Looking at The Year Michigan Last Won a National Championship

The University of Michigan Wolverines have won their 12th College Football National Championship in the school's long and storied history, beating the Washington Huskies 34-13. The last time Michigan were National Champions was in 1997, close to 30-years ago. They beat Washington State 21-16 at the Rose Bowl game on January 1, 1998 and they’re victory secured them the National title which was shared with Nebraska (this was in the era before the college football playoffs).

The 1997 Wolverines went 12-0 on the season and were led by College Football Hall of Fame Coach Lloyd Carr and featured Heisman Tropy-winning cornerback Charles Woodson and quarterback Brian Griese. Griese's backup was a then-unknown QB you may have heard of named Tom Brady.

1997 was a unprecedented year in history as well. Here are some moments you may have forgotten that happened that year.

In the year 1997...

The first episode of "South Park" was broadcast on Comedy Central.

"The Crocodile Hunter", starring Steve Irwin, debuted.

"The Lion King" musical made its debut on Broadway.

The very first book in the Harry Potter series, "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" by J.K. Rowling was published. It went on to sell over 120-million copies worldwide.

Netflix was founded by Marc Randolph and Reece Hastings in California. It started out as an online DVD rental service.

"google.com" was first registered as a domain name.

Scientists at the Roslin Institute in Edinburgh, Scotland announced that they had successfully cloned a sheep.

39 bodies were discovered by the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department in a house in Rancho Santa Fe, California. They were all members of Heaven’s Gate, a UFO religious cult.

O.J. Simpson was found liable in the deaths of Nicole Simpson and Ron Goldman in a civil court action.

The Beatles' Paul McCartney was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II. He becomes Sir Paul McCartney.

Diana, Princess of Wales, was killed in a car crash in Paris, France. She was 36-years old.

87-year old missionary and nun Mother Teresa died in Calcutta, India.

The Notorious B.I.G. was killed in a drive-by shooting in Los Angeles. He was only 24-years old.

The Green Bay Packers beat the New England Patriots 35-21 in Super Bowl XXXI.

The Detroit Red Wings beat the Philadelphia Flyers for their first Stanley Cup in 42-years.

Detroit Red Wings defenseman Vladimir Konstantinov had his playing career cut short at the age of 30 due to a limousine accident six days after the 1997 Stanley Cup finals.

The Chicago Bulls beat the Utah Jazz 4-games-to-2 to win the NBA Championship.

Mike Tyson bit Evander Holyfield's ear during their match in Las Vegas and was suspended from boxing and fined $3-million.

Martina Hingis wins the Women’s Title at Wimbledon, at the age of 16. This made her the youngest Wimbledon winner in 110 years.

Pete Sampras wins the Men’s Title at Wimbledon, making it his 10th Grand Slam title.

At 21-years old, Tiger Woods became the youngest ever golfer to win the Masters.

Movies released in 1997 included "Titanic" starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet, "Men in Black" starring Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones, "Boogie Nights" starring Mark Wahlberg and Heather Graham, "Good Will Hunting" starring Robin Williams and Matt Damon, "Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery" starring Mike Meyers, "The Fifth Element" starring Bruce Willis, "I Know What You Did Last Summer" starring Jennifer Love Hewitt, "Face/Off" starring John Travolta and Nicholas Cage, "Con Air" starring Nicholas Cage, "Batman and Robin" starring George Clooney and Arnold Schwarzenegger, the 18th James Bond film "Tomorrow Never Dies" starring Pierce Brosnan, "Air Force One" starring Harrison Ford, "Private Parts" starring Howard Stern and "Cop Land" starring Sylvester Stallone and Harvey Keitel.

Albums that dropped that year included Metallica's "Reload", Radiohead's "OK Computer", Deftones' "Around The Fur", Green Day's "Nimrod", The Prodigy's "The Fat of the Land", Oasis' "Be Here Now", David Bowie's "Earthling", blink-182's "Dude Ranch", Rammstein's "Sehnsucht", Limp Bizkit's "Three Dollar Bill, Ya'll", Incubus' "S.C.I.E.N.C.E." and Foo Fighter's "The Colour and the Shape".

Many of the albums that turn 30 in 2024 are considered classics. Honestly, it's rather overwhelming to look back at all of the gold that came out in 1994.

To begin with, 1994 saw the release of Green Day's mainstream breakthrough Dookie. The album has sold over 10 million copies in the United States along. Then again, when your album features hits like "Longview," "Basket Case" "Welcome to Paradise" and "When I Come Around," the success isn't terribly shocking.

Alice in Chains had a major hit with their EP Jar of Flies. Released in January, Jar of Flies was the first EP to debut at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 album chart. The EP features classic tracks "No Excuses," "Don't Follow" and "I Stay Away."

Soundgarden and Nine Inch Nail found themselves releasing future classics on the same date. March 8, 1994 saw the release of Superunknown and The Downward Spiral, respectively. As far as who ranked where on the Billboard 200 album chart, Superunknown debuted at No. 1, with The Downward Spiral coming in at No. 2.

The world met Weezer in 1994 with their self-titled debut album (aka: The Blue Album). That LP featured a number of gems including "Say It Ain't So," "Buddy Holly" and "Undone -- The Sweater Song." Also making their debut in 1994 was Oasis with their classic LP Definitely Maybe. The album is chock-full of hits including "Live Forever," "Shakermaker," "Supersonic" and "Rock 'n' Roll Star."

Believe it or not, we're just scratching the surface with the above titles! Other acts to release major albums in 1994 include Nirvana, Tom Petty, The Rolling Stones, Hole, Beastie Boys, Pearl Jam, Beck, Pink Floyd, The Cranberries, Korn, Stone Temple Pilots, Pantera and more! Keep scrolling to see the other albums that turn 30 in 2024!

Soundgarden's hit fourth studio album, Superunknown, was released on March 8, 1994. The album features a number of the band's signature tunes including, "Spoonman," "Fell on Black Days" and "Black Hole Sun."

Jeff Buckley's sole album, Grace, was released on August 23, 1994. The legend of Grace has grown in the years since Buckley's accidental drowning death in 1997. The album has been an influence on many singer-songwriters from Rufus Wainwright to Aimee Mann to Chris Cornell.

Nine Inch Nails released their second studio album, The Downward Spiral, on March 8, 1994. Notable tracks include "March of the Pigs," "Mr. Self Destruct" and "Closer."

Hole's second studio album, Live Through This, was released on April 12, 1994. The album features "Violet," "Miss World" and "Doll Parts."

Oasis's classic debut album, Definitely Maybe, was released on August 29, 1994. The album features a number of notable tracks including "Live Forever," "Shakermaker," "Supersonic" and "Rock 'n' Roll Star."

Nirvana's MTV Unplugged in New York was released on November 1, 1994. It was recorded on November 18, 1993, and it aired on MTV on December 16, 1993. It was the first released following Kurt Cobain's death in April 1994.

Beck's third studio album, Mellow Gold, was released on March 1, 1994. The album was Beck's commercial breakthrough thanks to "Loser," which peaked at No. 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

Pearl Jam's third studio album, Vitalogy, was released on November 22, 1994. The album features "Better Man," "Corduroy" and "Not for You."

Green Day's Dookie was released on February 1, 1994. The album was a massive breakthrough for the band and featured the hits "Longview," "Basket Case" "Welcome to Paradise" and "When I Come Around."

Ill Communication was the fourth studio album from the Beastie Boys. It features the classic tracks "Sabotage," "Sure Shot" and "Root Down."

Tori Amos released her second studio album, Under the Pink, on January 31, 1994. The album went double platinum in the United States and features "Cornflake Girl," "God," "Pretty Good Year" and "Past the Mission."

Jar of Flies was an EP released by Alice in Chains on January 25, 1994. It was the first EP to debut at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 album chart. The EP features classic tracks "No Excuses," "Don't Follow" and "I Stay Away."

The Cranberries released their second studio album, No Need to Argue, on October 3, 1994. It features "Ridiculous Thoughts," "Ode to My Family," "I Can't Be with You" and "Zombie."

Purple, Stone Temple Pilots' second studio album, was released on June 7, 1994. The album featured notable hits "Vasoline," "Interstate Love Song" and "Big Empty."

Pantera released Far Beyond Driven on March 22, 1994. It was the metal band's seventh studio album, and it featured "I'm Broken," "Planet Caravan," "5 Minutes Alone" and "Becoming."

The Divison Bell, Pink Floyd's fourteenth studio album, was released on March 28, 1994. It would be the band's penultimate album before 2014's The Endless River.

Korn's self-titled debut album was released on October 11, 1994. It features "Blind," "Need To," "Shoots and Ladders" and "Clown."

Smash, The Offspring's third studio album, was released on April 8, 1994. It's sold over 11 million copies worldwide and features "Come Out and Play" and "Self Esteem."

Weezer (aka: The Blue Album) was released on May 10, 1994. The debut album from Rivers Cuomo and Co. features "Say It Ain't So," "Buddy Holly" and "Undone -- The Sweater Song."

Motley Crue's self-titled sixth studio album was released on March 15, 1994. The album is a notable departure from the Crue's previous hair/glam work and features singer John Corabi.

Last of the Independents was the sixth studio album from the Pretenders. The album features "Night in My Veins," "977" and "I'll Stand By You."

The Rolling Stones released Voodoo Lounge on July 11, 1994. It was their first album since 1989's Steel Wheels. The album features "You Got Me Rocking" and "Love is Strong."

Tom Petty's Wildflowers was released on November 1, 1994. The acclaimed second studio album from Petty featured "It's Good to Be King," "You Wreck Me" and "You Don't Know How It Feels."