The 1997 season
Michigan finished No. 1 in the final AP poll, 12–0 under Lloyd Carr, after it beat Washington State 21–16 in the Rose Bowl. Nebraska also claims the national title. The biggest game by the rankings: No. 1 Michigan 20, No. 4 Ohio State 14 (Nov 22, 1997). Two Division I-A teams finished unbeaten. 52 ranked teams lost to unranked or lower-ranked opponents. Share
Heisman Trophy: Charles Woodson, CB, Michigan, who also won the Walter Camp, Thorpe, Nagurski and Bednarik.
The Heisman vote: Charles Woodson 1,815 points, Peyton Manning 1,543
| Player | Points | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Charles Woodson CB, Michigan | 1,815 | 433 | 209 | 98 | |
| Peyton Manning QB, Tennessee | 1,543 | 281 | 263 | 174 | |
| Ryan Leaf QB, Washington State | 861 | 70 | 205 | 241 | |
| Randy Moss WR, Marshall | 253 | 17 | 56 | 90 | |
| Curtis Enis RB, Penn State | 65 | 3 | 18 | 20 | |
| Ricky Williams RB, Texas | 65 | 3 | 18 | 20 | |
| Tim Dwight WR, Iowa | 32 | 5 | 3 | 11 | |
| Cade McNown QB, UCLA | 26 | 0 | 7 | 12 | |
| Tim Couch QB, Kentucky | 22 | 0 | 5 | 12 | |
| Amos Zereoué RB, West Virginia | 21 | 3 | 1 | 10 |
First-, second- and third-place votes (3, 2 and 1 points), from the season’s Wikipedia article, as published. Two finishers show identical ballots in the source, which is likely a copying error there.
Scoreboards
Final AP poll
| 1 | Michigan | Big Ten |
| 2 | Nebraska | Big 12 |
| 3 | Florida State | Atlantic Coast Conference |
| 4 | Florida | Southeastern Conference |
| 5 | UCLA | Pac-10 |
| 6 | North Carolina | Atlantic Coast Conference |
| 7 | Tennessee | Southeastern Conference |
| 8 | Kansas State | Big 12 |
| 9 | Washington State | Pac-10 |
| 10 | Georgia | Southeastern Conference |
| 11 | Auburn | Southeastern Conference |
| 12 | Ohio State | Big Ten |
| 13 | LSU | Southeastern Conference |
| 14 | Arizona State | Pac-10 |
| 15 | Purdue | Big Ten |
| 16 | Penn State | Big Ten |
| 17 | Colorado State | Western Athletic Conference |
| 18 | Washington | Pac-10 |
| 19 | Southern Miss | Conference USA |
| 20 | Texas A&M | Big 12 |
| 21 | Syracuse | Big East |
| 22 | Ole Miss | Southeastern Conference |
| 23 | Missouri | Big 12 |
| 24 | Oklahoma State | Big 12 |
| 25 | Georgia Tech | Atlantic Coast Conference |
Biggest upsets
| Nov 29, 1997 | Michigan State 49, 4Penn State 14 |
| Nov 8, 1997 | Oregon 31, 6Washington 28 |
| Oct 18, 1997 | Ole Miss 36, 8LSU 21 |
| Sep 13, 1997 | UCLA 66, 11Texas 3 |
| Sep 20, 1997 | Arkansas 17, 11Alabama 16 |
| Nov 1, 1997 | Mississippi State 20, 11Auburn 0 |
| Nov 15, 1997 | Notre Dame 24, 11LSU 6 |
| Sep 13, 1997 | Purdue 28, 12Notre Dame 17 |
| Oct 18, 1997 | Northwestern 19, 12Michigan State 17 |
| Oct 25, 1997 | Missouri 51, 12Oklahoma State 50 |
| Nov 8, 1997 | Wisconsin 13, 12Iowa 10 |
| Nov 28, 1997 | Arizona 28, 12Arizona State 16 |
Ranked teams that lost as the betting favorite, the longest shots first, with the winner’s odds on the line; before lines are on file, ranked teams beaten by unranked or lower-ranked ones.
The AP poll, week by week
Climbed
- UCLAunranked → No. 5
- Washington Stateunranked → No. 9
- Georgiaunranked → No. 10
- Kansas StateNo. 23 → No. 8
- MichiganNo. 14 → No. 1
Fell
- ColoradoNo. 8 → unranked
- Penn StateNo. 1 → No. 16
- Notre DameNo. 11 → unranked
- WashingtonNo. 4 → No. 18
- TexasNo. 12 → unranked
From the season’s first AP poll (the preseason poll) to the final one.
National leaders
| Passing yards | Tim Couch (Kentucky) | 3,884 yds |
|---|---|---|
| Passing touchdowns | Chad Pennington (Marshall) | 39 TD |
| Passer rating | Cade McNown (UCLA) | 168.6 |
| Rushing yards | Ricky Williams (Texas) | 1,893 yds |
| Rushing touchdowns | Ricky Williams (Texas) and Travis Prentice (Miami (OH)) | 25 TD |
| Yards per carry | Kevin McDougal (Colorado State) | 7.4 |
| Receptions | Eugene Baker (Kent State) | 103 catches |
| Receiving yards | Randy Moss (Marshall) | 1,820 yds |
| Yards per catch | Corey Alston (Washington State) | 23.8 |
| Receiving touchdowns | Randy Moss (Marshall) | 26 TD |
| Points | Randy Moss (UCLA) | 156 pts |
| Points per game | Skip Hicks (UCLA) | 13 |
| Total offense | Tim Rattay (Louisiana Tech) | 3,968 yds |
| Total offense per game | Tim Rattay (Louisiana Tech) | 360.7 |
| Punt return average | Tim Dwight (Iowa) | 19.3 |
| Kickoff return average | Eric Booth (Southern Miss) | 34.8 |
The NCAA’s official leaders. From Wikipedia’s yearly NCAA leader lists for passing, rushing, receiving, scoring, total offense and returns.
Conference champions
Division I-A
- Atlantic Coast Conference
- Florida State
- Big 12
- Nebraska
- Big East
- Syracuse
- Big Ten
- Michigan
- Big West
- Nevada and Utah State (shared)
- Conference USA
- Southern Miss
- Mid-American Conference
- Marshall
- Pac-10
- UCLA and Washington State (shared)
- Southeastern Conference
- Tennessee
- Western Athletic Conference
- Colorado State
Division I-AA
- Atlantic 10 Conference
- Villanova
- Big Sky
- Eastern Washington
- Gateway Football Conference
- Western Illinois
- Ivy League
- Harvard
- Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
- Georgetown
- Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference
- Hampton
- Northeast Conference
- Robert Morris
- Ohio Valley Conference
- Eastern Kentucky
- Patriot League
- Colgate
- Pioneer Football League
- Dayton
- Southern Conference
- Georgia Southern
- Southland Conference
- McNeese and Northwestern State (shared)
- Southwestern Athletic Conference
- Southern
Division II and below
- Eastern Football Conference
- UAlbany
- Gulf South Conference
- West Georgia
- North Central Conference
- Northern Colorado
From each program’s Wikipedia article, with the conference’s name that season. Titles come from the articles of today’s FBS and FCS programs, so a title shared with a school outside them lists only one champion.
Consensus All-Americans
- QBPeyton Manning, Tennessee
- RBRicky Williams, Texas
- RBCurtis Enis, Penn State
- WR/KRRandy Moss, Marshall
- WRJacquez Green, Florida
- TEAlonzo Mayes, Oklahoma State
- C/OGAaron Taylor, Nebraska
- OLAlan Faneca, LSU
- OLKyle Turley, San Diego State
- OLChad Overhauser, UCLA
- COlin Kreutz, Washington
- DLAndre Wadsworth, Florida State
- DEGrant Wistrom, Nebraska
- DLGreg Ellis, North Carolina
- DLJason Peter, Nebraska
- LBAndy Katzenmoyer, Ohio State
- LBSam Cowart, Florida State
- LBAnthony Simmons, Clemson
- LBBrian Simmons, North Carolina
- CBCharles Woodson, Michigan
- CBDré Bly, North Carolina
- DBBrian Lee, Wyoming
- DBFred Weary, Florida
- KMartín Gramática, Kansas State
- PChad Kessler, LSU
- APBTim Dwight, Iowa
Players picked by enough of the major selectors to count as consensus, shown in bold in Wikipedia’s 1997 All-America article. Every selector’s teams, first to last, are on the 1997 All-America teams page.
The 1997 awards
Every awardPlayer of the year
By position
- Davey O’BrienPeyton Manning, QB, Tennessee
- Unitas Golden ArmPeyton Manning, QB, Tennessee
- Doak WalkerRicky Williams, RB, Texas
- BiletnikoffRandy Moss, WR/KR, Marshall
- OutlandAaron Taylor, OG, Nebraska
- LombardiGrant Wistrom, DE, Nebraska
- ButkusAndy Katzenmoyer, LB, Ohio State
- ThorpeCharles Woodson, CB, Michigan
- GrozaMartín Gramática, K, Kansas State
Defensive player of the year
Scholarship and character
- Campbell TrophyPeyton Manning, QB, Tennessee
The champions’ staffs
Every title staff
Michigan 18 on the staff list
- Lloyd Carrhead coach
- Mike DeBordoffensive coordinator, offensive tackle coach, and tight ends coach
- Jim Herrmanndefensive coordinator and linebacker coach
- Terry Maloneoffensive line coach
- Stan Parrishquarterbacks coach
- Fred Jacksonassistant head coach and running backs coach
- Erik Campbellwide receivers coach
- Brady Hokedefensive line coach
- Vance Bedfordsecondary coach
- Bobby Morrisonspecial teams coach
Support staff (8)
Strength and conditioning
- Mike Gittleson strength and conditioning coach for the Michigan football program
Sports medicine and nutrition
- Paul Schmidt trainer
Equipment
- Jon Falk equipment manager
Video, communications and other staff
- Phil Bromley video coordinator
- Todd Jager staff member listed in the back row (coaches, support staff row) of the official 1997 team photograph; specific title not documented in any source found
- Kevin Lynch staff member listed in the back row (coaches, support staff row) of the official 1997 team photograph; specific title not documented in any source found
- Rick Clark staff member listed in the back row (coaches, support staff row) of the official 1997 team photograph; specific title not documented in any source found
- Chris Kurpeikis staff member listed in the back row (coaches, support staff row) of the official 1997 team photograph; specific title not documented in any source found
Nebraska 57 on the staff list
- Tom Osborneassistant A.D., head coach
- Frank Solichassistant head coach, running backs
- Charlie McBridedefensive coordinator, defensive line
- Craig Bohlassistant coach, linebackers
- Ron Brownassistant coach, receivers
- George Darlingtonassistant coach, secondary
- Turner Gillassistant coach, quarterbacks
- Nelson Barnesassistant coach, Rush ends
- Milt Tenopirassistant coach, offensive line
- Dan Youngassistant coach, offensive line, kickers
Support staff (47)
Strength and conditioning
- Boyd Epley assistant athletic director and director of athletic performance
- Mike Arthur assistant director of athletic performance
- Randy Gobel assistant director of athletic performance
- Bryan Bailey coordinator of Reconditioning
- Kevin Coleman West Stadium strength coach
- Courtney Carter assistant West Stadium strength coach
- John Archer Devaney center strength coach
- Danny Noonan coordinator of performance Education services
- Dave Ellis coordinator of performance nutrition
Operations and recruiting
- Pat Logsdon director of football operations
- Curt Thompson Interim assistant to the director of football operations
- Al Papik senior associate athletic director, Compliance coordinator, football operations
- Mary Lyn Wininger coach Osborne’s Secretary
- Joni Duff football Secretary
- Jean Morrow recruiting Secretary
- Bill Shepard Grounds manager (Memorial Stadium and football practice fields)
- Joe Selig associate athletic director, External operations
Sports medicine and nutrition
- Dr. Lonnie Albers director of athletic medicine, M.D.
- Jerry Weber head athletic trainer, Physical Therapist, associate director of athletic medicine
- Doak Ostergard associate head athletic trainer, ATC
- Mike Gooding assistant athletic trainer, ATC
- Cindy Barker assistant athletic trainer, ATC
- Brad Brown assistant athletic trainer
- Katie Bryant graduate assistant certified athletic trainer
- Jason Cartwright graduate assistant certified athletic trainer
- Jennie Hartgrave graduate assistant certified athletic trainer
- Tara Kramer graduate assistant certified athletic trainer
- Brian LaPlante graduate assistant certified athletic trainer
- Brent Unruh graduate assistant certified athletic trainer
Equipment
- Glen Abbott equipment manager
- Mike Mason assistant equipment manager
Video, communications and other staff
- Dr. Jack Stark performance Psychologist
- Dave Finn football video Specialist, equipment Purchase coordinator
- Brian Mohnsen Computer video Technician
- Bryan Carpenter Computer video Technician
- John Bousek video assistant
- Chris Anderson assistant athletic director communications, sports Information director
- Keith Mann assistant sports Information director
- Hank Largin assistant sports Information director
- Dave Ebb assistant sports Information director
- Dennis LeBlanc assistant athletic director, Academic Programs & Student services
- Keith Zimmer associate director of Academic Programs and Student services, director of Life Skills
- Vicki Cartwright sports Information Secretary, Office manager
- Don Bryant sports Information director Emeritus
- Janette Sojka Central communications coordinator
- Jeff Schmahl director of HuskerVision
- Rick Schwieger Production Specialist, HuskerVision
The staff as the school listed it that season, roles in the source’s words (students and graduate assistants left out). Names link to coach pages where we have one, else to Wikipedia. Staff lists: Drew Hoover’s how-many-rings (MIT), from the schools’ media guides and staff pages.