Michigan Gets to Have Its Say

Almost immediately after Michigan’s 35-21 victory over defending national champion Ohio State on Nov. 22, the Ann Arbor airwaves became full of maize-and-blue bluster.

“Forget about Oklahoma and USC,” one caller advised listeners on a radio talk show. “It’s all about U-M, baby.”

“We should be in the BCS title game,” proclaimed another.

It didn’t matter that Michigan was a two-loss team that had fallen to the likes of Oregon and Iowa. The king was dead, the new king of the Big Ten was headed to the Rose Bowl and it was time to celebrate, bluster or not.

How interesting it is, then, that the Wolverines will indeed have a role in the national championship.

Because while the computer-driven bowl championship series will stage a title game between Oklahoma and Louisiana State in the Sugar Bowl, the top-ranked team in the country, USC, was third in the BCS standings and relegated to the Rose Bowl to face No. 4 Michigan.

And no one, other than Rose Bowl officials who’d been praying for a return of the game’s traditional Pacific 10-Big Ten matchup, is happier about the development than the Wolverines.

“To play a great Southern Cal team, we’re just excited to play in a championship game between two championship teams in a great bowl,” Michigan Coach Lloyd Carr said in a conference call Sunday night. “The entire country is aware of what developed [with the BCS].

“We’re looking at this as a chance to play the No. 1 team in the nation in the Granddaddy of them all. Everybody in our program recognizes what this game means.”

Meaning that Michigan (10-2) should merit national-title consideration from the Associated Press voters should the Wolverines upset USC (11-1)?

“Well,” Carr said with a chuckle, “that will be something for somebody else to decide.

“Hopefully our focus is on the opportunity of playing on New Year’s Day -- the greatest day of the year for football fans -- and millions of kids will be glued to TV sets.”

The Wolverines are 8-9 in Rose Bowl games, 2-4 against USC in Pasadena, and last played in the Rose Bowl on Jan. 1, 1998, defeating Washington State, 21-16, and winning the 1997 AP national championship.

Michigan players were not available for comment Sunday but roses were on their mind after beating Ohio State.

“You always hear from guys who have played in it talking about how special the Rose Bowl is and there’s nothing like it,” defensive lineman Grant Bowman told The Oakland Press. “Obviously, a chance to play for the national championship would override that. Either way, I’m not going to be complaining.”