The Michigan Wolverines' 1964 Surprise tells the untold story of the University of Michigan's 1964 football team, a team that won the Big Ten championship, the 1965 Rose Bowl, and finished 4th in the final national college football polls. Under the leadership of Bump Elliott, their head coach, the 1964 Wolverines won Michigan's first Big Ten championship since 1950 and their first Rose Bowl since 1951. In 1964, Michigan defeated four teams: Navy, Michigan State, Ohio State, and Oregon State, its Rose Bowl opponent, that were ranked in the top Ten. Michigan also defeated Minnesota for the first time since 1960 and reclaimed the prized Little Brown Jug. Despite its impressive record, Michigan's 1964 team failed to attract the national attention that it deserved. At the beginning of the 1964 season, few football observers expected Michigan to contend for the Big Ten championship. Nevertheless, after Michigan convincingly won the undisputed Big Ten championship and then defeated Oregon State, 34-7, in the Rose Bowl, it was clear that the Wolverines were one of America's elite teams and, in the minds of some observers, the best team in the country.This book chronicles the exploits of Michigan's 1964 team for the first time and gives the team its long-overdue recognition. The study uses primary materials from the Bentley Historical Library at the University of Michigan, newspaper sources, oral histories, and interviews with former Michigan players and coaches, as well as interviews with opposing players. The book will be interesting reading for the general reader as well as for enthusiasts of college football.