It's here! THE GAME! These two teams have met *120 times (currently, officially 119 times, and that is subject to change) dating back to 1897. This series has had so many twists and turns, so let's take a look back and see "What Happened Before."
- OSU's current record against UM is *51-62-6, with an average score of 15.8-18.4.
- OSU went 0-13-2 in the first 15 games, from 1897-1918 and were outscored 21-371 while being shutout 11 times.
- OSU has shutout UM 10 times but been shutout 27 times.
- OSU is 28-28-2 at home and 24-33-4 on the road.
- Woody Hayes was 16-11-1 (4-5-1 in the Ten Year War vs Bo), Earle Bruce was 5-4, John Cooper was 2-10-1, Jim Tressel was *8-1. Urban was 7-0 and Ryan Day is currently 1-3 (pending NCAA sanctions against TCUN).
- When both teams are ranked, the series is tied at 23-23-4.
- When both are unranked, OSU leads 5-4.
- When only OSU is ranked, they lead 12-2. When OSU only is top 5, 10-6.
- When only UM is ranked, OSU is 6-8. When UM only is top 5, OSU is 2-7-2.
- When both teams are top 5, OSU leads 7-5-1.
- Most points scored, OSU: 62 (62-39, 2018). Largest margin of victory, OSU: 38 (38-0, 1935).
- Most points scored, and largest margin of victory, UM: 86 (86-0, 1902).
- Longest win streak, OSU: 8 (2012-2017). Longest win streak, UM: 9 (1901-1909).
Games of note:
- 1919: All American Chic Harley leads the Buckeyes to their first win over the Skunkbears, 13-3.
- 1934-1937: When Francis Schmidt took the OSU job after the 1933 season, the Buckeyes had only won six of the first thirty games against UM, so they asked Schmidt how he planned to beat the dreaded Wolverines. His response started a new tradition. He said, "The put their pants on one leg at a time, just like the rest of us." That prompted two prominent Columbus business men to create The Gold Pants Club, that awards a gold pants charm to every player and coach on a team that beats Michigan. That season, they beat UM 34-0, then 38-0 in 1935, and 21-0 in both 1936 and 1937. Four wins, four shutouts in his first four years. And the tradition was born!
1950: The Snow bowl. My mother was actually at that game! Buckeyes lose a punt-fest, 9-3, on a blocked punt for a touchdown by UM on third down right before halftime, when Coach Wes Fesler should have just run one more play and run out the clock.
1968: "Because they wouldn't let me go for three." That famous quote, attributed to Woody Hayes, though there are different stories, when asked why he went for two points after scoring to go up 48-14 late in the game. The Buckeyes would go on to win the national championship that season after beating UM 50-14.
1969. UM 24, OSU 12. The beginning of the Ten Year War between Woody and Bo. The undefeated Buckeyes were huge favorites over the 12th ranked Wolverines, but the Buckeyes threw six interceptions and lost 24-12, in a game where all the scoring happened in the first half. Bo, a former Hayes assistant, beat his former boss and kept the Buckeyes from winning a second straight national championship.
1973: The #1 Buckeyes tore down the UM banner when they entered the field on their way to a 10-10 tie in Michigan Stadium. After the game, the Big Ten athletic directors voted to send OSU to the Rose Bowl over the #4 Wolverines in a decision that Bo would never get over.
1987: The Buckeyes upset UM, 23-20 in Earle Bruce's last game as Buckeyes head coach. The game was highlighted by a 70 yard catch and run from Tom Tupa to Carlos Snow.
1992: In a game that OSU president Gordon Gee called the "Greatest victory in Ohio State History," John Cooper's Buckeyes TIED UM 13-13 in Cooper's first non-loss to TCUN. He had lost his first four games against the skunkbears.
1994: Coach John Cooper gets his first win against the hated rival, 22-6.
1995: Tim Biakabutuka runs for 313 yards to ruin the Buckeyes undefeated season, 31-23. But Eddie George still won the Heisman Trophy that year.
1996: The slip.
2001: The Tressel era begins with "the speech" and pays off with a 26-20 win in Ann Arbor over the #11 Wolverines. Tress would go *8-1 against UM.
2004, 2005, 2006: Three epic wins for Troy Smith, Ted Ginn, et al against TCUN. All three, classics.
2012: Buckeyes win 26-21 to begin Urban Meyer's 7-0 run against TCUN.
2016: #2 Buckeyes win a double overtime thriller, 30-27, over Jim Cheaterball's #3 Wolverinies. The win sends the Buckeyes to the College Football Playoff.
2018: Urban sets an Ohio State scoring record in his last game over Meatchicken, 62-39. Dwayne Haskins throws for 396 yards and 6 tds.
2019: In Ryan Day's only "fair" game against the cheaters, the #2 Buckeyes win 56-27 in Ann Arbor to remain undefeated. JK Dobbins ran for 211 yards and 4 tds and Justin Fields threw for 302 and 4 more tds in the dominating win.
2020: The cheaters fake Covid to dodge the Buckeyes in a game that Ryan Day wanted to "Hang 100" on Jim Harbaugh.
2021, 2022, 2023: Results still pending.
2024: I predict pain for the skunkbears. 31-13 good guys.
What is your prediction for this year's installment of The Game?
- OSU's current record against UM is *51-62-6, with an average score of 15.8-18.4.
- OSU went 0-13-2 in the first 15 games, from 1897-1918 and were outscored 21-371 while being shutout 11 times.
- OSU has shutout UM 10 times but been shutout 27 times.
- OSU is 28-28-2 at home and 24-33-4 on the road.
- Woody Hayes was 16-11-1 (4-5-1 in the Ten Year War vs Bo), Earle Bruce was 5-4, John Cooper was 2-10-1, Jim Tressel was *8-1. Urban was 7-0 and Ryan Day is currently 1-3 (pending NCAA sanctions against TCUN).
- When both teams are ranked, the series is tied at 23-23-4.
- When both are unranked, OSU leads 5-4.
- When only OSU is ranked, they lead 12-2. When OSU only is top 5, 10-6.
- When only UM is ranked, OSU is 6-8. When UM only is top 5, OSU is 2-7-2.
- When both teams are top 5, OSU leads 7-5-1.
- Most points scored, OSU: 62 (62-39, 2018). Largest margin of victory, OSU: 38 (38-0, 1935).
- Most points scored, and largest margin of victory, UM: 86 (86-0, 1902).
- Longest win streak, OSU: 8 (2012-2017). Longest win streak, UM: 9 (1901-1909).
Games of note:
- 1919: All American Chic Harley leads the Buckeyes to their first win over the Skunkbears, 13-3.
- 1934-1937: When Francis Schmidt took the OSU job after the 1933 season, the Buckeyes had only won six of the first thirty games against UM, so they asked Schmidt how he planned to beat the dreaded Wolverines. His response started a new tradition. He said, "The put their pants on one leg at a time, just like the rest of us." That prompted two prominent Columbus business men to create The Gold Pants Club, that awards a gold pants charm to every player and coach on a team that beats Michigan. That season, they beat UM 34-0, then 38-0 in 1935, and 21-0 in both 1936 and 1937. Four wins, four shutouts in his first four years. And the tradition was born!
1950: The Snow bowl. My mother was actually at that game! Buckeyes lose a punt-fest, 9-3, on a blocked punt for a touchdown by UM on third down right before halftime, when Coach Wes Fesler should have just run one more play and run out the clock.
1968: "Because they wouldn't let me go for three." That famous quote, attributed to Woody Hayes, though there are different stories, when asked why he went for two points after scoring to go up 48-14 late in the game. The Buckeyes would go on to win the national championship that season after beating UM 50-14.
1969. UM 24, OSU 12. The beginning of the Ten Year War between Woody and Bo. The undefeated Buckeyes were huge favorites over the 12th ranked Wolverines, but the Buckeyes threw six interceptions and lost 24-12, in a game where all the scoring happened in the first half. Bo, a former Hayes assistant, beat his former boss and kept the Buckeyes from winning a second straight national championship.
1973: The #1 Buckeyes tore down the UM banner when they entered the field on their way to a 10-10 tie in Michigan Stadium. After the game, the Big Ten athletic directors voted to send OSU to the Rose Bowl over the #4 Wolverines in a decision that Bo would never get over.
1987: The Buckeyes upset UM, 23-20 in Earle Bruce's last game as Buckeyes head coach. The game was highlighted by a 70 yard catch and run from Tom Tupa to Carlos Snow.
1992: In a game that OSU president Gordon Gee called the "Greatest victory in Ohio State History," John Cooper's Buckeyes TIED UM 13-13 in Cooper's first non-loss to TCUN. He had lost his first four games against the skunkbears.
1994: Coach John Cooper gets his first win against the hated rival, 22-6.
1995: Tim Biakabutuka runs for 313 yards to ruin the Buckeyes undefeated season, 31-23. But Eddie George still won the Heisman Trophy that year.
1996: The slip.
2001: The Tressel era begins with "the speech" and pays off with a 26-20 win in Ann Arbor over the #11 Wolverines. Tress would go *8-1 against UM.
2004, 2005, 2006: Three epic wins for Troy Smith, Ted Ginn, et al against TCUN. All three, classics.
2012: Buckeyes win 26-21 to begin Urban Meyer's 7-0 run against TCUN.
2016: #2 Buckeyes win a double overtime thriller, 30-27, over Jim Cheaterball's #3 Wolverinies. The win sends the Buckeyes to the College Football Playoff.
2018: Urban sets an Ohio State scoring record in his last game over Meatchicken, 62-39. Dwayne Haskins throws for 396 yards and 6 tds.
2019: In Ryan Day's only "fair" game against the cheaters, the #2 Buckeyes win 56-27 in Ann Arbor to remain undefeated. JK Dobbins ran for 211 yards and 4 tds and Justin Fields threw for 302 and 4 more tds in the dominating win.
2020: The cheaters fake Covid to dodge the Buckeyes in a game that Ryan Day wanted to "Hang 100" on Jim Harbaugh.
2021, 2022, 2023: Results still pending.
2024: I predict pain for the skunkbears. 31-13 good guys.
What is your prediction for this year's installment of The Game?
