Michigan Football: Remembering the Wolverines Last Big Ten Title 10 Years Ago

Michigan is still considered to be a national football power even though it hasn’t won a Big Ten title since 2004.

When Michigan last won a conference championship, the iPhone didn’t exist, Facebook had just moved out of Mark Zuckerberg’s Harvard dorm room and the only “tweets” people knew about came from birds.

The world has changed drastically since then, and Michigan has struggled to make the transition as college football has evolved.

When most fans think about Michigan, they recall the period from 1969-2004 when the team could legitimately stake a claim as an elite program.

Rank	Team	%	Wins	Losses	Ties
1	Nebraska	0.818	361	78	5
2	Michigan	0.782	333	90	8
3	Ohio State	0.757	320	100	8
4	Oklahoma	0.755	320	101	8
5	Florida State	0.728	310	114	5

2004 marked the last time Michigan won or shared the Big Ten title.

The Wolverines competed for another Big Ten title in 2006 (falling to Ohio State in an epic 42-39 battle in Columbus), but since then, the program has plummeted both nationally and among teams in its conference.

Rank	Team	%	Wins	Losses
1	Boise State	0.856	101	17
2	Ohio State	0.808	84	20
3	Louisiana State	0.788	95	24
4	Oregon	0.794	93	24
5	Oklahoma	0.775	93	27

And how far has Michigan slid since 2004?

Rank	Team	%	Wins	Losses
2	Ohio State	0.808	84	20
12	Wisconsin	0.731	87	32
27	Nebraska	0.663	79	40
31	Michigan State	0.629	73	43
33	Rutgers	0.617	71	44
37	Michigan	0.596	68	46

 
Recruiting Impact

Imagine you’re a 17-year-old recruit. The last time Michigan won a national championship (1997) was the year you were born and the last time the team won the Big Ten title you were in grade school.

Bill Fundaro/Associated Press/Associated Press

Up until last November when Michigan lost four out of five games, Brady Hoke could make a tenuous case the program was on the rise. But because of his last two seasons (7-6, 8-5) the success of his first season (11-2) might be an aberration.

That’s why this season is absolutely critical for Hoke. His predecessor, Rich Rodriguez, was fired for finishing 7-6 in his third season. So far, Hoke has the support of athletic director David Brandon, but fans in Ann Arbor are growing restless.

Tony Ding/Associated Press/Associated Press

Over the last ten years, football ticket prices have steadily risen, and the Michigan athletic department has instituted seat licenses for season ticket holders. Michigan Stadium has also been upgraded with private suites and premium seating areas. All this adds up to increased pressure for the team to get back to the top of the Big Ten and beyond.

Brandon has broken with Michigan tradition by taking a very active and public role in oversight of the football program. He moved methodically replacing Rodriguez after concluding the program wasn’t moving in the right direction. Another lackluster season, and he may conclude another change is in order.

The 2004 season

Michigan finished the 2004 season 9-3 (7-1 Big Ten) as Big Ten co-champions with Iowa. The team lost to Notre Dame (28-20), Ohio State (37-21) and suffered a bitter last second defeat to Texas (38-37) in the Rose Bowl.

Michigan's three losses all occurred away from Michigan Stadium. The highlight of the season was a 45-37 triple overtime win over rival Michigan State in Michigan Stadium.

Notable Players from 2004

The 2004 team featured future NFL players like quarterback Chad Henne, offensive tackle Jake Long, running back Mike Hart and wide receivers Braylon Edwards, Jason Avant and Steve Breaston.

Gregory Shamus/Getty Images

Henne was the surprise starter as a freshman in 2004 after a preseason injury to Matt Gutierrez. Henne set numerous passing records at Michigan and was initially taken in the second round of the 2008 NFL draft by Miami.

He currently plays—along with another former Michigan quarterback Denard Robinson—for the Jacksonville Jaguars.

After winning numerous national awards at Michigan, Long was selected by Miami as the overall top pick of the 2008 NFL draft and currently plays for the St. Louis Rams.

Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images

Hart left Michigan as the top rusher in school history with 5,040 yards. He was selected in the sixth round of the 2008 NFL draft by Indianapolis and retired after three seasons. He currently is the running backs coach at Western Michigan University.

Edwards had a spectacular college career at Michigan but is probably best remembered for his role in the 45-37 triple overtime victory over rival Michigan State during the 2004 season. He was selected as the third pick in the first round by Cleveland in the 2005 NFL draft. He played for five NFL teams before retiring after the 2012 season.

Jed Jacobsohn/Getty Images

Avant was Michigan’s second-leading receiver in 2004 and was selected in the fourth round of the 2006 NFL draft by Philadelphia. He currently plays for the Carolina Panthers.

Breaston left Michigan as the career leader in returns (127 punt returns for 1,599 yards) and (81 kick off returns for 1,993 yards). He was drafted by Arizona in the fifth round of the 2007 NFL draft. He appeared with three NFL teams but has not played since the 2012 season.

All season statistics from mgoblue.com, official University of Michigan athletic department web site.

Phil Callihan is a featured writer for Bleacher Report. Unless otherwise noted, all quotations in this article were obtained via Press Conferences or in person.