Michigan-Washington football history: Wolverines' all-time meetings, record vs. Huskies

Craig Meyer, USA TODAY NETWORK

Michigan and Washington football square off Monday night in the College Football Playoff national championship game, with the winner of the matchup earning the sport’s most prestigious, sought-after prize while etching its name in college football history.

While they won’t be conference mates until next season, the Wolverines and Huskies do have some history with one another, with Monday’s meeting simply the latest (and most notable) chapter.

Michigan and Washington are powers in their respective conferences, with both programs having won national championships in the past 35 years. Given their strength in the Big Ten and Pac-12, respectively, it’s perhaps not a surprise that four of their 13 all-time matchups, including four of the past nine, have taken place in the Rose Bowl.

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Though the past certainly isn’t predictive of what will unfold Monday at NRG Stadium in Houston, it can be a useful guide in seeing how the programs have measured up against each other when they’ve previously faced off.

Here’s everything you need to know about the history of Michigan’s football series with Washington:

Michigan all-time record vs. Washington

The Wolverines own an 8-5 record in their 13 games against the Huskies.

Michigan dominated the early part of the series, winning each of the first four contests, all of which came by at least two touchdowns, including a 50-0 triumph in the first-ever meeting between the programs on Sept. 26, 1953 in Ann Arbor.

Since the late 1970s, though, it has been decidedly more even. Starting with a 27-20 Washington victory in the Rose Bowl on Jan. 2, 1978, Michigan is 4-5 against the Huskies, including a 2-2 mark in the Rose Bowl.

The Wolverines enter Monday’s national title game with a two-game win streak in the series, including a 31-10 victory in Ann Arbor on Sept. 11, 2021. Michigan went on to finish 12-2 that season, winning the Big Ten and making the playoff, while Washington went 4-8, leading to the ouster of coach Jimmy Lake.

The two have played eight times when both teams were ranked, with Washington holding a 5-3 advantage in such contests.

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Michigan vs. Washington games

Among the 13 all-time meetings between Michigan and Washington, a few stand out.

The Huskies’ victory in the Rose Bowl in January 1992 helped them earn a share of the national championship for the 1991 season. The following year, the Wolverines returned the favor, defeating Washington in the Rose Bowl to finish off an undefeated, 9-0-3 season.

Here is a list of each of Michigan’s games against Washington:

  • Sept. 26, 1953: Michigan 50, Washington 0

  • Sept. 25, 1954: Michigan 14, Washington 0

  • Sept. 27, 1969: Michigan 45, Washington 7

  • Sept. 26, 1970: Michigan 17, Washington 3

  • Jan. 1, 1978: Washington 27, Michigan 20

  • Jan. 1, 1981: Michigan 23, Washington 6

  • Sept. 17, 1983: Washington 25, Michigan 24

  • Sept. 15, 1984: Washington 20, Michigan 11

  • Jan. 1, 1992: Washington 34, Michigan 14

  • Jan. 1, 1993: Michigan 38, Washington 31

  • Sept. 8, 2001: Washington 23, Michigan 18

  • Aug. 31, 2002: Michigan 31, Washington 29

  • Sept. 11, 2021: Michigan 31, Washington 10

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Michigan-Washington football series history heading into CFP title game

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