Favorite Michigan Football Game of All-Time?
I would have to say mine was the 2005 Michigan vs Penn st game. I was in third grade at the time and i had been talking a lot of smack to one of my friends who is a Penn State fan (Live in PA) so it was a very important game to me. When Henne darted the pass to Manningham my heart stopped, and everyone in my house went absolutely crazy, i will never forget that moment.
Beaten to the punch by 1 minute.
I loved it. My favorite too. So proud they sent Lloyd out on top. It was nice to see them take down Tebow and Meier too!
The 2008(?) Capital One Bowl vs. Florida always sticks out for me. It was Lloyd’s last game, and the team played extremely motivated. Leading up to the game you heard the usual talking points, SEC speed will be too much for Michigan, playing in hotter weather will tire Michigan more easily, yada, yada….
If Hart had not fumbled twice by the goal line in that game UM would have run away with that game. Even though UM only won by 6, I felt UM physically dominated that game. It was also the last time I can remember 4 defensive lineman creating pressure on the QB. I don’t remember who the D lineman were in that game, but by the end they owned Florida’s offensive line and Tebow was running for his life.
even though I wasn't there. That was the first game I went into thinking that we were totally screwed, and then we came out and won impressively.
Favorite atmosphere - 2006 @ OSU, the hype for that was amazing, best possible matchup to end the season. Of course a tough result, but still.
Favorite trip - 2012 Sugar Bowl, a perfect trip to go out as seniors.
Favorite game - end of UTL1 of course.
is up there for me. First game as a student, on the heels of welcome week, and college gameday was there. Brabbs' game winning field goal right into our end of the stadium was a nice way to kick off the season.
The MSU game that season wasn't bad either. After going down 3-0 we rattled off 49 points and never let them score again.
Another vote for Under the Lights I. 2005 Penn State and 2004 triple overtime against MSU are close.
Favorite that I didn't attend in person is the 2008 Capital One Bowl.
1997 PSU. Nothing comes close to that one.
Woodson, Braylon, Denard.
Thank you - 38 comments in.
Woodson's punt return was single most ecstatic moment in Big House for me.
Braylonfest and 4th quarter in UTL1 among others were zany as well to be sure
UTL 1- ND, Night game, nail biter, electric atmosphere
@Illinois 2007 - sat in student section it was like a war zone
MSU 2012
NW 2012
OSU 2011
Favorite game is UTL 1, but I have a funny story about NW 2012. I was in the student section with some of my friends for that one and with just a few minutes left, one of them decided to leave because he did not want to watch Northwestern beat us. We decided to stick around and wait things out. Surprise, surprise, Roundtree catches the Hail Mary and we go to overtime and end up winning. I think he still regrets leaving early to this day.
I just consulted the MGoHistoryMobile, and the 12 men on the field actually occured on a 3rd and 12 with 6 seconds left. The resulting 15 yard penalty let Brabbs work his magic.
There was a ND game in the mid/late nineties where ND was driving late and we stopped them like a foot short of a first down to end the game.
1996 - OSU ranked #2, Glenn said we sucked, we pounded them, Tim-B went off.
My favorite games that I attended were the 1997 PSU game and the first UTL game. The UTL1 game was the best atmosphere I have ever been a part of.
I will also have to say the 06 OSU game was one of my favorites (not attended) as well. #1 vs #2. The best rivalry in sports. That was such an emotional week. I was a sophomore at SRU, and there were so many people wearing their Wolverines and Buckeyes gear. Every time I would see a person wearing Michigan gear, we would exchange a Go Blue and nod our heads and be on our serparate ways. When I would encounter a Buckeye, it was either "F*** Michigan, "good luck" or "Cant wait for saturday, it's going to be a war."
I remember going home for the weekend and watching the game with all my Michigan buddies at a friends house. It was something I'll never forget. When Michigan took that opening drive and shoved it down Ohio's throat, we all just erupted. Unfortunately the final outcome was not what we were hoping for, but it was still a very memorable experience.
1995 vs. Ohio State. Watching Touchdown Tim and both lines do their thing was epic. It was Buckeye Schadenfreude at its best!!!!!
Student section was the loudest I've ever witnessed. PSU had a good team (they entered 1999 as FSU's only competition for potential nat champions) but time and again they would try to score in our endzone and we'd push 'em back. I think there were 3 goal line stands and PSU got 0 points out of them.
I was a freshman in that student section. You can hear us in the recording, drowning out Keith Jackson. Just a pleasureful game all day.
Michigan 22 OSU 0 in Columbus. Nothing beats shutting out the Buckeye's and their horrible fans in the Snake Pit.
First under the lights game. Absolute best game experience ever. Never seen a game where it looked like the entire stadium stayed 20-30 minutes after the game ended dancing to Taio Cruz.
97 The Game. End of discussion. Sooooo much on the line. Hated rival. Biggest game of the year. Undefeated season on the line. National Championship on the line. Woodson's return for TD was the loudest I've ever heard the stadium, including UTL 1 and Braylonfest. I literally teared up when the clock struck 0:00.
As many awesome games as I've witnessed on TV and live, that one was by far the most amazing victory I'd ever seen.
I think somebody might've mentioned it near the top of the thread. But i TOTALLY agree with you on the game.
UTL meant more, it was a fantastic game and atmosphere.
When you throw importance of the game into the equation its Michigan/Ohio State 1997 hands down. Same atmosphere just no lights. The moment C. Woodson runs back the punt is one of the single greatest moments in my Michigan fandom.
and its god damn sad I have to go back that far.
a close 3rd for me would be M/OSU 1995. Timmy!!!
It's the one that has made me renew my season tickets ever since.
Biakabutuka ran for 313 and we dashed ohio's national title hopes. John Cooper come back!
It's amazing how many times the Big House has been the loudest anybody has ever heard.
was it hot that day.
Indeed it was, and incredibly loud as well.
97' Ohio State game for me... I can watch that game over and over again. The pregame smack talk between Boston and Woodson was awesome, the fight between the two and Marcus Ray laying the wood to Boston was the icing on the cake. not to mention the punt return for TD by woodson too.
1979 Indiana followed by 1997 Ohio. Two which which also strike me as excellent competition that I did not attend: UTL #1, '69 Ohio (I was only 2).
I was lucky enough to have been at PSU, at home for Ohio and at the Rose Bowl in the '97 season as well as UTL1, despite the fact that I graduated in '91 and live in NJ. (I pick 'em well.) It's almost impossible to choose from among those games, which are the most memorable for me.
Did some real soul-searching and learned that these were the happiest I remember feeling after a UM football game. In order:
Year/ Opponent/ Significance/ Attended?
1989/Ohio State/ Bo's Last...going to the Rose Bowl/ Yes
2011/Ohio State/ First win in forever/ Yes
1997/Ohio State/ #2/ No
2011/ ND/ did not expect this/ No
2011/ Nebraska/ kicked their ass and they were cool about it/ Yes
2013/ ND/ Optimisim abounds, I was homesick and around lots of free microbeer/ No
But I somewhat forget about the 2012 Sugar Bowl and it was my first bowl game trip ever. Couldn't have asked for a better place to go. Boubon St and a Michigan win. It would be higher on my list if we would have played well. I still cannot believe we won with as bad as the offense played.
but the '69 OSU game has to be the top for me. Wish I was there. Hell, I know an OSU grad who was there and he says it's one of HIS most memorable moments ever.
In my lifetime, how could any game be as good as the MNC Rose Bowl on January 1, 1998?
Of games I've been to I can't recall an atmosphere like the 1997 OSU game. When Woodson ran the punt back our entire section rocked back and forth.
The 2008 Capitol One Bowl was obviously a disappointing game to be in, but I loved seeing Lloyd go out beating the defending national champion and seeing what the offense could do when cliciking.
My former best freind (never lend $ to a freind) is huge ND fan. He pays for trips to South Bend and I covered AA going back to 2006 when Michigan went into ND and literally crushed Brady Quinn. He sat through all of these!
At the time I thought this was the best it could ever be.
Then (2007) Jimmy Clausen started his Freshman year and we watched Michigan humiliate the Irish 38-0 after The Horror and Oregon. Yaketty Sax! After so much pain it felt pretty DAMN good!
At the time I thought this was the best it could ever be.
The 2008 monsoon game in ND was a joke-both teams were just a mess and it was the worst football game I ever attended. We broke Charlie Weiss leg but no ND fan came away excited about their team or that win. Just a bad day to be at a football game.
2009 the TATER game. I made him sit in the student section-they did not disappoint at all and rode him the entire game.
At the time I thought that was the best it could ever be.
2010 DENARDED!
It was the best road game of my life but not better then being in AA. He had to watch me in ecstasy in South Bend. The quiet as we walked out was just astonishing.
2011 UTL 1-Again I made him sit in the student section. Again it was epic. This was the greatest game I ever attended. After the game I was in the basement of a bar and met Charles Woodson with ND fan in tow. Once in a lifetime.
This was the best it could ever be.
2012 was an anamoly. They had there day and Denard was terrible. The irony was before that game ND fan walking up to me in my Michigan gear saying "ROLL TIDE" at least 20 times.
ROLL TIDE
2013 UTL II- After UTL 1 I never imagined it could be even close but say what you will about Dave Brandon but he put on a great show. The product on the field did not disappoint and it felt good to be 3-0. My ND companion was a friend no more so I took my oldest daughter to the game and went on a guided tour of the stadium the night before. It was a great day and a great event to share with her.
It was not UTL I but nothing might ever be.
2014-If you are from Chicago or work with or have interactions with ND fans you really want to send these bastards off with a loss in South Bend. I will not be in attendance as I prefer my last memories to be in AA.
TO HELL WITH NOTRE DAME!
For me it's November 22, 2003. We beat OSU and the students rushed the field. I was a senior so my seats were fairly close to the field (I think around row 16). So of course I jumped the wall and joined the fun.
Braylonfest vs MSU in 04
Or...
The 10 pt comeback vs MSU in EL in 07...I was there, almost left with 8 or so minutes left. Glad we stayed. On the way out...we saw Izzo break up a fight with 2 MSU students...and a student told us we had 15 minutes to leave the city before they burn it down. No joke.
Braylonfest and UTL1
So Washington 2002 and the other last-minute wins get bumped down the list. UTL2 was pretty darn awesome: a wow experience, on my birthday, plus a low-suspense win over a despised rival, so much to love.
Alternate choice:
After the previous meeting and the year that followed, 49-3 was almost enough. Here's hoping we get to do that to Sparty again someday soon.
I recall that Chris Spielman, ESPN's color commentator for that game, repeatedly asserted that MSU was not quitting during the game, when it appeared to everybody else that they had done exactly that.