Early years: 1897-1949
The inaugural meeting between Ohio State and Michigan at Ann Arbor in 1897 resulted in a lopsided victory for Michigan, with the Wolverines posting a 34-0 win over Ohio State's Buckeyes. The first game foretold a long Michigan winning streak, with Michigan winning or tying every match from 1897 to 1912 and thereby compiling a 12-0-2 record before the contest was postponed for several years.
Ohio State became a member of the Big Ten Conference in 1912. In 1917, Michigan rejoined the conference after a ten year absence. In 1918, the teams played their first conference matchup, with Michigan prevailing 14-0 and lodging its eleventh shutout over the Buckeyes. In 1919, the Buckeyes (led by legendary halfback Chic Harley) won their first game in the series, defeating the Wolverines 13-3. The Buckeyes won the following two contests as well, to bring the series record to 13-3-2.
Harley's prowess spurred the university to campaign to build a stadium for Ohio State football. The stadium was completed in 1922, and the first of many historic games in Ohio Stadium took place on October 21, 1922, the day the stadium was dedicated in Columbus. In front of a record 71,000 fans, the Wolverines posted another shutout of the home team Buckeyes, 19-0. According to lore, there was a wager on the outcome of this game, and yellow flowers on a blue background still exist today in the upper part of the stadium's rotunda[3]. Michigan won the next five games before OSU picked up the final two victories of the decade. At the end of the 1920s, the series stood at 19-5-2 in favor of Michigan.
Michigan won three of four contests between 1930 and 1933, claiming the national championship twice. Ohio State then ran off four straight shutout victories, outscoring the Wolverines 112-0 from 1934 to 1937, followed by Michigan winning three straight from 1938 to 1940. The 1940 game, won by Michigan 40-0, was the benchmark performance of what some consider to be the greatest Michigan team in history, and was the final collegiate game of the legendary tailback tandem of Tom Harmon and Paul Kromer.
In 1941, Michigan and Ohio State met for the first time with each team ranked in the AP Poll, which had started in 1936. The 14th-ranked Buckeyes played the 5th-ranked Wolverines to a 20-20 tie in Ann Arbor. Five more times during the 1940s, the teams were both ranked for their annual matchup. Michigan won five of the next seven games before playing to their second tie of the decade in 1949. The series record stood at 30-12-4 at the mid-century mark.
“The Snow Bowl” and Woody Hayes: 1950-1968
The 1950 contest, colloquially known as the Snow Bowl, is perhaps the most famous game in the rivalry. Eighth-ranked Ohio State, coached by Wes Fesler, was scheduled to host the game on November 25 in Columbus amidst one of the worst blizzards on Ohio record. The Buckeyes, who led the Big Ten, were granted the option to cancel the game against Michigan, which would have, by default, given the Buckeyes the Big Ten title outright and won them a trip to Pasadena for the Rose Bowl. Ohio State refused, and the game was set to be played. Amid howling snow and wind, in what was probably the most literal example of a "field position" game, the teams exchanged 45 punts, often on first down, in hopes that the other team would fumble the ball near or into their own end zone. Despite failing to gain a single first down, Michigan capitalized on two blocked punts, recovering one in the end zone for a touchdown and booting another one out of bounds for a safety. Michigan gained a 9-3 victory, securing the Big Ten title and a Rose Bowl berth. Heavy criticism of Fesler's play calling led to his resignation and the hiring of Woody Hayes as his successor.
Between 1951 and 1968 under Hayes, the Buckeyes won 12 of 18 contests, including a 1957 victory in Michigan Stadium, the first game in the series attended by over 100,000 fans. In 1958, Ohio State had a 20-14 lead towards the end of the game. On the final play, Michigan fullback Gene Sisinyak ran the ball from the one-yard line for what might have been a game winning touchdown, but Ohio State defensive tackle Dick Schafrath hit Sisinyak, forcing a fumble. In the 1968 game, Ohio State won 50-14, outscoring its foe 29-0 in second half and attempting a two-point conversion attempt on its final touchdown. When asked why he went for two points with an already insurmountable 48-14 lead, Woody Hayes is rumored to have said, "Because I couldn't go for three." The victory gave top-ranked Ohio State the Big Ten title for the first time in seven years en route to an AP national championship. The Buckeyes had also narrowed the series margin to 37-24-4.
“The Ten-Year War”: Woody Hayes vs. Bo Schembechler 1969-1978
On November 22, 1969, Hayes led his top-ranked Buckeyes into Michigan Stadium against Bo Schembechler, a first-year head coach who had once been an assistant under Hayes at OSU. The Buckeyes brought a 22-game winning streak into Ann Arbor, but behind an inspiring 60-yard punt return by Barry Pierson that set up a Wolverine touchdown in the second quarter, and a defense that intercepted Ohio State six times (three by Pierson), the Wolverines won a defensive battle (both teams were scoreless in the second half) for a 24-12 upset.
The contest was the first in the famous “Ten-Year War” between Hayes and Schembechler, which pitted some of OSU’s and UM’s strongest teams against one another. Four times between 1970 and 1975, Ohio State and Michigan were both ranked in the top five of the AP Poll before their matchup. The Wolverines entered every game during those years undefeated and won only once, a 10-7 victory in Ann Arbor on November 20, 1971. The Michigan graduating class of 1975 shared or won the Big-10 championship every season, yet went to the Rose Bowl only once, in 1972. They only lost or tied with Ohio State during the regular season in that period.
In 1973, both teams entered undefeated, with the winner guaranteed a trip to the Rose Bowl. The rivals played to a 10-10 tie in Ann Arbor on November 24, and the athletic directors of the other Big Ten institutions were forced to vote on the Big Ten representative for the bowl game. In a secret ballot, Ohio State won the vote, to the outrage of Michigan athletic officials and fans. It was rumored that Michigan State University voted for Ohio State, although a more likely reason why the Buckeyes won the secret ballot was the injury suffered by Michigan starting quarterback Denny Franklin in the UM-OSU game. It was unclear if Franklin would be ready to play in the Rose Bowl, and the Big Ten ADs may have felt Ohio State would therefore have a better chance to win the bowl game. Schembechler argued that Michigan was robbed of its on-field achievements, and for months afterward, Ohio State newspapers were flooded with angry Wolverine letters and threats of lawsuits.
During the “Ten-Year War,” Ohio State and Michigan shared the Big Ten title six times. Between 1976 and 1978, Michigan won the game each year, and Ohio State failed to score a touchdown in each of those contests. Woody Hayes was fired at the end of the 1978 season as a result of an incident involving a Clemson player at the Gator Bowl, which ended the "War". The 1978 game was won by Michigan, 14-3, giving Schembechler a record of 5-4-1 against Hayes. At the end of the Hayes tenure, the series stood at 42-28-5.
The War's aftermath - Bo vs. Earle Bruce, 1979-1987
Earle Bruce took over for Hayes and led the Buckeyes to a 5-4 record against Schembechler's Wolverines between 1979 and 1987, perhaps the most balanced stretch of the storied rivalry, during which neither team won more than two consecutive games. Bruce was fired in the week before the Michigan game due to a poor season record, but was allowed to coach anyway, and the inspired Buckeyes won an upset over the heavily favored Wolverines. After the game, Bo Schembechler told Bruce, "I always mind losing to Ohio State but I didn't mind so much today." After 1987, the series stood at 46-33-5 in favor of UM.
John Cooper era: 1988-2000
The thirteen games during John Cooper's tenure as Buckeye coach were dominated by Michigan. The most notorious matchups took place in 1993, 1995 and 1996, each years in which Ohio State entered the game without a loss. Schemblecher coached Michigan through 1989, then turning over the reins to one of his assistants, Gary Moeller (1990-94). Another Schembechler (and Moeller) assistant, Lloyd Carr, coached the team from 1995 through the 2007 season.
1993 - Blanked at the Big House
The Buckeyes had posted a 9-0-1 record heading into the game, with at least a share of the Big 10 title wrapped up. They were looking to claim the Big 10 title outright, and rolled into Ann Arbor to face a Michigan team that had already absorbed a disappointing 4 losses. The No. 5-ranked OSU team, however, suffered a surprising 28-0 loss. A circus catch by UM's Mercury Hayes for a touchdown started the scoring. Running backs Jon Ritchie, Che Foster, and Ed Davis all added touchdowns. After the game, Coach Cooper said: "This is one of the most embarrassing games I've ever been involved with." "They outplayed us on offense, on defense, and in the kicking game. If you'd told me we would come up here and get beat 28-0, I'd have probably stayed home."
1995 - Tim who?
In 1995, #2 Ohio State was led by eventual Heisman Trophy winner Eddie George and future NFL stars Orlando Pace and Terry Glenn. The Buckeyes had reeled off 11 straight wins, and appeared ready to defeat a Michigan squad that had dropped crushing contests at Northwestern, Michigan State, and Penn State. Glenn insisted there wasn't anything special about the Wolverines: "Michigan's nothing," he said. Perhaps inspired by this insouciant dismissal, the Wolverines manhandled the Buckeyes at the line of scrimmage from the very first play. Michigan senior running back Tim Biakabutuka amassed 313 yards rushing in Michigan's 31-23 upset.
1996 - Buckeyes frustrated again
The Buckeyes, again, had high expectations entering the 1996 contest in Columbus. They had won their first 10 games, and were ranked No. 2 in the nation as they entered the finale with 8-3 Michigan. When Ohio State jumped to a 9-0 halftime lead, knocking Wolverine starting redshirt sophomore quarterback Scott Dreisbach out of the game in the process, the OSU crowd sensed a special finish and perhaps a rise to No. 1, but Michigan stunned the Buckeye faithful in the second half. Two field goals by senior kicker Remy Hamilton and a 69 yard scoring strike from junior Brian Griese to sophomore receiver Tai Streets, gave the Wolverines a 13-9 victory. Streets became free when Buckeye star cornerback Shawn Springs slipped on the play.
Michigan ends its National Championship drought
In 1997, Ohio State traveled to Ann Arbor with a single loss and a #4 ranking, while the Wolverines, undefeated, sat atop the AP Poll.[4] Spearheaded by the play of eventual Heisman winner Charles Woodson, who ran a punt back for a touchdown, intercepted a pass in the Michigan end zone, and caught a 37 yard pass that setup freshmen runningback Anthony Thomas's touchdown run. The Wolverines prevailed 20-14. (The Wolverines would thereafter win in the Rose Bowl, 21-16, over Washington State and gain a share of the national championship, its first since 1948.)
To the end of the century
Michigan lost the 1998 contest in Columbus, 31-16, but won in 1999 and 2000. Senior quarterback Tom Brady hit true sophomore receiver Marquise Walker for the game-winning touchdown pass with 5 minutes to go to for a 24-17 victory in 1999. In the 2000 game at Columbus, Michigan grabbed a huge 31-12 lead and held on to win 38-26. Michigan junior quarterback Drew Henson went 14-25 for 303 yards, 3 touchdown passes, and a touchdown run with 1 minute to go in the game. At the end of the 2000 season, John Cooper was fired. While he consistently fielded strong Top-25 teams, his 2-10-1 record against Michigan (0-6 in Ann Arbor) was, along with disciplinary problems and a losing record in bowl games, one of the major reasons behind his dismissal.
Enter Jim Tressel: 2001-2006
In 2001, Jim Tressel, winner of four Division I-AA national titles at Youngstown State, took over as Buckeye head coach. In his first year, Tressel registered the Buckeyes' first defeat of the Wolverines in Ann Arbor in 14 years, by a 26-20 score. Led by senior running back Jonathan Wells, the Buckeyes staked a 21-0 lead at halftime. A safety put them up 23-0 until Michigan mounted a comeback that fell just short. Many Wolverine fans argue that a dropped pass in the end zone by senior wide receiver Marquise Walker in the third quarter cost Michigan the victory.
The next year, Tressel achieved what Cooper could not, beating Michigan in consecutive years with a win in Columbus 14-9. The game was decided on the last play when defensive back Will Allen intercepted a pass in the end zone as time expired to clinch the victory. Freshmen phenom Maurice Clarett had 119 yards and 1 touchdown rushing to key the Buckeyes victory. He also had a 26 yard reception that setup Maurice Hall's game-winning touchdown run with four minutes to go in the fourth quarter. An offensive-pass interference call on Michigan sophomore receiver Braylon Edwards' touchdown catch in the second quarter was a key determiner in the outcome. The Buckeyes went on to defeat Miami in the Fiesta Bowl, winning the national championship in double overtime.
In 2003, Michigan struck back and won the 100th meeting between the historical rivals by a score of 35-21 in Ann Arbor. Senior running back Chris Perry, a Heisman finalist, had 154 yards rushing and 2 touchdowns to lead the Wolverines to the victory. Edwards contributed 7 catches for 130 yards and 2 big touchdowns. The game's attendance was 112,118, the largest crowd ever for an NCAA football game. [5] In 2004, the 6-4 Buckeyes defeated the heavily favored 9-1 Wolverines. After falling in a 14-7 hole, sophomore quarterback Troy Smith and true freshmen receiver Ted Ginn lead the Buckeyes to score 27 unanswered points and post a 37-21 win.
In the 2005 game in Ann Arbor, Michigan fell behind 9-0 in the second quarter. However, two turnovers by the Buckeyes in their own territory staked Michigan to an 18-12 lead going into the 4th quarter, and the Wolverines appeared to deliver the knockout blow when junior kicker Garrett Rivas made it 21-12 with under 8 minutes to go in the game. However, on the Buckeyes ensuing drive Smith passed 26 yards to junior receiver Santonio Holmes for a touchdown to make the score 21-19. Ohio State then got the ball back with 4:05 to go in the game, and Smith led them on a come-from-behind game-winning drive of 88 yards that concluded with a short touchdown run by true sophomore Antonio Pittman with 25 seconds to go. The 2 point conversion was intercepted, but Ohio State held on for a 25-21 victory. Smith threw for 300 yards and completed 73% of his passes. Ginn had a game high 9 catches for 89 yards.
2006 - #1 vs #2