It got me to thinking about how Michigan athletics fared during my years on campus.
And at times, it has outright sucked to know that these last four years have rendered the football team a mess, the basketball team a mediocre success and the hockey team an incredible tease.
For those of us who have been here for four years, the first major sporting event we experienced as students was a loss to Appalachian State — the worst in the history of Michigan football. The last: Saturday’s national championship loss to Minnesota-Duluth — one of the toughest losses in the history of Michigan hockey.
In September of 1985, Michigan football was coming off the worst season in Bo's career, 6-6 with a loss in the Holiday Bowl that gave the MNC to BYU. My first game was a 20-12 upset over Notre Dame that put Michigan on a path for a 10-1-1 season, with the only loss in the #1-#2 game in Iowa City. Over my four years M finished 38-9-2 with two Big Ten Championships and 3 bowl victories.
Michigan basketball was coming off their first Conference Championship since 1977. They would follow it up in the 1985-86 season with their most recent Big Ten championship. They were still having trouble in the NCAA tournament going 1-1 in 1986 and 1987. They made it to the sweet 16 in 1988 before falling to UNC. In 1989 - they broke through for their only NCAA championship!
The Hockey team was in full rebuilding mode - they went 70-84-5 over those 4 years (but improved every year) and failed to make the NCAA tournament. But the 1988-89 team won the GLI for the first time since 1975 (and this was the first of 9 straight titles).
When I entered Pharmacy school in 1994, Michigan football was coming off a disappointing 8-4 season. 1994 wasn't much different. The 8-4 season included a loss at OSU, a crushing defeat on the Hail Mary to Colorado and Gary Moeller's firing in the off-season. 1995 and 1996's only bright spots were victories over heavily favored OSU teams. The 1997 team, of course, went 12-0 and won the National Championship in the Rose Bowl!
Basketball seemed to be doing fairly decently 3 NCAA tournament appearances, and NIT championship and winning the first Big Ten conference tournament. However 3 of those seasons are officially stricken from the record due to Taylor, Trailor and the rest.
For hockey this was their most dominant time since the 40-50s heyday. Red took the Wolverines to 4 final fours and won two National Championships.
Men's swimming also won a national championship on 1996!
So Michigan's revenue sports overall records in my 8 years of college:
Football 38-9-2 and 37-12 for 75-21-2 with 3 conference championships, one national championship and a Heisman trophy winner.
Basketball 104-32 and 87-45 (or 17-14) for 191-77 (121-46) with 7 (5 NCAA tournament appearances), an NIT championship (or not), an Conference Tournament Championship (or not) and a National Championship.
Hockey went 70-84-5 and 133-30-10 for a total of 203-114-15. With 4 GLIs, 4 Frozen Fours and 2 National Championships.
I'd say my 8 years stack with with some of the most successful in Michigan Athletic history - and I had absolutely nothing to do with it!
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