[Fuller/MGoBlog]

Don't tell the SEC, but Charles Woodson has been on something of a satellite camp tour of his own lately, crossing the country to meet fans and talk wine. Woodson's the proprietor of Charles Woodson Wines, and he and director of operations Rick Ruiz have been holding events where fans get a chance to taste some of the company's offerings (like the 2010 Cabernet Sauvignon, which made Wine Spectator's 2014 Top 100 list) and purchase autographed bottles of said wine. Woodson and Ruiz were in Ann Arbor for an event at the new Plum Market near North Campus yesterday, and I had the opportunity to sit down with Woodson for a few minutes to talk about some of his memories of Michigan.

If you're beating yourself up because you missed the event yesterday you should stop, but you're going to need to cancel your plans for this afternoon: Charles will be at the Plum Market in West Bloomfield (6565 Orchard Lake Rd.) from 4-6PM; there's no tasting event today, but you can purchase a bottle of the 2010 Cabernet Sauvignon, get it autographed by Woodson at no additional cost, and ask that burning question you've had since '97.

What are some of your favorite memories from your time at Michigan?

"My favorite memories? I don't know. I mean, of course it all revolves around football, you know. [laughs] But really it was, let's say memories of dorm rooms all of us stayed in, because most of us were in West Quad or South Quad. So it was just the times that we all spent together in the dorms. We were all kind of close knit, especially your class. The times we spent together in our rooms, whether we were partying or whatever it was, it was always great."

The [annual West Quad v. South Quad] snowball fight?

"Snowball fight, mmhmm. And then of course the games. My first time running out in '95, running onto the field and kind of losing my breath that first game because I had been in the Big House before but never as a player, and all of a sudden I'm a player and it's like 'oh, wow.' Kind of the magnitude of it hit me. Then of course the Ohio State game with a chance to go to the Rose Bowl, winning that game, the punt return, and the rose in the mouth. I'd say that's five things right there."

In that game, did you allow that receiver a free inside release to bait Stanley Jackson into throwing an interception in the endzone?

"Well, it wasn't deliberate to let him inside, but it was deliberate to undercut him because it was in the endzone and you're always taught, you know, in the endzone the guy's not running a deep route- there's nowhere to go. So you undercut the route and the quarterback threw it right to me, so it worked out."

Did you have a favorite defensive play call or coverage that you guys ran when you were in college?

"No, I didn't. I mean, it was pretty simple what we did. Either I was in man-to-man or it was Cover 3 for the most part. But I played on the wide side of the field most of the time so no, I didn't have a favorite call."

Was there any receiver you had a bigger rivalry with in college than David Boston?

"Uh, no. Yeah, he was the biggest. He was the one that talked the most noise, you know, on that team. He was their star receiver and of course me being on defense, it was kind of a natural thing. So yeah, he would have been my biggest competition."

How did you get into wine and winemaking?

"So I spent a lot time in Napa Valley as a result of being picked there. The Oakland Raiders' training camp was in Napa Valley, and so as a result of being there three and a half-four weeks every training camp I used to spend a lot of time in the Valley at different restaurants just kind of watching people interact with wine, and I became very interested in it. I decided a few years after that that I would get into it."

[Ed-Seth: This being the 20th anniversary of the 1997 National Championship, Michigan historian Dr. Sap offered to revisit a game a week so you can re-live it all in real time. These articles are part-story, part videos so make sure you watch those.]

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Sept. 20, 1997: Michigan 38, Baylor 3 [Boxscore]. 2-0 (0-0 Big Ten)

Michigan turned to Woodson when the offense needed a spark. [Bob Kalmbach, courtesy UM Bentley Library]

A team is a team, a win is a win, and it’s hard to find fault in a team that wins 38-3. But after a brilliant opening game against an expected national power, Michigan did not exactly thrash an overmatched opponent like they were expected to. The offensive line could not get much push against an overmatched DL. The passing game felt clunky. The defense were playing on their heels. Getting past their big opener might have revised expectations to three losses instead of the usual four, but watching them the next week you’d think it would take a miracle machine to take down the monsters on the back end of the schedule. But then, the Baylor game was also the moment you realized Michigan might have one of those. Offense, defense, or special teams, when the Wolverines needed a big play they could get one. It wasn’t luck. It was the most outstanding player in college football. It was Charles Woodson. And it was totally unfair.

After looking so good against Colorado the week before and moving up in the national Rankings to #8, the game against Baylor was supposed to be no contest. While it pretty much was, looking back, it also proved to be a microcosm of the 1997 season for Lloyd Carr’s team.

Sure Michigan won, 38-3, but to say that the Maize and Blue didn’t look as crisp and as sharp as they did against the Buffaloes was the understatement of the year. The defense held up their end of the bargain by not giving up a touchdown for the second straight game. Even though Chris Howard was moving the chains and freshman Anthony Thomas was moving the pile, the offense was getting bogged down with penalties and dropped passes. It was painfully evident that there was no playmaker on that side of the ball who could hit the homerun. The Special Teams were anything but, as they dropped a snap from a punt, missed a field goal and Charles Woodson even fielded a punt inside the UM 5-yard line and was tackled for no gain. There was plenty of work to do coming out of this game, as the Wolverines looked nothing like a National Championship team at this point in the season.

[Hit THE JUMP unless you are the mother of a Baylor receiver]

Baylor was in transition, with a new coach and a new offense. The Bears were finally moving away from their old veer running attack and implementing more of a pro-style offense. After looking at film of the Wolverines, head coach Dave Roberts had a plan for dealing with Michigan's All-American cornerback Charles Woodson: Spot where he lined up and go the other way.

"My thoughts on him is let's take our worst player and put him at flanker because you're not going to do anything against him," Roberts said. "He's as good as his hype."

Gotta give him credit for recognizing a mismatch when he saw one!

As mentioned earlier, the Wolverine offense didn’t get off to a great start as Chris Howard fumbled on the first play of Michigan’s first series.

Baylor took advantage of the great field position, but had to settle for a field goal when the TD they scored was called back because of a penalty.

Luckily for the Wolverines, that would be the only points of the day for the Bears from Baylor.

While Howard atoned for his early drop with some solid running the rest of the game (he and Anthony Thomas would both top 100 yards rushing in this game), the offense still couldn’t get it in gear and get in the endzone…until they got Charles Woodson the ball. Later in the first quarter on a bubble screen, Woodson darted in and out of tacklers and dove in the endzone to give the Maize and Blue a lead they would never relinquish.

The play seemed to ignite the crowd, the offense and maybe even the coaching staff as the play calling up until that point did not generate much of anything. Jerame Tuman, who ran wild against Colorado, was held to just one catch for 23 yards against Baylor. While QB Brian Griese was throwing some nice balls, his wide-receivers had a difficult time reeling them in. And when the balls were being caught, the offense was shooting itself in the foot by committing 11 penalties for 90 yards. Clearly, championship style football was not being played in Ann Arbor at this point of the season.

Tai Streets had a tough time hanging onto the ball against Baylor. (Photo Credit: Heather Stone / The Detroit News)

The second quarter provided a glimpse of things to come – not only for Woodson, but for the other members of the Michigan Defense.

On the first play in that second period, Baylor called a quick hitch, to the wide side of the field. The pass was laterally thrown about 30 yards and not exactly on a rope. Put all that together, along with mistakenly throwing to #2’s side of the field, and you have a recipe for disaster if you are Baylor.

If you are Michigan and Charles Woodson, it was the perfect time and the perfect storm to lay out an unsuspecting Baylor Bear.

Woodson, displaying tremendous football IQ, knew what was coming. Based on film study, knowing down, distance, field position, player personnel, formation tendancies, pre-snap reads, and oh ya, baiting the offense into thinking he knew NONE of this, the Fremont, OH star was about to show the world that he was not just a cover-corner like Deion Sanders – he could lay the wood when needed.

Initially playing up on the line, probably to try and hear as much of the cadence and pre-snap calls from the Baylor offense, Woodson dropped back into coverage, a good seven yards off the line of scrimmage. Thinking it was still the right call, the Baylor QB proceeded to throw the hitch, a little high to his receiver on the wide side of the field. As soon as the quarterback pivoted to throw, Woodson was already moving with a laser focus on his target – the midsection of the wideout.

Woodson arrived at the same time the ball did and laid out the receiver so hard, he was literally parallel to the ground about three feet in the air before he was planted in the Michigan Stadium sod by Charles.

The play looked and sounded like this:

Charles Woodson is not a normal guy

The crowd and yours truly erupted in unison as it had been a long time since an opponent was “planted” in Goss’s Grass like that!

In one fell swoop, Woodson served notice to all future opponents that not only could he cover you like a blanket, he could mess you up and knock you into tomorrow!

It would be the first of several signature hits this defense would lay on their opponents in 1997. Guys like Glen Steele, Daydrion Taylor and Marcus Ray were just waiting for their turn to plant a few more opponents in the ground. Their time would come soon enough.

This defense was sideline-to-sideline fast, but they were no finesse outfit, either. They played to impose their will on you and to take you out – either mentally or physically. It showed in this game, as Baylor never recovered and never threatened after this play. They were successful running the option with a slow quarterback a few times, but for all intents and purposes this game was over after Woodson’s hit.

Michigan led at the half, 21-3, and with Tom Brady and Jason Kapsner getting reps at the QB spot in the second half, everyone’s favorite walk-on, Tate Schanski, rounded out the scoring with a 1-yard TD run to make the final score, 38-3.

After the game, Baylor Coach Dave Roberts could not contain himself when asked his impressions of Woodson, Michigan's two-way star.

"Gosh, he's awesome," Roberts said. "I don't know how you can prepare to handle him. We tried. Often, he looks like he's running slowly, but with his gait he's probably running a 4.3. He may be the best football player in the country. He may be a first-round draft choice."

Notre Dame was next, and Michigan with their newfound swagger, thanks to Woodson’s big hit, couldn’t wait for the Irish to show up!

[Ed-Seth: This being the 20th anniversary of the 1997 National Championship, Michigan historian Dr. Sap is taking us game-by-game through it. Previously: Those Who Stayed (Colorado); The Hit (Baylor); The Stop (Notre Dame); The Captain’s Down(Indiana); Vengeance (Northwestern), Gut Check (Iowa), Six Picks (Michigan State), The Trap (Minnesota), Judgment (Penn State), The Crucible (Wisconsin)]

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[Robert Kalmbach, via UM Bentley Library]

November 22, 1997: #1 Michigan 20, #4 Ohio State 14

• also #2 FSU 29, #10 Florida 32 who remembers when we were huge Gator fans?
• also also not that it should matter but just in case “undefeated” Nebraska tries to stake a bogus claim to a championship that shoulde be Michigan’s and Michigan’s only, a struggle vs unranked team ought to take care of that, and lo and behold: #3 Nebraska 27, Colorado 24

Materials: Box Score.Cumulative stats. Articles. WH Highlights, Part II, Entire broadcast by j bakkar, or if you want to watch this with friends we’ll have it on at the MGoBlog Tailgate before The Game on Saturday.

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Back in 1997, there was no B1G Conference Championship Game. That meant THE GAME between Michigan and Ohio State was going to be for all the marbles – sort of.

It was #1 UM (10-0) going against #4 OSU (10-1). It was essentially for the Rose Bowl, with a slight twist. If Michigan won, they would be the outright Big Ten champs and go to the Rose Bowl. If Michigan lost and Penn State defeated Wisconsin and Michigan State -- there would be a three-way tie for the Big Ten title (with OSU & PSU) -- Michigan would still go to the Rose Bowl under the Big Ten tie-breaker rule, unless Ohio State was ranked #1 or #2 in either major poll, in which case the Rose Bowl would be obligated to take OSU.

Got all that?

[Hit THE JUMP to go back to that cold terrifying morning]

The much anticipated game had incredible buildup and hype. Demand for tickets was through the roof, as were media credentials. Typically 400 press passes were issued for big games twenty years ago, but for this epic clash, more than 1,000 media credentials were handed out.

Ohio State and their Head Coach John Cooper had struggled to defeat Michigan since he arrived from Arizona State in 1987. In the previous two seasons OSU entered the game ranked #2, but both times, Michigan pulled off the upset.

"I'm 1-7-1 against Michigan, in case you guys don't know that," Cooper said on the Tuesday before the game, laughing, when the subject of his struggles against arch-rival Michigan was broached.

Quarterback Stanley Jackson was not so jovial when discussing last year’s loss to Michigan: "I've watched that game about six times on videotape. Every time, it hurts."

“Hurt” would soon take on a new definition for the Buckeye signal-caller come Saturday night.

If Michigan needed any more motivation than playing their arch rival for all the marbles, they had it served to them on a silver platter by the Buckeyes. Just two years earlier in 1995, OSU's Terry Glenn suggested that "Michigan is nothing," and no better than anyone else on their schedule.

Well, this time it was David Boston, another Buckeye receiver, that ran his mouth before the game. It can be found at the 2:49 mark on this clip here:

You would have thought the Buckeyes would have learned their lesson and kept their mouths shut, but then again, they ARE hairless nuts. The Michigan players, to their credit, really didn’t run their mouths – they preferred to let their talking be done on the field, but believe me, they all had their sights set on Boston.

More pre-game talk and interviews can be found here:

ABC-TV put their #1 crew of Keith Jackson and Bob Griese on the game for the third week in a row, and of course Jackson’s intro was classic:

Before the game, I can remember thinking that this was going to be the toughest opponent for Michigan. The Wolverines were lucky to win the year before against the Buckeyes and were surprise victors again in 1995. The Bucks were loaded, as they always were, and you just had this feeling that maybe this was the year Ohio State would ruin Michigan’s dream season. The only thought that kept me from veering into the dark side was the fact that I felt Michigan had better athletes and more of them. Talent would win out, but at the same time, I had witnessed too many Michigan games where fluky bounces and breaks went the other way of talent.

I was one of the 106,982 in attendance that day and I gotta tell ya, it was pretty cool to see maize and blue pom-poms on every seat when I walked inside The Big House! That had never happened before and as it turned out, it would be the first of many pleasant surprises that day for the Michigan faithful.

With the crowd roaring in anticipation like I had never heard before in the Hole that Yost dug, Michigan was set to receive the opening kickoff. Right off the bat, Lloyd Carr wanted to show John Cooper that his team was going to pull out all the stops to win this game.

As Anthony Thomas caught the kickoff at his 2-yard line, Charles Woodson ran back toward the goal line. The two players faked the reverse, and Thomas, aided by some excellent blocking, scampered 43 yards to put Michigan in great field position to start the game.

It was a sign of things to come for the Michigan Special Teams unit.

The jubilation was short lived however as the Wolverine offense went three and out against a Buckeye defense that was solid at every position.

Ohio State started the game with quarterback Stanley Jackson. His mobility and the running of Pepe Pearson got the Bucks a first down and showed they could move the ball on the ground against the nation’s #1 defense.

The jaw-jacking between David Boston and Charles Woodson had already started on the first OSU drive. It came to a head on 3^rd down when the two started pushing and shoving, to the point where Woodson took his helmet off and demanded a throw down right there in front the entire Michigan Stadium crowd. Cooler heads prevailed, but one thing was clear: the Buckeyes were not going to come into Michigan Stadium and intimidate the Wolverines – not on Charles Woodson’s watch!

The Ohio State drive stalled and the Michigan offense answered with another three and out.

That was pretty much the story of the first quarter – Ohio State moved the ball with scrambles by Jackson and runs up the middle by Pearson, while Michigan went three and out on their first three possessions. It was not a great start to the day for the maize and blue. Meanwhile, the scarlet and gray were executing on offense and had all the momentum.

WALL LEFT

In the second quarter, John Cooper did what he had done all year – change quarterbacks. As good of a runner as Stanley Jackson was, Joe Germaine was his equal at throwing the ball and, for some reason, that’s what Ohio State wanted to do – throw the ball against this tremendous Michigan secondary.

It would prove to be a costly and fatal mistake for the embattled Buckeye coach. Ohio State went three and out on their first two possessions with Boston dropping balls and Germaine throwing incomplete passes all over the field.

The Michigan offense went back to what it did best – screen passes, runs by Chris Howard and oh ya, a slant pass to #2 that put the ball on the OSU 16-yard line. Woodson had done it again and the crowd came to life. Two plays later Thomas punched it in from the 1-yard line and suddenly, momentum was all maize and blue.

Down, 7-0, Ohio State’s ensuing possession was another three and out. The Bucks were forced to punt and that’s when Woodson and the Wolverine Special Teams unit answered with a 78-yard lightning bolt late in the second quarter.

"I had been asking the coaches to run that wall left all season, and finally he gave it to me," Woodson said. "The whole team did a great job blocking. I was just able to run down the sideline. I ran out of gas. I locked up. It was a great feeling to finally get that punt return."

Keith Jackson’s call was classic: “Touchdown! NO FLAGS!!”

The crowd and the Michigan Band erupted in unison.

While The Victors were being played and the Michigan team was celebrating on the sideline, Ohio State blocked Kraig Baker’s extra point kick. Andy Katzenmoyer picked up the ball and was now rumbling down the sideline on his way to the endzone for two easy points! Rob Swett ended up getting the angle on the Buckeye linebacker and tackled him on the UM 12-yard line.

Even with that frightful scene of the Buckeyes almost getting two free points, the Michigan Stadium crowd was delirious. Michigan was now leading, 13-0, and Woodson had finally showed the entire country what the Wolverine fans had known all season – he was indeed “The-Best-Player-In-The-Country-Standing-Before-You!”

Ohio State’s next drive was another three and out and that’s how the first half ended.

Michigan was up two scores, but it was an uneasy feeling at the break. It was 13 points, and not 14 points. The Wolverine offense struggled to move the ball against the Buckeyes. Woodson was once again called upon to deliver the big play to jump-start the Michigan offense and Ohio State clearly lost momentum when Germaine came in to throw the ball.

Everyone in the stadium knew Stanley Jackson would come back in and quarterback the Buckeyes to start the 3rd quarter and that’s exactly what happened.

NOT TODAY, STAN

After going three and out on their first drive to start the second half, Cooper, now desperate, called for a fake punt. Not only did it work, it gained 20 yards and was a much needed boost of confidence for the Buckeyes.

Sitting in the north endzone, I sensed that this was it – the Buckeyes got back in the game with a fake punt and now the onslaught of ridiculous calls and crazy bounces would all be going Ohio State’s way. I had seen this waay too many times before!!After a long pass completion to Dee Miller, the scarlet and gray were moving right towards me and it looked like a Buckeye touchdown was inevitable. As Jackson dropped back to pass again, Miller was open in the endzone. Everyone could see where the ball was going to go, but that’s when Woodson stepped up, intercepted Jackson’s pass in the endzone, and made another huge statement in his case for the Heisman Trophy.

"I just cut underneath the pass, and Stanley Jackson threw me a great pass," Woodson explained how he baited Jackson into making the tragic throw.

Michigan Stadium was now flat out rocking like I had never heard it before, or since!

When the Michigan offense took the field, I noticed that Chris Howard was nowhere to be found. That’s because he sustained a helmet to helmet hit from Antoine Winfield in the 2^nd quarter, and at the break, he was ruled out for the balance of the game. That meant Chris Floyd and Anthony Thomas would have to carry the rushing load in the 2^nd half.

A three and out for Michigan gave the ball right back to Ohio State, and no one could have guessed what happened next.

On the first play of the ensuing OSU possession, Jackson went back to pass, got pressured, scrambled around in the pocket, panicked, and tried to throw the ball away, but instead it went right to Andre Weathers. As the crowd erupted, Weathers took the gift pass and darted 43-yards into the endzone for an improbable touchdown.

BOTH teams were now shocked and stunned!

After Jay Feely’s extra point was good, Michigan couldn’t believe they were now up, 20-0, with 10:29 remaining in the 3rd quarter.

Ohio State couldn’t believe that their captain and senior quarterback just threw his first two interceptions of the entire season. To make matters worse, they were daggers to the Buckeyes chances at victory.

As Keith Jackson put it, “Ohhh, that could be a will-breaker…”

Indeed! The Michigan Stadium crowd was now feeling it as well and roared their approval!!

That would be all for Jackson as he would watch the rest of the game from the sideline.

Now, with every tackle that was made by the Michigan defense, the crowd roared louder and louder. It was one of the few times I had ever witnessed a crowd and a defense feed off each other. It was amazing to see and even more thrilling to be a part of!

Later in the 3rd quarter, Germaine finally connected with Boston as Woodson got caught flat-footed and turned around. Not happy with just burning his opponent with a big play, Boston turned around and taunted Woodson with the ball as he ran backwards into the endzone.

The 15-yard penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct drew the ire of not only Coach Cooper, but also that of Keith Jackson when he commented that Boston’s actions, “Took away the dignity and class of the moment.”

Tru dat!

Now the score was, 20-7, and there was this sense that maybe, just maybe, those crazy bounces were going to start happening and not go Michigan’s way.
When the offense broke the huddle for their ensuing drive, Jeff Backus was out with an ankle injury, and Zach Adami was noticeably fighting a leg issue. The line had to be re-shuffled and wouldn’t you know what happened next? You guessed it, Anthony Thomas, after some solid runs that moved the chains, got hit by three Buckeyes in the backfield and fumbled the ball at midfield.

Here we go again!

But much like they had done all season, the nation’s #1 defense stepped up and prevented Ohio State from gaining any points off the Michigan turnover.

HANG ON

As the 4th quarter began, the Wolverines were not quite out of the woods, just yet.
In an ominous prelude to his future NFL career, Griese, on the next Wolverine possession, escaped the collapsing pocket, rolled right, got hit from behind and fumbled at the Michigan 2-yard line.

Are you kidding me??

Pearson ran around left end on the next play and before you could say, “Great Horny Toads!” it was now a 20-14 nail-biter!

Within 7 minutes this game had completely changed its complexion and now the Michigan Stadium crowd was wondering what was going to happen next?
What happened next was Marcus Ray.

With the Buckeyes driving into Michigan territory, Germaine looked for Boston as he was rolling right. The OSU QB floated a high pass that big mouth went up for. That’s when #29 hit the wideout so violently that Boston landed on his shoulder, almost upside down, gasping for air. As the crowd oohed and ahhed, Ray stood over Boston, much like Muhammad Ali stood over Sonny Liston, and basically told him that’s what he got for running his mouth before the game.

After an exchange of punts, the defenses took over, and now Michigan had the ball with 2:41 left in the game.

All the Wolverines needed was a first down, and they were headed to Pasadena. How many times had this scenario presented itself to the maize and blue? One first down and victory was assured.

After two running plays, Griese dropped back to pass, trying to set up a screen for Thomas. As he was releasing the ball, Katzenmoyer read the play, stepped in front of the pass, got his hands on it, but dropped the ball.

The near pick-six would have been a nightmarish end to a dream season. Instead, the Wolverines averted disaster, and punted the ball back to Ohio State.

With 1:45 remaining, Lloyd was comfortable with putting the game, the championship and the season on the shoulders of the defense.

Starting from their own 16-yard line, Ohio State had visions of driving the length of the field to victory.

Here’s what happened:

On first down, Glen Steele sacked Joe Germaine.

On second down, Woodson almost intercepted a pass intended for Miller.

On 3rd and long, the crowd was on their feet roaring on the Michigan D to make one last stand.

Germaine completed a short pass to Boston, but the clock was running as there was less than one minute remaining in the game.

It was now 4th and 8. Germaine threw over the middle and as the pass was knocked down by Ian Gold, the Michigan Stadium crowd let out a euphoric and championship roar!

Ballgame!

The final seconds looked and sounded like this:

As the Wolverines celebrated their victory and championship, they finally headed into the locker room to get their bouquet of roses from the Pasadena Tournament of Roses representative and of course their B1G Trophy from Jim Delaney.

No Michigan fan was leaving the stadium until they got to see their Wolverines come back for an encore. As we all cheered and sang victoriously, the victors valiant did indeed come back onto the field with their B1G Trophy. Injured captain Eric Mayes hugged it like he was never letting it go and Brian Griese held up the game ball in a triumphant salute to what had been an improbable year for him and his teammates.

The scene was this:

And there’s more here:

Afterwards, here’s what everyone said:

"I just don't like this state," Jackson, the Buckeyes' senior quarterback said after another painful Ohio State loss at Michigan Stadium. "This is my third trip here. And I'm 0-3."

Jackson claimed responsibility for loss No. 3 against "That Team Up North." His two interceptions were the crucial blows Saturday. His coach said so. His teammates said so. And even he said so, once the tears had been wiped away.

"I feel terrible right now," said Jackson, whose final numbers were as ugly as the outcome, 4-of-9 for 49 yards. Not only did he get the interception," Jackson said of Weathers, "but he gets the TD too. ... I just felt like throwing up."

Jackson, struggling to come to terms with his third loss in five years against Michigan, said he thought the Buckeyes were "the better football team" Saturday.

And teammate Antoine Winfield agreed.

"They didn't win this game," he said. "We lost it."

Winfield also took a few shots at the Wolverines' offense, one that he said never scared the Buckeyes.

"Look at the rushing yards," he said.

Michigan finished with 42 net yards rushing on 42 carries. And the Michigan receiving corps didn't catch a pass, except for Charles Woodson's 37-yarder in the first half.

"They only threw to their running backs and their tight end," Winfield said. "We knew (their receivers) weren't going to beat us. We knew because, basically, they weren't any good."

"If we can't hold a 20-point lead, we don't deserve to go to Pasadena," linebacker Sam Sword said. "But we fought back when Ohio State made a run at us and we knew they would. But no way did we want to be co-champs. We brought Michigan back on top of the mountain. And we're not just happy to go to Pasadena. We're going there to win."
Woodson, when asked about Boston and his pre-game comments, said this: "Basically, I was the father chastising his son out there," said Woodson, who did allow Boston a 56-yard touchdown catch. "We felt like the game was basically on (the defense's) shoulders. That's how we played all season, taking over at the end."

"I was like the father chastising the son for running his mouth," Woodson said, a rose in his hand and a sinister smile on his face. "He had a lot to say, and he didn't back it up."

"Somebody once told me," Woodson said, "that a foolish person says something any time he has something to say. A wise man talks only when he has to."

Finally Boston (3 catches, 68 yards) ate his words.

"He (Woodson) was all that I expected," Boston said humbly. "Obviously, he is the best corner in the country right now. I don't know if he is the best player."

Defensive co-captain Eric Mayes, who sustained a season-ending knee injury after the Indiana game Oct. 4, was carried on the shoulders of his teammates following the game. Mayes, a senior, held the Big Ten trophy in his hands.

"That was a great honor," Mayes said. "They made sure we stayed a family and they made sure they included me in everything."

Players and coaches credited the noisy, rowdy crowd following the game. That's quite a change for the stadium, which is known by many as one of the quietist in the country.

"This is one of the first times since I've been at Michigan that I can remember a crowd having that kind of impact," Carr said. "I hope it continues."

"We've put Michigan back where it belongs," said quarterback Brian Griese, who completed 14 of 25 passes for 147 yards.

"But I have one game left in a Michigan uniform and I plan on winning it. Our dream is not accomplished yet. My dream is to win the Rose Bowl."

"There's a sign in our defensive meeting room that says, 'Offense wins games, defense wins championships,'" Carr said. "You saw why that's true. The defense won the game. In the fourth quarter I was saying, 'Let's just punt the ball and get back on defense.'"
Carr continued to heap praise on his team, "They had us reeling, but our defense held up. This has truly been a dream season. This team has had an unselfishness about it. That's the beauty of this group. They've bought into the idea that they don't care who gets the credit."

The Lockeroom Show:

[Ed-Seth: This being the 20th anniversary of the 1997 National Championship, Michigan historian Dr. Sap is taking us game-by-game through it. Previously: Those Who Stayed (Colorado); The Hit (Baylor); The Stop (Notre Dame); The Captain’s Down(Indiana); Vengeance (Northwestern), Gut Check (Iowa), Six Picks (Michigan State), The Trap (Minnesota), Judgment (Penn State), The Crucible (Wisconsin) No Flags (Ohio State)]

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UM Bentley Library

December 13, 1997: Heisman Voting

It was perhaps the greatest Heisman field in the history of that award. It included a generational quarterback and a guy everyone thought would be. It had the most talented receiver the game had ever seen. It had the most productive rusher college football had ever seen. And Twenty years ago today the award for the “most outstanding player in college football” finally went to a primarily defensive player. He was just that good.

In 1997, two-way stars like Tom Harmon were a thing of the past or it was something “cute” that guys like Gordie Lockbaum did in D2 football. As Warren Sapp correctly pointed out a few years earlier, the bronzed Heisman statue has a player carrying the ball, not swatting it down.

Charles Woodson challenged that paradigm. You didn’t need to be a senior anymore to win the award. You didn’t need to be a quarterback or a running back, either. The trophy is engraved thusly: “The outstanding College Football Player In The United States.” The instructions given to voters are to choose…

The outstanding college football player whose performance best exhibits the pursuit of excellence with integrity. Winners epitomize great ability combined with diligence, perseverance, and hard work.

It doesn’t say anything about being an offensive MVP; but that was the paradigm. Paradigms had changed before in the history of this award—it used to be so Domer biased that QB Paul Hornung won it in 1956 while going 2-8 and throwing 13 INTs to 3 TDs (Jim Brown finished third). It says outstanding.

Woodson was. Leave aside the highlight reel and look at the effect he had on that defense. Michigan’s D spent most of that season in a Cover 1 with the free safety either shaded over the side opposite Woodson, or running around in a robber. Students made a shirt (now available on the MGoBlogStore) that noted “75% of the Earth is covered by water, the rest is covered by Woodson.” They weren’t far off. Ask any coach if he thinks he could get away with this:

Back in 1997, few in America believed the 1,000 voters had finally figured out what that truly meant, especially when they had a nice, easy senior career candidate who “deserved” it for turning down the NFL and virtually repeating his 1996 performance.

[Hit THE JUMP]

WHY EVEN PLAY THE SEASON?

The 1997 season didn’t start out with Woodson as the Heisman frontrunner. Sure he was the Big Ten’s returning Defensive Player of the Year and a first team All-American, but back in September, Tennessee’s Peyton Manning already had his name on the trophy. All you had to do was ask anybody down south and they’d tell you. It wasn’t Peyton’s to lose, he already had it wrapped up when he decided to return for his senior season.

To the Volunteer fans it was a forgone conclusion, and as soon as he would defeat Florida, the engraver could start etching Manning’s name on the award.

Ah yes – defeating Florida. Well, while Peyton’s Heisman dreams were being derailed in a 33-20 drubbing in The Swamp (again), Charles’ stock was on the rise.

Woodson’s highlight-reel plays on both sides of the ball were getting noticed and Michigan’s #1 ranking in the country only served to shine the spotlight a little brighter on Woodson’s talent.

The finalists for the trophy twenty years ago may have been the most impressive assemblance of talent in the award’s long history. You had arguably the best wide receiver in College Football history in sophomore, Randy Moss. You had the best defensive player in the game in junior, Woodson. You had probably the best quarterback in the history of the game (up to that point in time) in senior, Manning. And then you had this mountain of a QB that looked like he was carved out of an old oak tree in junior, Ryan Leaf.

MAYBE THEY’RE TRYING TO CREATE COMPETITION TO CREATE INTEREST

With the trophy being awarded on 13 December, the ballots were due by the 11th and most of the voters waited until after the conference championship games were played to send in their ballots.

Sensing that perhaps his QB was losing his lead in the race, Volunteer Coach Phillip Fulmer showed everyone his true colors when he said this about Woodson potentially winning the award: "To me, there's no question in my mind that Peyton's the best player in the country," Fulmer said. "I think he's the best player and the best representative. I keep hearing this about Woodson. I don't know. Maybe they're trying to create competition there to create interest. That's what I hope. All I know is that it would be a travesty."

Nice.

To his credit, Michigan Lloyd Carr responded much more professionally: "I read the quote from Fulmer, which if it's accurate is extremely tasteless," Carr said. "I just think I have respect for the people who have been given a vote, and it's their choice. For someone to try to influence them, who has something personal to gain, is absolutely in poor taste."

Carr said he did not attempt to speak to Fulmer about the comment, which was made during the Southeastern Conference coaches teleconference.

"No desire to," he said.

Even the night before the award was being handed out, Woodson, Moss and Leaf all felt that Manning was going to be up on the stage the next night holding the statue. So what did they do? They all went out and took in everything that downtown New York had to offer. It was a late night by all accounts!

TUNE IN

The Heisman Presentation show was being broadcast on ESPN, and the intro looked like this:

Even though he never coached Woodson, Bo Schembechler felt some responsibility for #2 coming to Michigan and being in NYC that second weekend of December. The same school (Ross) that produced future Wolverines Rob Lytle in the ‘70s and Tony Gant in the ‘80s for Bo now delivered its greatest product to Ann Arbor in the ‘90s. Don’t ever think those relationships and talent pipelines are not important to a football program’s continued success.

In the way only Bo could say it, he told the world that no one would ever need to apologize for voting for Woodson:

The made for TV Special interviewed all the players individually as well as one of either their parents or coaches. Here is the Woodson segment:

Even though Woodson had won the Walter Camp Football Foundation Player of the Year Trophy earlier in December by a reported 3-to-1 margin over Manning, the “Best Player In The Country Standing Before You” did not have a speech prepared for the Downtown Athletic Club of New York. He knew and recognized what kind of traditional thinking he was up against.

DUDE, THAT’S YOU

You can tell from their body language that Woodson and Moss believed they were there as merely bunting to the kind of guy they always give it to. When his name was called that night, Woodson had to be nudged by Moss to realize that he wasn’t dreaming!

After hugging his mother, Mrs. Moss, and his father, the gravity of the situation finally started to sink in. As he took a knee by the podium, that’s when Woodson realized how big the moment was. To quote the man himself after the Ohio State Game, he “Did it baby! Other people do the talking, I do the walking!”

With his brother and teammate Marcus Ray on the stage behind him, Woodson tried to convey to everyone in the DAC Ballroom and everyone on TV what he felt. It truly was “BIG!”

The voting was not as close as most expected. Woodson won five of the six regions, with Manning finishing second, Leaf third and Moss fourth. The Heisman electorate had spoken and College Football would never be the same again. Woodson’s superior talent made coaches realize that if you were good enough, could make plays, contribute on the other side of the line of scrimmage, and on special teams, you should be given a look and opportunity to show what you can do.

The entire College Football world finally knew what we in the Midwest had known all along – Charles Woodson was indeed, “The Best Player In The Country, Standing Before You!”

THE LEGACY

Woodson’s breakthrough could have opened the door for defensive guys, but instead the backlash from furious Tennessee fans reinforced the old barriers. The year after Woodson’s victory, five quarterbacks finished between winner Ricky Williams and the Woodson-like Champ Bailey. The following year Ron Dayne took it as a career achievement, with Penn State’s LaVarr Arrington receiving just three 1st place votes. In 2001 six quarterbacks led all voting despite Oklahoma’s Roy Williams, and DLs Dwight Freeney and Julius Peppers dominating offenses (not to mention Miami OT Bryant McKinney—it’s not just defensive guys who get the shaft). After that defensive players all but disappeared—the next to earn a first place vote was LSU’s Glenn Dorsey, who finished 9th in 2007. Most notoriously, in 2009, they gave the award to Alabama RB Mark Ingram for running over a bunch of defensive backs his offensive line escorted him to; Ndamukong Suh, far and away the best player that year, finished fourth.

Woodson did open a smaller door for two-way players; if you’re the greatest player in the country AND you carry the ball a bunch on offense and special teams, you too can be in consideration, as Jabrill Peppers proved last year.

Perhaps the hurdle here isn’t just being a great defensive player. Perhaps they’re waiting for another player who affected the game in all facets as much as Woodson did. If so, they’ll be waiting another century.