CollegeFootballDigestfrom CooperSearch

Michigan vs. Washington

Michigan and Washington have 16 meetings on file, the first in 1953; Michigan leads the series 10–⁠6 in the games on file. Over the last 10 meetings it’s even at 5–⁠5.

Scheduled 2028 at Washington. As the programs’ Wikipedia articles list them (CC BY-SA).

Michigan wins
10
Washington wins
6
Ties
0
Earliest on file
1953
Longest streak
4 Michigan
Current streak
1 Michigan
Last 10 meetings
even at 5–⁠5
Most recent
2025

The series at a glance

’0’1’2’3’4’5’6’7’8’9W–L
1950s2–⁠0
1960s1–⁠0
1970s1–⁠1
1980s1–⁠2
1990s1–⁠1
2000s1–⁠1
2020s3–⁠1
Both ranked
9 meetings: Michigan 4, Washington 5; 3 both in the top 10
Average margin
15.8 points; 5 decided by one score (8 or fewer)
At Michigan
5–⁠1 Michigan’s record at home
At Washington
3–⁠2 Washington’s record at home
Neutral sites
3–⁠2 Michigan first
Shutouts
2

Every meeting on file, as played. Ranks are the AP poll’s going in.

Games that tell the story

  1. Michigan’s biggest win1953: Michigan 50, Washington 0by 50 points
  2. Washington’s biggest win1991: Washington 34, Michigan 14by 20 points
  3. Upset1977: Washington 27, Michigan 20Washington had a 33% chance, by our ratings before kickoff
  4. Upset1984: Washington 20, Michigan 11Washington had a 34% chance, by our ratings before kickoff
  5. Ranked showdown2023: Michigan 34, Washington 13No. 2 Washington at No. 1 Michigan
  6. Ranked showdown1991: Washington 34, Michigan 14No. 4 Michigan at No. 2 Washington
  7. Ranked showdown1992: Michigan 38, Washington 31No. 9 Washington at No. 7 Michigan
  8. Ranked showdown1977: Washington 27, Michigan 20No. 4 Michigan at No. 13 Washington

Coach against coach

YearsMichiganSeriesWashington
1977–⁠1984Bo Schembechler1–⁠3Don James

Head-coach pairings with three or more meetings on file, the series read from Michigan’s side (Schembechler 1–⁠3 against James). A season split between coaches goes to the one credited with the game.

Both programs through the years

End-of-season Elo ratings of Michigan and Washington, 1953 on13001500170019001960197019801990200020102020

Our Elo rating at the end of each season, a measure of how strong a team was, not a forecast; 1500 is an average FBS team.

Stars of the series

Biggest days

Blake Corum Michigan21 carries, 171 yards, 3 TD2021 Rushing

Named most valuable

Blake Corum Michigan2023
Will Johnson Michigan2023
Tyrone Wheatley Michigan1992
Steve Emtman1991
Butch Woolfolk Michigan1980
Warren Moon Washington1977

Biggest days: the week’s best individual games by our big-days rule, from box scores (2004 on). Most valuable: as the games’ Wikipedia articles name them (CC BY-SA).

On television

ESPN’s College GameDay has broadcast from this game twice: 2023, 2002.

2025FOX4.3 million viewers

College GameDay’s sites from Wikipedia’s list of its locations (CC BY-SA). Viewers: Nielsen, as compiled by nschultz7’s ratings tracker.

Photos

From the rivalry’s and its games’ categories on Wikimedia Commons (free licenses only, each credited).

Every game

Oct 18, 2025Michigan 24, Washington 7at Michigan
Oct 5, 2024Washington 27, 10Michigan 17at Washington
Jan 8, 20241Michigan 34, 2Washington 13NRG StadiumCFP National Championship
Sep 11, 2021Michigan 31, Washington 10at Michigan
Aug 31, 200213Michigan 31, 11Washington 29at Michigan
Sep 8, 200115Washington 23, 11Michigan 18at Washington
Jan 1, 19937Michigan 38, 9Washington 31Neutral siteRose Bowl
Jan 1, 19922Washington 34, 4Michigan 14Neutral siteRose Bowl
Sep 15, 198416Washington 20, 3Michigan 11at Michigan
Sep 17, 198316Washington 25, 8Michigan 24at Washington
Jan 1, 19815Michigan 23, 16Washington 6Neutral siteRose Bowl
Jan 2, 197813Washington 27, 4Michigan 20Neutral siteRose Bowl
Sep 26, 197010Michigan 17, Washington 3at Washington
Sep 27, 196920Michigan 45, Washington 7at Michigan
Sep 25, 1954Michigan 14, Washington 0at Washington
Sep 26, 1953Michigan 50, Washington 0at Michigan

Every game is listed as played on the field.