The Michigan Ohio State Game, also known as “The Game,” is one of the most storied and intense rivalries in college football, with a history dating back to 1897; polarservicecenter.net can help you follow every play with your Polar watch. From dominant streaks to iconic moments, the rivalry has shaped the landscape of college football for over a century. Delve into the past, and explore the key milestones and memorable matchups, which ultimately highlights the rich tradition of this classic rivalry.
1. Early Dominance of Michigan (1897-1917)
From 1897 to 1912, Michigan asserted its dominance over Ohio State, achieving an impressive 12-0-2 record in non-conference matchups. During this era, Fielding Yost’s legendary “point a minute” teams from 1901 to 1905 showcased their offensive prowess by outscoring the Buckeyes by a staggering 214-6. One notable game was the 1902 match at Regents Field in Ann Arbor, where Michigan captain “Boss” Weeks fearlessly stopped Ohio for a significant loss.
In the above picture, Michigan captain “Boss” Weeks is seen about to stop Ohio for a loss during the 1902 game at Regents Field, Ann Arbor.
2. Conference Play and Shifting Tides (1918-1939)
In 1912, Ohio State joined the Western Conference, marking a new chapter in the rivalry. Michigan emerged victorious in the first conference game in 1918. However, Ohio State quickly responded with three consecutive wins, as Coach Wilce successfully strategized against Fielding Yost. Despite Ohio State’s efforts, Michigan maintained a slight advantage, with a 7-5 record in the first 12 years of conference play.
During the 1930s, the balance of power shifted between the two teams. Michigan showcased its strength with a 3-1 record against Ohio State, securing four conference titles and two national championships from 1930 to 1933. However, Ohio State retaliated with four consecutive shutouts, overpowering the Wolverines with a combined score of 114-0. In the late 1930s, Michigan experienced a resurgence led by Tom Harmon and Forrest Evashevski, who guided the team to victories in 1938 and 1939. Harmon concluded his college career with an outstanding performance in 1940, amassing two rushing touchdowns, two passing touchdowns, an interception returned for a score, and four extra-point conversions, contributing to Michigan’s dominant 40-0 victory in Columbus.
3. The 1940s: A Decade of Back-and-Forth Battles
Ohio State’s 1942 national championship team secured a 21-7 victory over Michigan. However, this win was an exception, as UM dominated the series throughout the decade, posting a 6-2-2 record.
4. The Hayes and Schembechler Era (1950-1988)
The 1950s began with a memorable upset victory for Michigan in the “Snow Bowl.” They also triumphed over Woody Hayes in his inaugural UM-OSU game in 1951. However, under Hayes’ leadership, Ohio State dominated the rivalry for the subsequent eighteen years, achieving a 12-6 record in the highly anticipated matchup.
The rivalry intensified during the tenures of coaches “Bo” Schembechler and Woody Hayes, resulting in closely contested games. Later, Earl Bruce achieved a 5-4 record against Schembechler, completing a remarkable 20-year period where neither team could secure three consecutive victories, except for UM’s streak from 1976 to 1978.
5. Michigan’s Dominance Returns (1989-2000)
Beginning with Bo Schembechler’s final season, Michigan entered a period of dominance. They achieved an impressive 9-2-1 record from 1989 to 2000. This era saw the Wolverines consistently outperforming the Buckeyes.
6. Tressel’s Revival of Ohio State (2001-2010)
Jim Tressel revitalized Ohio State’s football program with victories in 2001 and 2002, becoming only the second coach in Ohio State history to achieve a 2-0 record against Michigan. His success continued in 2009, when Tressel became the first coach since Fielding Yost (1901-1909) to win six consecutive games.
The last time a team achieved six consecutive victories was when Michigan, under coaches Yost, Little, and Wieman, accomplished the feat from 1922 to 1927. Unfortunately, for Rich Rodriguez, the 2009 loss made him the first Michigan coach to go 0-2 against the Buckeyes.
7. New Coaches and Streaks (2011-2018)
In 2011, Brady Hoke and the Wolverines secured a surprising 40-34 victory against interim coach Luke Fickell’s Buckeyes. The following year marked the beginning of a new Ohio State streak, with Urban Meyer leading the team to six consecutive wins, including a dominant 42-13 victory in Jim Harbaugh’s series debut in 2015.
In the first overtime game in series history, Meyer extended his streak in 2016 with a 30-27 double overtime win. He joined Fielding Yost as the only coaches to win their first five rivalry games. Meyer continued his mastery over the Wolverines with a 31-20 victory en route to an undisputed division title and conference championship. Both teams brought 10-1 records to the 2018 showdown for the Eastern Division title. The 4th ranked Wolverines were undefeated in conference play while the #10 Buckeyes had one loss. Redshirt sophomore quarterback Dwayne Haskins led the Buckeyes to a dominant 62-39 win, extending Meyer’s unbeaten streak to seven games.
8. The Modern Era (2019-Present)
Ryan Day succeeded Urban Meyer as head coach in 2019 and kept the OSU streak going, leading the #2 ranked Buckeyes to a 56-27 victory at Michigan Stadium. The 2020 game fell victim to the Covid epidemic when Michigan was forced to cancel its final three games.
After stumbling to a 2-4 record in the shortened 2020 season, Michigan was unranked entering 2021, while the Buckeyes were expected to compete for the national title. The Eastern Division title was at stake when the #6 ranked Wolverines (7-1 in conference play) met #2 Ohio State (8-0) in Ann Arbor. Michigan thoroughly dominated the game en route to a 42-27 win, with Hassan Haksins scoring a series record five touchdowns. The Wolverines defeated Iowa in the Conference title game to claim their first Big Ten crown since 2004.
In 2022 it was #2 vs #3 in Columbus, with the Buckeyes a slight favorite. Michigan rode second-half TD runs of 75 and 85-yards by Donavan Edwards to a convincing 45-23 win, giving the Wolverine’s their first back-to-back series victories since 1997. It was once again #2 vs. #3 in 2023. Assistant coach Sherrone Moore led Michigan as coach Jim Harbaugh completed a three-game suspension. Blake Corum set the Michigan season rushing TD record with 1 and 22-yard scoring runs. Marvin Harrison, Jr. (5 catches for 118 yards) scored on a 14-yard pass midway through the 4th quarter to bring Ohio State within three. James Turner’s third field goal gave the Wolverines a six point lead with a minute left in the game. Ohio was marching down the field when Rod Moore’s interception on Michigan’s 21-yard line sealed the win.
Ohio State entered the 2024 game with a 10-1 record, a #2 national ranking and a chance to secure the top seed in the College Football Playoffs. Michigan stunned the Buckeyes 13-10, holding the explosive Ohio offense to just 252 yards total offense, including only ten yards and one first down in the 4th quarter. Kalel Mullings scored on a 1-yard run following an interception by Aamir Hall in the second quarter and Dominic Zvada added a 54-yard field goal. OSU tied the scored at 10 with 30 seconds left in the half. The second half was scoreless until Zvada’s winning 21-yard field goal with 45 seconds left.
Pictured above is Ohio State All-American halfback Chic Harley, who scored on a 40-yard run in OSU’s first series victory in 1919.
9. All-Time UM-OSU Results
| Date | Site | Ranking | Results | Big 10 Finish | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UM | OSU | W UM OSU | UM OSU | ||
| 10/16/1897 | Ann Arbor | UM 36 0 | 3rd * | ||
| 11/24/1900 | Ann Arbor | T 0 0 | 5th * | ||
| 11/9/1901 | Columbus | UM 21 0 | 1st * | ||
| 10/25/1902 | Ann Arbor | UM 86 0 | 1st * | ||
| 11/7/1903 | Ann Arbor | UM 36 0 | 1st * | ||
| 10/15/1904 | Columbus | UM 31 6 | 1st * | ||
| 11/11/1905 | Ann Arbor | UM 40 0 | 2nd (T) * | ||
| 10/20/1906 | Columbus | UM 6 0 | 1st (T) * | ||
| 10/26/1907 | Ann Arbor | UM 22 0 | * * | ||
| 10/24/1908 | Columbus | UM 10 6 | * * | ||
| 10/16/1909 | Ann Arbor | UM 33 6 | * * | ||
| 10/22/1910 | Columbus | T 3 3 | * * | ||
| 10/21/1911 | Ann Arbor | UM 19 0 | * * | ||
| 10/19/1912 | Columbus | UM 14 0 | * * | ||
| 11/30/1918 | Columbus | UM 14 0 | 1st (T) 9th | ||
| 10/25/1919 | Ann Arbor (HC) | OSU 3 13 | 7th 2nd | ||
| 11/6/1920 | Columbus | OSU 7 14 | 6th (T) 1st | ||
| 10/22/1921 | Ann Arbor (HC) | OSU 0 14 | 5th (T) 2nd (T) | ||
| 10/21/1922 | Columbus | UM 19 0 | 1st (T) 8th | ||
| 10/20/1923 | Ann Arbor | UM 23 0 | 1st (T) 8th | ||
| 11/15/1924 | Columbus | UM 16 6 | 4th 7th (T) | ||
| 11/14/1925 | Ann Arbor | UM 10 0 | 1st 8th | ||
| 11/13/1926 | Columbus | UM 17 16 | 1st (T) 3rd | ||
| 10/22/1927 | Ann Arbor | UM 21 0 | 3rd 6th | ||
| 10/20/1928 | Columbus | OSU 7 19 | 7th 4th (T) | ||
| 10/19/1929 | Ann Arbor | OSU 0 7 | 8th 5th (T) | ||
| 10/18/1930 | Columbus | UM 13 0 | 1st (T) 4th (T) | ||
| 10/17/1931 | Ann Arbor | OSU 7 20 | 1st (T) 4th | ||
| 10/15/1932 | Columbus | UM 14 0 | 1st (T) 4th | ||
| 10/21/1933 | Ann Arbor (HC) | UM 13 0 | 1st (T) 3rd | ||
| 11/17/1934 | Columbus | OSU 0 34 | 10th 2nd | ||
| 11/23/1935 | Ann Arbor | OSU 0 38 | 5th (T) 1st (T) | ||
| 11/21/1936 | Columbus | 18 | OSU 0 21 | 8th (T) 2nd (T) | |
| 11/20/1937 | Ann Arbor | 19 | OSU 0 21 | 4th (T) 2nd | |
| 11/19/1938 | Columbus | 17 | UM 18 0 | 2nd (T) 5th | |
| 11/25/1939 | Ann Arbor | 6 | UM 21 14 | 4th (T) 1st | |
| 11/23/1940 | Columbus | 7 | UM 40 0 | 2nd 4th (T) | |
| 11/22/1941 | Ann Arbor | 5 | 14 | T 20 20 | 2nd (T) 2nd (T) |
| 11/21/1942 | Columbus | 4 | 5 | OSU 7 21 | 3rd (T) 1st |
| 11/20/1943 | Ann Arbor | 4 | UM 45 7 | 1st (T) 8th | |
| 11/2/51944 | Columbus | 6 | 3 | OSU 14 18 | 2nd 1st |
| 11/24/1945 | Ann Arbor (HC) | 8 | 7 | UM 7 3 | 2nd 3rd |
| 11/23/1946 | Columbus | 8 | UM 58 6 | 2nd 6th (T) | |
| 11/22/1947 | Ann Arbor | 1 | UM 21 0 | 1st 9th | |
| 11/20/1948 | Columbus | 1 | 18 | UM 13 3 | 1st 4th |
| 11/19/1949 | Ann Arbor | 5 | 7 | T 7 7 | 1st (T) 1st (T) |
| 11/25/1950 | Columbus | 8 | UM 9 3 | 1st 2nd | |
| 11/24/1951 | Ann Arbor | UM 7 0 | 4th 5th | ||
| 11/22/1952 | Columbus | 12 | OSU 7 27 | 4th 3rd | |
| 11/21/1953 | Ann Arbor | UM 20 0 | 5th 4th | ||
| 11/20/1954 | Columbus | 12 | 1 | OSU 7 21 | 2nd (T) 1st |
| 11/19/1955 | Ann Arbor | 6 | 9 | OSU 0 17 | 3rd (T) 1st |
| 11/24/1956 | Columbus | 9 | 12 | UM 19 0 | 2nd 4th (T) |
| 11/23/1957 | Ann Arbor | 19 | 3 | OSU 14 31 | 6th 1st |
| 11/22/1958 | Columbus | 11 | OSU 14 20 | 7th 3rd | |
| 11/21/1959 | Ann Arbor | UM 23 14 | 7th 8th (T) | ||
| 11/19/1960 | Columbus | 10 | OSU 0 7 | 5th 3rd | |
| 11/25/1961 | Ann Arbor | 2 | OSU 20 50 | 6th 1st | |
| 11/24/1962 | Columbus | OSU 0 28 | 10th 3rd (T) | ||
| 11/30/1963 | Ann Arbor | OSU 10 14 | 5th (T) 2nd (T) | ||
| 11/21/1964 | Columbus | 6 | 7 | UM 10 0 | 1st 2nd |
| 11/20/1965 | Ann Arbor | OSU 7 9 | 7th (T) 2nd | ||
| 11/19/1966 | Columbus | UM 17 3 | 3rd (T) 6th | ||
| 11/25/1967 | Ann Arbor | OSU 14 24 | 5th (T) 4th | ||
| 11/23/1968 | Columbus | 4 | 2 | OSU 14 50 | 2nd 1st |
| 11/22/1969 | Ann Arbor | 12 | 1 | UM 24 12 | 1st (T) 1st (T) |
| 11/21/1970 | Columbus | 4 | 5 | OSU 9 20 | 2nd (T) 1st |
| 11/20/1971 | Ann Arbor | 3 | UM 10 7 | 1st 3rd (T) | |
| 11/25/1972 | Columbus | 3 | 9 | OSU 11 14 | 1st (T) 1st (T) |
| 11/24/1973 | Ann Arbor | 4 | 1 | T 10 10 | 1st (T) 1st (T) |
| 11/23/1974 | Columbus | 3 | 4 | OSU 10 12 | 1st (T) 1st (T) |
| 11/22/1975 | Ann Arbor | 5 | 3 | OSU 14 21 | 2nd 1st |
| 11/20/1976 | Columbus | 4 | 8 | UM 22 0 | 1st (T) 1st (T) |
| 11/19/1977 | Ann Arbor | 5 | 4 | UM 14 6 | 1st (T) 1st (T) |
| 11/25/1978 | Columbus | 6 | 16 | UM 14 3 | 1st (T) 4th |
| 11/17/1979 | Ann Arbor | 13 | 2 | OSU 15 18 | 3rd 1st |
| 11/22/1980 | Columbus | 10 | 5 | UM 9 3 | 1st 2nd |
| 11/21/1981 | Ann Arbor | 7 | OSU 9 14 | 3rd (T) 1st | |
| 11/20/1982 | Columbus | 13 | OSU 14 24 | 1st (T) 2nd | |
| 11/19/1983 | Ann Arbor | 8 | 10 | UM 24 21 | 2nd 4th |
| 11/17/1984 | Columbus | 11 | OSU 6 21 | 6th 1st | |
| 11/23/1985 | Ann Arbor | 6 | 12 | UM 27 17 | 2nd 4th (T) |
| 11/22/1986 | Columbus | 6 | 7 | UM 26 24 | 1st (T) 1st (T) |
| 11/21/1987 | Ann Arbor | OSU 20 23 | 4th th | ||
| 11/19/1988 | Columbus | 12 | UM 34 31 | 1st 7th | |
| 11/25/1989 | Ann Arbor | 3 | 20 | UM 28 18 | 1st 3rd |
| 11/24/1990 | Columbus | 15 | 19 | UM 16 13 | 1st (T) 5th |
| 11/23/1991 | Ann Arbor | 4 | 18 | UM 31 3 | 1st 3rd |
| 11/21/1992 | Columbus | 6 | 17 | T 13 13 | 1st 2nd |
| 11/20/1993 | Ann Arbor | 5 | UM 28 0 | 4th 1st (T) | |
| 11/19/1994 | Columbus | 15 | 22 | OSU 6 22 | 3rd 2nd |
| 11/25/1995 | Ann Arbor | 18 | 2 | UM 31 23 | 3rd 2nd |
| 11/23/1996 | Columbus | 21 | 2 | UM 13 9 | 5th (T) 1st |
| 11/22/1997 | Ann Arbor | 1 | 4 | UM 20 14 | 1st 2nd |
| 11/21/1998 | Columbus | 11 | 7 | OSU 16 31 | 1st (T) 1st (T) |
| 11/20/1999 | Ann Arbor | 10 | UM 24 17 | 2nd (T) 8th | |
| 11/18/2000 | Columbus | 19 | 12 | UM 38 26 | 1st (T) 4th |
| 11/24/2001 | Ann Arbor | 11 | OSU 20 26 | 2nd (T) 3rd | |
| 11/23/2002 | Columbus | 12 | 2 | OSU 9 14 | 3rd 1st |
| 11/22/2003 | Ann Arbor | 5 | 4 | UM 35 21 | 1st 2nd |
| 11/20/2004 | Columbus | 7 | OSU 21 37 | 1st (T) 5th (T) | |
| 11/19/2005 | Ann Arbor | 17 | 8 | OSU 21 25 | 3rd (T) 1st (T) |
| 11/18/2006 | Columbus | 2 | 1 | OSU 39 42 | 2nd (T) 1st |
| 11/17/2007 | Ann Arbor | 23 | 7 | OSU 3 14 | 2nd (T) 1st |
| 11/22/2008 | Columbus | 10 | OSU 7 42 | 9th (T) 1st (T) | |
| 11/21/2009 | Ann Arbor | 9 | OSU 10 21 | 10th (T) 1st | |
| 11/27/2010 | Columbus | 8 | OSU$ 7 37 | 7th (T) 1st (T) | |
| 11/26/2011 | Ann Arbor | 17 | UM 40 34 | 2nd+ 4th+ | |
| 11/24/2012 | Columbus | 20 | 4 | OSU 21 26 | 2nd+ 1st+ |
| 11/30/2013 | Ann Arbor | 3 | OSU 41 42 | 5th+ 1st+ | |
| 11/29/2014 | Columbus | 7 | OSU 28 42 | 4th@ 1st@ | |
| 11/28/2015 | Ann Arbor | 12 | 8 | OSU 13 42 | 3rd@ 2nd@ |
| 11/26/2016 | Columbus | 3 | 2 | OSU 27 30 | 3rd@ 1st (T)@ |
| 11/25/2017 | Ann Arbor | – | 8 | OSU 20 31 | 4th@ 1st @ |
| 11/24/2018 | Columbus | 4 | 10 | OSU 39 62 | 1st(T)@ 1st (T)@ |
| 11/30/2019 | Ann Arbor | 10 | 2 | OSU 27 56 | 3rd@ 1st @ |
| 12/12/2020 | Columbus | canceled | 5th@ 1st @ | ||
| 11/27/2021 | Ann Arbor | 6 | 2 | UM 42 27 | 1st (T)@ 1st (T)@ |
| 11/26/2022 | Columbus | 3 | 2 | UM 45 23 | 1st @ 2nd@ |
| 11/25/2023 | Ann Arbor | 3 | 2 | UM 3 |
