The 1997 Michigan Wolverines football team represented the University of Michigan in the 1997 Big Ten Conference football season. In its third year under head coach Lloyd Carr, Michigan compiled a perfect 12–0 record, won the Big Ten Conference championship, defeated Washington State in the 1998 Rose Bowl, and was declared the national champion by the Associated Press, the National Football Foundation, and the Football Writers Association of America. The Wolverines finished second to the Nebraska Cornhuskers in the Coaches Poll, resulting in a non-consensus national championship.

Lloyd Henry Carr Jr. is a former American football player and coach. He served as the head football coach at the University of Michigan from 1995 through the 2007 season, replacing Gary Moeller. Under Carr, the Michigan Wolverines compiled a record of 122–40 and won or shared five Big Ten Conference titles. Carr's undefeated 1997 team was declared the national champion by the Associated Press. His record coaching against top ten-ranked opponents was 20–8. Carr was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame as a coach in 2011.