ESPN branded Ohio State-Michigan the greatest rivalry in sports
history. Ali-Frazier was second.
The two Midwest powerhouses have met continuously since 1918, and
it has normally been the last game of the regular season for each
since 1935.
In the past 35 years this game has determined the Big Ten champion
more often than not and affected the national polls routinely, not
to mention its huge impact on bowl bids.
Only the foolish downplay it’s significance in the landscape
of college football.
It’s passion springs from battles for Big Ten supremacy and
the pride that comes in state bragging rights. Legacies are made
and dashed every late November Saturday when the wind blows cold
and the blood runs hot for fans of both teams.
Terrific talent (Tom Harmon, Desmond Howard, Charles Woodson, Les
Horvath, Vic Janowicz, Hopalong Cassady, Archie Griffin and Eddie
George among others) and legendary coaches (Fielding Yost, Paul
Brown, Woody Hayes and Bo Schembechler) have dotted the sidelines
for each, stoking the fire even higher.
Schembechler’s 1969 arrival in Ann Arbor marked the rivalry’s
zenith. His very first team shocked No.1-ranked Ohio State 24-12,
costing Hayes (his former boss) a national championship. It was
this game that ignited a 10-year war that pushed animosity between
the two programs to an all-time high.
Spoiling each other’s seasons has become a hallmark of the
rivalry.
In 1993, 1995 and 1996, Ohio State came into the Michigan game
undefeated each season, but needing a victory to reach the Rose
Bowl. The Wolverines upset them each time.
Michigan was unbeaten heading into this showdown every year from
1972 through 1975, but couldn’t beat the Buckeyes once. Their
best result was a 10-10 tie in 1973.
For the record, Michigan owns a 56-36-6 advantage heading into
the 2002 season. The Wolverines carved out that bulge largely by
dominating the early stages of the series.
Michigan opened a 13-0-2 lead before the Buckeyes mustered their
first win in 1919 behind the brilliant play of Chic Harley. Prior
to the 1928 game, UM owned a commanding 19-3-2 edge.
Since then the rivalry has been played almost evenly, OSU dominating
during much of Hayes’ tenure (he was 16-8-1 in his first 25
games against UM), the Wolverines taking command over John Cooper’s
Buckeyes (a 10-2-1 advantage).
Listed here are results from every Ohio State-Michigan game.
2002: Ohio State 14, Michigan 9
2001: Ohio State 26, Michigan 20
2000: Michigan 38, Ohio State 26
1999: Michigan 24, Ohio State 17
1998: Ohio State 31, Michigan 16
1997: Michigan 20, Ohio State 14
1996: Michigan 13, Ohio State 9
1995: Michigan 31, Ohio State 23
1994: Ohio State 22, Michigan 6
1993: Michigan 28, Ohio State 0
1992: Ohio State 13, Michigan 13
1991: Michigan 31, Ohio State 3
1990: Michigan 16, Ohio State 13
1989: Michigan 28, Ohio State 18
1988: Michigan 34, Ohio State 31
1987: Ohio State 23, Michigan 20
1986: Michigan 26, Ohio State 24
1985: Michigan 27, Ohio State 17
1984: Ohio State 21, Michigan 6
1983: Michigan 24, Ohio State 21
1982: Ohio State 24, Michigan 14
1981: Ohio State 14, Michigan 9
1980: Michigan 9, Ohio State 3
1979:Ohio State 18, Michigan 15
1978: Michigan 14, Ohio State 3
1977: Michigan 14, Ohio State 6
1976: Michigan 22, Ohio State 0
1975: Ohio State 21, Michigan 14
1974: Ohio State 12, Michigan 10
1973: Ohio State 10, Michigan 10
1972: Ohio State 14, Michigan 11
1971: Michigan 10, Ohio State 7
1970: Ohio State 20, Michigan 9
1969: Michigan 24, Ohio State 12
1968: Ohio State 50, Michigan 14
1967: Ohio State 24, Michigan 14
1966: Michigan 17, Ohio State 3
1965: Ohio State 9, Michigan 7
1964: Michigan 10, Ohio State 0
1963: Ohio State 14, Michigan 10
1962: Ohio State 28, Michigan 0
1961: Ohio State 50, Michigan 20
1960: Ohio State 7, Michigan 0
1959: Michigan 23, Ohio State 14
1958: Ohio State 20, Michigan 14
1957: Ohio State 31, Michigan 14
1956: Michigan 19, Ohio State 0
1955: Ohio State 17, Michigan 0
1954: Ohio State 21, Michigan 7
1953: Michigan 20, Ohio State 0
1952: Ohio State 27, Michigan 7
1951: Michigan 7, Ohio State 0
1950: Michigan 9, Ohio State 3
1949: Ohio State 7, Michigan 7
1948: Michigan 13, Ohio State 3
1947: Michigan 21, Ohio State 0
1946: Michigan 58, Ohio State 6
1945: Michigan 7, Ohio State 3
1944: Ohio State 18, Michigan 14
1943: Michigan 45, Ohio State 7
1942: Ohio State 21, Michigan 7
1941: Ohio State 20, Michigan 20
1940: Michigan 40, Ohio State 0
1939: Michigan 21, Ohio State 14
1938: Michigan 18, Ohio State 0
1937: Ohio State 21, Michigan 0
1936: Ohio State 21, Michigan 0
1935: Ohio State 38, Michigan 0
1934: Ohio State 34, Michigan 0
1933: Michigan 13, Ohio State 0
1932: Michigan 14, Ohio State 0
1931: Ohio State 20, Michigan 7
1930: Michigan 13, Ohio State 0
1929: Ohio State 7, Michigan 0
1928: Ohio State 19, Michigan 7
1927: Michigan 21, Ohio State 0
1926: Michigan 17, Ohio State 16
1925: Michigan 10, Ohio State 0
1924: Michigan 16, Ohio State 6
1923: Michigan 23, Ohio State 0
1922: Michigan 19, Ohio State 0
1921: Ohio State 14, Michigan 0
1920: Ohio State 14, Michigan 7
1919: Ohio State 13, Michigan 3
1918: Michigan 14, Ohio State 0
1912: Michigan 14, Ohio State 0
1911: Michigan 19, Ohio State 0
1910: Ohio State 3, Michigan 3
1909: Michigan 33, Ohio State 6
1908: Michigan 10, Ohio State 6
1907: Michigan 22, Ohio State 0
1906: Michigan 6, Ohio State 0
1905: Michigan 40, Ohio State 0
1904: Michigan 31, Ohio State 6
1903: Michigan 36, Ohio State 0
1902: Michigan 86, Ohio State 0
1901: Michigan 21, Ohio State 0
1900: Ohio State 0, Michigan 0
1897: Michigan 34, Ohio State 0
