Those that stick around will be winners.
Since the famous head coach Bo Schembechler took over the programme in 1969, this motto has reverberated throughout the halls of Michigan. For 21 seasons, Schembechler led the Wolverines back into the national spotlight after they had fallen into disarray. But the only people that stuck with Bo were Big Ten Champions.
Schembechler never succeeded in winning that elusive national championship in Ann Arbour, despite several close calls (from 1971–1974, Bo lost three games by a total of six points), and the 1985 squad was among the best in Michigan history with a young Jimmy Harbaugh at quarterback.
After Schembechler’s dismissal, Gary Moeller continued the momentum by winning three straight Big Ten Championships to start his career. However, just like Bo, Moeller was unable to win the national championship. Before the 1995 season, Moeller was abruptly fired, and the least likely coach took over the team.
Since 1980, Lloyd Carr has served as Michigan’s assistant coach. Since 1987, he has served as the defence coordinator. Michigan was pleased to have Carr as a coordinator, and Carr himself. However, as William Shakespeare once said, “Some are thrust upon greatness, some achieve greatness, and some are born great.” The latter two were Carr.
Under his direction, the programme was brought back to its former splendour and then advanced by Carr, the leader Michigan didn’t realise it needed. Carr and the Wolverines achieved the pinnacle of collegiate football in 1997, finishing undefeated at 12-0 and topping the AP Poll. But because Nebraska was ranked No. 1 in the Coaches Poll, those who stayed were only shared champs because of Nebraska quarterback Scott Frost’s public pandering.
In my opinion, a “shared” title in no way lessens their accomplishment. There will never be another Michigan team like the one from 1997, and if you talk to any of them, they will tell you that they still think of themselves as the finest team in the nation from that season and are still furious over Frost’s glorification of pleading. However, it does lessen its significance to the rest of the nation, particularly to younger fans who aren’t familiar with the background of the Bowl Coalition and Bowl Alliance of the 1990s. It’s seen as a provisional title, meaning it’s not clear-cut or unambiguous.
