Worst Moments in Big Ten Football History #6: Bo Schembechler's Bowl Record

FanHouse is counting down the ten best, ten worst, and ten weirdest moments in the history of Big Ten football.

"Bowls, to hell with bowls. I'm not interested in bowls."

That's what Bo Schembechler said in 1981 after losing to the Iowa Hawkeyes 9-7 in the Big House. It was Michigan's second conference loss of the season, putting their hopes of yet another Rose Bowl in serious doubt. But really, the Hawkeyes did him a favor that day.

There's no question Schembechler was a dogged competitor who hated to lose. If the football season ended in November, he'd have to be remembered as one of the five best coaches of the modern era. Unfortunately, it doesn't, so any sober assessment of the man's accomplishments has to include a look at his bowl record.

In 21 seasons as Michigan's coach, Schembechler never had a losing season. His Wolverines finished first or second in the Big Ten in 16 of those years. His 96-16-3 record for the decade of the 1970s was the best of any coach in Division 1. Schembechler also led his Wolverines to 17 bowl games, including 10 Rose Bowls--more than any other Big Ten coach. And how did he do in those games? Michigan fans would rather you didn't ask.

5-12, if you must know. That's not too good, especially when you consider that Schembechler only lost 48 games total as Michigan's coach. Thus one out of every four of his losses came in a bowl game.

His record in the Rose Bowl was particularly grim. He only won two of the ten Rose Bowls he coached. He even lost three straight, from 1977 to 1979.

Granted, you have to be a pretty good coach to lose three straight Rose Bowls, since you have to make it to that game first. And can you imagine any coach these days losing twelve bowl games without getting fired?

But they didn't fire him; despite Schembechler's postseason futility, he was (and still is) a much-loved figure in Michigan football. Thus he earned the privilege of writing the last chapter of his own story, and handpicking his own successor. Schembechler decided he'd step aside after the 1989 season and hand the keys over to his longtime assistant Gary Moeller.

Buoyed up by a desire to send Schembechler off on a good note, the Wolverines won the conference that season, giving Schembechler his mind-boggling tenth trip to Pasadena. It was the perfect ending to a wonderful career.

The Wolverines lost to Southern Cal, 17-10.