What happened in 1997?
Serious question: What happened in 1997 that allowed us to win the national championship? To be clear, I'm not asking something as simple as we had a dominating defense and we won every game.
Rather, I am more focused on the fact that the undefeated season just seemed to come out of nowhere.
Here is what I remember going into the season: We we coming off four seasons with 4 losses ever season. Even 1992 was so weird with 3 ties. Lloyd Carr was in his third season (which meant he had records of 8-4 & 8-4). What made those last two years good was beating Ohio State.
I remember that Michigan was pretty low in rankings. I looked it up and we were ranked #14. https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/years/1997-polls.html
The main two things that I think happened were (1) Charles Woodson fulfilled all of his potential, and (2) Brian Griese became a NFL (draft worthy) quarterback. Both of these were a bit unexpected, although to be fair there had been rumblings about Woodson when he was a freshman and Griese is the son of a Hall of Fame quarterback (which I think gives some advantages).
But what else was it that people didn't predict about Michigan in 1997 when they ranked us #14?
P.S. What I did not remember was that Penn State was ranked first in the pre-season. Penn State finished #16 that year (after losing to Michigan State (14-49) in the last game and then Florida in the bowl game), which still makes me happy.
For some reason, I've always had a distaste for them because after they joined the Big Ten, someone kept putting up "Penn State is coming" stickers all over Ann Arbor and then they made a huge deal of how their 1,000th football game would be a first-ever matchup with Michigan (link). Even Keith Jackson was saying stuff like ""Penn State represents what I like to call the fabric of collegiate football."
Michigan won 21-13 (link).
October 17th, 2022 at 8:10 PM ^
We dominated OSU in the 90s.
October 17th, 2022 at 9:53 PM ^
haven't lost this decade either
October 18th, 2022 at 1:02 AM ^
Seems like an appropriate time to share this....
October 17th, 2022 at 11:51 PM ^
Michigan always had top talent back then. It was strange back then if they took the equivalent of a 3*. Back then the fans expected to win all of the games. They were already beating OSU. There was really no excuse for it. My theory was after the first loss, it was always such a shock that resulted in more losses because one loss back then was a death sentence to a Big Ten school.
October 17th, 2022 at 8:12 PM ^
Talent was much more spread out and there were no dynasties back then
October 17th, 2022 at 8:31 PM ^
One of the most amazing things was that on the left side of the OL we started to RS Freshman. That had me terrified going into the season. It just so happened that both of them ended up all-Americans and one in the NFL HOF. Pretty good luck. That, and Woodson.
October 17th, 2022 at 9:31 PM ^
This is a big part of it. M had young talent in an era when younger players probably didn’t play as much. On the O line two RS freshman. On the defense, Dhani Jones and Ian Gold were sophomores.
Chris Howard talks about how divided the locker room was in 95 and 96 and that the players worked amongst themselves to fix that. Lloyd also introduced the mountain climber guy to bring a new level of motivation.
I remember reading in the newspaper, “The Wolverine” that Ben Mast was an injured lineman who worked out extremely hard trying to come back and the team really rallied around his dedication to the weight room and athletic training.
October 17th, 2022 at 9:53 PM ^
Team also rallied around Eric Mayes when he got injured.
October 17th, 2022 at 8:39 PM ^
"there were no dynasties back then"
This is false.
- Nebraska won 3 times (94, 95, 97) in 4 years and played for another (in 1993) but lost to FSU in the 1994 Orange Bowl. That said, 1994 12-0 PSU not getting a share of the national championship is a legitimate gripe for Paterno/PSU. And 1997 should've never happened because of the Flea Kicker at Mizzou.
- FSU was absolutely a dynasty. The problem was that back then 1 regular season loss (especially late in the season) could doom a national contender. There was no playoff. Think of how many mulligans Saban has gotten despite not winning his own division (SEC West) much less the conference (SEC Championship); I can think of 2011 Bama and 2017 Bama. Meanwhile, Bobby Bowden's FSU didn't get that benefit of the doubt until 2000 (when FSU got picked over Miami).
FSU played for a NC in 1993, 96, 98, 99, and 2000 but won "only" 2 (1993, 1999).
Many fans don't remember that Steve Spurrier did us (and Nebraska) a solid favor by beating 10-0 1997 FSU in the Swamp.
October 17th, 2022 at 8:51 PM ^
Ahem. Nebraska did not win in 97.
October 18th, 2022 at 5:44 AM ^
Agreed. That was the NCAA saying "let's get Tom Osborne a nice retirement gift, and charge it to Michigan's tab."
October 18th, 2022 at 8:08 AM ^
Tom Osborn was on the phone all night lobbying coaches for their vote, Lloyd wouldn't because it was a bush league thing to do....
October 18th, 2022 at 8:23 AM ^
In his novel "Forrest Gump," Winston Groom referred to Nebraska as "cornshucker jackoffs." Since 1997 I've agreed wholeheartedly. So watching little big mouth Scottie Frost crash and burn as their coach was especially sweet.
October 17th, 2022 at 10:19 PM ^
FSU played for a NC in 1993, 96, 98, 99, and 2000 but won 2 (1993, 1999).
Not only that, they finished in the top 5 something like 15 years in a row. It's astonishing that they only won two national titles.
October 17th, 2022 at 11:08 PM ^
“It's astonishing that they only won two national titles.”
If Bowden had slightly more proficient FG kickers he’d have won at least two more NCs.
October 17th, 2022 at 11:14 PM ^
Miami was another dynasty and the biggest reason FSU didn't win more NCs. They were incredibly good 1983-94 (and 99-02)
October 18th, 2022 at 8:48 AM ^
Isn't that what "dynasties" is referring to, National Championships? Sure, if "dynasties" meant 11-1 seasons with a loss to your biggest rival, then FSU had a dynasty. By championships, they did not. Neither did Nebraska. NU won two in a row, with a very good team, and a great team. Their 97 share was a fluke and a pity party for their retiring coach in the Coach's Poll. I wouldn't clock that as a dynasty. In the 90's, Colorado, Nebraska, Georgia Tech, Miami, Washington, Michigan, Florida State, Alabama, Florida, all won or shared titles- 10 teams in 10 years. Nebraska, with their uncalled, cheating fluke, won 2.5, and with FSU are the only team to win more than one. So, I believe the OP is correct about lack of dynasties when comparing to the landscape of college football lately. If you consider other teams that were in the hunt for titles in the 90's, ND, OSU, ASU, PSU, the list gets even longer. Presently, there are hardly any teams who realistically had a shot at the title in the last decade and didn't win one. Oregon once, and maybe Oklahoma (though hopefully no one took them seriously)
October 18th, 2022 at 9:42 AM ^
Dynasties refers to contending every year for the NC, even if you don't win in the end. No team has won three championships in a row in Div 1a.
A dynasty is when you are good, so you attract the good players, which in turn makes you good, over the course of a decade or so.
October 17th, 2022 at 8:17 PM ^
Charles Woodson happened
October 17th, 2022 at 9:55 PM ^
This is the answer. He shut down half the field on defense, wreacked havoc on offense, and was a pretty good special teams player too. Been awhile since I watched games from that season, but I bet he single handedly won us @Iowa and vs OSU and probably at least 1 other game.
October 17th, 2022 at 10:25 PM ^
All true... Towards the end of that season, you just knew the guy would make a huge play at the exact right moment to flip the script in the game. In the OSU game he made two. (INT in the endzone and punt return)
In the Rose Bowl, things did not feel so good for a minute. I recall being there and thinking, "time for Woodson to make a play," and he DID! INT in the endzone right in front of the student section.
All this in addition to the regular amazing stuff he did throughout the season, despite the fact that opposing teams avoided him at all costs on defense and knew he would touch the ball when in on offense. He was the kind of player who could elevate a pretty good team to a great team, and that's what he did in 1997. (at least in my opinion)
October 17th, 2022 at 11:40 PM ^
Plus, he could jump 15 feet in the air!
October 17th, 2022 at 10:38 PM ^
I believe Iowa was a home game that year. Tim Dwight had us sweating that one out.
October 18th, 2022 at 12:29 AM ^
Iowa was definitely a home game that year. I remember sitting on the stadium lawn at half time worried we were down two touchdowns. In addition to Woodson, credit to Anthony Thomas for stepping up for a huge game as a true freshman.
October 18th, 2022 at 7:12 AM ^
It was. I was there with my friend and he went to the restroom just before halftime, when we were punting down 13-7. He came back and it was 21-7 at the half.
October 18th, 2022 at 9:15 AM ^
Woodson allowed Jim Herrmann to constantly blitz 1-2 guys without worrying about the downfield pass defense, since Woodson covered about 1/2 the field.
October 18th, 2022 at 5:46 PM ^
My favorite Woodson stat from offense that year is that every play he was on the field on offense resulted in a Michigan first down or Michigan touchdown.
October 17th, 2022 at 8:18 PM ^
Defense.
October 17th, 2022 at 8:21 PM ^
Clap clap
October 18th, 2022 at 2:21 AM ^
Also, the change to running QBs who could throw hadn't taken off fully yet (Nebraska had the running QB part down, but not the passing) -- as well as the spread offense. It was a pretty quick transition after 1997 to get to getting baffled by guys like McNabb and Dennis Dixon. Then eventually Troy Smith and the Ohio State evolution that we couldn't keep up with. But in 1997, we had a modern team. Pro style offense with a run game and good play action. Beefy linebackers with huge pads. And most importantly, and dominating line on both sides.
October 17th, 2022 at 8:18 PM ^
They had a ton of NFL guys on both sides of the ball. The mid 90’a recruiting classes payed off. #2 was the best player in the country. The stars aligned for sure.
October 17th, 2022 at 8:23 PM ^
Interesting -- I didn't know that the team had three players who played at least a decade in the pro ranks (Steve Hutchinson, Jeff Backus, Jon Jansen) until I looked it up just now.
October 17th, 2022 at 8:23 PM ^
Kinda hard to believe how badly Carr squandered that talent in 1998. We returned 10 starters on defense alone
October 17th, 2022 at 8:28 PM ^
They were not ready for McNabb. In retrospect he was a special player.
October 18th, 2022 at 12:52 AM ^
We lost in South Bend the week before that too.
October 17th, 2022 at 8:44 PM ^
The one we didn't return was pretty important.
The offense was still building, too. The guy at QB turned out to be pretty good, but he had work to do, and the rest of the pieces were young and not that great.
Team came so close to fulfilling all that potential again in 1999.
October 17th, 2022 at 9:28 PM ^
Nine starters. We lost Woodson and Glen Steele - our two All-Americans in '97.
We weren't able to replace them. Steele and James Hall had been a fantastic pass rushing duo, but then in '98, Hall had to face double-teams all year, as a second stud pass rusher didn't emerge.
Similarly, while Andre Weathers was a really good #2 corner opposite Woodson, he wasn't nearly as dominant when he had to cover the opponent's top WR - and the spot opposite him was a weak link.
October 17th, 2022 at 9:51 PM ^
And Marcus Ray was suspended for the first four IIRC for contact with an agent or some bullshit.
October 17th, 2022 at 9:13 PM ^
Here you go. Roster says it all. These 1997 players were either All Big Ten, All American and/or NFL. Two players went to Canton too. I probably missed a few, my apologies. 31 total NFL players. Very hard schedule. Nobody could score on them, only one opponent put up over 16 points. Offense was good. Coaches used Woodson very well as a two way player.
Glen Steele
Sam Sword
Andre Weathers
Rob Renes
Marcus Ray
Jerame Tuman
Jon Jansen
Zach Adami
Chris Howard
Jeff Backus
Steve Hutchinson
Tai Streets
James Hall
Dhani Jones
Brian Griese
Charles Woodson
October 17th, 2022 at 8:22 PM ^
Woodson was obviously a generational talent, but the bigger difference that year is that we (a) won all the games we were supposed to win and (b) won the coinflip games, too. Michigan during that era was expected to win or, at least, be neck-in-neck in every game we played. We were never really underdogs then. Everything just fell our way in '97. Shame it didn't happen more than once.
October 17th, 2022 at 8:24 PM ^
Everest baby, Everest.
October 17th, 2022 at 8:28 PM ^
For those who don't know what TeslaRedVictorBlue is talking about, here is the introduction to the Ohio State - Michigan game. Lloyd Carr gave the players ice picks (I think). Anyway, watch the introduction:
October 18th, 2022 at 4:38 PM ^
exactly. LLG's video is good too. Carr's use of "Into Thin Air" as a theme for the season was brilliant; there were players who brought their pickaxes to class with them!
October 17th, 2022 at 8:24 PM ^
A switch flipped at halftime of the Iowa game.
October 17th, 2022 at 9:37 PM ^
One of the most exciting games I’ve ever been to.
October 17th, 2022 at 10:35 PM ^
Team was down big at halftime after Iowa scored on some UM errors and fluky stuff, leaving the field with shoulders down. UM crowd rose up loud (I'll never forget it...) when they returned from the tunnel in the second half, almost willing them back into the game, which they did. Defense was utterly dominant despite the final score, and the offense perked up in the second half. It was the turning point in the season when it all suddenly seemed plausible. A total team win.
October 17th, 2022 at 8:26 PM ^
Well, you can't take the dominant defense out of the equation. Not everyone on the defense was a rock star but there was real talent everywhere from back to front and you couldn't scheme around any particular player.
True for the offense too with three future NFLers on the line and plenty of depth all around.
Also important: health. The only serious injury that year was Daydrion Taylor. Good player and gave the team solid depth, but not a starter. Other than that the team stayed healthy and played most of the season as the same unit that started it.
Also figure that that kind of thing was just more likely to happen back than than it would now. Recruiting was so different and the hype machine was mostly not spun up yet, so recruiting wasn't a pastime all its own. Meaning that teams were a little more dependent on the talent in their region and talent didn't cluster as much.
October 17th, 2022 at 8:30 PM ^
You’re forgetting another key injury. Captain Mayes!
How about this gem from Wiki:
The offensive line was further weakened when left tackle, Jeff Backus, suffered a ruptured appendix. In spring practice, offensive line coach Terry Malone made a plea for help during a staff meeting, searching for talent to fill in on the line.[16] To fill the holes on the offensive line, two defensive linemen, Steve Hutchinson and Chris Ziemann were moved to the offensive line.
Steve Hutchinson went on to be an NFL HOF player!
October 17th, 2022 at 8:34 PM ^
I think it was all about Brady Hoke getting the most out of the defensive line. That in turn, helped the O line able to find opponents easy after practicing against the best.
October 17th, 2022 at 8:36 PM ^
What happened was that the best player (Woodson) took it to heart and got everyone on board to agree to win all games, and held everyone to it. And we also had a clutch QB.