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The Michigan Wolverines football team represents the
University of Michigan , mottoeng = "Arts, Knowledge, Truth" , former_names = Catholepistemiad, or University of Michigania (1817–1821) , budget = $10.3 billion (2021) , endowment = $17 billion (2021)As o ...
in
college football College football (french: Football universitaire) refers to gridiron football played by teams of student athletes. It was through college football play that American football in the United States, American football rules first gained populari ...
at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level. Michigan has the most all-time wins in college football history. The team is known for its distinctive winged helmet, its
fight song A fight song is a rousing short song associated with a sports team. The term is most common in the United States and Canada. In Australia, Mexico, and New Zealand these songs are called the team anthem, team song, or games song. First associated ...
, its record-breaking attendance figures at Michigan Stadium, and its many rivalries, particularly its annual, regular season-ending game against Ohio State, known simply as “The Game,” once voted as
ESPN ESPN (originally an initialism for Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) is an American international basic cable sports channel owned by ESPN Inc., owned jointly by The Walt Disney Company (80%) and Hearst Communications (20%). The ...
's best sports rivalry. Michigan began competing in intercollegiate football in 1879. The Wolverines joined the
Big Ten Conference The Big Ten Conference (stylized B1G, formerly the Western Conference and the Big Nine Conference) is the oldest Division I collegiate athletic conference in the United States. Founded as the Intercollegiate Conference of Faculty Representati ...
at its inception in 1896, and other than a hiatus from 1907 to 1916, have been members since. Michigan has won or shared 44 league titles, and since the inception of the
AP Poll The Associated Press poll (AP poll) provides weekly rankings of the top 25 NCAA teams in one of three Division I college sports: football, men's basketball and women's basketball. The rankings are compiled by polling 62 sportswriters and br ...
in 1936, has finished in the top 10 a total of 39 times. The Wolverines claim 11 national championships, most recently that of the 1997 squad voted atop the final AP Poll. From 1900 to 1989, Michigan was led by a series of nine head coaches, each of whom has been inducted into the
College Football Hall of Fame The College Football Hall of Fame is a hall of fame and interactive attraction devoted to college football. The National Football Foundation (NFF) founded the Hall in 1951 to immortalize the players and coaches of college football that were vo ...
either as a player or as a coach. Fielding H. Yost became Michigan's head coach in 1901 and guided his "Point-a-Minute" squads to a streak of 56 games without a defeat, spanning from his arrival until the season finale in 1905, including a victory in the 1902 Rose Bowl, the first college football
bowl game In North America, a bowl game is one of a number of post-season college football games that are primarily played by teams belonging to the NCAA's Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS). For most of its history, the Division I Bowl Subdivis ...
ever played.
Fritz Crisler Herbert Orin "Fritz" Crisler (; January 12, 1899 – August 19, 1982) was an American college football coach who is best known as "the father of two-platoon football," an innovation in which separate units of players were used for offense and ...
brought his winged helmet from
Princeton University Princeton University is a private research university in Princeton, New Jersey. Founded in 1746 in Elizabeth as the College of New Jersey, Princeton is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and one of the ...
in 1938 and led the 1947 Wolverines to a national title and Michigan's second Rose Bowl win.
Bo Schembechler Glenn Edward "Bo" Schembechler Jr. ( ; April 1, 1929 – November 17, 2006) was an American football player, coach, and athletics administrator. He served as the head football coach at Miami University from 1963 to 1968 and at the University o ...
coached the team for 21 seasons (1969–1989) in which he won 13 Big Ten titles and 194 games, a program record. The first decade of his tenure was underscored by a fierce competition with his former mentor, Woody Hayes, whose
Ohio State Buckeyes The Ohio State Buckeyes are the intercollegiate athletic teams that represent Ohio State University, located in Columbus, Ohio. The athletic programs are named after the colloquial term for people from the state of Ohio and after the state tree, ...
squared off against Schembechler's Wolverines in a stretch of the Michigan–Ohio State rivalry dubbed the "Ten-Year War". Following Schembechler's retirement, the program was coached by two of his former assistants, Gary Moeller and then Lloyd Carr, who maintained the program's overall success over the next 18 years. However, the program's fortunes declined under the next two coaches, Rich Rodriguez and Brady Hoke, who were both fired after relatively short tenures. Following Hoke's dismissal, Michigan hired Jim Harbaugh on December 30, 2014. Harbaugh is a former
quarterback The quarterback (commonly abbreviated "QB"), colloquially known as the "signal caller", is a position in gridiron football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive platoon and mostly line up directly behind the offensive line. In modern Am ...
of the team, having played for Michigan between
1982 Events January * January 1 – In Malaysia and Singapore, clocks are adjusted to the same time zone, UTC+8 (GMT+8.00). * January 13 – Air Florida Flight 90 crashes shortly after takeoff into the 14th Street Bridge in Washington, D.C ...
and
1986 The year 1986 was designated as the International Year of Peace by the United Nations. Events January * January 1 ** Aruba gains increased autonomy from the Netherlands by separating from the Netherlands Antilles. **Spain and Portugal en ...
under Schembechler. The Michigan Wolverines have featured 87 players that have garnered consensus selection to the
College Football All-America Team The College Football All-America Team is an honor given annually to the best college football players in the United States at their respective positions. The original use of the term ''All-America'' seems to have been to the 1889 College Football ...
. Three Wolverines have won the Heisman Trophy: Tom Harmon in 1940,
Desmond Howard Desmond Kevin Howard (born May 15, 1970) is an American former football wide receiver who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 11 seasons. He played college football at Michigan, where he won the Heisman Trophy as a senior. Howard w ...
in 1991, and Charles Woodson in 1997.
Gerald Ford Gerald Rudolph Ford Jr. ( ; born Leslie Lynch King Jr.; July 14, 1913December 26, 2006) was an American politician who served as the 38th president of the United States from 1974 to 1977. He was the only president never to have been elected ...
, who later became the 38th President of the United States, started at center and was voted most valuable player by his teammates on the 1934 team.


History


Early history (1879–1900)

On May 30, 1879, Michigan played its first intercollegiate football game against Racine College at White Stocking Park in Chicago. The ''
Chicago Tribune The ''Chicago Tribune'' is a daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, United States, owned by Tribune Publishing. Founded in 1847, and formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" (a slogan for which WGN radio and television ar ...
'' called it "the first rugby-football game to be played west of the Alleghenies." Midway through "the first 'inning',"
Irving Kane Pond Irving Kane Pond (May 1, 1857 – September 29, 1939) was an American architect, college athlete, and author. Born in Ann Arbor, Michigan, Pond attended the University of Michigan and received a degree in civil engineering in 1879. He was a m ...
scored the first touchdown for Michigan. According to Will Perry's history of Michigan football, the crowd responded to Pond's plays with cheers of "Pond Forever." In 1881, Michigan played against
Harvard Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of higher le ...
in Boston. The game that marked the birth of inter-sectional football. On their way to a game in Chicago in 1887, Michigan players stopped in
South Bend, Indiana South Bend is a city in and the county seat of St. Joseph County, Indiana, on the St. Joseph River near its southernmost bend, from which it derives its name. As of the 2020 census, the city had a total of 103,453 residents and is the fourt ...
and introduced football to students at the
University of Notre Dame The University of Notre Dame du Lac, known simply as Notre Dame ( ) or ND, is a private Catholic research university in Notre Dame, Indiana, outside the city of South Bend. French priest Edward Sorin founded the school in 1842. The main c ...
. A November 23 contest marked the inception of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish football program and the beginning of the Michigan–Notre Dame rivalry."2007 Notre Dame Media Guide: History and Records (pages 131–175)". und.cstv.com. Retrieved 2008-06-12. In 1894, Michigan defeated
Cornell Cornell University is a private statutory land-grant research university based in Ithaca, New York. It is a member of the Ivy League. Founded in 1865 by Ezra Cornell and Andrew Dickson White, Cornell was founded with the intention to tea ...
, which was the "first time in collegiate football history that a western school defeated an established power from the east." In 1896, the Intercollegiate Conference of Faculty Representatives—then commonly known as the Western Conference and later as the
Big Ten Conference The Big Ten Conference (stylized B1G, formerly the Western Conference and the Big Nine Conference) is the oldest Division I collegiate athletic conference in the United States. Founded as the Intercollegiate Conference of Faculty Representati ...
—was formed by the
University of Michigan , mottoeng = "Arts, Knowledge, Truth" , former_names = Catholepistemiad, or University of Michigania (1817–1821) , budget = $10.3 billion (2021) , endowment = $17 billion (2021)As o ...
, the
University of Chicago The University of Chicago (UChicago, Chicago, U of C, or UChi) is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois. Its main campus is located in Chicago's Hyde Park neighborhood. The University of Chicago is consistently ranked among the b ...
, the
University of Illinois The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (U of I, Illinois, University of Illinois, or UIUC) is a public land-grant research university in Illinois in the twin cities of Champaign and Urbana. It is the flagship institution of the Uni ...
, the
University of Minnesota The University of Minnesota, formally the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, (UMN Twin Cities, the U of M, or Minnesota) is a public land-grant research university in the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States. ...
, the
University of Wisconsin A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United Stat ...
,
Northwestern University Northwestern University is a private research university in Evanston, Illinois. Founded in 1851, Northwestern is the oldest chartered university in Illinois and is ranked among the most prestigious academic institutions in the world. Charte ...
, and
Purdue University Purdue University is a public land-grant research university in West Lafayette, Indiana, and the flagship campus of the Purdue University system. The university was founded in 1869 after Lafayette businessman John Purdue donated land and ...
. The first Western Conference football season was played in 1896, with Michigan going 9–1, but losing out on the inaugural Western Conference title with a loss to the Chicago Maroons to end the season. By 1898 Amos Alonzo Stagg was fast at work at turning the University of Chicago football program into a powerhouse. Before the final game of the 1898 season, Chicago was 9–1–1 and Michigan was 9–0; a game between the two teams in Chicago decided the third Western Conference championship. Michigan won, 12–11, capturing the program's first conference championship in a game that inspired " The Victors", which later became the school's fight song. Michigan went 8–2 and 7–2–1 in 1899 and 1900, results that were considered unsatisfactory relative to the 10–0 season of 1898.


Fielding Yost (1901–1926)

After the 1900 season,
Charles A. Baird Charles A. Baird (January 17, 1870 – November 30, 1944) was an American football manager, university athletic director, and banker. He was the manager of the University of Michigan football team from 1893 to 1895 and the school's first athlet ...
, Michigan's first athletic director, wrote to Fielding H. Yost, "Our people are greatly roused up over the defeats of the past two years", and gave Yost an offer to come to Michigan to coach the football team. ''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'' reported that Michigan's margin of victory was "one of the most remarkable ever made in the history of football in the important colleges." At the end of the season, Michigan participated in the inaugural Rose Bowl. Michigan dominated the game so thoroughly that Stanford's captain requested the game be called with eight minutes remaining.
Neil Snow Neil Worthington Snow (November 10, 1879 – January 22, 1914) was an American athlete. He competed in American football, baseball, and track and field at the University of Michigan from 1898 to 1902. He was selected as a first-team All-American ...
scored five touchdowns in the game, which is still the all-time Rose Bowl record. The next year, 1902, Michigan outscored its opponents 644 to 12 and finished the season 11–0. In 1903, Michigan played a game against
Minnesota Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over t ...
that started the rivalry for the Little Brown Jug, the oldest rivalry trophy in college football.Gruver, 2002 pg. 50 The game marked the only time from 1901 to 1904 that Michigan failed to win. Michigan finished the season at 11–0–1. In 1904, Michigan once again went undefeated at 10–0 while recording one of the most lopsided defeats in college football history, a 130–0 defeat of the West Virginia Mountaineers. From 1901 through 1904, Michigan didn't lose a single game. The streak was finally halted at the end of the 1905 season by Amos Alonzo Stagg's Chicago Maroons, a team that went on to win two Big 9 (as the Western Conference was now being called with the addition of
Iowa Iowa () is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States, bordered by the Mississippi River to the east and the Missouri River and Big Sioux River to the west. It is bordered by six states: Wiscon ...
and
Indiana Indiana () is a U.S. state in the Midwestern United States. It is the 38th-largest by area and the 17th-most populous of the 50 States. Its capital and largest city is Indianapolis. Indiana was admitted to the United States as the 19th ...
) titles in the next three years. The game, dubbed "The First Greatest Game of the Century," broke Michigan's 56-game unbeaten streak and marked the end of the "Point-a-Minute" years. The 1905 Michigan team had outscored opponents 495–0 in its first 12 games. The game was lost in the final ten minutes of play when Denny Clark was tackled for a safety as he attempted to return a punt from behind the goal line. Michigan tied for another Big 9 title in 1906 before opting to go independent for the 1907 season. The independent years were not as kind to Yost as his years in the Big 9. Michigan suffered one loss in 1907. In 1908, Michigan got battered by Penn (a team that went 11–0–1 that year) in a game in which Michigan center Germany Schulz took such a battering as to have to be dragged off the field. In 1909, Michigan suffered its first loss to Notre Dame, leading Yost to refuse to schedule another game against Notre Dame; the schools did not play again until 1942. In 1910, Michigan played their only undefeated season of the independent years, going 3–0–3. Overall from 1907 to 1916, Michigan lost at least one game every year (with the exception of 1910). Michigan rejoined the Big 9 in 1917, after which it was called the Big Ten. Yost immediately got back to work. In
1918 This year is noted for the end of the First World War, on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month, as well as for the Spanish flu pandemic that killed 50–100 million people worldwide. Events Below, the events ...
, Michigan played the first game against Stagg's Chicago Maroons since Chicago ended Michigan's winning streak in 1905. Michigan defeated the Maroons, 18–0, on the way to a 5–0 record. The next three years were lean, with Michigan going 3–4, 5–2, and 5–1–1, in 1919,
1920 Events January * January 1 ** Polish–Soviet War in 1920: The Russian Red Army increases its troops along the Polish border from 4 divisions to 20. ** Kauniainen, completely surrounded by the city of Espoo, secedes from Espoo as its own ma ...
, and
1921 Events January * January 2 ** The Association football club Cruzeiro Esporte Clube, from Belo Horizonte, is founded as the multi-sports club Palestra Italia by Italian expatriates in Brazil. ** The Spanish liner ''Santa Isabel'' bre ...
. However, in
1922 Events January * January 7 – Dáil Éireann (Irish Republic), Dáil Éireann, the parliament of the Irish Republic, ratifies the Anglo-Irish Treaty by 64–57 votes. * January 10 – Arthur Griffith is elected President of Dáil Éirean ...
Michigan managed to spoil the "Dedication Day" for Ohio Stadium, defeating the Buckeyes 19–0. Legend has it that the rotunda at Ohio Stadium is painted with maize flowers on a blue background due to the outcome of the 1922 dedication game.The Five Greatest Traditions Of Ohio State Football
, by Mike Furlan. Retrieved on November 20, 2006.
Michigan went 5–0–1 in 1922, capturing a Big Ten title. In 1923, Michigan went 8–0, winning another conference championship. The 1924 Wolverines, coached by George Little, saw their 20-game unbeaten streak end at the hands of Red Grange. After the 1924 season, Little left Michigan to accept the head coach and athletic director positions at
Wisconsin Wisconsin () is a state in the upper Midwestern United States. Wisconsin is the 25th-largest state by total area and the 20th-most populous. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake M ...
, returning athletic director Yost to the head coaching position. Although the 1925 and 1926 seasons did not include a conference title, they were memorable due to the presence of the famous "Benny-to-Bennie" combination, a reference to
Benny Friedman Benjamin Friedman (March 18, 1905 – November 24, 1982) was an American football player and coach, and athletic administrator. A native of Cleveland, Ohio, Friedman played college football as a halfback and quarterback for the University of ...
and Bennie Oosterbaan. The two helped popularize passing the ball in an era when running held dominance. Oosterbaan became a three-time All-American and was selected for the All-Time All-American team in 1951, while Friedman went on to have a Hall of Fame NFL career. Also during 1926, Michigan was retroactively awarded national titles for the 1901 and 1902 seasons via the Houlgate System, the first national titles awarded to the program. Other major selectors later retroactively awarded Michigan with titles in the 1903, 1904, 1918, 1923, 1925, and 1926 seasons. Michigan claims titles in the 1901, 1902, 1903, 1904, 1918, and 1923 seasons. Yost stepped aside in 1926 to focus on being Michigan's athletic director, a post he had held since 1921, thus ending the greatest period of success in the history of Michigan football. Under Yost, Michigan posted a 165–29–10 record, winning ten conference championships and six national championships. One of his main actions as athletic director was to oversee the construction of Michigan Stadium. Michigan began playing football games in Michigan Stadium in the fall of 1927. At the time Michigan Stadium had a capacity of 72,000, although Yost envisioned eventually expanding the stadium to a capacity well beyond 100,000. Michigan Stadium was formally dedicated during a game against the
Ohio State Buckeyes The Ohio State Buckeyes are the intercollegiate athletic teams that represent Ohio State University, located in Columbus, Ohio. The athletic programs are named after the colloquial term for people from the state of Ohio and after the state tree, ...
that season to the tune of a 21–0 victory.


Tad Wieman (1927–1928)

Tad Wieman Elton Ewart "Tad" Wieman (October 4, 1896 – December 26, 1971) was an American football collegiate player, coach and athletic director. He played football for the University of Michigan from 1915 to 1917 and 1920 under head coach Fielding H. Yos ...
became Michigan's head coach in 1927. That year, Michigan posted a modest 6–2 record. However, the team ended
1928 Events January * January – British bacteriologist Frederick Griffith reports the results of Griffith's experiment, indirectly proving the existence of DNA. * January 1 – Eastern Bloc emigration and defection: Boris Bazhano ...
with a losing 3–4–1 record and Wieman was fired.


Harry Kipke (1929–1937)

In 1929,
Harry Kipke Harry George Kipke (; March 26, 1899 – September 14, 1972) was an American football, basketball, and baseball player and coach. He was the head football coach at Michigan State College in 1928 and at the University of Michigan from 1929 to 193 ...
, a former player under Yost, took over as head coach. From 1930 to 1933, Kipke returned Michigan to prominence. During that stretch, Michigan won the Big Ten title every year and the national championship in
1932 Events January * January 4 – The British authorities in India arrest and intern Mahatma Gandhi and Vallabhbhai Patel. * January 9 – Sakuradamon Incident: Korean nationalist Lee Bong-chang fails in his effort to assassinate Emperor Hir ...
and
1933 Events January * January 11 – Sir Charles Kingsford Smith makes the first commercial flight between Australia and New Zealand. * January 17 – The United States Congress votes in favour of Philippines independence, against the wis ...
. In 1932, quarterback and future
College Football Hall of Fame The College Football Hall of Fame is a hall of fame and interactive attraction devoted to college football. The National Football Foundation (NFF) founded the Hall in 1951 to immortalize the players and coaches of college football that were vo ...
r Harry Newman was a unanimous first-team All-American, and the recipient of the Douglas Fairbanks Trophy as Outstanding College Player of the Year (predecessor of the Heisman Trophy), and the Helms Athletic Foundation Player of the Year Award, the
Chicago Tribune Silver Football The Chicago Tribune Silver Football is awarded by the '' Chicago Tribune'' to the college football player determined to be the best player from the Big Ten Conference. The award has been presented annually since 1924, when Red Grange of Illinoi ...
trophy as the Most Valuable Player in the
Big Ten Conference The Big Ten Conference (stylized B1G, formerly the Western Conference and the Big Nine Conference) is the oldest Division I collegiate athletic conference in the United States. Founded as the Intercollegiate Conference of Faculty Representati ...
. During this span Kipke's teams only lost one game, to
Ohio State The Ohio State University, commonly called Ohio State or OSU, is a public land-grant research university in Columbus, Ohio. A member of the University System of Ohio, it has been ranked by major institutional rankings among the best public ...
. After 1933, however, Kipke's teams compiled a 12–22 record from 1934 to 1937. The 1934 Michigan team only won one game, against Georgia Tech in a controversial contest. Georgia Tech coach and athletic director W. A. "Bill" Alexander refused to allow his team to take the field if Willis Ward, an African-American player for Michigan, stepped on the field. Michigan conceded, and the incident reportedly caused Michigan player Gerald R. Ford to consider quitting the team. Overall, Kipke posted a 49–26–4 record at Michigan, winning four conference championships and two national championships.


Fritz Crisler (1938–1947)

In 1938, Michigan hired
Fritz Crisler Herbert Orin "Fritz" Crisler (; January 12, 1899 – August 19, 1982) was an American college football coach who is best known as "the father of two-platoon football," an innovation in which separate units of players were used for offense and ...
as Kipke's successor. Crisler had been head coach of the
Princeton Tigers The Princeton Tigers are the athletic teams of Princeton University. The school sponsors 35 varsity teams in 20 sports. The school has won several NCAA national championships, including one in men's fencing, three in women's lacrosse, six in m ...
and reportedly wasn't excited to leave Princeton. Michigan invited him to name his price, and Crisler demanded what he thought would be unacceptable: the position of athletic director when Yost stepped down and the highest salary in college football. Michigan accepted, and Crisler became the new head coach of the Michigan football program. Upon arriving at Michigan, Crisler introduced the
winged football helmet The winged football helmet is a helmet bearing a distinctive two-toned painted design that typically has sharp outward curves over the forehead forming a wing. It is worn by many high school and college American football teams, most popularly by ...
, ostensibly to help his players find the receivers down field. Whatever the reasoning, the winged helmet has since become one of the iconic marks of Michigan football. Michigan debuted the winged helmet in a game against
Michigan State Michigan State University (Michigan State, MSU) is a public land-grant research university in East Lansing, Michigan. It was founded in 1855 as the Agricultural College of the State of Michigan, the first of its kind in the United States. It i ...
in 1938. Two years later in 1940, Tom Harmon led the Wolverines to a 7–1 record on his way to winning the Heisman Trophy. Harmon ended the season by scoring three rushing touchdowns, two passing touchdowns, four extra points, intercepting three passes, and punting three times for an average of 50 yards in a game against the
Ohio State Buckeyes The Ohio State Buckeyes are the intercollegiate athletic teams that represent Ohio State University, located in Columbus, Ohio. The athletic programs are named after the colloquial term for people from the state of Ohio and after the state tree, ...
. The 1943 season included a No. 1 (Notre Dame) vs. No. 2 (Michigan) match-up against Notre Dame, a game the Wolverines lost 35–12. Michigan ended the season at 8–1, winning Crisler's first
Big Ten The Big Ten Conference (stylized B1G, formerly the Western Conference and the Big Nine Conference) is the oldest Division I collegiate athletic conference in the United States. Founded as the Intercollegiate Conference of Faculty Representati ...
championship. Crisler had reversed the misfortune of the end of the Kipke era and returned Michigan to one and two-loss seasons. From 1938 to 1944, Michigan posted a 48–11–2 record, although the period lacked a national title and only contained one conference title. Yet, Crisler's biggest mark on the game of football was made in 1945, when Michigan faced a loaded Army squad that featured two Heisman trophy winners, Doc Blanchard and Glenn Davis. Crisler didn't feel that his Michigan team could match up with Army, so he opted to take advantage of a 1941 NCAA rule that allowed players to enter or leave at any point during the game. Crisler divided his team into "offensive" and "defensive" specialists, an act that earned him the nickname "the father of two-platoon football." Michigan still lost the game with Army 28–7, but Crisler's use of two-platoon football shaped the way the game was played in the future. Eventually, Crisler's use of the platoon system propelled his team to a conference championship and a national title in 1947, his final season. The 1947 team, nicknamed the "Mad Magicians" due to their use of two-platoon football, capped their season with a 49–0 victory over the
USC Trojans The USC Trojans are the intercollegiate athletic teams that represent the University of Southern California (USC), located in Los Angeles, California. While the men's teams are nicknamed the ''Trojans'', the women's athletic teams are referred ...
in the
1948 Rose Bowl The 1948 Rose Bowl was the 34th edition of the college football bowl game, played at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California on Thursday, January 1. The second-ranked and undefeated Michigan Wolverines of the Big Nine Conference routed the #8 ...
. Crisler finished with a 116–32–9 record at Michigan, winning two conference titles and one national title.


Bennie Oosterbaan (1948–1958)

Crisler continued as athletic director while Bennie Oosterbaan, the same Bennie that had electrified the world while making connections with
Benny Friedman Benjamin Friedman (March 18, 1905 – November 24, 1982) was an American football player and coach, and athletic administrator. A native of Cleveland, Ohio, Friedman played college football as a halfback and quarterback for the University of ...
20 years earlier, took over the football program. Things started off well for Oosterbaan in 1948 with the Wolverines earning a quality mid-season victory over No. 3 Northwestern. Michigan finished the season undefeated at 9–0, thus winning another national championship. Initially, Oosterbaan continued Crisler's tradition of on-field success, winning conference titles each year from 1948 to 1950 and the national title in 1948. The 1950 season ended in interesting fashion, with Michigan and
Ohio State The Ohio State University, commonly called Ohio State or OSU, is a public land-grant research university in Columbus, Ohio. A member of the University System of Ohio, it has been ranked by major institutional rankings among the best public ...
combining for 45 punts in a game that came to be known as the " Snow Bowl." Michigan won the game 9–3, winning the Big Ten conference and sending the Wolverines off to the 1951 Rose Bowl. Subsequently, Michigan's football team began to decline under Oosterbaan. From 1951 to 1958, Michigan compiled a record of 42–26–2, a far cry from the success under Crisler and Yost. Perhaps more importantly, Oosterbaan posted a 2–5–1 record against
Michigan State Michigan State University (Michigan State, MSU) is a public land-grant research university in East Lansing, Michigan. It was founded in 1855 as the Agricultural College of the State of Michigan, the first of its kind in the United States. It i ...
and a 3–5 record against
Ohio State The Ohio State University, commonly called Ohio State or OSU, is a public land-grant research university in Columbus, Ohio. A member of the University System of Ohio, it has been ranked by major institutional rankings among the best public ...
over the same time period. Under mounting pressure, Oosterbaan stepped down after
1958 Events January * January 1 – The European Economic Community (EEC) comes into being. * January 3 – The West Indies Federation is formed. * January 4 ** Edmund Hillary's Commonwealth Trans-Antarctic Expedition completes the third ...
.


Bump Elliott (1959–1968)

In place of Oosterbaan stepped Bump Elliott, a former Michigan player of Crisler's. Elliott continued many of the struggles that began under Oosterbaan, posting a 51–42–2 record from 1959 through 1968 (including a 2–7–1 record against Michigan State and a 3–7 record against Ohio State). Michigan's only Big Ten title under Elliott came in 1964, a season that included a win over Oregon State in the
1965 Rose Bowl The 1965 Rose Bowl, played on January 1, 1965, was the 51st Rose Bowl Game. The Michigan Wolverines defeated the Oregon State Beavers by a score of 34–7. Michigan fullback Mel Anthony was named the Rose Bowl Player Of The Game. Teams M ...
. Following a 50-14 drubbing at the hands of
Ohio State The Ohio State University, commonly called Ohio State or OSU, is a public land-grant research university in Columbus, Ohio. A member of the University System of Ohio, it has been ranked by major institutional rankings among the best public ...
in
1968 The year was highlighted by protests and other unrests that occurred worldwide. Events January–February * January 5 – " Prague Spring": Alexander Dubček is chosen as leader of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia. * J ...
, Elliott resigned.


Bo Schembechler (1969–1989)

It took 15 minutes for Don Canham to be sold on
Bo Schembechler Glenn Edward "Bo" Schembechler Jr. ( ; April 1, 1929 – November 17, 2006) was an American football player, coach, and athletics administrator. He served as the head football coach at Miami University from 1963 to 1968 and at the University o ...
, resulting in Schembechler becoming the 15th coach in Michigan football history. At the time, Schembechler's employer, the Miami RedHawks, could have thrown more money at Schembechler, but Canham managed to sell Schembechler on Michigan's tradition and prestige. Schembechler's first team got off to a moderate start, losing to rival Michigan State and entering the Ohio State game with a 7–2 record. Ohio State, coached by icon Woody Hayes, entered the game at 8–0 and poised to repeat as national champions. The 1969 Ohio State team was hailed by some as being the "greatest college football team ever assembled" and came into the game favored by 17 points over Michigan. Michigan shocked the Buckeyes, winning 24–12, going to the Rose Bowl, and launching
The Ten Year War The Ten Year War was a series of college football games, played from 1969 to 1978, in the Michigan–Ohio State football rivalry that pitted coach Woody Hayes of the Ohio State Buckeyes against coach Bo Schembechler of the Michigan Wolverines. In ...
between Hayes and Schembechler. From 1969 to 1978, one of either Ohio State or Michigan won at least a share of the
Big Ten The Big Ten Conference (stylized B1G, formerly the Western Conference and the Big Nine Conference) is the oldest Division I collegiate athletic conference in the United States. Founded as the Intercollegiate Conference of Faculty Representati ...
title and represented the Big Ten in the Rose Bowl every season. In 1970 Schembechler failed to repeat on the magic of 1969, that year losing to
Ohio State The Ohio State University, commonly called Ohio State or OSU, is a public land-grant research university in Columbus, Ohio. A member of the University System of Ohio, it has been ranked by major institutional rankings among the best public ...
20–9 and finishing at 9–1. However, in
1971 * The year 1971 had three partial solar eclipses ( February 25, July 22 and August 20) and two total lunar eclipses ( February 10, and August 6). The world population increased by 2.1% this year, the highest increase in history. Events J ...
, Schembechler led Michigan to an undefeated regular season, only to lose to the
Stanford Indians The Stanford Cardinal are the athletic teams that represent Stanford University. As of June, 2022, Stanford's program has won 131 NCAA team championships. Stanford has won at least one NCAA team championship each academic year for 46 consecutiv ...
in the Rose Bowl to finish at 11–1. From 1972 to 1975, Michigan failed to win a game against Ohio State (powered by phenom running back Archie Griffin). However, Michigan did tie
Ohio State The Ohio State University, commonly called Ohio State or OSU, is a public land-grant research university in Columbus, Ohio. A member of the University System of Ohio, it has been ranked by major institutional rankings among the best public ...
in 1973, only missing out on the Rose Bowl due to a controversial vote that sent Ohio State to the Rose Bowl and left Michigan at home. Another notable event occurred during the 1975 season, with the first of Michigan's record streak of games with more than 100,000 people in attendance occurring during a game against the Purdue Boilermakers. From 1976 to 1978, Michigan asserted its own dominance of the rivalry, beating Ohio State, going to the Rose Bowl, and posting a 10–2 record every year. After the 1978 season, Woody Hayes was fired for punching an opposing player during the 1978 Gator Bowl, thus ending The Ten Year War. Michigan had a slight edge in the war, with Schembechler going 5–4–1 against Hayes. However, while Schembechler successfully placed great emphasis on the rivalry, Michigan's bowl performances were sub-par. Michigan failed to win their last game of the season every year during The Ten Year War. The only year in which Michigan didn't lose its last game of the season was the 1973 tie against Ohio State. After the end of the Ten Year War, Michigan's regular season performance declined, but its post season performance improved. The 1979 season included a memorable game against
Indiana Indiana () is a U.S. state in the Midwestern United States. It is the 38th-largest by area and the 17th-most populous of the 50 States. Its capital and largest city is Indianapolis. Indiana was admitted to the United States as the 19th ...
that ended with a touchdown pass from John Wangler to Anthony Carter with six seconds left in the game. Michigan went 8–4 on the season, losing to
North Carolina North Carolina () is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the List of U.S. states and territories by area, 28th largest and List of states and territories of the United ...
in the
1979 Gator Bowl The 1979 Gator Bowl was a college football bowl game played on December 28, 1979. The North Carolina Tar Heels of the Atlantic Coast Conference defeated the Michigan Wolverines of the Big Ten Conference, 17–15. Background An 8-1 start ( ...
. In
1980 Events January * January 4 – U.S. President Jimmy Carter proclaims a grain embargo against the USSR with the support of the European Commission. * January 6 – Global Positioning System time epoch begins at 00:00 UTC. * January 9 – In ...
, Michigan went 10–2 and got their
first win First or 1st is the ordinal form of the number one (#1). First or 1st may also refer to: *World record, specifically the first instance of a particular achievement Arts and media Music * 1$T, American rapper, singer-songwriter, DJ, and reco ...
in the Rose Bowl under Schembechler, a 23–6 win over
Washington Washington commonly refers to: * Washington (state), United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A metonym for the federal government of the United States ** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered o ...
. Michigan went 9–3 in 1981 to get Schembechler's second bowl win in the
1981 Bluebonnet Bowl The 1981 Astro-Bluebonnet Bowl was a college football bowl game, played on December 31, 1981. It was the 23rd Bluebonnet Bowl game. The Michigan Wolverines defeated the UCLA Bruins by a score of 33–14. This was the first bowl game meeting of a ...
. In
1982 Events January * January 1 – In Malaysia and Singapore, clocks are adjusted to the same time zone, UTC+8 (GMT+8.00). * January 13 – Air Florida Flight 90 crashes shortly after takeoff into the 14th Street Bridge in Washington, D.C ...
, Michigan won the Big Ten championship while being led by three-time All-American wide receiver Anthony Carter. Michigan fell to UCLA Bruins in the 1983 Rose Bowl. Without Anthony Carter, the Wolverines did not win the Big Ten title in 1983, going 9–3. In 1984, the Wolverines suffered their worst season under Schembechler, going 6–6 with a loss to national champion BYU in the 1984 Holiday Bowl. Michigan needed to reverse its fortunes in 1985, and they began doing so with new quarterback Jim Harbaugh. Harbaugh led the Wolverines to a 5–0 record, propelling them to a No. 2 ranking heading into a game with the No. 1 Iowa Hawkeyes. Michigan lost 12–10, but did not lose another game the rest of the season to finish at 10–1–1 with a victory over Tom Osborne's
Nebraska Cornhuskers The Nebraska Cornhuskers (often abbreviated to Huskers) are the intercollegiate athletic teams that represent the University of Nebraska–Lincoln. The university is a member of the Big Ten Conference, and the Cornhuskers compete in NCAA Divis ...
in the
1986 Fiesta Bowl The 1986 Fiesta Bowl was the 15th edition of the Fiesta Bowl, a college football bowl game, played at Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe, Arizona, on Wednesday, January 1. Part of the 1985–86 bowl game season, it matched the fifth-ranked Michigan ...
. In
1986 The year 1986 was designated as the International Year of Peace by the United Nations. Events January * January 1 ** Aruba gains increased autonomy from the Netherlands by separating from the Netherlands Antilles. **Spain and Portugal en ...
Michigan won the Big Ten at 11–2, suffering a loss to the
Arizona State Sun Devils The Arizona State Sun Devils are the athletic teams that represent Arizona State University. ASU has nine men's and eleven women's varsity teams competing at the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I level as a member o ...
in the 1987 Rose Bowl. The departure of Harbaugh after 1986 once again left Michigan on tough times as Schembechler's team stumbled to an 8–4 record in 1987. However, Michigan bounced back again in 1988 and
1989 File:1989 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The Cypress Street Viaduct, Cypress structure collapses as a result of the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, killing motorists below; The proposal document for the World Wide Web is submitted; The Exxo ...
, winning the Big Ten title outright both years at 9–2–1 and 10–2 with trips to Rose Bowl. From 1981 through 1989, Michigan went 80–27–2, winning four Big Ten titles and going to a bowl game every year (with another Rose Bowl win obtained against
USC Trojans The USC Trojans are the intercollegiate athletic teams that represent the University of Southern California (USC), located in Los Angeles, California. While the men's teams are nicknamed the ''Trojans'', the women's athletic teams are referred ...
after the 1988 season). Bo Schembechler retired after the 1989 season, handing the job over to his offensive coordinator Gary Moeller. Under Schembechler, Michigan posted a 194–48–5 record (11–9–1 against Ohio State), and won 13 Big Ten championships.


Gary Moeller (1990–1994)

Gary Moeller took over from Schembechler for the 1990 season, becoming the 16th head coach in Michigan football history. Moeller inherited a talented squad that had just played in the 1990 Rose Bowl, including wide receiver
Desmond Howard Desmond Kevin Howard (born May 15, 1970) is an American former football wide receiver who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 11 seasons. He played college football at Michigan, where he won the Heisman Trophy as a senior. Howard w ...
. Moeller led Michigan to a 9–3 record in his first season, tying for the
Big Ten The Big Ten Conference (stylized B1G, formerly the Western Conference and the Big Nine Conference) is the oldest Division I collegiate athletic conference in the United States. Founded as the Intercollegiate Conference of Faculty Representati ...
championship but losing out on a Rose Bowl bid to
Iowa Iowa () is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States, bordered by the Mississippi River to the east and the Missouri River and Big Sioux River to the west. It is bordered by six states: Wiscon ...
. The next two years, Moeller's teams won the conference outright, setting marks of 10–2 and 9–0–3. In 1991, Desmond Howard had a memorable season that propelled him to win the Heisman Trophy, the award given to college football's most outstanding player. The 1992 team, led by quarterback
Elvis Grbac Elvis M. Grbac (born August 13, 1970) is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for nine seasons, most notably with the Kansas City Chiefs. He played college football at Michigan, where he won ...
, posted a 9–0–3 record, defeating
Washington Washington commonly refers to: * Washington (state), United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A metonym for the federal government of the United States ** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered o ...
in the
1993 Rose Bowl The 1993 Rose Bowl was a college football bowl game played on January 1, 1993, at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California. In the 79th Rose Bowl; the #7 Michigan Wolverines, champions of the Big Ten, defeated the ninth-ranked Washington Huskies, ...
. Moeller led Michigan to 8–4 records in both 1993 and
1994 File:1994 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The 1994 Winter Olympics are held in Lillehammer, Norway; The Kaiser Permanente building after the 1994 Northridge earthquake; A model of the MS Estonia, which sank in the Baltic Sea; Nels ...
. The 1994 season was marked by an early-season loss to Colorado that included a Hail Mary pass from Kordell Stewart to
Michael Westbrook Michael Deanailo Westbrook (born July 7, 1972) is a former American college and professional football player who was a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL) and is also a former mixed martial artist. Westbrook played college footba ...
to end the game, leading to the game being dubbed "The Miracle at Michigan." After the 1994 season, Moeller was found intoxicated at a Southfield, MI restaurant in an incident in which Moeller was caught on tape throwing a punch in a police station, which resulted in his firing.


Lloyd Carr (1995–2007)

Michigan's athletic director appointed Lloyd Carr, an assistant at Michigan since 1980, as interim head coach for the 1995 season. However, after an 8–2 start, Michigan dropped the interim tag from Carr's title and named him its 17th head coach. Michigan finished his first season at 9–4. Carr had similar success in his second season, going 8–4 and earning a trip to the 1997 Outback Bowl. Carr returned a strong squad for the 1997 season, led by cornerback and punt returner Charles Woodson. Michigan went undefeated in 1997. Overall, the Michigan defense only allowed 9.5 points per game and ended the season ranked No. 1 in the AP Poll, giving Michigan its first national championship since 1948 with a victory in the 1998 Rose Bowl. For his efforts, Woodson won the Heisman Trophy and was selected 4th overall in the 1998 NFL Draft by the
Oakland Raiders The Oakland Raiders were a professional American football team that played in Oakland from its founding in 1960 to 1981 and again from 1995 to 2019 before relocating to the Las Vegas metropolitan area where they now play as the Las Vegas Ra ...
. With Tom Brady as quarterback, Michigan went 10–3 and repeated as Big Ten champions in 1998, but in
1999 File:1999 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The funeral procession of King Hussein of Jordan in Amman; the 1999 İzmit earthquake kills over 17,000 people in Turkey; the Columbine High School massacre, one of the first major school shoot ...
Michigan lost out on the conference championship at 10–2 to the Wisconsin Badgers. Drew Henson led Michigan to a 9–3 record and a tie for the Big Ten championship in 2000. Ohio State, Michigan's chief rival, fired their coach John Cooper, who was 2–10–1 against Michigan while at Ohio State, after the 2000 season and replaced him with Jim Tressel. Tressel immediately ushered in a new era in the Ohio State-Michigan rivalry, upsetting the Wolverines 26–20 in 2001. This came on the heels of another last-second loss in which
Michigan State Michigan State University (Michigan State, MSU) is a public land-grant research university in East Lansing, Michigan. It was founded in 1855 as the Agricultural College of the State of Michigan, the first of its kind in the United States. It i ...
defeated Michigan with a pass in the last second of the game in a controversial finish that led to the game being referred to as "Clockgate." Despite these setbacks, Michigan's 2001 squad, led by John Navarre, went 8–4 with an appearance in the 2002 Florida Citrus Bowl. Again under Navarre in 2002, Michigan compiled a 10–3 record, but included another loss to
Ohio State The Ohio State University, commonly called Ohio State or OSU, is a public land-grant research university in Columbus, Ohio. A member of the University System of Ohio, it has been ranked by major institutional rankings among the best public ...
, who went on to win the national championship. Carr got over the hump against Tressel in 2003 as John Navarre and Doak Walker Award winner Chris Perry led the Wolverines to a 10–3 record, a Big Ten championship, and an appearance in the 2004 Rose Bowl. For the 2004 season, Carr turned to highly rated recruit Chad Henne to lead the Wolverines at quarterback. Michigan went 9–3 in 2004 to tie for another Big Ten championship and earn a trip to the 2005 Rose Bowl, but the season again included a loss to
Ohio State The Ohio State University, commonly called Ohio State or OSU, is a public land-grant research university in Columbus, Ohio. A member of the University System of Ohio, it has been ranked by major institutional rankings among the best public ...
, who only went 8–4 on the season. In 2005, Michigan struggled to make a bowl game, only going 7–5, with the season capped with another loss to
Ohio State The Ohio State University, commonly called Ohio State or OSU, is a public land-grant research university in Columbus, Ohio. A member of the University System of Ohio, it has been ranked by major institutional rankings among the best public ...
. Expectations were tempered going into the 2006 season; however, a 47–21 blowout of No. 2 Notre Dame and an 11–0 start propelled Michigan to the No. 2 rankings going into " The Game" with No. 1 Ohio State. The 2006 Ohio State-Michigan game was hailed by the media as the " Game of the Century." The day before the game, Bo Schembechler died, leading Ohio State to honor him with a moment of silence, one of the few Michigan Men to be so honored in Ohio Stadium. The game itself was a back-and-forth affair, with Ohio State winning 42–39 for the right to play in the 2007 BCS National Championship Game. Michigan lost to
USC USC most often refers to: * University of South Carolina, a public research university ** University of South Carolina System, the main university and its satellite campuses ** South Carolina Gamecocks, the school athletic program * University of ...
in the
2007 Rose Bowl The 2007 Rose Bowl Game presented by Citi was a college football bowl game played on January 1, 2007 at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California. It was the 93rd Rose Bowl Game and part of the 2006–2007 Bowl Championship Series (BCS) at the conclu ...
, ending the season at 11–2. Going into 2007, Michigan had high expectations. Standout players Chad Henne, Mike Hart, and Jake Long all opted to return for their senior seasons for one last crack at Ohio State and a chance at a national championship, causing Michigan to be ranked fifth in the preseason polls. However, Michigan's struggles against the spread offense reared its ugly head again as the Wolverines shockingly lose the opener to the Appalachian State Mountaineers. The game marked the first win by a Division I-AA team over a team ranked in the Associated Press Poll. The next week, Michigan was blown out by
Oregon Oregon () is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. The Columbia River delineates much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington (state), Washington, while the Snake River delineates much of it ...
. Despite the early rough start, Michigan won their next eight games and went into the Ohio State game with a chance to win the Big Ten championship. However, Michigan once again fell to the Buckeyes, this time 14–3. After the game, Lloyd Carr announced that he would retire as Michigan head coach after the bowl game. In the 2008 Capital One Bowl, Carr's final game, Michigan defeated the defending national champion Florida Gators, led by Heisman Trophy winner Tim Tebow, 41–35. Carr's accomplishments at Michigan included a 122–40 record, five Big Ten championships, and one national championship.


Rich Rodriguez (2008–2010)

Following Carr's retirement, Michigan launched a coaching search that ultimately saw Rich Rodriguez lured away from his alma mater,
West Virginia West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian, Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States.The Census Bureau and the Association of American Geographers classify West Virginia as part of the Southern United States while the ...
. Rodriguez's arrival marked the beginning of major upheaval in the Michigan football program. Rodriguez, a proponent of the spread offense, installed it in place of the pro-style offense that had been used by Carr. The offseason saw significant attrition in Michigan's roster. The expected starting quarterback Ryan Mallett departed the program, stating that he would be unable to fit in a spread offense. Starting wide receivers Mario Manningham and
Adrian Arrington Adrian Jarrard Arrington (born November 7, 1985) is a former American football wide receiver. He was drafted by the New Orleans Saints in the seventh round of the 2008 NFL Draft and was called up from the team's practice squad before week 17 of t ...
both decided to forgo their senior seasons and enter the
NFL Draft The National Football League Draft, also called the NFL Draft or (officially) the Player Selection Meeting, is an annual event which serves as the league's most common source of player recruitment. Each team is given a position in the drafting o ...
. Michigan lost a good deal of its depth and, when the 2008 season began, was forced to start players with very little playing experience. The 2008 season was disappointing for Michigan, finishing at 3–9 and suffering its first losing campaign since 1967. Michigan also missed a bowl game invitation for the first time since 1974. The week before the 2009 season began, the ''
Detroit Free Press The ''Detroit Free Press'' is the largest daily newspaper in Detroit, Michigan, US. The Sunday edition is titled the ''Sunday Free Press''. It is sometimes referred to as the Freep (reflected in the paper's web address, www.freep.com). It primar ...
'' accused the team of violating the NCAA's practice time limits. While the NCAA conducted investigations, Michigan won its first four games, including a last second victory against its rival Notre Dame. The season ended in disappointment, however, as Michigan went 1–7 in its last eight games and missed a bowl for the second straight season. Rodriguez's final season began with new hope in the program, as Robinson was named the starting quarterback over Forcier. Robinson led the Wolverines to a 5–0 start, but after a defeat to
Michigan State Michigan State University (Michigan State, MSU) is a public land-grant research university in East Lansing, Michigan. It was founded in 1855 as the Agricultural College of the State of Michigan, the first of its kind in the United States. It i ...
at home, the Wolverines finished the season 2–5 over their last seven games. Michigan did, however, qualify for a bowl game with a 7–5 record, and clinched its bowl berth in dramatic fashion against 2010 Illinois Fighting Illini football team, Illinois, with Michigan winning 67–65 in three overtime periods. The game was the highest combined scoring game in Michigan history, and saw Michigan's defense give up the most points in its history. Michigan was invited to the 2011 Gator Bowl, Gator Bowl to face 2010 Mississippi State Bulldogs football team, Mississippi State, losing 52–14. The Michigan defense set new school records as the worst defense in Michigan history. In the middle of the season, the NCAA announced its penalties against Michigan for the practice time violations. The program was placed on three of years probation and docked 130 practice hours, which was twice the amount Michigan had exceeded. Rodriguez was fired following the bowl game, with athletic director Dave Brandon citing Rodriguez's failure to meet expectations as the main reason for his dismissal. Rodriguez left the program winless against rivals Michigan State and Ohio State and compiled a 15–22 record, the worst record of any head coach in Michigan history.


Brady Hoke (2011–2014)

Michigan announced the hiring of head coach Brady Hoke on January 11, 2011. He became the 19th head coach in Michigan football history. Hoke had previously been the head coach at his alma mater Ball State Cardinals football, Ball State and then San Diego State Aztecs football, San Diego State after serving as an assistant at Michigan under Lloyd Carr from 1995 to 2002. In his first season, Hoke led the Wolverines to 11 wins, beating rival Notre Dame Fighting Irish football, Notre Dame with a spectacular comeback in Michigan's first night game at Michigan Stadium. Despite losing to
Iowa Iowa () is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States, bordered by the Mississippi River to the east and the Missouri River and Big Sioux River to the west. It is bordered by six states: Wiscon ...
and
Michigan State Michigan State University (Michigan State, MSU) is a public land-grant research university in East Lansing, Michigan. It was founded in 1855 as the Agricultural College of the State of Michigan, the first of its kind in the United States. It i ...
, the Wolverines finished with a 10–2 regular season record with their first win over Ohio State in eight years. The Wolverines received an invitation to the 2012 Sugar Bowl, Sugar Bowl in which they defeated Virginia Tech Hokies football, Virginia Tech, 23–20, in overtime. This was the program's first bowl win since the season of 2007. Until the streak was broken in 2008, Michigan had appeared in a bowl game each year since the 1975 season. In Hoke's second season, the Wolverines dropped their season opener to eventual national champions, Alabama Crimson Tide football, Alabama in Dallas, Texas. U-M won the next two games at home in non-conference bouts against Air Force Falcons football, Air Force and UMass Minutemen football, UMass. Michigan then traveled to face eventual national runner-up Notre Dame Fighting Irish football, Notre Dame. They fell to the Fighting Irish by a 13–6 final. After back-to-back wins over Purdue Boilermakers football, Purdue and Illinois Fighting Illini football, Illinois, they defeated in-state rival
Michigan State Michigan State University (Michigan State, MSU) is a public land-grant research university in East Lansing, Michigan. It was founded in 1855 as the Agricultural College of the State of Michigan, the first of its kind in the United States. It i ...
for the first time since 2007. The win was the 900th in program history, becoming the first program to reach the milestone. U-M finished the season with wins over Minnesota Golden Gophers football, Minnesota, Northwestern Wildcats football, Northwestern and
Iowa Iowa () is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States, bordered by the Mississippi River to the east and the Missouri River and Big Sioux River to the west. It is bordered by six states: Wiscon ...
as well as losses to 2012 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team, Nebraska and
Ohio State The Ohio State University, commonly called Ohio State or OSU, is a public land-grant research university in Columbus, Ohio. A member of the University System of Ohio, it has been ranked by major institutional rankings among the best public ...
to finish the regular season. Michigan was selected to participate in the 2013 Outback Bowl, where they fell to South Carolina Gamecocks football team, South Carolina by a 33–28 score. In the 2013 campaign, Michigan finished with a 7–6 record, including a 3–5 record in Big Ten play and a loss to Kansas State Wildcats football, Kansas State in the Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl 31–14. On December 2, 2014, Hoke was fired as the head coach after four seasons following a 5–7 record in 2014 Michigan Wolverines football team, 2014. This marked only the third season since 1975 Michigan Wolverines football team, 1975 in which Michigan missed a bowl game. Hoke compiled a 31–20 record, including an 18–14 record in Big Ten play.


Jim Harbaugh (2015–present)

On December 30, 2014, the University of Michigan announced the hiring of Jim Harbaugh as the team's 20th head coach. Harbaugh, who was starting quarterback in the mid-1980s under
Bo Schembechler Glenn Edward "Bo" Schembechler Jr. ( ; April 1, 1929 – November 17, 2006) was an American football player, coach, and athletics administrator. He served as the head football coach at Miami University from 1963 to 1968 and at the University o ...
, had most recently served as head coach of the San Francisco 49ers. In his first season, Harbaugh led Michigan to a 10–3 record, including a 41–7 win over the 2015 Florida Gators football team, Florida Gators in the 2016 Citrus Bowl (January), 2016 Citrus Bowl. The squad achieved an identical 10–3 record during the 2016 season, which ended with a 33–32 loss to 2016 Florida State Seminoles football team, Florida State in the 2016 Orange Bowl, Orange Bowl on December 30. The team lost many key players on the offensive and defensive side of the ball prior to Harbaugh's third season. The Wolverines went 8–4 in the regular season losing to their main rivals, 2017 Michigan State Spartans football team, Michigan State and 2017 Ohio State Buckeyes football team, Ohio State, and lost to 2017 South Carolina Gamecocks football team, South Carolina in the 2018 Outback Bowl, Outback Bowl, becoming the only team in the
Big Ten Conference The Big Ten Conference (stylized B1G, formerly the Western Conference and the Big Nine Conference) is the oldest Division I collegiate athletic conference in the United States. Founded as the Intercollegiate Conference of Faculty Representati ...
to lose its bowl game in the 2017–2018 bowl season and dropping the record on the year to 8–5. Harbaugh's fourth season started with a loss to rival 2018 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team, Notre Dame, followed by ten consecutive wins. Wins over ranked Big Ten opponents 2018 Michigan State Spartans football team, Michigan State, 2018 Wisconsin Badgers football team, Wisconsin, and 2018 Penn State Nittany Lions football team, Penn State, all of whom beat Michigan the previous year, led to the team rallying around referring to the season as a "revenge tour." The Wolverines rose to fourth in the College Football Playoff rankings, but the "revenge tour" came to an abrupt end when they were upset by rival 2018 Ohio State Buckeyes football team, Ohio State by a lopsided score of 62–39 to end the regular season. Ohio State's 62 points set a record for points against Michigan during regulation. A blowout loss to 2018 Florida Gators football team, Florida in the 2018 Peach Bowl (December), Peach Bowl ended the season, and they finished at 10–3 for the third time in Harbaugh's four years. During Harbaugh's fifth season (2019), the Wolverines lost to Wisconsin 35–14 and to Penn State 28–21, both on the road. Michigan went on to beat rivals Notre Dame 45–14 and Michigan State 44–10, but once again lost to then No. 1 ranked Ohio State by a score of 56–27 to end the regular season. Michigan later lost to Alabama 16–35 in the Citrus Bowl to end the season with a record of 9–4. For the 2020 season, COVID-19 precautions delayed the start of Big Ten play. The Wolverines started with a dominating 49–24 win against Minnesota. However, in a highly physical game against Michigan State, the Wolverines incurred many player injuries and narrowly lost 27–24. The next week, Michigan lost to Indiana 38–21. On November 14, 2020, Michigan hosted Wisconsin and suffered its largest halftime deficit at home since Michigan Stadium opened in 1927 (28–0), as well as its largest home loss (49–11) since 1935. On November 28, 2020, Michigan hosted Penn State and, for the first time in Michigan football history, lost to a team that was 0–5 or worse. Michigan was winless at home during the 2020 season, marking the first time in program history that Michigan did not win any games at home. The final three scheduled games of the season, against Maryland, Ohio State, and Iowa, were canceled due to COVID-19 concerns. Michigan failed to qualify for a postseason bowl game. The Wolverines started the 2021 season unranked, but quickly found their footing to surge into the rankings. The Wolverines started 7–0, which included blowout wins against Washington and Wisconsin. The team rose to number six in the polls before a top-ten showdown with eighth ranked rival Michigan State. Michigan narrowly lost to their instate rival, but rebounded with wins against Indiana, Penn State, and Maryland in their subsequent three games to set up a winner-take-all for the Big Ten East division against archrival Ohio State. In a top-five showdown, Michigan used a dominant second half performance to rout Ohio State 42–27, giving the Wolverines their first win against the Buckeyes since 2011, and a berth to their first-ever Big Ten Championship game. In the Big Ten Championship game against Big Ten West champions Iowa, the second-ranked Wolverines dominated the Hawkeyes 42–3 to win their outright first Big Ten Championship since 2003. As the second seed in the College Football Playoff, the Wolverines lost a semifinal game to the Georgia Bulldogs, 34–11. Michigan began the 2022 season ranked eighth. They won a top-10 showdown against then 6-0 #10 Penn State 41-17. The Wolverines defeated then 11-0 #2 Ohio State 45-23 in Columbus marking their first win there since 2000 to finish the regular season a perfect 12-0, heading to their second straight Big Ten Championship game. Michigan would defeat the West Division champions Purdue 43-22 to capture their second straight conference championship and head into the College Football Playoff 13-0, setting a new program record for single season wins in the process.


Conference affiliations

* Independent (1879–1891) * Intercollegiate Athletic Association of the Northwest (1892–1893) * Independent (1894–1895) * Western Conference (Big Ten Conference), Western Conference (1896–1906) * Independent (1907–1916) *
Big Ten Conference The Big Ten Conference (stylized B1G, formerly the Western Conference and the Big Nine Conference) is the oldest Division I collegiate athletic conference in the United States. Founded as the Intercollegiate Conference of Faculty Representati ...
(1917–present) ** Big Nine Conference (1946–1949) ** Big Ten Conference (1917–1945, 1950–present)


Bowl games

Michigan has played in 50 bowl games in its history, compiling a record of 21–28. Before missing a bowl game in 2008, Michigan had made a bowl game 33 years in a row. From the 1921 to 1945 seasons, the
Big Ten Conference The Big Ten Conference (stylized B1G, formerly the Western Conference and the Big Nine Conference) is the oldest Division I collegiate athletic conference in the United States. Founded as the Intercollegiate Conference of Faculty Representati ...
did not allow its teams to participate in bowls. From the 1946 to 1974 seasons, only a conference champion or a surrogate representative was allowed to attend a bowl, the Rose Bowl, and no team could go two years in a row until the 1972 Rose Bowl, with the exception of Minnesota in 1961 Rose Bowl, 1961 and 1962 Rose Bowl, 1962. ;Bowl record by game


Venues


Washtenaw County Fairgrounds (1883–1892)

In the early days of Michigan football, Michigan played smaller home games at the Washtenaw County Fairgrounds with larger games being held in Detroit at the Detroit Athletic Club. The Fairgrounds were originally located at the southeast intersection of Hill and Forest, but in 1890 moved to what is now called Burns Park.


Regents Field (1893–1905)

In 1890, the Board of Regents of the University of Michigan, Board of Regents authorized $3,000 ($78,947.37 in 2014 dollars) for the purchase of a parcel of land along South State Street. In 1891 a further $4,500 ($118,421.05 in 2014 dollars) was authorized "for the purpose of fitting up the athletic field." Michigan began play on Regents Field in 1893, with capacity being expanded to over 15,000 by the end of the field's use.


Ferry Field (1906–1926)

By 1902 Regents Field had grown inadequate for the uses of the football team as a result of the sport's increasing popularity. Thanks to donations from Dexter M. Ferry, work began on planning the next home stadium for the Michigan football team. Powered by a $30,000 donation from Ferry, Ferry Field was constructed with a maximum temporary capacity of 18,000 for the 1906 season. Ferry Field was expanded to a capacity of 21,000 in 1914 and 42,000 in 1921. However, attendance was often over-capacity with crowds of 48,000 cramming into the small stadium. This prompted athletic director Fielding H. Yost, Fielding Yost to contemplate the construction of a much larger stadium.


Michigan Stadium (1927–present)

Fielding H. Yost anticipated massive crowds as college football's popularity increased and wished to build a stadium with a capacity of at least 80,000. Ultimately, the final plans authorized the construction of a stadium with a capacity of 72,000 with footings to be set in place to expand it beyond 100,000 later. Michigan Stadium was dedicated in 1927 during a game against the
Ohio State Buckeyes The Ohio State Buckeyes are the intercollegiate athletic teams that represent Ohio State University, located in Columbus, Ohio. The athletic programs are named after the colloquial term for people from the state of Ohio and after the state tree, ...
, drawing an over-capacity crowd of 84,401. After World War II, crowd sizes increased, prompting another stadium expansion to a capacity of 93,894 in 1949. Michigan Stadium cracked the 100,000 mark by expanding to 101,001 in 1955. Michigan Stadium temporarily lost the title of "largest stadium" to Neyland Stadium of the Tennessee Volunteers football, Tennessee Volunteers in 1996, but recaptured the title in 1998 with another expansion to 107,501. In 2007, the Board of Regents of the University of Michigan, Board of Regents authorized a $226 million renovation to add a new press box, 83 luxury boxes, and 3,200 club seats. For the 2011 season, lights were installed at Michigan Stadium at the cost of $1.8 million. This allowed Michigan to play its first night game at home against 2011 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team, Notre Dame in 2011.


Rivalries


Ohio State

Michigan and
Ohio State The Ohio State University, commonly called Ohio State or OSU, is a public land-grant research university in Columbus, Ohio. A member of the University System of Ohio, it has been ranked by major institutional rankings among the best public ...
first played each other in 1897. The rivalry was particularly enhanced during
The Ten Year War The Ten Year War was a series of college football games, played from 1969 to 1978, in the Michigan–Ohio State football rivalry that pitted coach Woody Hayes of the Ohio State Buckeyes against coach Bo Schembechler of the Michigan Wolverines. In ...
, a period in which Ohio State was coached by Woody Hayes and Michigan was coached by
Bo Schembechler Glenn Edward "Bo" Schembechler Jr. ( ; April 1, 1929 – November 17, 2006) was an American football player, coach, and athletics administrator. He served as the head football coach at Miami University from 1963 to 1968 and at the University o ...
. Overall, the Buckeyes and Wolverines football programs have combined for 19 national titles, 77 conference titles, and 10 Heisman Trophy winners. Michigan holds a 60–51–6 advantage through the 2022 season.


Michigan State

Michigan and
Michigan State Michigan State University (Michigan State, MSU) is a public land-grant research university in East Lansing, Michigan. It was founded in 1855 as the Agricultural College of the State of Michigan, the first of its kind in the United States. It i ...
first played each other in 1898. Since Michigan State joined the
Big Ten Conference The Big Ten Conference (stylized B1G, formerly the Western Conference and the Big Nine Conference) is the oldest Division I collegiate athletic conference in the United States. Founded as the Intercollegiate Conference of Faculty Representati ...
in 1953, the two schools have competed annually for the Paul Bunyan – Governor of Michigan Trophy. The winner retains possession of the trophy until the next year's game. Michigan leads the trophy series 38–28–2. Michigan is the holder of the trophy following a 2022 win over the Spartans, 29–7. Michigan holds a 72–38–5 advantage through the 2022 season.


Minnesota

Michigan plays Minnesota Golden Gophers football, Minnesota for the Little Brown Jug trophy. The Little Brown Jug is the most regularly exchanged rivalry trophy in college football, the oldest trophy game in NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision, FBS college football, and the second oldest rivalry trophy overall. Through the 2021 season, Michigan leads the overall series 76–25–3.


Notre Dame

Michigan and Notre Dame Fighting Irish football, Notre Dame began playing each other in 1887 in Notre Dame's first football game. The rivalry is notable due to the historical success of the football programs. Through the end of the 2017 season, Michigan is ranked No. 1 in wins and all-time winning percentage while Notre Dame is No. 2 in both categories. Both schools also claim 11 national championships. Michigan and Notre Dame have played in 42 contests, with Michigan holding a 25–17–1 advantage through the 2019 season.


Northwestern

Michigan and Northwestern Wildcats football, Northwestern first played each other in 1892. In 2021, the two universities announced the creation of a new rivalry trophy to be awarded to the game's winner, the George Jewett Trophy. The trophy honors George Jewett, the first African-American player in Big Ten Conference history, who played for both schools. The game is the first Football Bowl Subdivision, FBS rivalry game named for an African-American player. Michigan holds a 59–15–2 advantage in the all-time series through the 2021 season.


Championships


National championships

Michigan has been selected 16 times as College football national championships in NCAA Division I FBS, national champions from NCAA-designated major selectors, including twice by the major wire-service AP National Championship Trophy, AP Poll. Michigan claims 11 (1901, 1902, 1903, 1904, 1918, 1923, 1932, 1933, 1947, 1948, and 1997) of these championships. Before 1926, there were generally no contemporaneous selectors. The 1918 and 1923 teams were first selected in 1970 (Billingsley), while the 1903 and 1904 teams were first selected in 1980 by NCF (co-champions).


Conference championships

Michigan has won 44 conference championships, 18 outright and 26 shared. † Co-champions


Division championships

Michigan has won three division titles. † Co-champions


Program records and achievements


Team records

* List of NCAA football teams by wins, Most wins in college football history (989) * Most winning seasons of any program (121) * Most undefeated seasons of any program currently competing in Division I FBS (23) * Most appearances in the final AP Poll (62) * More conference titles in the Big Ten than any other program with a single conference (44) * One of only six programs with a winning record against every FBS conference


Head coaching history


Personnel


Coaching staff


Individual awards and honors


National award winners


Players

* Heisman Trophy :1940: Tom Harmon :1991:
Desmond Howard Desmond Kevin Howard (born May 15, 1970) is an American former football wide receiver who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 11 seasons. He played college football at Michigan, where he won the Heisman Trophy as a senior. Howard w ...
:1997: Charles Woodson * Maxwell Award :1940: Tom Harmon :1991:
Desmond Howard Desmond Kevin Howard (born May 15, 1970) is an American former football wide receiver who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 11 seasons. He played college football at Michigan, where he won the Heisman Trophy as a senior. Howard w ...
* Walter Camp Award :1991:
Desmond Howard Desmond Kevin Howard (born May 15, 1970) is an American former football wide receiver who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 11 seasons. He played college football at Michigan, where he won the Heisman Trophy as a senior. Howard w ...
:1997: Charles Woodson * Chic Harley Award :1964: Bob Timberlake (American football), Bob Timberlake :1986: Jim Harbaugh :1991:
Desmond Howard Desmond Kevin Howard (born May 15, 1970) is an American former football wide receiver who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 11 seasons. He played college football at Michigan, where he won the Heisman Trophy as a senior. Howard w ...
:1997: Charles Woodson * Dick Butkus Award :1991: Erick Anderson * Jack Lambert Trophy :1991: Erick Anderson * Paul Warfield Trophy :1991:
Desmond Howard Desmond Kevin Howard (born May 15, 1970) is an American former football wide receiver who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 11 seasons. He played college football at Michigan, where he won the Heisman Trophy as a senior. Howard w ...
:2004: Braylon Edwards * Jim Parker Trophy :1991: Greg Skrepenak :2000: Steve Hutchinson (American football), Steve Hutchinson :2007: Jake Long * Sammy Baugh Trophy :1992:
Elvis Grbac Elvis M. Grbac (born August 13, 1970) is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for nine seasons, most notably with the Kansas City Chiefs. He played college football at Michigan, where he won ...
* Jack Tatum Trophy :1997: Charles Woodson * Jim Thorpe Award :1997: Charles Woodson * Chuck Bednarik Award :1997: Charles Woodson * Bronko Nagurski Trophy :1997: Charles Woodson * Doak Walker Award :2003: Chris Perry * Jim Brown Trophy :2003: Chris Perry * Fred Biletnikoff Award :2004: Braylon Edwards * Rimington Trophy :2004: David Baas :2011: David Molk :2022: Olusegun Oluwatimi * Lombardi Award :2006: LaMarr Woodley :2021: Aidan Hutchinson * Ted Hendricks Award :2006: LaMarr Woodley :2021: Aidan Hutchinson * Touchdown Club of Columbus#Tight End of the Year, Ozzie Newsome Award :2015: Jake Butt * John Mackey Award :2016: Jake Butt * Lott IMPACT Trophy :2016: Jabrill Peppers :2021: Aidan Hutchinson * Paul Hornung Award :2016: Jabrill Peppers * Lou Groza Award :2021: Jake Moody * Joe Moore Award :2021: Offensive line :2022: Offensive line * Outland Trophy :2022: Olusegun Oluwatimi


Coaches

* AFCA Coach of the Year :1947:
Fritz Crisler Herbert Orin "Fritz" Crisler (; January 12, 1899 – August 19, 1982) was an American college football coach who is best known as "the father of two-platoon football," an innovation in which separate units of players were used for offense and ...
:1948: Bennie Oosterbaan :1969:
Bo Schembechler Glenn Edward "Bo" Schembechler Jr. ( ; April 1, 1929 – November 17, 2006) was an American football player, coach, and athletics administrator. He served as the head football coach at Miami University from 1963 to 1968 and at the University o ...
:1997: Lloyd Carr * Paul "Bear" Bryant Award :1997: Lloyd Carr * Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year :1969:
Bo Schembechler Glenn Edward "Bo" Schembechler Jr. ( ; April 1, 1929 – November 17, 2006) was an American football player, coach, and athletics administrator. He served as the head football coach at Miami University from 1963 to 1968 and at the University o ...
* Walter Camp Coach of the Year Award :1969:
Bo Schembechler Glenn Edward "Bo" Schembechler Jr. ( ; April 1, 1929 – November 17, 2006) was an American football player, coach, and athletics administrator. He served as the head football coach at Miami University from 1963 to 1968 and at the University o ...
:1997: Lloyd Carr * Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Award :1977:
Bo Schembechler Glenn Edward "Bo" Schembechler Jr. ( ; April 1, 1929 – November 17, 2006) was an American football player, coach, and athletics administrator. He served as the head football coach at Miami University from 1963 to 1968 and at the University o ...
:2007: Lloyd Carr * Associated Press College Football Coach of the Year Award, Associated Press Coach of the Year :2021: Jim Harbaugh * Sporting News College Football Coach of the Year, Sporting News Coach of the Year :1985:
Bo Schembechler Glenn Edward "Bo" Schembechler Jr. ( ; April 1, 1929 – November 17, 2006) was an American football player, coach, and athletics administrator. He served as the head football coach at Miami University from 1963 to 1968 and at the University o ...
* Woody Hayes Trophy :1985:
Bo Schembechler Glenn Edward "Bo" Schembechler Jr. ( ; April 1, 1929 – November 17, 2006) was an American football player, coach, and athletics administrator. He served as the head football coach at Miami University from 1963 to 1968 and at the University o ...
:1997: Lloyd Carr * George Munger Award :1989:
Bo Schembechler Glenn Edward "Bo" Schembechler Jr. ( ; April 1, 1929 – November 17, 2006) was an American football player, coach, and athletics administrator. He served as the head football coach at Miami University from 1963 to 1968 and at the University o ...
:1997: Lloyd Carr :2011: Brady Hoke * Broyles Award :1997: Jim Herrmann :2021: Josh Gattis * AFCA Assistant Coach of the Year :2001: Fred Jackson (American football coach), Fred Jackson


Heisman Trophy voting

Twenty-nine Heisman Trophy candidates have played at Michigan. Three have won the award: * 1939: Tom Harmon, 2nd * 1940: Tom Harmon, 1st * 1941: Bob Westfall, 8th * 1943: Bill Daley (American football), Bill Daley, 7th * 1947: Bob Chappuis, 2nd * 1955: Ron Kramer, 8th * 1956: Ron Kramer, 6th * 1964: Bob Timberlake (American football), Bob Timberlake, 4th * 1968: Ron Johnson (running back), Ron Johnson, 6th * 1974: Dennis Franklin, 8th * 1975: Gordon Bell (American football), Gordon Bell, 8th * 1976: Rob Lytle, 3rd * 1977: Rick Leach (baseball), Rick Leach, 8th * 1978: Rick Leach (baseball), Rick Leach, 3rd * 1980: Anthony Carter, 10th * 1981: Anthony Carter, 7th * 1982: Anthony Carter, 4th * 1986: Jim Harbaugh, 3rd * 1991:
Desmond Howard Desmond Kevin Howard (born May 15, 1970) is an American former football wide receiver who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 11 seasons. He played college football at Michigan, where he won the Heisman Trophy as a senior. Howard w ...
, 1st * 1993: Tyrone Wheatley, 8th * 1994: Tyrone Wheatley, 12th * 1995: Tim Biakabutuka, 8th * 1997: Charles Woodson, 1st * 2003: Chris Perry, 4th * 2004: Braylon Edwards, 10th * 2006: Mike Hart, 5th * 2010: Denard Robinson, 6th * 2016: Jabrill Peppers, 5th * 2021: Aidan Hutchinson, 2nd * 2022: Blake Corum, 7th


All-Americans


Team and conference MVP

Michigan Most Valuable Player Award (1926–1959), Louis B. Hyde Memorial Award (1960–1994), Bo Schembechler Award (1995–present); winners of the
Chicago Tribune Silver Football The Chicago Tribune Silver Football is awarded by the '' Chicago Tribune'' to the college football player determined to be the best player from the Big Ten Conference. The award has been presented annually since 1924, when Red Grange of Illinoi ...
as the Big Ten's MVP also noted: * 1926:
Benny Friedman Benjamin Friedman (March 18, 1905 – November 24, 1982) was an American football player and coach, and athletic administrator. A native of Cleveland, Ohio, Friedman played college football as a halfback and quarterback for the University of ...
(also Big Ten MVP) * 1927: Bennie Oosterbaan * 1928: Otto Pommerening * 1929: James Simrall * 1930: Jack Wheeler (American football), Jack Wheeler * 1931: Bill Hewitt (American football), Bill Hewitt * 1932: Harry Newman (also Big Ten MVP) * 1933: Herman Everhardus * 1934:
Gerald Ford Gerald Rudolph Ford Jr. ( ; born Leslie Lynch King Jr.; July 14, 1913December 26, 2006) was an American politician who served as the 38th president of the United States from 1974 to 1977. He was the only president never to have been elected ...
* 1935: William Renner * 1936: Matt Patanelli * 1937: Ralph Heikkinen * 1938: Ralph Heikkinen * 1939: Tom Harmon * 1940: Tom Harmon (also Big Ten MVP) * 1941: Reuben Kelto * 1942: Al Wistert, Albert Wistert * 1943: Bob Wiese * 1944: Don Lund * 1945: Harold Watts * 1946: Bob Chappuis * 1947: Bump Elliott (also Big Ten MVP) * 1948: Dominic Tomasi * 1949: Dick Kempthorn * 1950: Don Dufek, Sr., Don Dufek * 1951: Don Peterson (American football), Don Peterson * 1952: Ted Topor * 1953: Tony Branoff * 1954: Fred Baer * 1955: Terry Barr * 1956: Dick Hill (American football), Dick Hill * 1957: Jim Pace (also Big Ten MVP) * 1958: Bob Ptacek * 1959: Tony Rio * 1960: Dennis Fitzgerald * 1961: John Walker * 1962: Dave Raimey * 1963: Tom Keating (American football), Tom Keating * 1964: Bob Timberlake (American football), Bob Timberlake (also Big Ten MVP) * 1965: Bill Yearby * 1966: Jack Clancy * 1967: Ron Johnson (running back), Ron Johnson * 1968: Ron Johnson (running back), Ron Johnson (also Big Ten MVP) * 1969: Jim Mandich * 1970: Henry Hill (American football), Henry Hill and Don Moorhead * 1971: Billy Taylor (Canadian football running back), Billy Taylor * 1972: Randy Logan * 1973: Paul Seal * 1974: Steve Strinko * 1975: Gordon Bell (American football), Gordon Bell * 1976: Rob Lytle (also Big Ten MVP) * 1977: Russell Davis (running back), Russell Davis * 1978: Rick Leach (baseball), Rick Leach (also Big Ten MVP) * 1979: Ron Simpkins * 1980: Anthony Carter * 1981: Butch Woolfolk * 1982: Anthony Carter (also Big Ten MVP) * 1983: Steve Smith (quarterback), Steve Smith * 1984: Mike Mallory * 1985: Mike Hammerstein * 1986: Jim Harbaugh (also Big Ten MVP) * 1987: Jamie Morris * 1988: Mark Messner * 1989: Tony Boles * 1990: Tripp Welborne * 1991:
Desmond Howard Desmond Kevin Howard (born May 15, 1970) is an American former football wide receiver who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 11 seasons. He played college football at Michigan, where he won the Heisman Trophy as a senior. Howard w ...
(also Big Ten MVP) * 1992: Chris Hutchinson (American football), Chris Hutchinson * 1993: Buster Stanley * 1994: Todd Collins (quarterback), Todd Collins * 1995: Tim Biakabutuka * 1996: Rod Payne * 1997: Charles Woodson (also Big Ten MVP) * 1998: Tai Streets * 1999: Tom Brady * 2000: Anthony Thomas (American football), Anthony Thomas * 2001: Marquise Walker * 2002: B. J. Askew * 2003: Chris Perry (also Big Ten MVP) * 2004: Braylon Edwards (also Big Ten MVP) * 2005: Jason Avant * 2006: David Harris (American football), David Harris and Mike Hart * 2007: Mike Hart * 2008: Brandon Graham * 2009: Brandon Graham (also Big Ten MVP) * 2010: Denard Robinson (also Big Ten MVP) * 2011: Denard Robinson * 2012: Jordan Kovacs * 2013: Jeremy Gallon * 2014: Jake Ryan * 2015: Jehu Chesson * 2016: Jabrill Peppers * 2017: Maurice Hurst Jr. * 2018: Chase Winovich * 2019: Shea Patterson * 2020: ''No award presented'' * 2021: Aidan Hutchinson (also Big Ten MVP) * 2022: Blake Corum (also Big Ten MVP)


Big Ten Conference honors

* Big Ten Conference football individual honors#Player of the Year, Player of the Year :1982: Anthony Carter :1986: Jim Harbaugh * Big Ten Conference football individual honors#Offensive Player of the Year, Graham–George Offensive Player of the Year :1990: Jon Vaughn ''(coaches)'' :1991:
Desmond Howard Desmond Kevin Howard (born May 15, 1970) is an American former football wide receiver who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 11 seasons. He played college football at Michigan, where he won the Heisman Trophy as a senior. Howard w ...
:1992: Tyrone Wheatley :2003: Chris Perry :2004: Braylon Edwards :2010: Denard Robinson * Big Ten Conference football individual honors#Big Ten Running Back of the Year, Ameche–Dayne Running Back of the Year :2022: Blake Corum * Big Ten Conference football individual honors#Big Ten Offensive Lineman of the Year, Rimington–Pace Offensive Lineman of the Year :1991: Greg Skrepenak :1998: Jon Jansen :2000: Steve Hutchinson (American football), Steve Hutchinson :2004: David Baas :2006: Jake Long :2007: Jake Long :2011: David Molk :2012: Taylor Lewan :2013: Taylor Lewan * Big Ten Conference football individual honors#Defensive Player of the Year, Nagurski–Woodson Defensive Player of the Year :1997: Charles Woodson :2001: Larry Foote :2006: LaMarr Woodley :2016: Jabrill Peppers :2018: Devin Bush Jr., Devin Bush :2021: Aidan Hutchinson * Big Ten Conference football individual honors#Defensive Lineman of the Year, Smith–Brown Defensive Lineman of the Year :1985: Mike Hammerstein :1988: Mark Messner :1992: Chris Hutchinson (American football), Chris Hutchinson :2006: LaMarr Woodley :2021: Aidan Hutchinson :2022: Mike Morris (defensive end), Mike Morris * Big Ten Conference football individual honors#Freshman of the Year, Thompson–Randle El Freshman of the Year :1995: Charles Woodson ''(coaches)'' :1997: Anthony Thomas (American football), Anthony Thomas ''(coaches and media)'' :2003: Steve Breaston ''(coaches)'' :2004: Mike Hart ''(coaches and media)'' :2015: Jabrill Peppers ''(coaches and media)'' * Big Ten Conference football individual honors#Dave McClain / Hayes–Schembechler Coach of the Year, Dave McClain / Hayes–Schembechler Coach of the Year :1972:
Bo Schembechler Glenn Edward "Bo" Schembechler Jr. ( ; April 1, 1929 – November 17, 2006) was an American football player, coach, and athletics administrator. He served as the head football coach at Miami University from 1963 to 1968 and at the University o ...
''(media)'' :1976:
Bo Schembechler Glenn Edward "Bo" Schembechler Jr. ( ; April 1, 1929 – November 17, 2006) was an American football player, coach, and athletics administrator. He served as the head football coach at Miami University from 1963 to 1968 and at the University o ...
''(media)'' :1980:
Bo Schembechler Glenn Edward "Bo" Schembechler Jr. ( ; April 1, 1929 – November 17, 2006) was an American football player, coach, and athletics administrator. He served as the head football coach at Miami University from 1963 to 1968 and at the University o ...
''(media)'' :1982:
Bo Schembechler Glenn Edward "Bo" Schembechler Jr. ( ; April 1, 1929 – November 17, 2006) was an American football player, coach, and athletics administrator. He served as the head football coach at Miami University from 1963 to 1968 and at the University o ...
''(coaches)'' :1985:
Bo Schembechler Glenn Edward "Bo" Schembechler Jr. ( ; April 1, 1929 – November 17, 2006) was an American football player, coach, and athletics administrator. He served as the head football coach at Miami University from 1963 to 1968 and at the University o ...
''(media and coaches)'' :1989:
Bo Schembechler Glenn Edward "Bo" Schembechler Jr. ( ; April 1, 1929 – November 17, 2006) was an American football player, coach, and athletics administrator. He served as the head football coach at Miami University from 1963 to 1968 and at the University o ...
''(coaches)'' :1991: Gary Moeller ''(media and coaches)'' :1992: Gary Moeller ''(media)'' :2011: Brady Hoke ''(media and coaches)'' :2022: Jim Harbaugh ''(media and coaches)'' * Big Ten Conference football individual honors#Tatum–Woodson Defensive Back of the Year, Tatum–Woodson Defensive Back of the Year :2016: Jourdan Lewis * Big Ten Conference football individual honors#Butkus–Fitzgerald Linebacker of the Year, Butkus–Fitzgerald Linebacker of the Year :2016: Jabrill Peppers :2018: Devin Bush Jr., Devin Bush * Big Ten Conference football individual honors#Kwalick–Clark Tight End of the Year, Kwalick–Clark Tight End of the Year :2013: Devin Funchess :2015: Jake Butt :2016: Jake Butt * Big Ten Conference football individual honors#Bakken–Andersen Kicker of the Year, Bakken–Andersen Kicker of the Year :2021: Jake Moody :2022: Jake Moody * Big Ten Conference football individual honors#Eddleman–Fields Punter of the Year, Eddleman–Fields Punter of the Year :2012: Will Hagerup :2018: Will Hart * Big Ten Conference football individual honors#Rodgers-Dwight Return Specialist of the Year, Rodgers-Dwight Return Specialist of the Year :2016: Jabrill Peppers


Retired numbers

The following jersey numbers have been retired by the program: Beginning in 2011, previously retired numbers of "Michigan Football Legends" were assigned to and worn by players selected by the head coach. The Legends program was discontinued in July 2015, and the numbers again permanently retired.


Hall of Fame inductees


College Football Hall of Fame

Michigan inductees into the College Football Hall of Fame as of 2022.


Pro Football Hall of Fame

Michigan inductees to the Pro Football Hall of Fame as of 2021.


Rose Bowl

The Rose Bowl Hall of Fame has inducted the following Michigan players and coaches.


Alumni in the NFL

Updated as of November 22, 2022. * Daylen Baldwin: Cleveland Browns * Tom Brady: Tampa Bay Buccaneers * Ben Bredeson: New York Giants * Ian Bunting: Dallas Cowboys * Devin Bush Jr., Devin Bush: Pittsburgh Steelers * Taco Charlton: Chicago Bears * Camaron Cheeseman: Washington Commanders * Frank Clark (American football), Frank Clark: Kansas City Chiefs * Mason Cole: Pittsburgh Steelers * Nico Collins: Houston Texans * Mike Danna: Kansas City Chiefs * Michael Dwumfour: San Francisco 49ers (PS) * Chris Evans (American football), Chris Evans: Cincinnati Bengals * Rashan Gary: Green Bay Packers * Zach Gentry: Pittsburgh Steelers * Graham Glasgow: Denver Broncos * Brandon Graham: Philadelphia Eagles * Vincent Gray: New Orleans Saints (PS) * Hassan Haskins: Tennessee Titans * Brad Hawkins (American football), Brad Hawkins: New England Patriots (PS) * Chad Henne: Kansas City Chiefs * Daxton Hill: Cincinnati Bengals * Khaleke Hudson: Washington Commanders * Maurice Hurst Jr., Maurice Hurst: San Francisco 49ers * Aidan Hutchinson: Detroit Lions * Carlo Kemp: Los Angeles Chargers (PS) * Taylor Lewan: Tennessee Titans * Jourdan Lewis: Dallas Cowboys * David Long (defensive back), David Long: Los Angeles Rams * Jalen Mayfield: Atlanta Falcons * Cameron McGrone: New England Patriots (PS) * Sean McKeon: Dallas Cowboys * Josh Metellus: Minnesota Vikings * Bryan Mone: Seattle Seahawks * Quinn Nordin: New England Patriots * David Ojabo: Baltimore Ravens * Michael Onwenu: New England Patriots * Kwity Paye: Indianapolis Colts * Donovan Peoples-Jones: Cleveland Browns * Jabrill Peppers: New England Patriots * Josh Ross (American football), Josh Ross: Baltimore Ravens * Cesar Ruiz (American football), Cesar Ruiz: New Orleans Saints * Jon Runyan Jr., Jon Runyan: Green Bay Packers * Michael Schofield (American football), Michael Schofield: Chicago Bears * Andrew Steuber: New England Patriots * Benjamin St-Juste: Washington Commanders * Ambry Thomas: San Francisco 49ers * Josh Uche: New England Patriots *Luiji Vilain: Minnesota Vikings * Chase Winovich: Cleveland Browns * Chris Wormley: Pittsburgh Steelers


Future non-conference opponents

Announced schedules as of November 8, 2022.


Related books

* * * * * * * * * *


References


External links

* {{Big Ten Conference football navbox Michigan Wolverines football, 1879 establishments in Michigan American football teams established in 1879