Saturday decided one thing and one thing alone in college basketball: Michigan is keeping the company of a lot of recent teams without a Final Four appearance to show for their troubles.
That's because the Wolverines are the Last of the Unbeatens, a feat that will stick even with a loss (which could come as early as Sunday when Michigan visits Ohio State).
Over the last six years, the last team to take a loss made the Final Four only once (2008 Memphis). Of course, the final unbeaten played on the last day of the season in 2006 (national champ Florida) and 2005 (runner-up Illinois).
A few other tidbits:
* Since Kentucky's 1978 national championship, the final unbeaten has won a title just three times --- 1992 Duke (which lost its first game on the same night as Oklahoma State that season, the only tie listed in this chart), 1999 Connecticut and 2006 Florida.
* A third of the last teams to absorb a loss (12 of 36) have reached the Final Four since 1977.
* The Wolverines are also just the fourth Big Ten team to stand as the last team without a defeat since Indiana's perfect run in 1976, joining 1989 Illinois, 2005 Illinois and 2011 Ohio State.
* Only once since 1976 has the final unbeaten failed to reach the NCAA tournament. That was Clemson in 2007.
* The last team to take a loss a year ago was Murray State, which reached the NCAA tournament's round of 32.
But enough of those details. Here's the full chart of every final unbeaten since 1976 thanks to the magic of some well-defined Google News searches and more than a little time to work with:
LAST UNBEATEN TEAM IN DIVISION I, 1976-PRESENT
(UPDATED WITH MICHIGAN'S LOSS)
| Year | School | Date | Opponent | NCAA Result |
| 2013 |
Michigan | Jan. 13 | at Ohio State | TBD |
| 2012 | Murray State |
Feb. 9 |
Tennessee State |
Round of 32 |
| 2011 | Ohio State |
Feb. 12 |
at Wisconsin |
Regional Semifinal |
| 2010 | Kentucky | Jan. 26 |
at South Carolina |
Regional Final |
| 2009 | Wake Forest |
Jan. 21 |
Virginia Tech |
First Round |
| 2008 | Memphis | Feb. 23 |
Tennessee | Runner-Up |
| 2007 | Clemson | Jan. 13 |
at Maryland |
--- |
| 2006 | Florida | Jan. 21 |
at Tennessee |
Champion |
| 2005 | Illinois | March 6 |
at Ohio State |
Runner-Up |
| 2004 | Saint Joseph's |
March 11 |
vs. Xavier |
Regional Final |
| 2003 | Duke | Jan. 18 |
at Maryland |
Regional Semifinal |
| 2002 | Duke | Jan. 6 |
at Florida State |
Regional Semifinal |
| 2001 | Stanford | Feb. 3 |
UCLA | Regional Final |
| 2000 | Syracuse | Feb. 7 |
Seton Hall |
Regional Semifinal |
| 1999 | Connecticut | Feb. 1 |
Syracuse | Champion |
| 1998 | Utah | Feb. 1 |
at New Mexico |
Runner-Up |
| 1997 | Kansas | Feb. 4 |
at Missouri |
Regional Semifinal |
| 1996 | Massachusetts | Feb. 24 |
Geo. Washington |
Final Four |
| 1995 | Connecticut | Jan. 28 |
at Kansas |
Regional Final |
| 1994 | UCLA | Jan. 30 |
at California |
First Round |
| 1993 | Virginia | Jan. 20 |
at North Carolina |
Regional Semifinal |
| 1992 | Duke | Feb. 5 |
at North Carolina |
Champion |
| (tie) | Oklahoma State |
Feb. 5 | at Nebraska |
Regional Semifinal |
| 1991 | UNLV | March 30 |
vs. Duke |
Final Four |
| 1990 | Georgetown | Jan. 20 |
at Connecticut |
Round of 32 |
| 1989 | Illinois | Jan. 26 |
at Minnesota |
Final Four |
| 1988 | Brigham Young |
Feb. 6 |
at UAB |
Round of 32 |
| 1987 | DePaul | Jan. 25 |
at Georgetown |
Regional Semifinal |
| 1986 | Memphis State |
Feb. 1 |
at Virginia Tech |
Round of 32 |
| 1985 | Georgetown | Jan. 26 |
St. John's |
Runner-up |
| 1984 | North Carolina |
Feb. 12 |
vs. Arkansas |
Regional Semifinal |
| 1983 | UNLV | Feb. 24 |
at Cal State Fullerton |
Round of 32 |
| 1982 | Missouri | Feb. 6 |
Nebraska | Regional Semifinal |
| 1981 | Oregon State |
March 7 |
Arizona State |
Round of 32 |
| 1980 | DePaul | Feb. 27 |
at Notre Dame |
Round of 32 |
| 1979 | Indiana State |
March 26 |
vs. Michigan State |
Runner-up |
| 1978 | Kentucky | Jan. 23 |
at Alabama |
Champion |
| 1977 | San Francisco |
March 5 |
at Notre Dame |
Round of 32 |
| 1976 | Indiana | --- | --- | Champion |
--- Patrick Stevens
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