Michigan Coach Still Upset Over Split 1997 National Championship

This "debate" always amuses me. Anyone who watched both those teams in 97 knows Nebraska steamrolls Michigan. There is no scenario, none, where Michigan comes out on top. The only reasonable whine would be that NU didn't also win the AP vote. It's so ridiculous it's funny when Michigan cries about this.

 
Has anybody ever heard a good argument from a Michigan fan or supporter of their claim to be #1?

 
Not much of a story here. Maybe if Brady Hoke or their AD was stirring the pot this would be an issue but it's Lloyd Carr, he's a great coach who was eclipsed by an even better one further South which ended up costing him his job and forced UM to wander in the CFB wastelands for the past half decade. Of course he's going to be asked about that team and say what he did, I'd be surprised if he said anything else. What would you have said in his position?

 
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matthew_m_g said:
Mr. Accountability said:
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.
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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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I'd love to read that if that's true.

 
Landlord:

"The article screams legitimacy by starting with "An popular..""

Michigan fan:

"MSU graduate, so allowances are made."

Landlord:

"Ah. I wasn't aware we were making allowances in professional journalism for professional journalists that graduated from the big brother Michigan school
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Thanks for the heads up!"

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matthew_m_g said:
Mr. Accountability said:
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.
Click to expand...
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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Thanks for posting this. I was sure I had heard this, but everyone said I was delusional, and I eventually doubted myself.

 
Landlord of Memorial Stadium said:
1995 Redux said:
Has anybody ever heard a good argument from a Michigan fan or supporter of their claim to be #1?
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Their closest semblance of a good argument is Colorado as a common opponent and us being 'lucky' against Missouri.
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I live in Michigan, and lived in Michigan in 1997. I hear this argument repeatedly.

I hate to see Carr complaining. I met him briefly once, and he is very nice. My son's baseball team was cleaning the Michigan basketball arena after some event, and Carr was finishing a press conference after a football game, so he had to be tired and be ready to go home. The boys recognized him, and he stopped and shook hands with every boy and spent over 30 minutes talking to them. I was very impressed.

These are the stats I spew, but no Michigan fans want to hear it. they only compare the Colorado games.

Nebraska Opp

Opponent NU Opp Rank Margin

Akron 59 14 45

Central Fla. 38 24 14

Washington 27 14 18 13

Kansas State 56 26 7 30

Baylor 49 21 28

Texas Tech 29 0 29

Kansas* 35 0 35

Oklahoma 69 7 62

Missouri 45 38 23 7

Iowa State 77 14 63

Colorado 27 24 3

Texas A&M* 54 15 21 39

Tennessee** 42 17 8 25

30.2

Michigan Opp

Opponent UM Opp Rank Margin

Colorado 27 3 24

Baylor 38 3 35

Notre Dame 21 14 7

Indiana 37 0 37

Northwestern 23 6 17

Iowa 28 24 4

Michigan State 23 7 16

Minnesota 24 3 21

Penn State 34 8 17 26

Wisconsin 26 16 10

Ohio State 20 14 12 6

Washington St. 21 16 9 5

17.3

 
Bucky said:
Not much of a story here. Maybe if Brady Hoke or their AD was stirring the pot this would be an issue but it's Lloyd Carr, he's a great coach who was eclipsed by an even better one further South which ended up costing him his job and forced UM to wander in the CFB wastelands for the past half decade. Of course he's going to be asked about that team and say what he did, I'd be surprised if he said anything else. What would you have said in his position?
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Yeah, I wouldn't and don't expect Carr to come right out and admit Nebraska would've kicked their a$$. Heck he may actually be delusional enough to really think they could've played on the same field as that Husker team. I was at that NU-Tenn bowl game. Nobody, and I mean nobody in college football, stood any chance of beating Nebraska that bowl season. Maybe we only deserved a split title because of a couple narrow victories but Michigan probably would've been even uglier than the better Tennessee team ended up.

Btw- discussions like this are one of the main reasons I like(d) the uniqueness of cfb not having a playoff to an indisputable champion. It's fun.

 
sd said:
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?
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It's not their first time. Mythigan claims the 1947 national title when they themselves cancelled the game with the real winner.

and I don't know how many teams could have lost the 1997 ND-Mich game where the Skinks fumbled 3 times in their own territory, but Powlus and Boob Davie managed to convert them into a total of zero points.

 
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We whipped Tenn and had back-ups in at the at end of the game. Mich was hanging-on for dear life against Wazzou and if I remember correctly the cougars got gypped out of running another play when they were driving in Mich territory at the end. Tenn was higher-ranked that Wazzou. Plus Vegas said we'd have been around a td fave if we played head-to-head. How was Mich screwed? Because they were ranked higher going into the bowl? Rankings change.

 
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