Michigan Ohio State

University of Michigan Wolverines vs.
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Among the greatest football rivalries, the Ohio State Michigan game has plenty of fans who say this is the greatest in all of sports. In fact ESPN named it just that in a 2000 article looking at the greatest rivalries in sports. The winner of the Ohio State Michigan game very often decides who wins the Big Ten Conference and then goes on to represents the conference in the Rose Bowl. Traditionally this is the last game of the college football season, and the game alternates between host sites each year. This rivalry can even trace its roots to an actual war! Many say that the Michigan Ohio State rivalry dates back to the Toledo War, a bloodless border dispute between the two states.

The Michigan Ohio State game alternates between the home stadiums each year. Ohio Stadium has been around since 1922, when Michigan spoiled the first game of the matchup at the new stadium with a 22-0 victory in front of a then-record 71,000 Michigan Ohio State ticket holders. Michigan Stadium opened in 1927. And with these two great coluseums, whenever you get Ohio State Michigan tickets you are looking at a fantastic athletic exhibition.

In the first Ohio State Michigan meeting in 1897, Michigan took the game 34-0, and Michigan would not loose to OSU until 1912. In 1902 Michigan beat OSU 86-0, and it is said the OSU Alma Mater was penned on the train ride back. The Ohio State Buckeyes won their first game against the Wolverines in 1919 with the help of halfback Chic Harley. And OSU would win the following year again, finally getting Ohio State some wins against Michigan.

In 1969, Bo Schembechler took over the head coach position at Michigan and went on to upset the #1 ranked Ohio State coached by Woody Hayes. These two coaches led their respective teams in what could have been the greatest era of parity in in the Ohio State Michigan rivalry known as “The Ten-Year War.” During this era Ohio State and Michigan won the Big Ten title six times. The Ten Year War also saw a huge controversy in 1973 when both teams entered the Ohio State Michigan with an undefeated record. These games were so even that this game ended in a 10-10 tie in Michigan. This forces officials from the other Big Ten schools to vote in a secret ballot for who was the better team and would go to the Rose Bowl to represent the Big Ten. Ohio State was voted to be the representative and of course Michigan fans went completely bonkers. You will still find many loyal Wolverines fans who bring up this chicanery during heated conversations. In fact, some Michigan fans blame the slight on Michigan State University, who is said to have voted for Ohio State out of spite.

“The Snow Bowl” – 1950, a game hosted in Columbus in what what was one of the worst blizzards ever recorded in Ohio. The Buckeyes led the Big Ten and were given the option to not play the game and be awarded the Conference Title, but OSU chose not to and the game went on amid the strong blizzard. The teams punted a total of 45 times. By the en of the first quarter the only score was an Ohio State field goal. Even though Michigan did no get one first down of forward pass, Michigan ended up winning the game 9-3. One blocked punt was booted for a safety, and another was returned for a touchdown.

There are so many great Ohio State Michigan games in this longtime rivalry that listing them all is too much. Even casual fans know that this is one of the biggest games on the football calendar. If you’ve never made it to a game then you gotta get out there. And if you have been to a Michigan Ohio State game then chances are more likely than not that you want to get out to the game.

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