It’s summer, the time when bloggers rack their brains for something — anything — to write about and college football fans count down the seconds until foot meets pigskin. So, welcome to my latest gimmick: The Michigan Football YouTube Bracket. I’m looking high and low for the best Michigan football moments ever captured on YouTube — divided into two categories: Game Performances/Game Winners and Spectacular Plays — and for you, the readers, to vote on the moment that stands out above the rest.
Well, the quarterfinal votes have been tallied, and the readers have made one point very clear: having an amazing play or game against Ohio State will trump anything done against any other opponent:
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I can’t say I disagree with the readers. There’s something truly special about the Ohio State game that elevates moments from merely “memorable” to simply “unforgettable,” and that is reflected in the voting. Charles Woodson’s Heisman-sealing punt return, by the slimmest of margins, edged out his gravity-defying interception against MSU; Tim Biakabutuka’s 313-yard destruction of the Buckeyes in ’95 advanced by a healthy margin over Braylon Edwards’ 2004 late-game heroics against, again, the Spartans; and Desmond Howard’s “Hello Heisman” punt return easily beat out his diving fourth-down catch against Notre Dame from earlier in the 1991 campaign.
The message is loud and clear: regardless of recent performance, Ohio State has been, is now, and always will be “The Game” — not that there was much doubt about that in the first place. Will we have an all-Ohio State (well, all-against-Ohio State) final? Only Anthony Carter’s catch-and-run against Indiana stands in the way…
(1) Anthony Carter’s catch vs. Indiana, 1979
Regardless of age, and despite this play happening in the middle of an otherwise-unspectacular 8-4 1979 campaign, every Michigan fan knows this play — and Bob Ufer’s immortal call — like the back of their hand. We all know the play, so I’ll skip getting bogged down in details (the video speaks for itself), but I would like to emphasize one thing: Anthony Carter was such a spectacular, game-breaking receiver that — with just six seconds remaining on the clock and simply needing 20 yards to get into reasonable field goal range — Michigan threw a post route in front of three Indiana defenders, knowing Carter could easily split them en route to the end zone. Any coach calling that play today would have their head served on a platter — instead, Wangler-to-Carter went down as one of the greatest moments in Michigan history.
(3) Touchdown Tim runs over undefeated Ohio State, 1995
With future NFL stars like Heisman Trophy winner Eddie George, future #1 pick Orlando Pace, Terry Glenn, Shawn Springs, and Mike Vrabel, the 1995 Ohio State Buckeyes entered the final week of the regular season undefeated and fully expecting to easily handle 18th-ranked Michigan, who headed into the game with an 8-3 record. Instead of Ohio State dominating in the trenches, however, it was Michigan who pushed around the Buckeyes, with the offensive line opening holes all day for tailback Tshimanga “Touchdown Tim” Biakabutuka. The Wolverines kept feeding Biakabutuka the ball until he had amassed a ridiculous 313 yards and a touchdown on 37 carries to lead Michigan to a 31-23 upset that knocked OSU out of the national title picture. The above video speaks for itself — nearly 10 minutes of long run after long run for Biakabutuka, whose 1995 season stands among the finest by any Michigan running back, ever.
Click here for all Michigan Football YouTube Bracket posts, and make sure to check back tomorrow for the second semifinal.
Here’s a new video, in the same vein as the Bo Schembechlerones I posted last week, featuring every Michigan Team MVP (renamed the Bo Schembechler Award in 1995) since the award was first given to legendary quarterback Bennie Friedman in 1926. I did my best, using the Bentley Library, to use a snapshot of each player from the official team photo for the season they won (there’s no team photos in the library after 2004, and some of the more recent ones aren’t high-res):
A few things that struck me while putting this together:
Just six players have won the award twice: Brandon Graham (2008-09), Mike Hart (shared with David Harris in 2006, sole winner in 2007), Anthony Carter (1980, 1982), Ron Johnson (1967-68), Tom Harmon (1939-1940), and Ralph Heikkinen (1937-38). I didn’t know much about Heikkinen, a consensus All-American guard in 1938 and the first junior to win the team MVP award, but he has an incredibly thorough Wikipedia entry, which included some very high praise from local writers:
Detroit News sports editor H.G. Salsinger wrote: “He was Michigan’s outstanding player for the last two years. He was probably the best offensive guard Michigan ever had, and fitted perfectly into the new Michigan running attack. Fast and powerful, Heikkinen frequently blocked out two defense players. Heikkinen was the fastest charger in the Michigan line. He outmaneuvered opponents. On defense it was impossible to gain through his position, and he had a way of jamming opposing lines and making holes so that his secondary could break through and stop the ball carrier.”
Ann Arbor newspaper writer, Bud Benjamin, wrote about Heikkinen: “If ever a player deserved national recognition it is the brilliant Ralph Heikkinen, 180 pounds of inspired dynamite in a great Michigan line. . . . He came out of a small town in northern Michigan, Hike, did, a sandy haired, extremely reserved Finnish boy with an irrepressible urge to play football.”He played between 50 and 60 minutes of every game in 1937 and 1938 and not once was a timeout called on his account or a substitution made for him due to injury. “He was on his feet – active , explosive, dynamic –all the time.”
Gotta love seeing the President, Gerald Ford, who won the MVP in 1934.
Interesting that the MVP the 1948 national title team was not one of the three first-team All-Americans — Dick Rifenburg, Pete Elliott, and Alvin Wistert, the last of the three Wistert brothers and a College Football Hall of Fame member — but guard Dick Tomasi, the team captain and a first-team All-Big Ten selection.
Is it just a coincidence that the team photos went from black-and-white to color in 1969, Bo Schembechler’s first season at Michigan?
I think Rob Lytle’s blonde porn-stache could’ve made a run at the “Best Facial Hair” award from last summer’s Fun With Team Photos post — if it wasn’t for Tim Davis’ magnificent handlebars. Ditto for Butch Woolfolk and Mike Hammerstein.
If you really want to see Tim Biakabutuka in the 1995 team photo, he’s third from the left in the third row — the resolution just wasn’t close to high enough to put in the video, and I couldn’t find a big enough individual photo either. Besides, I doubt anyone will complain about the photo I used instead.
With every time I see his name mentioned or catch video of a game from the past two years, I get more and more sad that Brandon Graham won’t be a Wolverine next season. He’s in the discussion as my favorite Michigan player … ever.
It’s summer, the time when bloggers rack their brains for something — anything — to write about and college football fans count down the seconds until foot meets pigskin. So, welcome to my latest gimmick: The Michigan Football YouTube Bracket. I’m looking high and low for the best Michigan football moments ever captured on YouTube — divided into two categories: Game Performances/Game Winners and Spectacular Plays — and for you, the readers, to vote on the moment that stands out above the rest.
The first round is officially over, and the results were remarkably predictable — the top seed won out in every first-round matchup. Here’s a rundown of what has happened so far:
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Let’s hope things get a little more interesting as the tournament whittles down to eight. Here’s the first quarterfinal matchup between the 1-seed and 4-seed in the Game Performances/Game Winners category:
(1) Anthony Carter’s catch vs. Indiana, 1979
Regardless of age, and despite this play happening in the middle of an otherwise-unspectacular 8-4 1979 campaign, every Michigan fan knows this play — and Bob Ufer’s immortal call — like the back of their hand. We all know the play, so I’ll skip getting bogged down in details (the video speaks for itself), but I would like to emphasize one thing: Anthony Carter was such a spectacular, game-breaking receiver that — with just six seconds remaining on the clock and simply needing 20 yards to get into reasonable field goal range — Michigan threw a post route in front of three Indiana defenders, knowing Carter could easily split them en route to the end zone. Any coach calling that play today would have their head served on a platter — instead, Wangler-to-Carter went down in history as one of the greatest moments in Michigan history.
(4) Super Mario is born vs. Penn State, 2005
Say what you will about Mario Manningham, but the guy came up with some huge catches in his Michigan career — he made three appearances on this side of the bracket alone. Despite this play coming in just the seventh game of his freshman season, this may be Super Mario’s most memorable (with the 2005 season ending with Michigan at 7-5, I hesitate to call it the most significant) moment of his career. Buzzer-beating touchdown passes are a rarity in football, and in a back-and-forth tilt with an undefeated Penn State team that would go on to finish 11-1, Chad Henne and Mario Manningham caught lightning in a bottle for this magical play.
Click here for all Michigan Football YouTube Bracket posts, and make sure to keep checking back as the tournament moves on.
It’s summer, the time when bloggers rack their brains for something — anything — to write about and college football fans count down the seconds until foot meets pigskin. So, welcome to my latest gimmick: The Michigan Football YouTube Bracket. I’m looking high and low for the best Michigan football moments ever captured on YouTube — divided into two categories: Game Performances/Game Winners and Spectacular Plays — and for you, the readers, to vote on the moment that stands out above the rest.
Today, we kick off the Michigan Football YouTube Bracket by looking at the 1-seed vs. 8-seed matchup in the Game Performances/Game Winners category, featuring two of the Wolverines’ greatest big-play wideouts:
(1) Anthony Carter’s catch vs. Indiana, 1979
Regardless of age, and despite this play happening in the middle of an otherwise-unspectacular 8-4 1979 campaign, every Michigan fan knows this play — and Bob Ufer’s immortal call — like the back of their hand. We all know the play, so I’ll skip getting bogged down in details (the video speaks for itself), but I would like to emphasize one thing: Anthony Carter was such a spectacular, game-breaking receiver that — with just six seconds remaining on the clock and simply needing 20 yards to get into reasonable field goal range — Michigan threw a post route in front of three Indiana defenders, knowing Carter could easily split them en route to the end zone. Any coach calling that play today would have their head served on a platter — instead, Wangler-to-Carter went down in history as one of the greatest moments in Michigan history.
(8) Mario Manningham beats Michigan State, 2007
Mario Manningham has had his fair share of dramatic moments, but this catch to complete Michigan’s comeback in the “Little Brother” game holds a special place in my heart — I was standing square in the middle of the MSU student section for this game, and between the constant heckling about Appalachian State and MSU’s early lead, well, hearing the silence of Spartan Stadium after this catch was beyond golden. Had this play occurred closer to the end of the game — instead of Michigan being forced to come up with one last stop on defense to seal it — I’d bet it would’ve ended up higher on this list. As it stands, it still is one of my favorite Michigan moments I’ve had the privilege of witnessing in person.
Vote:
Make sure to check back on Monday, as I will continue with the 4 vs. 5 matchup in the Game Performances/Winners category. Have a good weekend, everyone.
The countdown ends with two all-time greats, one who fittingly wore the #1 jersey and one who was the first primarily-defensive player to win the Heisman Trophy. Admittedly, there was little suspense as to who these two players were when I started the countdown, but I’ll be damned if that will keep me from writing about them.
Offense: Braylon Edwards, WR, 2001-2004
Other than the blindingly obvious choice for top defensive player, this was by far the easiest pick I made in this entire list. Braylon was a big play waiting to happen, a mind-blowing touchdown waiting in the wings, an “Oh %#!@” moment anticipating the most dramatic time to come forth and raise you out of your seat. Regardless of where I was, as soon as the ball left John Navarre or Chad Henne’s hand and took off on a parabolic arc towards Edwards, I would stand, ready for another SportsCenter moment. Usually, Braylon would come through.
“Our offense is based on getting the ball to our playmakers,” says coach Lloyd Carr, “and that means getting the ball to Braylon.”
The numbers are incredible: Michigan’s all-time leader in receptions (252, Marquise Walker is second with 176), receiving yards (3,541, almost 500 yards ahead of Anthony Carter), and touchdowns (39). He had 38 consecutive games with a reception, and had two different streaks of four games with over 100 yards receiving. He’s the only player in Big Ten history (and the third in Division I) to have three seasons with over 1,000 yards receiving.
“Real n*ggaz do real things,” [Edwards] says. “What I do matters, not what I say. I began coming to every meeting early, every workout early, every practice. Nobody practiced harder. Real things.”
Braylon made John Navarre look like a decent quarterback, freshman Chad Henne look like senior Chad Henne, and collegiate defensive backs look like small, pathetic children. Just throw the ball to Braylon. He’ll come down with it. When a player makes a spectacular catch over a defender, my friends and I say he “Brayloned” somebody. When it comes to Michigan football, all receivers are judged relative to Braylon. I don’t know what other praise to heap on to the man: it has all been said.
I would be remiss to not post highlights from the 2004 Michigan State game, The Braylon Game, when Edwards almost single-handedly lifted Michigan over the Spartans. I would also be remiss to not post highlights from the rest of his career. Cue WolverineHistorian, and be sure to watch this one till the end:
“Braylon became a leader,” [Carr] says. “I have never questioned his character, only his maturity. He did some growing up. I’ve said he’s become the best player in the country. Now all he has to do is prove me right.”
There’s no questioning Braylon’s talent, character, or maturity anymore. That magical 2004 season answered all questions about talent. As for his character and maturity, well, the Braylon Edwards Foundation endowed the Athletic Department a scholarship for the player who wears the #1 jersey, and Edwards has spent a ton of time and money giving back to the University and the Detroit community.
“The program will be here long after I’m gone,” Edwards says. “It’s bigger than me or any other player. You can’t fight it.”
The program will always remember Braylon Edwards, both for his contributions on the field and his generosity off of it.
Quotes taken from “The Real Thing” by Karl Taro Greenfield from Sports Illustrated’s Oct. 25, 2004 issue.
Defense: Charles Woodson, CB, 1995-1997
Charles Woodson probably could have made this list as a wideout if he so desired, or possibly even running back, the position he played in high school. Luckily for Michigan fans, he decided to play cornerback, and he decided he was going to be the best cornerback in school, if not collegiate, history.
Woodson does not hold a single season or career record at Michigan. Not one. His 18 career interceptions fall short of Tom Curtis’ 25. His 30 career pass breakups don’t come close to Leon Hall’s 43. Curtis’ 10 interceptions in 1968 bests Woodson’s 1997 mark by two. Leon Hall and Marlin Jackson both recorded three more pass breakups in a season than the 15 Woodson had his sophomore year. However, there is no doubt who is the best defensive player in school history.
All-Big Ten as a freshman, with two of his five interceptions against Ohio State in the season’s biggest game. All-American as a sophomore, with five more picks as well as a newfound penchant for offense (13 catches, 164 yards, one receiving touchdown; 6 carries, 152 yards, one rushing touchdown). Then, of course, came his junior season: unanimous, consensus All-American, Jim Thorpe Award, Bronko Nagurski Award, Heisman Trophy, National Championship.
Just in case you want to see that Michigan State pick one more time:
“…he has no idea that Charles Woodson can jump 15 feet in the air…”
Woodson reached mythical status that season, and it honestly wouldn’t have shocked me to see him jump 15 feet in the air, or intercept a pass thrown 70 yards away from him, or break the sound barrier while jogging. He was Superman in cleats, and he could do no wrong on the football field. The final image of his career, that majestic, leaping interception of Ryan Leaf’s pass in the end zone in the 1998 Rose Bowl, is perfect:
Everyone — Michigan players, Washington State players, referees, coaches, fans — stand and watch in awe of Woodson as he seemingly levitates to make a picture-perfect interception and the biggest possible moment.
Braylon Edwards and Charles Woodson share the same characteristic: their careers could easily, and appropriately, be described as awe-inspiring, and even at the age of 21 I wonder whether or not I will see another Wolverine of their talent at their positions in my lifetime. There was never a question of which two players would take the one-spot on this list. These are once-in-a-generation players. I’m just glad I was part of that generation.
Agree? Disagree? Want to share your favorite Edwards and Woodson moments? Be sure to drop a comment, and remember that I’ll be taking submissions for your top 15 offensive and defensive players (and top five special teamers) until I’m done with the list. Post your lists in the comments, or shoot me an email at ace@thewolverineblog.com, and I’ll compile the lists for the final post alongside the lists of members of The Wolverine staff. Make sure to check back every weekday: next I post the honorable mentions and other people’s lists.
Offense:
15. Marquise Walker
14. Chris Perry
13. Chad Henne
12. Jerame Tuman
11. Brian Griese
10. Anthony Thomas
9. Tom Brady
8. Mario Manningham
7. Steve Hutchinson
6. Jake Long
5. Mike Hart
4. David Terrell
3. Tyrone Wheatley
2. Tshimanga Biakabutuka
1. Braylon Edwards
Defense:
15. William Carr
14. Leon Hall
13. Ian Gold
12. James Hall
11. Rob Renes
10. Alan Branch
9. Marcus Ray
8. Dhani Jones
7. Jarrett Irons
6. Marlin Jackson
5. Glen Steele
4. David Harris
3. LaMarr Woodley
2. Ty Law
1. Charles Woodson
Special Teams:
5. Zoltan Mesko
4. Marquise Walker
3. Garrett Rivas
2. Steve Breaston
1. Remy Hamilton
For the next indeterminate amount of time, I will be counting down my top 15 offensive and defensive players from the last 15 years. Today, I unveil my picks at #4 for each side of the ball:
Creepin’ towards that coveted top three. Today features another of Michigan’s fantastic wideouts and arguably the best linebacker in an era of tremendous linebackers. I’ll say this: today’s post is sponsored by the letter D. As in David. Or Dominant. Whatever you want.
Offense: David Terrell, WR, 1998-2000
David Terrell made the #1 jersey relevant again at Michigan, allowing Wolverine fans to conveniently forget the Tyrone Butterfield Experience and allow the jersey to again conjure up images of AC, Greg McMurtry (don’t sleep) and Derrick Alexander. He certainly added some flair to the #1 jersey, often to the chagrin of Lloyd Carr (I hear the man was not a fan of celebration penalties). He also was certainly the prototype receiver, 6-3, 208 with a solid second gear and great hands.
It only took two seasons of playing time for Terrell to make his mark on Michigan football and leave school solidly in the discussion for best wideout to ever step foot in the Big House. He became the first Wolverine receiver to ever record two seasons with over 1000 yards receiving, and currently sits sixth in career receptions, fourth in yards, and fifth in touchdowns despite barely playing as a freshman and leaving for the NFL after his junior year.
Anyone with doubts about Terrell’s talent needs merely to watch the highlights of his final career game of his sophomore year [ed: oops], the 2000 Orange Bowl against Alabama. The Crimson Tide will forever regret leaving him alone with single coverage on three occasions — three occasions in which the ball ended up in the end zone, held by Terrell.
Final numbers: 10 receptions, 150 yards, 3 touchdowns. That’s how you vault yourself into the top ten of the NFL Draft as a junior, as well as the top four of this here list. If not for a certain other #1, Terrell would be even higher on this list, and if he had stayed for his senior season, he’d have a solid argument for top billing. As it stands, #4 seems to be the right place for him.
Defense: David Harris, LB, 2003-2006
It’s tough to remember a Michigan player coming bursting onto the scene with more impact after a couple of years sitting, unheralded, unnoticed, on the bench. A mere three-star recruit, Harris sat behind the likes of Scott McClintock and Carl Diggs his first two years on campus, and there was little hype surrounding Harris when he took over the middle linebacker position in 2005. An 18-tackle performance against Minnesota forced everyone to notice, and his 88-tackle season let fans know that they had a quality man in the middle.
His senior season, however, surpassed the expectations of many, if not every, Wolverine fan. Harris claimed ownership of the football field from sideline to sideline, notching 96 tackles and 16 tackles for loss. It was tough to appreciate his contributions until you watched him play: he was relentless, with the rare combination of hitting ability and closing speed that makes a middle linebacker great. LaMarr Woodley was the flash up front, the edge-rushing terror, but the 2006 defense isn’t the 2006 defense without Harris standing guard in the middle. Teams simply could not get by the man:
Harris was a monster, the type of player we can only hope Obi Ezeh comes close to becoming. Despite the lack of All-American honors, anyone who watched Harris play knows he deserves this spot, if not higher.
Agree? Disagree? Want to share your favorite Terrell and Harris moments? Be sure to drop a comment, and remember that I’ll be taking submissions for your top 15 offensive and defensive players (and top five special teamers) until I’m done with the list. Post your lists in the comments, or shoot me an email at ace@thewolverineblog.com, and I’ll compile the lists for the final post alongside the lists of members of The Wolverine staff. Make sure to check back every weekday: next I post the #4 players for offense and defense.
Offense:
15. Marquise Walker
14. Chris Perry
13. Chad Henne
12. Jerame Tuman
11. Brian Griese
10. Anthony Thomas
9. Tom Brady
8. Mario Manningham
7. Steve Hutchinson
6. Jake Long
5. Mike Hart
4. David Terrell
Defense:
15. William Carr
14. Leon Hall
13. Ian Gold
12. James Hall
11. Rob Renes
10. Alan Branch
9. Marcus Ray
8. Dhani Jones
7. Jarrett Irons
6. Marlin Jackson
5. Glen Steele
4. David Harris
Special Teams:
5. Zoltan Mesko
4. Marquise Walker
3. Garrett Rivas
2. Steve Breaston
1. Remy Hamilton
Alex on 
JL on 
Ace Anbender on 
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