1969 Michigan Wolverines football team The 1969 Michigan Wolverines football team represented the University of Michigan in the 1969 college football season . In their first year under head coach Bo Schembechler , the Wolverines compiled an 8 – 3 record ( 6 – 1 Big Ten ) , played in the 1970 Rose Bowl , and finished the season ranked # 9 in the final AP poll and # 8 in the final UPI poll . The 1969 Michigan vs . Ohio State football game was considered one of the biggest upsets in college football history , as Ohio State came into the game with an 8 - 0 record , a 22 - game winning streak and the # 1 ranking in the polls . Michigan defeated Ohio State 24 - 12 in front of a crowd of 103 , 588 at Michigan Stadium to win the Big Ten Conference ' s berth in the Rose Bowl . The game was also the first in a series that came to be known as " The Ten - Year War , " a 10 - year span during which Michigan under Bo Schembechler battled Ohio State under Woody Hayes , under whom Schembechler had served as both a player at Miami University and an assistant coach at Ohio State . Four times between 1970 and 1975 , Ohio State and Michigan were both ranked in the top five of the AP Poll before their matchup . Bo Schembechler suffered a heart attack the night before the 1970 Rose Bowl game against an undefeated USC team . The Wolverines lost the Rose Bowl in a defensive struggle by a score of 10 - 3 . Team captain and tight end Jim Mandich was selected as the 1969 team ' s most valuable player and as a first - team All - American . Defensive back Tom Curtis was also selected as a first - team All - American , and seven members of the team , including Dan Dierdorf , received first - team All - Big Ten honors . Sophomore tailback Billy Taylor was the team ' s leading rusher and an All - Big Ten honoree . Thirteen members of the 1969 team went on to play professional football , and four players ( Mandich , Curtis , Dierdorf and offensive guard Reggie McKenzie ) were inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame . Players . 1969 team players in the NFL . The following players were claimed in the 1970 NFL Draft . Eighteen members of the 1969 team went on to play professional football . They are : Tom Beckman ( St . Louis Cardinals , 1972 , Memphis Grizzlies , 1974 - 1975 ) , Tom Curtis ( Baltimore Colts , 1970 - 1971 ) , Thom Darden ( Cleveland Browns , 1972 - 1981 ) , Dan Dierdorf ( St . Louis Cardinals , 1971 - 1983 ) , Glenn Doughty ( Baltimore Colts , 1972 - 1979 ) , Fred Grambau ( Hamilton Tiger - Cats and Montreal Alouettes ) ; Marty Huff ( San Francisco 49ers , 1972 ; Edmonton Eskimos , 1973 ; Charlotte Hornets , 1974 - 1975 ) , Mike Keller ( Dallas Cowboys , 1972 ) , Jim Mandich ( Miami Dolphins , 1970 - 1977 ; Pittsburgh Steelers , 1978 ) , Reggie McKenzie ( Buffalo Bills , 1972 - 1982 ; Seattle Seahawks , 1983 - 1984 ) , Guy Murdock ( Houston Oilers , 1974 ; Chicago Fire / Winds , 1974 - 1975 ) , Pete Newell ( BC Lions , 1971 ) ; Cecil Pryor ( Memphis Southmen ) , Fritz Seyferth ( Calgary Stampeders , 1972 ) ; Paul Seymour ( Buffalo Bills , 1973 - 1977 ) , Paul Staroba ( Cleveland Browns , 1972 ; Green Bay Packers , 1973 ) , Billy Taylor ( Calgary Stampeders , 1972 ) , and Mike Taylor ( New York Jets , 1972 - 73 ) .