Four days before the Wolverines lost to Purdue, the team's most famous alumnus lost the 1976 presidential election to Jimmy Carter.
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Two days before the game, the schools' most famous alumni (Gerald Ford of Michigan and Jimmy Carter of the Naval Academy) faced off in a presidential debate.
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As a junior, Downing was the starting center in all 12 games played by the 1976 Michigan team that won the Big Ten Conference championship, advanced to the 1977 Rose Bowl, and finished the season ranked No. 3 in both the AP and UPI Polls.