It would be all too easy to run down a list of Michigan's accomplishments over more than a century of college football. The only thing making that task difficult is that the Wolverines have too many accomplishments.
Besides, any diehard fan of college football, no doubt, has heard several of them over and over. We all know that Michigan is the "winningest" team in college football history, passing Notre Dame in 2006 after somewhat of an upset over their arch-rival. We know that Michigan has one of the best rivalries-if not THE best rivalry-in college football history with Ohio State. The rivalry was taken to its highest level by Ohio State coach Woody Hayes and his protege Wolverines coach Bo Schembechler from 1969-1978, starting with Michigan's upset victory over Hayes' best Ohio State team. Bo Schembechler is Michigan's most legendary coach, winning 80% of the games he coached and 85% in conference play, and he is one of the greatest coaches in college football history. We know Michigan's legendary players, including Charles Woodson, Desmond Howard, Jim Harbaugh and Tom Harmon. Michigan holds the record for bowl game appearances, playing post-regular season for 33 years in a row as of 2007's bowl season. This record means that Michigan has not had a losing record in decades. In fact, Michigan's 7-5 record in 2005 was the program's lowest in the past 23 years as of 2007. It is also probably no secret that Michigan is one of the most hated programs in college football. This goes beyond the team's official rivalries with Ohio State, Michigan State, Notre Dame and Minnesota. Because of Michigan's accomplishments, any team that plays the Wolverines is especially hungry to record a win, and fans of many other teams hope for and enjoy Michigan losses even if their team has never played the Wolverines.
However, the Wolverines are also highly misunderstood by outsiders, and much about the team is either unknown or forgotten to many college football fans. It is probably safe to say that most people don't know the history behind the Michigan-Ohio State rivalry. The rivalry goes well beyond yearly November meetings and the Schembechler-Hayes days, beginning with a dispute over state ownership of the territory known today as Toledo, Ohio-a dispute the state of Ohio obviously won. Today, several Michigan and Ohio residents will tell you that the two states remain at odds, albeit for different reasons than territory. Michigan residents, as well as the University of Michigan, are viewed by many from Ohio as elitist. Some Michiganders allegedly view people from Ohio as inferior and lacking class, while Michigan fans and alumni express feelings of intellectual superiority over people from Ohio and Ohio State. In addition, Ohio has become known as a state full of football talent. Many jokes about the Wolverines point out that Michigan's roster is always filled with Ohio natives. As Desmond Howard will tell you from personal experience, those Ohio natives who play(ed) for Michigan brave the open animosity of some Ohio residents. This history and these sentiments fuel the annual meeting, adding to the rivalry's greatness.
Similar to Ohio's place as a pool of football talent, Ohio State has rather quickly climbed atop of the Big Ten conference and the college football world as a premier program. Ohio State's standing is partially based on the team's recent ability to dominate the Wolverines in conference play, Big Ten championship wins and appearances in the National Championship game. However, the college football world forgets that Michigan edges Ohio State in the rivalry's history. In addition, Ohio State's recent domination has been based predominantly on matchups between coaches Lloyd Carr and Jim Tressel, with Michigan's Carr holding a losing record against Ohio State's Tressel. However, late in 2007, the Wolverines named former West Virginia coach Rich Rodriguez as Michigan's new head coach. Over the years, coaching changes have made significant differences in the rivalry's domination. Before Jim Tressel arrived at Ohio State, Michigan dominated the rivalry, winning its last National Championship during that time frame (January 1998) after almost 50 years without a National Championship title. Ohio State's previous coach, John Cooper, had been replaced in large part because he repeatedly failed to beat the Wolverines. More often than not throughout the rivalry's history, the two teams have simply traded wins and losses. This was, perhaps, most notably true while Bo Schembechler served as Michigan's head coach from 1969 to 1989. Periods of lopsided domination, while they have certainly occurred, have been more few and far between.
Over the years, first-round, as well as low-round, draft picks from Michigan have been successful in the NFL. At times, the sports media attempts to paint Michigan as a team with a high number of players who have failed to live up to their promise in the NFL. One of the most notable Wolverines in this regard has been former running back Tim Biakabutuka, who was a first-round draft pick in 1996 and played for the Carolina Panthers. However, Sunday matchups can be found with former Wolverines meeting on opposite sides of the ball, as well as in the same locker room. In 2008, Tom Brady, perhaps the most discussed and highly regarded NFL quarterback in 2007-2008 next to Brett Favre, took the New England Patriots all the way to the Super Bowl. Brady was a player who, while at Michigan, often found himself playing second fiddle to other highly-touted quarterbacks and was a low-round draft pick at number 199. Brady was at Michigan when Brian Griese-a NFL quarterback for Tampa Bay-and Charles Woodson-a defensive player for the Green Bay Packers and first-round draft pick-took the Wolverines to their 1997-season National Championship win. Brady then competed for the quarterback position with Drew Henson, a player whom many fans preferred to Brady. Today, Brady, Griese and Woodson are among the Wolverines' players who are currently successful in the NFL.
One of the biggest criticisms of Michigan-and, perhaps, one of the top reasons why the Wolverines are despised-is the program's history in college football. There is an emphasis-both by Michigan and by the sports media-on the program's records, rich history and place among the elite college football teams. Michigan fans are criticized for holding excessively high expectations for the team, its players and its coach. What outsiders don't understand is that Michigan's standards for its football program is an extension of what it means to be Michigan in all respects. The football program stands as the most widely-known symbol of the university's overall success. Imagine what it would be like to attend and graduate from Harvard-the standards, expectations and ultimate success are not that different at Michigan. The main difference is that Harvard is known almost strictly for academics-Michigan experiences that same level of expectation and success across the board.
In short, Michigan has always been expected to be among the best and usually is in most categories. Michigan is always among the top universities in the nation, top five public universities-having been recognized as a "public Ivy"-and top ten law schools. The university has a strong reputation in business, medicine and the arts, and has traditionally been known to many as a strong basketball program. Michigan often finishes conference play in most sports among the top three teams and will usually win the Big Ten conference in at least one sport. Finally, Michigan graduates and former students can be found near the top of each and every field. The Wolverines have Presidential blood in Gerald Ford, the most successful Asian American actress in Lucy Liu, one of the most successful recording artists ever in Madonna and a top TV journalist in Bob Woodruff-just to highlight a relatively small number of the university's successful graduates outside of sports. This high level of success is similarly expected in college football and has almost always been fulfilled. Furthermore, it matters more in college football because that is precisely one of the top reasons why so many people are aware of the university's general excellence in the first place. Thus, the team's record reflects on the university in more ways than just college football.
One of the reasons why Michigan's historic loss to Division I-AA school Appalachian State in 2007 remains a favorite topic in the college football world is because it happened to Michigan. Other teams lost to Division I-AA schools and there were several unbelievable upsets in 2007, including a USC loss to Stanford, but none of those losses became and remain the story at the level of Michigan's huge upset. More is expected of Michigan not only from its university and its fans, but also from the same sports media and rivals who criticize the Wolverines and its fans for high expectations and an emphasis on history. Many people argue that Michigan should be happy with a 7-5 record on the season because it's still a winning record or other teams would love to win 7 games. These people clearly are not and have never been affiliated with the University of Michigan. Michigan does not do anything halfway, including its college football season wins-Michigan is almost always among the best. That is what the Wolverines are known for. That is what the Wolverines expect from its students, graduates and athletes. And that is, for better or for worse-and no matter how much some people hate it-what everyone else expects from Michigan.