1975 Michigan Football: A Season Of Near-Misses
Bo Schembecler’s first six seasons in Ann Arbor had been a clear success. Michigan went 58-7-1 over the regular seasons from 1969-74. But the Wolverine program is ultimately defined by what happens against Ohio State. That’s true in any era, and it was even more true in the 1970s when these two teams were clearly head-and-shoulders above the rest of the Big Ten. By that standard, the 1975 Michigan football team came in with something to prove—they hadn’t gotten the Big Ten bid to the Rose Bowl since 1971. And the season ended with more of the same question marks.
A RELENTLESS RUNNING ATTACK
Bo’s teams were always built on the run and 1975 was no different. The quarterbacks, Rick Leach and Mark Elzinga, only threw 104 passes for the entire season. While this was, admittedly, a very different time in college football and Michigan was far from alone among national contenders in running this type of offense, it does underscore how committed to the running game the Wolverines were.
Gordon Bell was the lead back, running for 1,335 yards and only finishing 22 yards behind Ohio State’s Heisman Trophy-winning Archie Griffin for the Big Ten rushing title. Bell was an All-Conference back. Rob Lytle rushed for 998 yards. Both Bell and Lytle averaged better than five yards a pop. Leach also rushed for nearly 500 yards.
Michigan might not have thrown the ball often, but they had a big-play target. Jim Smith was the All-Conference receiver (yes, there was only wide receiver chosen by the AP for first-team All-Big Ten.
The Wolverine offensive line was steady and solid by the standards of most programs, but they didn’t have the kind of superstar talent that past and future O-Lines in Ann Arbor would have. As a result, Michigan’s offense was a comparatively mediocre 24th in the nation for points scored.
Defense was a different story. Nose guard Tim Davis was All-Conference and got some mention in the All-American voting. The same goes for linebacker Calvin O’Neal and defensive back Dan Dufek. Defensive end Dan Jilek was another All-Conference performer. The Wolverines were tough to score on and ranked 10th nationally for points allowed.
Expectations, as per usual, were soaring when the season began. Michigan was ranked #3 in the preseason polls.
A ROCKY START
The Wolverines went to Madison to face a mediocre Wisconsin team to kick off the season. Badger running back Billy Marek was a workhorse who would roll up almost 1,300 yards on the ground in what was then an 11-game regular season. But he was a lonely warrior against the Michigan defense. The Wolverines cruised to an easy 23-6 win.
But the return home for the non-conference slate saw things start to go south. Stanford was a fairly pedestrian team, and Baylor was well below average. These should have been two easy wins. Instead, in this era before overtime play, they both ended up in ties. The 19-19 and 14-14 finals were deeply disappointing and sent Michigan tumbling to #12 in the rankings.
BACK ON TRACK AGAINST MISSOURI & MICHIGAN STATE
The Wolverines needed to get themselves right in a hurry, as fifth-ranked Missouri was coming to Ann Arbor. They set a quick tone, marching 77 yards in 13 plays for a touchdown on the game’s opening drive. And they kept pounding away thereafter. Blell would run for 119 yards, and the team overall would muscle up for 372 rushing yards. While the Tigers ended up being a mediocre team by season’s end, the 31-7 rout looked more impressive in the moment and got the Wolverines back to #8 in the polls.
Another tough battle awaited against Michigan State. The Spartans were often the “third team” just off the pace set by the conference’s Big Two, and that would be the case this season. Sparty had a 1,000-yard rusher in Levi Jackson and a freshman wide receiver named Kirk Gibson who was already making an impact.
The battle in East Lansing was a tough one. Leading 6-3 in the third quarter, Michigan turned the ball over, allowing Michigan State to tie it 6-6 going into the final period. Was a third tie of the season at hand?
Not this time. Bell’s 18-yard touchdown run gave the Wolverines they lead. Lytle ran for 111 yards on the afternoon, and they were able to close out a 16-6 win. Whatever disappointments Michigan had suffered to this point, they still hadn’t lost a game, they had no blemishes at all on their Big Ten slate, and they had a clear path from here to the season finale at home against Ohio State.
BLASTING THROUGH THE BIG TEN UNDERBELLY
Facing weaker teams, Michigan’s offense unloaded. The romped past Northwestern 69-0 and destroyed Indiana 55-7.
Minnesota was a tougher test. The Gopher quarterback had a future as an NFL defensive back, head coach and later TV commentator. His name was Tony Dungy. Minnesota finished this season with a winning record, and they gave the Wolverines a battle in the Twin Cities. But Michigan prevailed 28-21.
The Wolverines came home and blew past Purdue 28-0. A trip to mediocre Illinois might have seen Bo’s team looking ahead a little bit, and they had to squeak out a 21-15 run. But it was a win, they were #4 in the country and the battle with Ohio State was at hand.
AGONY AGAINST OHIO STATE
The Buckeyes were soaring, with a perfect 10-0 record and ranked #1 in the country. If Michigan could win, they would not only go to the Rose Bowl but put themselves in the discussion for a national championship. And they were ready to go. The Wolverine defense shut down Griffin, holding the great back to 46 yards. Meanwhile, Bell and Lytle both had 100-yard games. With just over seven minutes to go, the Wolverines led 14-7.
It was all right there for the taking. But Ohio State drove to the one-yard line. Facing 4th-and-goal, the Buckeyes scored. A tie would send Ohio State to the Rose Bowl, so they kicked the extra point. Michigan had to play like they were behind, and Leach threw an interception. The Buckeyes cashed it in for another touchdown and the Wolverines suffered an agonizing 21-14 loss.
THE ORANGE BOWL & THE AFTERMATH
The only consolation was that 1975 was the first time the Big Ten began allowing conference runners-up to go to bowl games. Michigan, now ranked #5, got a bid to the Orange Bowl to play defending national champion and third-ranked Oklahoma.
By the time the Orange Bowl kicked off, the nation knew Ohio State had been upset by UCLA in the Rose Bowl. While Michigan’s path to the top of the polls was blocked, Oklahoma’s was not. And the Sooners were better than most everyone in the country in the mid-1970s. The Wolverine offense could do nothing. The running game was non-existent, and they didn’t complete a pass until very late in the game. They lost 14-6 in a game not as competitive as the score makes it sound.
Michigan finished #8 in the final polls. That’s a good year—even a great year—most anywhere else in the country. But not in Ann Arbor, and especially not in this era. It was now four straight years without going to Pasadena.
Better teams were immediately ahead though. In 1976, the Wolverines started a run of three straight Big Ten titles and Rose Bowl trips.