A young Bo Schembechler has some words for the troops during his first spring practice as Michigan’s head coach, in 1969. Schembechler’s disciplined approach caused numerous players to quit the team prior to the season. In response, the new coach posted a sign in the lockerroom: “Those who stay will be champions.” Schembechler kept his word, as his 1969 Wolverines tied for the Big Ten title. (Image: U-M’s Bentley Historical Library.)

Fielding Yost (far right) stands with some fellow 1920s sports legends, including Notre Dame Coach Knute Rockne and baseball star Babe Ruth (second and third from left, respectively). Yost helped make Michigan the dominant college football power of the early 20th century, coaching the Wolverines to six national championships, 10 conference titles, and a victory in the first Rose Bowl game, in 1902. He also looked after Michigan’s future, insisting that the new football stadium be built to allow for expansion to more than 100,000 seats. (Image: U-M’s Bentley Historical Library.)

The passing game was a minor part of football before the “Benny-to-Bennie” combination of quarterback Benny Friedman (left, at a 1975 Michigan Stadium reunion) and receiver Bennie Oosterbaan (right) began terrorizing opposing defenses. Their teams earned Big Ten championships in 1925-26 and their 1925 squad outscored its opponents 227-3. Friedman went on to a Hall of Fame pro career. Oosterbaan remained at U-M and coached the 1948 Wolverines to a national championship. (Image: Bentley Historical Library.)

Two of coach Fritz Crisler’s “Mad Magicians” — so named for their ball-handling acrobatics — fullback Dick Kempthorn (right) and halfback Bob Chappuis, practice their moves in 1947, with Yost Field House in the background. Crisler’s single wing offense featured multiple laterals, jump passes, and direct snaps to the fullback, who’d spin in a circle before handing off. Chappuis, a multi-talented offensive threat, was Michigan’s 1946 Most Valuable Player. Kempthorn, who also starred at linebacker, earned MVP honors in 1949. (Image: Ann Arbor News.)

Bob Chappuis carries the ball against Ohio State in what was then the 85,000-seat Michigan Stadium in 1947. Chappuis – a halfback in coach Fritz Crisler’s single wing offense – gained 307 yards (90 rushing and 217 passing) and scored once in Michigan’s 21-0 victory. The Wolverines then crushed USC in the Rose Bowl, 49-0, to complete a 10-0 season and earn a national championship. (Image: Ann Arbor News.)

Down go the Buckeyes and down go the goalposts after Michigan’s 24-12 upset victory over top-ranked Ohio State in 1969. The Wolverines picked off six passes as new coach Bo Schembechler won the first game of the “10-Year War” with his mentor, OSU coach Woody Hayes. The game snapped Ohio State’s 22-game winning streak and gave Schembechler the first of his 13 Big Ten championships. (Image: Jay Cassidy.)

In the 1940s, Michigan pioneered two-platoon football, with players specializing on either offense or defense. So it’s ironic that a Michigan star – Charles Woodson – sparked a mini-renaissance of the two-way player in 1996-97. Woodson was an All-America cornerback and in 1997 became the first primarily defensive player to earn the Heisman Trophy. But he also made big plays as a runner, receiver, and kick returner, paving the way for future two-way players like current Wolverine Jabrill Peppers. (Image: Per Kjeldsen.)

Defensive end Glen Steele attacks Minnesota quarterback Cory Sauter during a 24-3 Michigan victory in 1997. Steele led a dominating Wolverines defense that year, gaining seven sacks and 14 tackles for loss in Michigan’s national championship season. Steele became a starter during his 1994 freshman campaign and continued menacing opposing quarterbacks throughout his four-year career, totaling 24 sacks and earning All-America honors as a senior. (Image: Ann Arbor News.)

How good were the 1997 Wolverines? Tom Brady was the backup quarterback. Brady (pictured here in the 1997 Indiana game) went on to become a two-year starter and completed a then-Michigan record (since broken) 214 passes in each season. He led the Wolverines to a Big Ten co-championship in 1998 and an Orange Bowl victory in his last U-M game. When Brady addressed the 2014 Wolverines, the Super Bowl MVP said his greatest football honor was being a Michigan captain. (Image: Ann Arbor News.)

Kicker Brendan Gibbons lies happily beneath a pile of excited Wolverines, after booting the game-winning field goal in Michigan’s 2012 Sugar Bowl victory against Virginia Tech. Holder Drew Dileo lies on top of Gibbons, while long snapper Jareth Glanda (No. 54) approaches from the right. Michigan quarterback Denard Robinson threw two touchdown passes to Junior Hemingway earlier in the contest, before Gibbons’ overtime field goal gave the Wolverines a 23-20 victory. (Image: Lon Horwedel.)

Among the thousand-plus rare and never-before-seen images in this new book from the Michigan History Project are amazing pictures of game-winning touchdowns, tooth-rattling tackles, and pregame fun at the Rose Bowl, plus the coaches, fans, cheerleaders, and marching band. In the book’s cover shot, Tate Schanski (lower right) is mobbed by Eric Warner (center, with his fist in the air) and other teammates during Michigan’s 38-3 victory over Baylor in 1997. Schanski, a walk-on running back who became a fan favorite, scored the game’s final touchdown. Demonstrating the value that walk-ons can bring to a team, Schanski – who eventually earned a scholarship – was a four-year special-teams standout and also served as a backup safety as a senior. (Image: Lon Horwedel, Ann Arbor News.)