As they prepare for another installment in their bitter rivalry, here’s a look at the history between two giants of the game: Michigan and Ohio State.
Michigan vs Ohio State rivalry: Most wins, largest victory, longest winning streak...
On Saturday, No. 1 ranked Ohio State will take on No. 15 ranked Michigan. The Buckeyes are sitting on an 11-0 record and Michigan is clear underdog this year with a 9-2 record. This game promises to be another intense chapter in the history between these two very fierce rivals as they fight for a spot in the College Football Playoff.
Michigan vs Ohio State: The eternal rivalry
In terms of how things are likely to play out, we imagine the Buckeyes will be too much for the Wolverines to handle this year. Michigan comes into the game with a 4-year winning streak over the Buckeyes.
Indeed, when the sides met Last year, the Wolverines came out on top in a 13-10 win against Ohio State in Columbus, and it was largely down to McCarthy’s performance and teh Wolverine defense.This of course brings us to the point of all of this: The rivalry. Let’s get into it.
The Wolverines dominated the early years
In a series that has captivated fans for more than a century, it’s the Michigan Wolverines who currently have a two-game win streak over their eternal rivals, however, when it comes to the overall record between these two teams there is a lot to unpack. For starters, we’ve got the age of the rivalry itself which goes all the 1897 making it one of the oldest in college football at 125 years old. In that very first game, it was the Wolverines who won by a score of 36-0 in Ann Arbor, before going on to build up a 13-0-2 record under then head coach Fielding Yost.
The ‘Ten Year War’
Eventually, both teams would become part of the Big Ten Conference where they would face each other for the first time in 1918 in a game that Michigan won 14-0. From that year to this, the contest has become an annual affair that has seen a number of incredible clashes including the infamous 1950 “Snow Bowl” in Columbus where Michigan won 9-3 to dramatically secure a spot in the Rose Bowl with a reported five inches of snow on the ground and 50,000 fans in the stadium.
Of course, who could forget the games between 1969 and 1978, a period referred to by many as the “10 Year War.” Indeed, it was during this time that Ohio State’s head coach Woody Hayes and Michigan’s own “Bo” Schembechler went toe for toe, though it would be the latter who tipped the scales with a narrow 5-4-1 record when his tenure ended. On the other hand, there were two losses to the Buckeyes in 1972 and 1974, as well as a tie in 1973 that almost certainly cost the Wolverines a shot at a national title, something Schembechler never managed to win.
The Buckeyes improved in the modern era
Following those ‘close but no cigar’ moments in the early 70s, the Wolverines and their fans began to return the favor with the advent of the 1990s. Specifically, in 1995 and 1996 when they ended the Buckeyes’ hopes of a title by cutting short their unbeaten runs.
Yet, it’s got to be said that Ohio State has largely dominated the 21st century with an unofficial record of 17-5 since 2000. With that said, Michigan has in fact won the last two games played.
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In terms of the overall mark for the series, Michigan officially leads 60-51-6, with Ohio State having vacated a 2010 contest that it won 37-7, a move that was self-imposed following NCAA sanctions for a violation of rules.
What’s the record between Michigan and Ohio State in the last 5 years?
Since 2021, it’s been Wolverine dominance. The Buckeyes have lost four years in a row and will be looking for revenge in Ann Arbor on Saturday. Meanwhile, the Wolverines will try to expand on their 62-51-6 overall record against the Buckeyes.