Since we are four days from the annual game against that team up north, here is a look at Ohio State's four all time best wins over Michigan. Of course, any win over Michigan is a good one, and there are many, many to choose from, but these here are my favorites. Not listed: the 50-14 victory in 1968, the missed Wolverine FG victory of 1974 and the beautiful 21-14 victory of 1975. Upsetting them in 1952 was pretty cool, too.
1. November 21st, 1970. After the Wolverines snapped our 22-game win streak and kept us out of national championship consideration in 1969, we came back with a vengeance. Going into this game, OSU was ranked 4th and UM was 5th. Woody Hayes' super sophomores of 1968 were now seniors, and they had Michigan in the cross hairs. The Wolverines fumbled the opening kickoff, and from then on Ohio State dominated. The final score was 20-9. The Buckeyes went on to lose the Rose Bowl, but still win a national title. Thirteen Buckeyes from that squad were drafted in the spring.
Here is a video of the highlights of the 1970 game. Quarterback Rex Kern ran a lot of option plays in this game. Ohio State's current offensive style is somewhat reminiscent of these days.
2. November 18th, 2006. Called the Game of the Century, this was No. 1 OSU vs. No. 2 UM, in a battle that would decide who would play for the national championship. This was Michigan's latest effort to become a relevant college football team again. Chad Henne and Mike Hart did a good job, but Troy Smith, "Beanie" Wells, Antonio Pittman , Ted Ginn and Brian Robiskie were too much for the Wolverine defense to handle. OSU (in case you had forgotten) went on to lose the BCS National Championship Game to Urban Meyer's Florida Gators and Michigan went on to lose the Rose Bowl to USC. Since 2006, Michigan has never regained their status as a serious college football champion material. Instead, teams now take joy in beating the once-great Wolverines.
3. November 21st, 1942. En route to our first national title, the Buckeyes were led by Gene Fekete, Paul Sarringhaus and eventual Heisman winner Les Horvath. The single loss that year was to Wisconsin, but the Buckeyes overcame it and were named National Champions in Paul Brown's second year as head coach. This season took place during the U.S. involvement in World War II, so the school was disrupted by the enlistment and drafting of potential football players. Nevertheless, Ohio State proved the best team in the country, beating No. 4 Michigan 21-7. Michigan ended up with a 7-3 record and a No. 9 ranking.
4. November 21st, 1998. While this season was spoiled by the Michigan State loss, John Cooper and the Buckeyes salvaged their honor with a victory over Michigan. Three consecutive losses to the Wolverines had left Ohio State hungry for a win. The Joe Germaine-David Boston combination was way too much for Michigan to handle. We finished the season by beating Texas A&M in the Sugar Bowl and settling for a No. 2 ranking.
1. November 21st, 1970. After the Wolverines snapped our 22-game win streak and kept us out of national championship consideration in 1969, we came back with a vengeance. Going into this game, OSU was ranked 4th and UM was 5th. Woody Hayes' super sophomores of 1968 were now seniors, and they had Michigan in the cross hairs. The Wolverines fumbled the opening kickoff, and from then on Ohio State dominated. The final score was 20-9. The Buckeyes went on to lose the Rose Bowl, but still win a national title. Thirteen Buckeyes from that squad were drafted in the spring.
Here is a video of the highlights of the 1970 game. Quarterback Rex Kern ran a lot of option plays in this game. Ohio State's current offensive style is somewhat reminiscent of these days.
Here are the highlights of that crisp autumn day, when the air was thick with sweet revenge:
2. November 18th, 2006. Called the Game of the Century, this was No. 1 OSU vs. No. 2 UM, in a battle that would decide who would play for the national championship. This was Michigan's latest effort to become a relevant college football team again. Chad Henne and Mike Hart did a good job, but Troy Smith, "Beanie" Wells, Antonio Pittman , Ted Ginn and Brian Robiskie were too much for the Wolverine defense to handle. OSU (in case you had forgotten) went on to lose the BCS National Championship Game to Urban Meyer's Florida Gators and Michigan went on to lose the Rose Bowl to USC. Since 2006, Michigan has never regained their status as a serious college football champion material. Instead, teams now take joy in beating the once-great Wolverines.
Relive the glory here:
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| Fullback Gene Fekete (bottom) carries the ball down field for the Buckeyes |
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| Les Horvath (right) passes to Paul Sarringhaus (left) for an Ohio State touchdown |
4. November 21st, 1998. While this season was spoiled by the Michigan State loss, John Cooper and the Buckeyes salvaged their honor with a victory over Michigan. Three consecutive losses to the Wolverines had left Ohio State hungry for a win. The Joe Germaine-David Boston combination was way too much for Michigan to handle. We finished the season by beating Texas A&M in the Sugar Bowl and settling for a No. 2 ranking.
Enjoy the 1998 highlights:
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