(WWJ) On New Year's Day the Michigan football team will play in their first Rose Bowl Game since the 2006-07 season.
It will be the Wolverines' 21st all-time trip to Pasadena, and with everything to play for, it's arguably their biggest appearance in "The Granddaddy of Them All."
A WWJ broadcast special "Go Blue, Or Go Home: the highs and lows of Michigan's road to the Rose Bowl" will air on Saturday, December 30, at 3 p.m. and New Year's Eve Sunday, December 31, at 5:05 p.m.
LISTEN HERE, tell Alexa to 'play WWJ nine-fifty' or stream it anywhere on the free Audacy app.
No. 1 Michigan takes on No. 4 Alabama in the College Football Playoff semifinal, with a trip to Las Vegas for what would be the program's first-ever national championship game appearance.
And even though the Wolverines romped their way through the season unscathed, their path to Pasadena didn't come without some bumps in the road.
Michigan started the year with head coach Jim Harbaugh suspended in the midst of allegations of recruiting violations, but cruised through the non-conference schedule by putting up nearly 100 points and allowing just 16.
The first six games of the Big Ten slate were something of a breeze, with Michigan outscoring opponents 270-34.
But then scandal rocked the program, as Harbaugh was again suspended by Big Ten Commissioner Tony Petitti under the conference's Sportsmanship Policy, as the league determined a proven "impermissible scheme" involving off-campus, in-person scouting and sign stealing had been ongoing this season.
With rumors swirling and speculation rampant, the scandal also led to the dismissal of former "analyst" Connor Stalions and former linebackers coach Chris Partridge.
But the Wolverines weathered the storm, completing the regular season with tough wins over Penn State, Maryland and, of course, rival Ohio State.
The undefeated regular season was capped off with the cherry on top, a shutout win over Iowa in the Big Ten Championship.
That all led to a colossal showdown with Alabama, owners of three national titles in the last eight years and six in the last 15. As the calendar turns to 2024, Michigan will continue the quest for its first national championship since 1997 and first outright, undisputed title since 1948.
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