ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Saturday will mark the first time the BYU Cougars and Michigan Wolverines have squared off since Dec. 21, 1984. If that date sounds familiar it's because it was the 1984 Holiday Bowl when BYU beat Michigan to win the national championship.

All BYU fans know about that game, and all BYU haters know that BYU fans know about that game. It was legendary coach LaVell Edwards' pinnacle at BYU as the Cougars were crowned national champs.

That was 31 years ago, however, and a lot has changed. Cougar Stadium is now named after Edwards, the current Michigan head coach was on sidelines of the 1984 Holiday Bowl with his broken arm in a sling and every kid on both teams was about a decade away from being born.

What similarities can be drawn from the last time the Cougars and Wolverines met? Almost none.

What can we learn about that game as we head into Saturday's matchup? Not a lot.

It's been over three decades since these two teams met, and it's the only matchup on record, meaning Saturday is a clean slate for both teams.

The season is still young, and the Wolverines and Cougars have yet to meet a common opponent. Sure, the great state of Utah got to see Michigan up close and personal a few weeks ago when the Wolverines took on Utah, but the Cougs and Utes haven't met since 2013.

If you go back to BYU and Michigan's last common opponent fans have to go back to 2013 when both teams took on Notre Dame. Michigan won that battle 41-30 while BYU lost in South Bend, Indiana, 23-13.

Big crowds

All in all, this game is a big unknown for both teams. This BYU team is no stranger to big crowds and storied venues. The Cougars have already taken on the Nebraska Cornhuskers in Memorial Stadium in front of a crowd of nearly 90,000, the UCLA Bruins in the Rose Bowl in front of just under 68,000 and the 20th-ranked Boise State Broncos at home in front of a sellout crowd of nearly 64,000.

This BYU team has an idea of what it's like to play in front of big crowds, but it has yet to play in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The Big House holds nearly 110,000 and plan on it being filled. Michigan fans love their Wolverines and prove it on gameday. Both of Michigan's home games this season have averaged around 108,000, and the Cougars can plan on at least that many as Michigan fans watch their team take on a ranked opponent.

Possible payback

Sometimes teams have revenge on the mind when facing BYU. Sure, before last Saturday the last time BYU and UCLA met was in 2008 and none of the players were on either team, but no doubt the Bruins knew that game ended in a 59-0 rout. They may not have been part of that embarrassing loss, but the UCLA program wants that taste out of its mouth. That can't really be said for these two teams, but one person has been a part of both games is Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh.

In 1984, Harbaugh was the starting quarterback for the Wolverines until a broken arm sidelined him in the fifth game of the season. Harbaugh sat on the sidelines the rest of the season, including the matchup with BYU. Even though Harbaugh didn't play in the game it no doubt stung when his team lost to the Cougars and claimed the national championship.

That may have been 31 years ago, but it's a safe bet that all Harbaugh associates BYU with is when he watched his team lose to them in the 1984 Holiday Bowl 24-17.

Conclusion

At the end of the day, this is a fresh game with a truckload of unknown variables, but even 31 years later there may be a nugget or two we can learn from the past.

The Wolverines and Cougars kick off at 10 a.m. MDT, and the game can be seen on ABC.

John has been writing about movies, news, sports and pretty much anything awesome for more than five years. John is the co-host of the Flix Junkies podcast and will always entertain you with his stories.

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