The Rivalry: Ten Interesting Facts About Michigan and Ohio State’s College Football Rivalry
The contests, as well as the history of “The Game” between Michigan and Ohio State, are both fascinating.
All eyes will be on Michigan and Ohio State when they meet this Saturday in Columbus.This rivalry is still known as “The Game” for a reason, and much is at stake, including the Big Ten East championship and a guaranteed spot in the College Football Playoffs.
People born outside the Midwest, particularly those born after 1980, struggle to understand how this rivalry—which Michigan leads 59-51-6, with the difference due to Ohio State’s 2010 victory being vacated—became one of the biggest in sports. Here are ten details that can help you answer the question.
Both Michigan and Ohio’s claims to the Toledo Strip, a 468-square-mile area of territory near the states’ boundaries, increased the animosity of this rivalry. Ohio refused to let Michigan enter the union in 1835 because it wanted to include the Toledo Strip in its borders. President Andrew Jackson intervened and negotiated a solution in which Michigan gained the Upper Peninsula and Ohio obtained the Strip, which at the time was primarily an unclaimed region. It is safe to assume that both fan groups have moved past the Toledo War, but when the teams first faced off, fans were still thinking about it.
When the teams first clashed on October 16, 1897 in Ann Arbor, Michigan was a much better squad. The Wolverines won 34-0 by scoring all of their touchdowns in the first half and playing conservative football in the second. Michigan finished the season with a 6-1-1 record, while Ohio State had a 1-7-1 record. The second meeting between the two institutions didn’t happen until 1900, and it ended in a tie.
In this rivalry, there have been six ties. The second meeting between the two teams in 1900 ended in a 0-0 draw, and the teams also tied in 2010, 1941, 1949, 1973, and 1992. The 1992 tie made Michigan the last team to finish the regular season unblemished with only eight wins as they had already tied Notre Dame and Illinois. The 1973 tie was the only blemish on both schools’ records that year, and it was the only time both teams’ records were tied. Ohio State faced very different circumstances in the early 1900s. Thanks to the famous Michigan coach Fielding Yost, a tie was the best the Buckeyes could hope for.
Fielding Yost, a coach Michigan acquired from San Jose State in 1901, helped the Wolverines become the best team in collegiate football very quickly. Yost won six national championships, including four in a row between 1901 and 2004. At that time, Michigan was undefeated, participated in the inaugural Rose Bowl, and destroyed its opponents to the point where his teams earned the moniker “Point-a-Minute” teams. In his 25-year tenure, Yost also dominated the Buckeyes, only losing to them three times. The “Gold Pants Charm” was created in the 1930s, when the tone of this competition changed.
When Francis Schmidt took over as Ohio State’s head coach in 1934, Michigan was leading the series 22-6-2. Schmidt responded to questions from reporters about whether Ohio State could defeat Michigan by saying, “Of course we can win, Michigan puts their pants on one leg at a time just like we do.” He was accurate. Following that, Ohio State won four straight games, defeating the Wolverines 114-0 overall. Players on the Buckeyes today get a “Gold Pants Charm” if they defeat Michigan. Schmidt gave Ohio State its pride, but the following coach elevated the team to Michigan-level status.
Paul Brown, who had won six consecutive state titles at Massillon Washington High School in Massillon, Ohio, was hired by Ohio State in 1941. The 1941 Michigan/Ohio State game was the first time both schools faced off against one another while ranked in the AP poll, and Brown immediately altered the Buckeyes program. The fifth-ranked Wolverines and the 14th-ranked Buckeyes were knotted 20-20. The next season, Ohio State defeated Michigan 21-7 to capture its first ever national championship. At the conclusion of the 1943 season, Brown left Ohio State for the military, and by 1950, the Wolverines had regained dominance of the series. That would alter with a game amid a blizzard, modernizing this franchise…
On November 25, 1950, Ohio State and Michigan squared off in Columbus for the chance to win the Big Ten championship. If you think I’m being overly dramatic about the weather, watch this video. The winning team would have to contend with their opponent, 10-degree weather, 28-mile-per-hour gusts, and two inches of snow falling each hour. The game will always be regarded as the “Snow Bowl” despite the fact that both teams punted a total of 45 times for 1,408 yards. Michigan managed to win 9-3 with only gaining 27 yards of offense and obtaining no first downs. Wes Fesler, the head coach of Ohio State, quit after receiving harsh criticism for the play-calling during the game, and Woody Hayes took his place. The situation here became fascinating.
On November 25, 1950, Ohio State and Michigan squared off in Columbus for the chance to win the Big Ten championship. If you think I’m being overly dramatic about the weather, watch this video. The winning team would have to contend with their opponent, 10-degree weather, 28-mile-per-hour gusts, and two inches of snow falling each hour. The game will always be regarded as the “Snow Bowl” despite the fact that both teams punted a total of 45 times for 1,408 yards. Michigan managed to win 9-3 with only gaining 27 yards of offense and obtaining no first downs. Wes Fesler, the head coach of Ohio State, quit after receiving harsh criticism for the play-calling during the game, and Woody Hayes took his place. The situation here became fascinating.
The rivalry’s lone meeting between the No. 1 and No. 2 teams occurred in 2006. For the first time since 1973, neither club had lost a game going into it, and no game since has come close to matching the anticipation surrounding their encounter. At home, the Buckeyes stormed out to a 28-14 halftime lead and held on to that advantage against a ferocious Michigan rally to win 42-39. With Florida finishing with.945 and Michigan finishing with.932, a repeat in the BCS National Championship Game was avoided by just 14 Bowl Championship Series (BCS) ranking points. As a final point, the tension surrounding this game was replaced with tragedy when Bo Schembechler passed away from a heart attack the day before the game. A really tragic incident occurred.
The rivalry’s lone meeting between the No. 1 and No. 2 teams occurred in 2006. For the first time since 1973, neither club had lost a game going into it, and no game since has come close to matching the anticipation surrounding their encounter. At home, the Buckeyes stormed out to a 28-14 halftime lead and held on to that advantage against a ferocious Michigan rally to win 42-39. With Florida finishing with.945 and Michigan finishing with.932, a repeat in the BCS National Championship Game was avoided by just 14 Bowl Championship Series (BCS) ranking points. As a final point, the tension surrounding this game was replaced with tragedy when Bo Schembechler passed away from a heart attack the day before the game. A really tragic incident occurred.
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