Hockey NCAA Championship, 1996

In person: under the light vs ND. I was in the corner with the winning TD.



TV: Woodson return v Ohio or Henne strike to Manningham with zero in the clock.

The Catch.  

OSU 97

I've never felt that amount of joy and happiness in my life

Courtney Avery's interception against Ohio.

96 Hockey would probably be it for me. But I was pretty young for that. 

Navarre finally beating OSU in 03 and winning the conference was pretty cool too. 

The CCHA tourney run a couple years ago when we pretty much had to win to extend the NCAA streak was great. 

Softball national championship had me excited

Men's soccer run to the national semifinals with the Saad brothers and Meram was pretty magical

Alot to choose from

Hello Heisman and state game 04

I'm assuming you mean Ohio State. Normally Ohio is fine, but considering we played the Bobcats in the tourney last year...anyway, I'm with you on UTL. The Sugar Bowl was a good one also. Me personally, I was there for the triple overtime Illinois game at The Big House. That might be it for me.

85 game. After Chris Carter from Karsatos on 4th and 16 Harbaugh launched the dagger to Kolesar. Good view from section 4.

313

In person would definitely be the Sugar Bowl. The game was pretty awesome but the walk back to Bourbon Street chanting it's great to be a Michigan Wolverine was pretty sweet too. On TV would be between UTL amazing comeback against a bitter rival and beating Washington State in the Rose Bowl to clinch the National Title.

Woodson's dominance of MSU in 1997... Tied with Desmond Howard agaisnt ohio as my first great memory Michigan footabll at 8 years old..

After they ruled Ryan Leaf hadn't spiked it in time, realizing we did it; we finally did it.

2011 will always be a tie between UTL and the Ohio game

There are so many to choose from, and some of my favorites have been mentioned, but among games I was at, there is always this moment from Marquise Walker because it kept the Buckeyes from going to a bowl in 1999, as I recall...

But in the end, I have to go with Roy Roundtree's TD catch with 2 seconds on the clock in the UTL game. I'll never forget that.

Phil Brabbs.

05.... On a relatively disappointing season... This just made me jump up and down for at least 20 minutes.

Not a specific sports-instance for one, but everything this symbolized and reflecting on it now is pretty cool.

Manningham's td against Penn State

sinking some foul shots, and--more vaguely--the Michigan D holding up against a Ryan Leaf onslaught in the waning fourth quarter of the Rose Bowl championship win. 

The '04 Braylonfest game, plus everything that the football team did in 1997 and that season's Rose Bowl.

I know I'm the third person who said it.  Had front row seats in the endzone exactly where Manningham caught the ball. Still remember it in perfect details.  Remember specifically seeing the dimples on the ball spinning into his gloves.

I was at UTL and Ohio in 11, ND in 09, and Wisconsin in 08, but for me Henne to Manningham still trumps everything.

1. The 1998 Rose Bowl-I could die happy after that
2. Wangler to Carter on the last play-I hugged people I didn't even like in the stadium that day
3. The 1981 Rose Bowl-Bo's first that he won (my senior year)

I was in the corner endzone for UTL, and it was just an awesome experience.  Henne to Manningham was probably the loudest I ever heard Michigan Stadium prior to the renovations.  UTL was a great experience, and probably wins out.

All of mine would have to be things I witnessed in person. '12 Sugar Bowl, UTL, '07 Henne-to-Manningham in East Lansing, 2010 Illinois 3OT game, 2009 Forcier-to-Mathews vs. ND, 2007 ripping ND 38-0 after a terrible 0-2 start, Big Chill, Hunwick's miracle run through the 2009 CCHA Tournament, being in Crisler for the 2008 NCAA Tournament Selection Show, 2008 Cap One Bowl vs. Tebow/Meyer/Florida.

The night BlueCE tore his ACL, spit in dirt, sucked it up and got right back out there.

In The End, Kolesar Was Wolverines' Saving Grace

By Mitch Albom

Published: 11/20/1988

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- The ball was coming down from the sky, there were two men around him, the angry crowd roaring like death, he was on the goal line, he bent his legs and he leapt in the air and all he could think of was . . . practice.

"A drill," wide receiver John Kolesar would say later, after he made a spectacular jump-ball catch in the end zone to give the Wolverines the final edge, 34-31, in the most exciting Michigan-Ohio State game to never really matter. "We do this drill in practice all the time, throwing the ball up between two men and trying to catch it. I was just thinking of that, really."

Lots to choose from - great topic. January 1st 1998 at the Rose Bowl. We had split tix - 2 and 2, but I could see mom and dad from my seats. Never saw my dad any happier (RIP pops). The hug in the crammed tunnel walking out will be with me forever.

1997 OSU game and rushing the field was awesome...

1998 hockey championship came on the same day as hash bash and a ton of us went and partied down on state street...

2001 I was at the horseshoe the last time we won there and that was awesome...

Ps.  you didn't ask but the worst ever was driving to buffalo for the frozen four only to lose in overtime to minnesota... worst ride home ever  (worse than coming back from purdue when we were up 28-10 at the half, or losing to minnesota the year before in frozen four in minny, or getting spanked at notre dame in 1998)... yeah my trips weren't always success.

Little hard to say overall. So I'll go by sport-

• Football- Michigan winning the 1998 Rose Bowl & winning their first National Championship in 49 years.
• Men's Basketball- B1G Championship last year after years and years of frustration and struggling in the dark period.
• Women's Basketball- Today, breaking the streak against state.
• Hockey- 2010 CCHA Playoff Championship where Michigan finished 7th in the regular season, had to win the playoff to keep the tournament streak alive with an unknown goalie by the name of Shawn Hunwick.
• Baseball- "The Comeback". 5/16/2010. Michigan was down 14-0 on Senior Day to northwestern. Michigan stormed back and won 15-14. 
• Lacrosse- First win in program history against mercer last year.
• Softball- Walk-off homer to win the 2005 National Championship

TOUCHDOWN, MANNINGHAM!

mainly because I called the route and that Manningham would be the one to get it, which blew my smarmy teenage brain when it actually happened.

CSB, I know.

I'd probably go with the end of the Rose Bowl 97 or Howard's catch in 91. 

Shocked at how few people mentioned Rumeal's free throws/Rice's insane tournament performances to win us a national championship in favor of regular season football games like MSU 04 or PSU 05. But maybe the board demographic is a little young and football focused for that. 

Agree with whoever said 1993 Kentucky. Great game and the highest caliber college basketball game that I've seen in person or that Michigan has played in in the last 30 years IMO. 

to a National Championship with a stand in coach.

Michigan 80, Seton Hall 79 - first OT national championship game in 26 years, Rumeal Robinson hits both free throws in the Seattle KingDome to win it.  

Robinson to Roundrtee to win UTL a very close second - the view from Secion 6 row 35 was spectacular we saw it all and erupted in true joy.  

GO BLUE!

For me, it was the 47-21 win at Notre Dame in 2006.  Such a huge win that almost nobody saw coming, and I had the joy of witnessing it in person.

Why is this off topic?  I'm pretty sure Michigan sports is the core topic of Mgoblog.

1977  Michigan beats # 1 Marquette 69-68 at Crisler.  Crisler was rocking and our point guard Ricky Green was limping around with a leg injury.  That Marquette team went on to win the National Title.  

Football

1969 Michigan beats OSU in Bo's first year

2nd Braylon Fest

1974 -- I forget which game, I'm ashamed to admit -- the first time I walked up the hill and into MIchigan Stadium.  The moment my eyes beheld the expanse of that "hole that Yost dug, Crisler paid for, Canham carpeted and Schembechler fills up every Saturday" I knew I would forever be a Michigan football fan.

"And they'll never catch him..."

Favorite live: my first game in person was the 1995 season opener against Virginia; Dreisbach to Hayes last second touchdown to complete the comeback victory.  Favorites overall are the 96 and 98 hockey championships.

My son and I flew in from Atlanta to see the M -Penn St game. On our way from Flint to AA we heard about the M-Boston College hockey game.

Our first time at Yost!! Great finish to the football game!

One of my best Michigan memories ever!!

I'm not sure how 90% of the responses aren't 1997. That's easily the best for me even witnessing all of it on tv as a high schooler. I don't think anything even comes close.

Although it didn't have the same exhilaration as UTL or the '11 OSU games, I will never forget the  Capital One Bowl my freshman year. Although not the most prestigious bowl, to see that Michigan team, which had underperformed all year, dismantle Florida (a team I've always hated) and Tebow, immediately after he had won the Heisman, will always stick with me. That may be due in part to the fact that it was the only game I got to experience as a student where the team lived up to the expectations I had when I decided to go to Michigan. Since that game, although there have been many fun and great performances, there has not been another team that was capable of so thoroughly beating a good SEC team, like that Florida team. Hopefully that will change in the coming years.

Mine would definitely be being at the Under the Lights game. Spent an awesome day in Ann Arbor followed by the best game I've ever seen in person.

A close second would be the Big Chill. That was the coolest thing I've ever seen and I got to skate on the ice in the Big House the next day, which was amazing.

Rushing the field against Ohio 2 years ago was awesome. Probably the only chance to ever do that in my life. I also got to hi-5 Timmy Hardaway jr when we were on the field.

Also saw Mallet beat Penn State for the ninth staright time and the crowd starting chanting 9 in the final minutes.

bum calf, made OSU look stupid, Eddie George crying his eyes out outside of the big house knowing his heisman trophy season was tarnished.  Hubris of John Cooper "he's good but not that good." 

My senior year. Priceless.

Against Wisconsin.  1968.  The great Bump Elliott's last great win in Michigan Stadium.  A record-setting, unbelievable performance by Ron Johnson.  And the program for that day, of which I still have a copy, quite appropriately featured Johnson, and the great modern runner, Harmon. 

I was just a little kid, and I might not have gotten to go to the game if it had been an MSU or OSU game.  Sat in Section 2, behind Willis Ward.  And there was no tv, and the weather was atrocious (rain, snow, sleet all in one day) and there weren't that many people there.  I felt like I was a part of history that I would have to be a personal witness for.  Because so few other people were personal witnesses.

Ron Johnson was magnificent.  Just the most polished runner I have ever personally seen in the winged helmet.  Like Gayle Sayers.  With Tom Harmon on the cover of the game-day program, I remember thinking, "this is our Tom Harmon..." 

Three-hundred and Forty-seven yards.

The 1968 team record.  (Note particularly the rankings, and the attendance figures.  And an away game at Duke!  I had totally forgotten about.)  We were unranked when we knocked off Duffy Daugherty's 12th-ranked Spartans.  And we were ranked 4th by the time we finally went down to Columbus and lost the "Couldn't go for three" game against one of the best teams ever produced in Ohio, the #2 ranked Buckeyes.

1968 Michigan Football

In second place for me for great Michigan athletic thrills, at least at the time, was being in Crisler for the first time that the Fab Five were on the floor at the same time.  Everybody in the Arena knew what it meant.

I've appreciated many different games and moments.

But I'll go with the following:

1. In person:  The AC catch against Indiana. I was a sophomore, and that win was just incredible and improbable. The distance covered and the time left on the clock make that win harder to get than UTL or Mario against PSU.
2. On TV:  the Rumeal Robinson free throws against Seton Hall, NCAA Championship in 1989 (I was in Korea, and this was a little slice of home.)
3. Personal:  Playing basketball with Rice in 87, iirc, at the CCRB. I don't know with the new practice facility if basketball players ever rub elbows with mere mortals. But there were several occasions back in the day when I was able to play basketball with guys who were either at Michigan or NBA / CBA guys who were in Ann Arbor for the summer. Those are great Michigan sports moments for me.

Multiple. Beating Ohio in AA in 1997 in football, the run for men's hoop in 89, UTL, softball home run for the NC, Woodson's INT vs Sparty, beating Washington on a last second FG (with my son), Woodson's punt return vs Ohio. Too many good moments. Oh I forgot, firing RichRod. Hiring Hoke "... it's Michigan fergodsakes."

All in person, 96 Regionals in EL, Mike Legg goal vs Minnesota, and Morrison's OT vs CC. And of course, the clock running out in the 98 Rose Bowl

Everyone's covered the basics (UTL, Ohio State 2011, Penn State, etc), so I'll add my first trip to the Big House - 2002 against Western Michigan.  This was one week after Phillip Brabbs and Washington happened, not that I knew it at the time.  For me, a wide-eyed nine-year-old in a dorkishly big Michigan hat, walking into that gigantic stadium with all those people was just incredible.  Some things you just don't forget.

There's lots to choose from: UTL, Braylonfest, but let me throw an obscure one out there: 1989, beating OSU in Bo's last game at Michigan Stadium.

I loved the Mercury Hayes TD against Virginia to win the season opener in 94. I was 15 and and it was the most memorable feelng a sporting event has ever given me. Just remembering that whole day puts a smile on my face!

And 1997 Rose Bowl its second.

In person: Wangler to AC.  The student section went wild!    (Runner up: Paul Girgash and Bob Thompson sacking Art Schlichter on the final play to win the 1980 gave vs. tOSU.  My only game in Columbus -- I will never go back!)

Basketball: Glen Rice and Rumeal Robinson in the 89 NCAA tourney

Football on TV: UTL vs. Notre Dame, introducing my sons to Michigan football.

Wow, it's great to be a Michigan fan!

Woodson winning the Heisman in 1997.

A tie between touchdown Manningham and beating Ohio in 2011...

On TV: Woodson returning punt vs Ohio.

so it can hardly be irrelevant.

As a young junior high football player, I sat shivering in the stands during my first live Michigan Game on November 16, 1968. I watched RoJo run for 347 yards. That was before the great teams of that Glenn fellow, before all the great backs that we have seen since then. The record stands to this day.

in my top 10 has been mentioned by someone, except for these two (and they both happened in 1997):

The win over Notre Dame.  I got my first real glimpse that day of how truly special our team's defense was going to be, as late in that game we repeatedly turned the ball over on our side of midfield, but our defense repeatedly turned back  Ron "He'll- win- multiple-Heismans" Powlus and ND's vaunted offense.  Michigan won 21-14 that day, but it was the day our "D" came of age that season.

The come-from-behind win vs. Iowa in mid-season '97 was even better.  We looked flat in the first half and trailed at halftime 21-7 as Tim Dwight was a terror to us all day, especially on kick returns.  Griese and the offense came alive in the 2nd half and we took a lead late on a Griese TD pass to Jeremy Tuman.  Even then it was a nail-biter until Sam Sword intercepted Iowa deep in Michigan territory with just a half minute left.  

http://search.yahoo.com/r/_ylt=A0oG7ksFRiBRylUAO4dXNyoA;_ylu=X3oDMTE1NWF...

Those two games, both snatching victories from the jaws of defeat, were the real keys to us being undefeated and making the Penn State, Ohio, and Rose Bowl games so memorable and important.

I can't remember smiling for 3 1/2 hours straight before or since.

I was at UTL, I don't think I will ever get a more memorable sporting moment in my life, period.

vs Ohio:

TSHIMANGA-MENDOUS!!!!!!!

Top of the list for me is the whole '89 final four. The combo of beating that Illini team after they had beat Michigan twice during the season and then the Championship game. Awesome and wonderful.
I'm a basketball nut so there are plenty of others, but that clearly is #1.
In footall it would be a montage of Desmond's catch against ND, "Hello Heisman", and all Woodson all of '97.
Throw in Wheatly in the Rose Bowl also.

#1 would have to be the win over OSU in '11. That was my first game at the Big House and something I'll never forget. After that I'd have to say the entire '97 season, from the first win to the last and Woodson winning the Heisman.

24-12

Mandich with tears streaming down his face as he's carried off the field by the crowd.

(Btw, a couple of notes on the RJ 347 game: most don't realize that he was taken out of the game after the first play of the 4th quarter -- one of his TD runs; and contrary to an earlier post, I believe the game was televised regionally.)

So that entire run will always be high on my list, with the OSU game that year being at the top. I was also at The Big House for The Catch in 91 so that's another personal favorite. But for sheer joy of winning a single game and an incredible feeling in the stadium, I have to say the 11 OSU game was the best, even better than 97 which I didn't think was possible.

On TV, I'd have to go with the 96 OSU game (Streets with the big TD catch), the 88 OSU game (Kolesar covers nearly 100 yards in 2 plays to win the game) and the 94 Notre Dame game (Remy Hamilton kicks the winner in South Bend as time expires). 3 of the best road wins in school history.

The Kentucky win in the 93 Final Four, the Seton Hall/Illinois games in 89 and winning the Maui Invitational by beating Kansas and UNC in 92 were the best moments I could think of. Besides the entire Ellerbe era, of course.

This year's northwestern game.



Ever, winning the nc in 97.

Surprised no one has mentioned the 2003 Minnesota game with that monster 4th Quarter comeback and Navarre running the worlds slowest long-yardage touchdown. 

Other than that, I'm in lockstep with almost everyone else here: 

Under the Lights

2003 OSU

the Braylon game

Henne to Manningham PSU

The Catch.

1969:  Michigan 24, Ohio State 12.  Michigan beats the unbeatable Ohio State juggernaut.  

Watching Becker, Paris and Muransky blow holes in the Husky line you could drive a tank through.

Ty Wheatley rumbling for 235 yards on just 15 carries against those same Huskies. Man that guy must have ingested a whole drum full of steroids. His freshman season he looked like a stiff wind would blow him over. The next season he was built like a freight train with legs.

...pick your memory that year:
- smothering D;
- comeback win against Iowa/Tim Dwight team;
- The Interception against Little Brother;
- storming South U to Union after clobbering Penn State;
- hundreds of students being invited into President Bollinger's house and celebrating in the President's house after clobbering Penn State;
- Woodson winning Heisman;
- Woodson punt return for TD against Ohio;
- entire student section storming field (trying to avoid riot police) after beating Ohio and clinching Rose Bowl birth;
- having thousands of Michigan fans invade my hometown;
- winning Rose Bowl and National Championship; and
- having almost the entire team, including Woodson (accompanied by Desmond Howard) randomly show up at friend's victory party.

Dam that was an amazing senior year!

Best non-championship season - South Beach, the Millineum, first BCS orange Bowl, Brady/Terrell over Shaun Alexander in double OT!

...drinking double tap!

Fourth down. Watching Elvis hand the ball off ... Big pile of dust at the line of scrimmage.. But what is this? Elvis still has the ball? Only man out there is #21 double covered. Elvis throw the ball out of bounds through the end zone ... But what is this streak of maize and blue lightning? That bolt of lightning meets the overthrown the ball in the ends zone. The crowd is deathly silent, until a zebra raises two arms overhead and ...

Yeah. That's the best in my memory.

The 07 State game was great. I had to go somewhere so I was listening to it in the car and was estatic when Manningham caught it. 

The 08 Duke game was great because it was my first memory of a big win for the basketball program. I also developed a man crush on Novak that game.

And the 11 OSU, ND, and Sugar Bowl games were awesome. As was the 45-17 win over Nebraska. Living in Omaha last year, I got a ton of flak about Michigan, so to blow them out was awesome.

1. 1971 Michigan-Ohio State—Billy Taylor's last minute touchdown clinches the victory over the Buckeyes, our first undefeated season since 1948, and a spot in the Rose Bowl.

2. Wangler to Carter 1979

3. UM-UConn 2010—Brock Mealer touches M Club banner

A tie between Under The Lights, and Woodson's punt return against ohio in 97.

1.  Wangler to Carter.  I was in the stadium with my dad; I'm not sure when I came down off that high, but it wasn't anytime soon.  (My other favorite AC moment was hearing the buzz when he went back to return a punt - everyone knew Bo didn't play freshmen, but the rumor mill about this guy made it seem like he'd have to see the field sooner rather than later - and there he was.  Took it to the house on his first play and it kept getting better from there!)

2.  Give it to Wheatley! in the Rose Bowl.  I was starting to feel like we just weren't going to win and then he ripped off those two huge fourth quarter runs to pull it out.

3.  The 1989 NCAA tournament.  Once Rice got hot, I figured we had a chance, but I thought for sure Illinois would win after the thrashing they gave us before.  Then Sean Higgins picked up the hop off the rim and flipped it home, and then Rice just kept burying jumpers.

I attended U of M from 1956-1963 (under grad and Medical School). We had one disappointing 1956 season (2 losses when picked early for undefeated season) and then 6 years of terrible teams and terrible losses including 3 horrendous end of season losses to that team up north. Fast forward to 1969 I was living in San Antonio, Texas fulfilling my duty to the USAF. My father-in-law was visiting from Chicago and on that fateful Saturday he asked me if I wanted to play golf or watch the Michigan-Ohio State fb game. I told him of my past experiences and said golf. I can still remember as if it happened yesterday, walking off the last green at Kelly AFB, a radio blaring that Michigan had beaten OSU 24-14. I was in heaven and have been ever since watching and living Michigan football from afar.

Dr. Steve

Because it was also the day I got married ( the first time ). Caught so much crap for having my brothers set up a tv in the kitchen at the reception so we could watch the game..... Spent more time in there than on the dance floor. Yeah, that didn't go over so well, but hey, I should have known better than getting married on April fools day anyway!

Braylon's dominance over Sparty is definitely up there!!!





UTL is up there too!!!!

that, unless I missed it, no one mentioned Dreisbach to Hayes finishing the 18-17 comeback over Virginia.  If Hayes doesn't make that catch, there's probably never a Lloyd Carr era.

I am hoping for a new favorite Michigan moment sometime in March.

UTL comeback and win was great, but I think my favorite moment for UM so far has been:

Where we physically kicked tebows ass and Meyer was sent home crying. This was the year after Meyer was trashing Michigan and calling coaches to keep us out of the national championship game. I will always hate Meyer for being a douche, it's perfect that he is now the head coach at osu.

Grbac to howard. 

I was watching with my late father, and neither of us could believe a michigan team would even try something so UNconservative.

The Ohio game in '97.  Beating them on the way to a national title, Woodson lighting it up, and rushing down to the field after the game. 

Pretty awesome way to cap off my first year as student ticket holder.  Really set the bar high.

TV:  22NOV1969  'Nuff said

LIVE:  UTL (followed closely by 1997 Iowa Come from behind)

Loved it. I was on the ice. Ditto for '98.

Hello Heisman

Woodson's return vs. OSU, with a close second being Brady Quinn crying his senior year. HAHAHAHAH. Funny stuff there.