When was the last time Michigan won a national championship? Wolverines' playoff history explored

The Michigan Wolverines will be playing their third straight playoff game, as they are set to face the Alabama Crimson Tide in this year's edition of the Rose Bowl. The Wolverines haven't won any playoff appearances, losing to Georgia in 2021 and TCU in 2022.

The top-ranked Wolverines (13-0) beat Penn State, Ohio State and finally Iowa in the Big Ten championship game on Saturday.

Michigan did this despite not having head coach Jim Harbaugh on the sidelines for half the regular season, as he was suspended for the first and last three games of the season. Crucially, Harbaugh missed the clashes with then-No. 10 Penn State and then-No. 2 Ohio State which the Wolverines won without a hiccup nonetheless.

When was the last time Michigan won a national football championship?

Michigan last won a national title in 1997 when it went 12-0 in their season, with an 8-0 Big Ten record under Lloyd Carr. The Wolverines defeated Washington State 21-16 in the Rose Bowl to claim the national title. They ended No. 1 in the AP poll, but No. 2 in the Coaches Poll.

Surprisingly, they started the year ranked No. 14, but a 27-3 over No. 8 Colorado in Week 1 with "College GameDay" in Ann Arbor saw them immediately enter the top 10 at No. 8.

Their big break came in Week 9, when while ranked No. 4 they defeated the No. 2 Nittany Lions at Beaver Stadium 34-8. For Week 10 they claimed the No. 1 spot and never looked back.

Who was on the 1997 Michigan football team?

An ironic fact about Michigan's 1997 national title team is that its most famous member, in the long run, was only its backup quarterback: Tom Brady.

It also had Charles Woodson, the 1997 Heisman Trophy winner, as a cornerback, who went on to win a Super Bowl and have a Hall of Fame NFL career. Pro Football Hall of Fame offensive lineman Steve Hutchinson was a left guard.

Quarterback Brian Giese had a respectable NFL career, winning a Super Bowl as John Elway's backup.

How many national titles does Michigan have?

The Wolverines have 11 claimed national titles and seven unclaimed national titles.

How many championships does Michigan have in all sports?

One of the most storied franchises in college sports history, the Wolverines have won 22 national championships. The football team takes the majority of this credit, with 11 titles in their bag, while the ice hockey team ranks second with nine titles to their name.

The Wolverines basketball program added a championship to the tally in 1989. The program vacated from 1992-1993 and later from 1995-1999 owing to illicit payments to players which was against NCAA rules.