The Championship Game That Could Not Include Michigan

Nebraska defeated Tennessee 42-17 in the Orange Bowl on January 2, 1998, the game identified as the Bowl Alliance national championship. Nebraska could win that game; Michigan could not enter it. The other unbeaten contender had already been assigned to Pasadena.

That assignment was contractual. As the Big Ten champion, Michigan was tied to the Rose Bowl, where it played Washington State on January 1 and won 21-16. Tom Osborne later said Michigan had contractual obligations with the Rose Bowl. The statement described the rule that determined the matchup before either team could meet the other on the field.

The two bowl victories moved the title question into separate voting systems. The final AP poll listed Michigan first and Nebraska second. The final Coaches poll listed Nebraska first and Michigan second. One institution had selected Michigan after the Rose Bowl; another had selected Nebraska after the Bowl Alliance championship game.

The result was not a disputed score or a reversal of either bowl outcome. Michigan retained the Rose Bowl victory and the AP's No. 1 ranking. Nebraska retained the Bowl Alliance championship-game victory and the Coaches poll's No. 1 ranking. The 1997 arrangement therefore left the season with two official poll answers because its contractual affiliations kept the two teams apart.