, they picked up their pens, and wrote their own ending. Eyes closed.

 

In the end, all I've done is spent a lot of time corroborating what was already blatantly obvious from the beginning. Nebraska went 13-0 while playing 5 rated opponents, won by an average of 30 points a game, gained 515 yards per game offense, gave up 262 on defense, and won their bowl over the then-#3 team by 25 points. Very few teams in the AP poll era (1936 to present) have put up those kinds of numbers. And the few that have never finished #2.

 

I worked my brain overtime on this first fix, but really it's a no-brainer: Nebraska moves to #1, and Michigan drops to #2.

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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:

 

sR0Lryt.jpg

 

Focusing solely on the Big Ten region:

 

H1sQRJA.jpg

 

 

 

 

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.

"Michigan" Lee Pukeneck of the Omaha Weird Herald.

 

f'ing turncoat.

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how can they even complain about ever splitting a championship when they are to blame for the circumstances that lead to splits?

 

this is a joke, capiche?

 

Because Nebraska got a trophy with a crystal ball on the top and they got one made out of scrapwood and old molar fillings.

Fits perfectly with all of the other lame ass trophies they play for in the B1G.

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

No, we got 1520 points on 62 votes, with 32 of them being #1. The other 30 votes had to be #2. 25 points for a #1 vote, 24 for #2, 25*32 + 24*30 = 1520.

 

Michigan got 1516 points on 62 votes, with 30 of them being #1. If the other 32 votes were #2, they would've had 1518 votes. Thus, they either got a #4 or 2 #3s. But even if they had all been #2, they still are 2 points behind us, so crying about 1 or 2 voters voting them lower than #2 is just crying about something that had no impact.

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Pretty sure Nebraska at some point, in some regard was offering to set up an end all, say all game for all the marbles. Pretty sure Michigan and/or the Big 10 denied it.

 

Actually, Fox was.

 

Before Michigan pulled it from their website some time ago, an internet sleuth on Huskerpedia back in the early 00s (read: when it was free) found minutes from a committee dealing with their Athletic Department and funding/expenditures. In it, it was explained that Fox approached both Nebraska and Michigan after the game to offer a one-shot, winner-take-all match on their network. Each school would get something like $2 million each. Michigan rejected it, citing worries about reprisal from the NCAA and the toll it would take on their student athletes.

 

 

It was also noted in their minutes that Nebraska had already accepted the offer.

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that would have been a good ole county ass whoopin...no way Michigan wins that game. we wanted it, they didn't want anything to do with it.

 

We wanted to prove we earned our crystal ball.

 

They were happy with their participation plaque.............until now so that they can claim how they could have beaten us.

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