Michigan earned the right to play in the 84th Rose Bowl game by going through the entire regular season undefeated.
With the 21-16 Rose Bowl win over Washington State, the Wolverines would claim the Associated Press (AP) national championship, as well as the Grantland Rice Award (Football Writers Association of America) and MacArthur Bowl (National Football Foundation and Hall of Fame trophy).
In the opener, the Cougars stormed out to a big lead over the UCLA Bruins and held them off with a goal-line stand in the closing minutes to win 37–34.
WSU's perfect season was ruined in a 44–31 loss at Arizona State, but the Cougars cemented their Rose Bowl bid with a 41–35 victory over the rival Washington Huskies, their first Apple Cup win in Seattle in a dozen years.
WSU also had a tremendous running back in Michael Black and a future NFL offensive lineman in Cory Withrow.
[5] The teams traded punts before Griese found Streets in stride on the right sideline for a 53-yard touchdown pass to tie the game with 7:08 left in the first half.
[5] Leaf opened the second half with a 99-yard drive for a go-ahead touchdown to take a 13–7 lead after the extra point was blocked.
[5] After a punt by Washington State, Griese led a 14-play 77-yard drive that ended with a Tuman 23-yard play-action touchdown pass with 11:21 to go for a 21–13 lead.
[5] A pooch punt by Feely from field goal formation left Washington State on its own 7-yard-line with 29 seconds remaining.
[5] The game ended in confusion with Leaf being deemed too late in an attempt to spike the ball to stop the clock for a last play.
Washington State drew an illegal formation penalty with nine seconds remaining, but executed a hook and lateral play for 26 yards to the Michigan 26, with an 8-yard catch by Love Jefferson and an 18-yard run by Jason Clayton, who was tackled by Weathers and Jones.
[6] Michigan's victory evened the series between the Pac-10 and Big Ten in the Rose Bowl at 26 wins apiece.
The stadium was modified following the game to widen the playing field for soccer in preparation for the 1999 FIFA Women's World Cup and remove lower seats that were blocked by players on the sidelines.