Michigan football countdown to kickoff: 14 days until 2022 season
There’s much anticipation heading into the Michigan Wolverines football season, and TheWolverine.com is counting down the days until the Sept. 3 opener against Colorado State. We’ll discuss current Michigan events, the upcoming season and/or take a look at a significant number that correlates with how many days remain until kickoff, whether it be a player’s jersey number, a year, a date, a score, etc.
With 14 days — two weeks on the dot — until Michigan kicks off its 2022 season with a non-conference tilt against Colorado State, we take a look back at the quarterback who led U-M to the 1997 national championship.
Brian Griese wasn’t even offered a scholarship by the Wolverines, so he walked on to play in Ann Arbor in 1993, turning down multiple scholarship offers, including from Purdue, where his father, Bob, was a consensus All-American in 1965.
Like many Michigan quarterbacks through the years, Griese waited his turn before receiving his opportunity. During his redshirt sophomore year in 1995, that time came midway through the season, after starter Scott Dreisbach was injured. Griese started the rest of the way, leading Michigan to w sin over Ohio State (31-23) to cap off the regular season.
Driesbach returned to start for Michigan in 1996, but Griese became the hero once again, when he came in for the struggling starter in the second half against Ohio State. The Wolverines upset the Buckeyes, 13-9.
The 1997 Michigan campaign is what Griese is most known for in Ann Arbor. He quarterbacked the Maize and Blue to the national title, throwing for 2,293 yards and 17 touchdowns. Michigan beat Washington State in the Rose Bowl, 21-16, and Griese was named MVP after throwing for 251 yards and three scores.
The Michigan signal-caller went on to be picked by the Denver Broncos in the 1998 NFL Draft. He played with that team until 2002, before bouncing around the league until 2008.
Griese climbed up the broadcasting ranks, including earning the job as ESPN’s Monday Night Football analyst. He’s now the San Francisco 49ers’ quarterbacks coach after leaving the broadcasting profession this offseason. This fall will the former Michigan signal-caller’s first as a coach.
Michigan football countdown to kickoff
| 15 days | 16 days | 17 days | 18 days | 19 days | 20 days | 21 days | 22 days | 23 days | 24 days | 25 days | 26 days | 27 days | 28 days | 29 days | 30 days | 31 days | 32 days | 33 days | 34 days | 35 days | 36 days | 37 days | 38 days | 39 days | 40 days | 41 days | 42 days | 43 days | 44 days | 45 days | 46 days | 47 days | 48 days | 49 days | 50 days | 51 days | 52 days | 53 days | 54 days | 55 days | 56 days | 57 days | 58 days | 59 days | 60 days | 61 days | 62 days | 63 days | 64 days | 65 days | 66 days | 67 days | 68 days | 69 days | 70 days | 71 days | 72 days | 73 days | 74 days | 75 days | 76 days | 77 days | 78 days | 79 days | 80 days | 81 days | 82 days | 83 days | 84 days | 85 days | 86 days | 87 days | 88 days | 89 days | 90 days | 91 days | 92 days | 93 days | 94 days | 95 days | 96 days | 97 days | 98 days | 99 days | 100 days
