Behind The Plate

          Today marks the 1st time Ohio State has played on November 26th, in over 100 years. In 1908 the Buckeyes beat Kenyon, 19-9, but in 1903 OSU lost to Indiana, 17-16 and in 1896 lost to Kenton 34-18. All three of those games were played on Thanksgiving Day.

1995: #2 Ohio State loses at #12 Michigan 31-23

          The Game 1995: Biakabutuka runs Wild  

 

          For the 1st 11 games, it was a dream season for the Ohio State Buckeyes, but starting with The Game, it quickly turned into a nightmare. John Cooper’s undefeated team rolled through the schedule, outscoring their opponents by 269 points, and only had 2 games all season in which they won by 10 points or fewer. The lineup featured the Heisman Trophy winner (Eddie George), the Biletnikoff winner (Terry Glenn), the Lombardi winner (Orlando Pace), as well as the “academic Heisman” the Draddy (Bobby Hoying). Six of these Buckeyes would be drafted in the NFL’s 1st round, including Pace, the overall #1 in the 1997 draft.

 

          Michigan, on the other hand, was sputtering. Having lost the week before to Penn State, Lloyd Carr’s 1st team was just 8-3, even though the University had rewarded Carr by naming him the permanent Head Coach a few weeks before The Game. With three conference losses, the Maize and Blue were out of the Big Ten race, as Northwestern had already finished their conference slate undefeated. The Wildcats did lose a non-conference game, to Randy Walker’s 8-2-1 Miami Redskins. Northwestern and Ohio State did not meet, so if the #2 Buckeyes could beat 12th ranked Michigan in back to back seasons, the Scarlet and Gray would play in the Rose Bowl and have a shot at the National Title. But just like in Bo Schembechler’s 1st season in Ann Arbor, a first-year Wolverine head coach would hand Ohio State their first loss of the year in the regular season finale, with Michigan, behind a record shattering Tshimanga (Tim) Biakabutuka day, upsetting OSU 31-23.

 

          Biakabutuka opened the game with a 22 yard run, and Touchdown Tim was just getting started. Wolverines couldn’t capitalize, though, as Remy Hamilton missed a 49 yard FG. Ohio State briefly led in this game, as Josh Jackson’s 37 yard FG went off the upright and through, putting the visitors up 3-0 midway through the 1st quarter. But that was bittersweet, as the Buckeyes had a 3rd and goal from the 4, but had to settle for the FG after Bobby Hoying was sacked. Michigan answered, Biakabutuka went over 100 yards in the 1st quarter, as his 43 yard run helped set up Brian Griese’s short TD pass to FB Clarence Williams, and a 7-3 Wolverine lead. Early in the 2nd, Buckeyes again drove inside the Michigan 5, only to settle for a 21 yard Jackson FG, cutting the lead to 7-6. Maize and Blue went up 10-6 on a 38 yard FG, set up by Biakabutuka’s 33 yard run. Late in the 2nd quarter, Shawn Springs acrobatic interception, gave the Buckeyes a little momentum, as Jackson kicked a 3rd FG, cutting the lead to 10-9 at the break, and OSU would get the ball to start the 3rd quarter.

 

          Before the game, Glenn guaranteed a win, in the 1st half, he caught 4 passes for 72 yards, all against a Freshman CB from Fremont, Ohio. On the opening play from scrimmage of the 3rd quarter, Hoying went to his top threat, but Charles Woodson turned the momentum back to the Maize and Blue, as the former Fremont Ross Little Giant, made a big play, intercepting the pass at midfield, and then shutting down Glenn for the rest of the game. Biakabutuka added a 23 yard run, and a couple plays later, Griese scored from 2 yards out putting the home team up 17-9. Late in the 3rd, Buckeyes finally got into the end zone, as the Silver Bullets gave them a boost. Mike Vrabel dropped into a coverage and picked off the Griese pass, returning it to the Michigan 25 yard line. Hoying hit TE Rickey Dudley over the middle for a 23 yard gain to the one. From there, George dove over the pile for the TD, 2 point conversion attempt failed, Buckeyes trailed 17-15. Biakabutuka went back to it, with another long run, a 38 yarder, with Springs on his back for the final 15 yards. That drive carried over into the 4th quarter, with Williams scoring again, an 8 yard TD and a 24-15 lead. Touchdown Tim finally lived up to that nickname in the 4th, as the scored his only TD, a 2 yard run for a 31-15 lead. Biakabutuka finished the day with an astounding 313 yards on 37 carries, the most yards Ohio State has ever allowed to a single back. Buckeyes mounted a comeback, with Hoying throwing a 19 yard TD pass to Buster Tillman, and this time converting on the try for two, with George, coming out of the backfield in motion and catching a pass. Ohio State trailed 31-23 with 6:33 to go. Ohio State got the ball back, down 8, a 4th and 3 was converted as Hoying completed to Tillman at the Michigan 48 yard line. A completion to Dudley moved the ball to the 34 yard line, but then that Freshman from Fremont came up with his 2nd interception ending the Ohio State threat, and sending Northwestern to the Rose Bowl.

 

          George did rush for 104 yards on 21 carries, and caught 5 passes for 50 yards, but was completely overshadowed by Biakabutuka’s career day. Ryan Miller and Kevin Johnson both had 11 tackles for the Buckeyes but there were simply too many missed tackles, particularly on Biakabutuka for OSU to remain undefeated. While the Michigan D held Ohio State to 124 yards below their rushing average, the Silver Bullets allowed nearly twice as many yards to the Wolverines on the ground than they had allowed to any other foe. Ohio State would head to Orlando to take on Tennessee in the Citrus Bowl, while Carr’s first season ended with a 9-4 record after losing to Texas A&M 22-20 in the Alamo Bowl.

 

1989: #25 Ohio State loses at #3 Michigan 28-18

          The Game 1989: Bo’s last game

          John Cooper’s 2nd Buckeye team was much improved over his 1st and came into The Game with an outside shot at the Rose Bowl. Michigan, in what would prove to be Bo Schembechler’s final season, was 7-0 in Big Ten play, with Ohio State and Illinois a game back of the Wolverines. So, a Buckeye win over their arch-rival would create a shared league crown. But in order to get to Pasadena, OSU would need a win over UM and have winless Northwestern upset the Fighting Illini.

 

          The Maize and Blue built a 14-0 lead late in the 2nd quarter beating the Buckeyes at the line of scrimmage and racking up lots of rushing yards. Leroy Hoard’s 1 yard TD gave the home team the 7-0 lead, as the future Cleveland Brown gained 152 yards on 21 carries. In the 2nd quarter, Allen Jefferson crossed the goal line from 2 yards out to put the Wolverines up 14-0. Twenty-five seconds before half, OSU got on the board, as Pat O’Morrow, who had missed a FG earlier, connected from 20 yards out. The Scarlet and Gray nearly got a TD before the half, as Greg Frey’s pass to Jeff Graham in the end zone was knocked down by UM CB Todd Plate. In the 3rd, the Virginian brought OSU within a score, with his 2nd FG, 22 yarder. The Buckeyes had the momentum and ran with it, as FB Scottie Graham barreled into the end zone from 3 yards out, OSU tried to tie the game, but the 2 point conversion was stopped, and they still trailed 14-12. Graham finished the day as the Buckeye’s leading rusher, gaining 133 yards on 28 carries.

 

          The fun was just getting started. Early in the 4th, UM QB Michael Taylor (yup, another Ohio Wolverine, Taylor was from the Cincinnati area) threw a short TD pass to RB Jarrod Bunch, and the home team was up 21-12. Ohio State’s next drive started at their won 20 yard line, 11 plays and 80 yards later, Graham had his 2nd TD, this time the PAT attempt was blocked, leaving the Buckeyes trailing 21-18. The defense forced a punt, and with just over 3:00 remaining the visitors had a chance to tie it, or with a TD take the lead. Frey dropped back to pass and threw downfield, intended for Greg Beatty, but Plate was there for his 2nd big play of the game, as the former walk-on intercepted the throw, and the turnover lead the Michigan’s final score, a 23 yard Bunch run for the 28-18 final score. Frey threw 2 picks, yet OSU won the turnover battle, as Taylor had an INT to go along with a pair of Wolverine fumbles. Ohio State would miss out on the Rose Bowl, settling for a trip to Tampa and the Hall of Fame Bowl against Auburn. Meanwhile, a few weeks before his 9th Rose Bowl, Schembechler, after 21 seasons, announced he was retiring, with assistant coach Gary Moeller taking over. Michigan could not send Bo out as a winner, losing to USC in the Rose Bowl, 17-10, finishing the year 10-2, as Schembechler went 2-7 in his trips to Pasadena.

 

 

1978: #16 Ohio State loses to #6 Michigan 14-3

          The Game 1978: Woody’s last game

 

         The 75th installment of The Game proved to be Woody Hayes’s last, but no one could foresee that, after Bo Schembechler and company left Columbus with a 14-3 victory, the Big Ten Title, a Rose Bowl berth and 5-4-1 record against his mentor. Like all of the engagements in the Ten Year War, this game had a direct impact on the Rose Bowl, as Ohio State, Michigan and Michigan State were all tied atop the Big Ten with 6-1 league marks. The Spartans, serving a 2nd year of probation, were ineligible for the post-season, so whoever won The Game would go on to Pasadena. But unlike in years past, this wasn’t a top-10 battle. Michigan at 9-1 overall, was ranked 6th, but the 7-2-1 Buckeyes were only #16.

 

          Michigan got the ball first, punted to the Buckeyes, who drove deep into enemy territory, only to have Bob Atha miss on a 38 yard FG attempt. After another Wolverine punt, Ohio State got on the board first, as Atha connected on a 29 yard FG but after that, it was all Michigan, as QB Rick Leach, hampered by a leg injury, beat the Buckeyes with his arm, throwing a 30 yard TD to Rodney Feaster late in the 1st quarter, for a 7-3 lead. As is so often the case in The Game, weather played a factor, rain made the ball slippery and both teams had trouble getting traction on Ohio Stadium’s turf. Late in the scoreless 2nd quarter, Michigan threatened, as Leach connected with Gene Johnson at the Buckeye 2 yard line, but DB Vince Skillings stripped the Flint native and recovered in the end zone for the touchback. Home team trailed 7-3 at the break, but got the ball to start the 3rd quarter. Didn’t do them much good, as they punted back to the Wolverines, the two teams combined for 13 punts in the defensive struggle. The Maize and Blue got back into the end zone in the 3rd quarter, as Leach tossed his 2nd TD pass, this one an 11 yarder to Roosevelt Smith. Defense took over from there, as Michigan won 14-3. Ohio State only had one 1st down in the 2nd half, as the visitors effectively played keepaway. Wolverines had 80 offensive plays to OSU’s 61, and outgained the Buckeyes by 150 yards.

 

          For the 1st time since a four game slide from 45-48, Ohio State had lost three in a row to That Team Up North, and with a 7-3-1 record, were going to Jacksonville and the Gator Bowl. It was the 1st time the Buckeyes went to a bowl game that was not considered a major bowl. Wolverines shared the league title with Michigan State, marking the first time since 1967, that someone other than the Big Two could claim at least a share of the Big Ten title. Wolverines finished the year 10-2 after losing to USC in the Rose Bowl, 17-10.

 

          2001: Ohio State beats #11 Michigan 26-20 in Ann Arbor

          The Game 2001: Buckeye Fans Proud of their Team

          310 days after Jim Tressel was hired as Ohio State’s 22nd Head Football Coach, Buckeye fans were proud of the team on the field, as the unranked Buckeyes upset #11 Michigan 26-20, their 1st win in Ann Arbor since Earle Bruce’s final game as Buckeye head coach. Ohio State’s Big Ten title hopes were dashed the week before with the loss at home to Illinois, but Michigan, at 6-1 in league play, 8-2 overall, were tied with the Fighting Illini, and held the tie-breaker with a win over Ron Turner’s team.

 

          I’ve always thought people have taken Tressel’s statement at halftime of the Ohio State Michigan basketball game the wrong way. He didn’t guarantee a win, he simply said Buckeye fans would be proud of the team in 310 days in Ann Arbor. You can be proud of a team in defeat, if they play hard, if the play well, it they don’t give up. Things that often were not the case with Ohio State teams under John Cooper. But I certainly understand there is a mindset that exists that says you can only be proud of a team in victory. It’s just a mindset I reject.

 

          Senior QB Steve Bellsari was reinstated for this game following his DUI arrest the previous week, but the co-captain would not start, in fact, didn’t even play, as he was the 4th string signal caller. Red-shirt sophomore Craig Krenzel got his 1st career start in his home state. The Silver Bullets helped set the tone, after a the Buckeyes went three and out, John Navarre’s 3rd down pass was tipped and All-American safety Mike Doss made the pick at the Michigan 39 yard line and returned it 35 yards. Two plays later, Sr. RB Jonathan Wells bounced outside for the 1 yard score and a 7-0 lead. The arch-rivals traded punts for the rest of the quarter.

 

          Early in the 2nd, on 3rd and 13, Krenzel completed a 12 yard pass to WR Chris Gamble, but he was brought down a yard shy of the 1st down marker, at the Michigan 46 yard line. Early 2nd, just inside midfield, already leading 7-0, Tresselball dictates a punt here, right? I mean, pin Michigan deep, play the field position game. Perhaps, but that’s not what Tressel did here, they went for it, handed off to Wells, and he got the 1st down and then some. The New Orleans native burst through the right side of the line, wasn’t touched and sprinted 46 yards for his 2nd TD of the game, putting the visiting Buckeyes up 14-0. After another Wolverines three and out, OSU drove to the Maize and Blue 13 yard line, but after losing yardage on two running plays, had to settle for a 39 yard FG attempt, which Mike Nugent missed. Silver Bullets redeemed the Special Teams, DE Darrion Scott tipped a Navarre pass and DT Tim Anderson made the interception, Buckeyes took over at the Michigan 28 yard line. Three plays later, Wells had his 3rd TD of the game, an 11 yard rush, and the Scarlet and Gray were up 21-0. Wells finished the game with 129 yards on 25 carries, but sat out most of the 2nd half with leg cramps.

 

          Late in the quarter, Navarre had his 3rd turnover, as DE Kenny Peterson sacked the QB and stripped him in the process, DE Will Smith recovered at the Wolverine 21 yard line. Unfortunately, the Buckeyes could not capitalize, as Krenzel attempt for Michael Jenkins was intercepted by Todd Howard in the end zone. Lloyd Carr switched QBs with Jermaine Gonzales coming in, he did not fare any better. On second down at the 14, while in the shotgun, Center Kurt Anderson snapped before Gonzales was ready, it went over his head and instead of allowing the Buckeyes to recover in the end zone, the Sophomore batted it out of the end zone for a safety and a 23-0 Buckeye halftime lead.

 

          The second half followed a script Buckeye nation would learn well the following season. Michigan made things interesting, but the Silver Bullets came up with the big plays when they were needed. In their opening drive, Michigan finally got on the board, as Navarre threw a 21 yard TD pass to Marquise Walker, cutting the lead to 23-7. Five punts later (3 by OSU, 2 by UM), Michigan threatened again, but Walker, who had a 48 yard reception in the drive, dropped a sure TD pass from the 10 yard line. Wolverines settled for a FG, but Hayden Epstein missed, so late in the 3rd, Ohio State still led 23-7.  In the 4th quarter, Buckeyes Special Teams continued to be not-so special, as Andy Groom’s punt was blocked, giving Michigan the ball at the OSU 9. RB B.J. Askew rushed for a 2 yard score, but the 2 point conversion was denied, Buckeyes leading 23-13. The offense continued to struggle moving the ball without Wells, so the Defense rose to the occasion once again. Doss came up with his 2nd pick of the game, as Navarre threw into double coverage. The Canton native returned it 36 yards to the Michigan 9. But the offense kept moving backwards, after a pair of 15 yard penalties, they had to settle for a 33 yard Nugent FG. The Centerville grad nailed it, and OSU’s lead was up to 26-13. Wolverines didn’t quit, and with just over 2:00 remaining, Navarre threw a 11 yard TD to Walker. The Senior caught 15 passes for 160 yards, but is still remembered for the drop in the end zone. After a Buckeye punt, Dustin Fox insured there would be no last second comeback, as he intercepted Navarre at the Michigan 24 as time expired.

 

          After the game, Tressel was asked about his guarantee back in January at the basketball game, and he quite correctly, pointed out he didn’t promise a win, only promised a performance to be proud of. Wolverines would lose their next game as well, dropping to 8-4 on the season after Tennessee blew them out 45-17 in the Citrus Bowl. Buckeyes were going to Tampa for the 2nd year in a row, and for the 2nd year in a row, South Carolina would be their opponent in the Outback Bowl.

 

 

 

 

 

 

          1990: #24 Ohio State loses to #15 Michigan 16-13

          The Game 1990: Frey Stopped on 4th and 1

          For the 1st time since 1950, neither Woody Hayes or Bo Schembechler were directly involved in The Game. But their fingerprints were all over this one. Gary Moeller was in his 1st season as Michigan head coach, but as a former Buckeye captain, and Bo’s longtime lieutenant, the Lima native knew the rivalry inside and out. He brought the Wolverines into Columbus with a 7-3 record, 5-2 in the Big Ten. The Buckeyes at 5-1-1 in league play, and 7-2-1 overall, had won their last 5 games and still had Rose Bowl hopes. An Ohio State win over Michigan, coupled with an Iowa loss at Minnesota, would send OSU to Pasadena. The Gophers did their part, but Michigan derailed those travel plans with a last second, game-winning FG to win 16-13.

 

          Turnovers were the name of the game, as the home team took a 3-0 lead in the 1st quarter as they turned a Michigan fumble into a Tim Williams 33 yard FG. Behind strong running of Freshman Ricky Powers, an Akron native, the Wolverines tied it with a 27 yard FG. Later in the 2nd, Michigan’s Lance Dutton picked off Greg Frey, leading to Carlson’s 2nd FG, a 30 yarder, and a 6-3 Maize and Blue lead. In the final minute of the half, the Scarlet and Gray got back on the board, as Frey threw a 12 yard TD pass to Jeff Graham, Buckeyes took a 10-6 lead in the halftime break. In the 3rd quarter, Ohio State extended the lead to 7 points, as Williams kicked a 43 yard FG. On the ensuing kickoff, Williams squibbed it to Derrick Alexander who returned it past midfield, giving the Wolverines good field position. Michigan QB Elvis Grbac tied the game at 13 when he connected with his High School teammate Desmond Howard for a 12 yard score off a slant pattern. Later in the 3rd quarter, the visitors picked off Frey two more times, but couldn’t get any points off them, as Carlson missed a 38 yard FG. Under 2 minutes to go, still tied at 13, Ohio State faced a 3rd and 2 from the Wolverines 31, Frey pitched to Raymont Harris who picked up a yard. On 4th and 1, instead of attempting a 47 yard FG, John Cooper and the Buckeyes went for it. Most Buckeye fans don’t fault that decision, but many do question the play call. On 4th and less than a yard, Frey ran the option, was quickly swallowed up by the Michigan D-line and stopped short of the 1st down marker. Ohio State turned it over on downs with 1:38 to go. Wolverines quickly moved down the field, and as time expired, Carlson booted his 3rd FG of the game, 37 yarder and a 16-13 victory.

 

          Wolverines went on to beat Mississippi 35-3 in the Gator Bowl, finishing the season 9-3. A disappointed Buckeyes team was going to Memphis to play Air Force in the Liberty Bowl.

          2002: #2 Ohio State beats #12 Michigan 14-9

          The Game 2002: Party, Karamu, Fiesta, Forever!!!!

 

          Three times in the 90′s Ohio State entered The Game without a loss, only to fall to Michigan. But this year was different, Jim Tressel was the coach, not John Cooper, and the previous year he had won in Ann Arbor, something Cooper never did in 6 tries. As blasphemous as it may sound, there was actually something bigger at stake than “just” a Big Ten title and a trip to the Rose Bowl. With a win over 12th ranked Michigan, #2 Ohio State would clinch a spot in the Fiesta Bowl and the National Championship game. Like so many games in that magical fall, the Buckeyes would win, 14-9, but it wasn’t easy as they rallied late and needed another Will Allen interception to seal the victory and the program’s 1st ever 13-0 start. Heading into the game, the big question was whether Maurice Clarett would play, and how effective would he be as he continued to nurse the shoulder injury that caused him to miss 2 of the last 3 Buckeye games. The Freshman RB from Warren would indeed play and make a major impact on the field as Ohio State had back to back wins over Michigan for the 1st time in 20 years.

 

          Wolverines got the ball first, and got on the board first, with Adam Finley connecting on a 36 yard FG. Buckeyes answered with Clarett, as #13 had a big 29 yard run to get Ohio State deep in Michigan territory. After a pass interference call in the end zone, Buckeyes had 1st and goal from the 2, the handoff went to Clarett, we got around the right corner and stretched the ball over the goal line for the 7-3 OSU lead. Early in the 2nd quarter, Michigan cut the lead to 1, on Finley’s 2nd FG, a 35 yarder. Late in that quarter, Wolverines were deep in Buckeye territory when John Navarre lofted a pass for Braylon Edwards in the end zone. Edwards made the juggling catch for the apparent TD, HOWEVER, there was a late flag. Edwards had clearly grabbed and thrown down OSU’s Chris Gamble and the referee had trouble getting the flag out of his pocket. TD was overturned, and Michigan had to settle for their 3rd FG of the game, a 22 yarder, and a 9-7 halftime lead.

 

          No one scored in the 3rd quarter, and Michigan was 8:32 away from ruining another Buckeye season. But that’s when the Ohio State offense got back on track. On the 1st play following the Wolverines punt, QB Craig Krenzel tried to go deep when Brandon Schnittker made an “interception” for the Buckeyes. Krenzel’s pass was intended for WR Michael Jenkins, but Schnittker, OSU’s FB, had slipped out of the backfield and made the catch 7 yards in front of Jenkins. Play worked as the Freshman out of Sandusky picked up the 1st down at the Wolverine 42 yard line. The drive sputtered, as Krenzel scrambled for 6 yards on 3rd and 7. Facing a 4th and 1, Buckeyes went for it, with the Jr. QB out of the State of Michigan, picking up the 1st down against Michigan on a QB sneak. Earlier in the game, Clarett broke Robert Smith’s Freshman rushing record, as he finished the day with 119 yards on 20 carries. But on this drive his biggest contribution came on a reception. All day long Clarett had been begging for the staff to call a wheel route, where he would come out of the backfield run straight to the sideline and then down the sideline. Tressel was waiting for the right time to use it, and with the Scarlet and Gray down 2 and with just over 6:00 remaining, the time was right. Clarett was wide open, and made the 25 yard catch at the Michigan just inside the Wolverine 7 yard line. Two plays later, Buckeyes dug out another seldom used play, as Krenzel ran the option to his right and pitched to the other Maurice, Maurice Hall. A week after the Columbus native had scored the game winning TD at Illinois, he had the game winning score against Michigan.

 

          But the drama was far from over, Buckeyes were up 14-9, but there was still 4:55 left to go. Visitors faced a 4th and 3 from their own 44, when Navarre completed a 12 yard pass to Ronald Bellamy. Later in the drive, after converting a 3rd and 5 with an Edwards catch at the Buckeye 30 yard line, the Silver Bullets came through. The pocket collapsed on Navarre, Darrion Scott sacked the Wolverine signal caller, forcing a fumble that fellow DE Will Smith recovered for the game’s 1st turnover with just over 2:00 remaining. Ohio State’s offense couldn’t run out the clock and punted back to the Maize and Blue with a little over a minute remaining. Wolverines had no timeouts left, and the drive started with 3 straight incompletions. On 4th and 10, Navarre kept the upset hopes alive, with an 11 yard pass to Edwards. Two more Bellamy catches and a Buckeyes Pass Interference penalty moved the ball to the OSU 26. After an incompletion in the end zone, there was just :01 remaining, Navarre threw one last pass, intended for Edwards, but Gamble and Mike Doss were converging, but before the collision, Allen stepped in front to make the interception, ending the game and sending the Buckeyes to Tempe and the National Championship game in the Fiesta Bowl.

 

          The celebration on the field was epic, as the crowd swarmed the field, with bags of Tostito’s tortilla chips (the corporate sponsor of the Fiesta Bowl) in hand. In just his 2nd season in Columbus, Tressel was doing what he did 6 times at Youngstown State: taking his team to the National Championship game. Ohio State would face equally unbeaten, heavily favored and defending National champs Miami. Michigan was off to the Outback Bowl, where they wrapped up a 10-3 season with a 38-30 win over Florida, in Ron Zook’s first season in Gainesville.

 

 

          1996: #2 Ohio State loses to #21 Michigan 13-9

          The Game 1996: Tai Streets Ruins OSU’s Season

          For the second straight season, Ohio State brought an undefeated record into The Game, but unlike the year before, the Buckeyes had already clinched a spot in the Rose Bowl, their first since the 1984 season. A win over That Team Up North would go a long way in eradicating the bad memories from the ’93 and ’95 games, while keeping the Scarlet and Gray’s National Title hopes alive. The Wolverines were sputtering, having lost their last 2 contests (first time since 1958 the Maize and Blue had lost 2 in a row heading into The Game) as they travelled to the Shoe. A recipe for a Buckeye coronation. except it was the ’90s and John Cooper was the OSU Head Coach. #21 Michigan handed the 2nd ranked Buckeyes a 13-9 defeat, keeping the high scoring Buckeye offense out of the end zone.

 

          For the first time all season, Red-shirt So. QB Joe Germaine started over Jr. QB Stanley Jackson, yet they still shared snaps. In the 1st half , the change in rotation didn’t seem to hurt the Buckeyes as they gained 220 yards to Michigan’s 62. Late in the first quarter, on 4th down, Pepe Pearson’s 34 yard run, gave the Buckeyes a 1st and goal at the Wolverine 2 yard line. But the Maize and Blue D stiffened, stuffing Pearson on 1st and 2nd downs, after an incompletion on 3rd down, Josh Jackson came on for the 21 yard FG and a 3-0 Ohio State lead. In the 2nd quarter, Michigan’s offense put a drive together, but at the OSU 25 yard line, it stalled. Remy Hamilton lined up for a 42 yard FG attempt, but with back-up QB Brian Griese as the holder, Wolverines faked it, with Griese throwing downfield to a wide open receiver in the end zone, but Buckeyes All-American Shawn Springs got back, and broke up the pass, keeping Michigan off the board. Late in the 2nd quarter, still 3-0 Ohio State, Stanley Jackson in at QB, and the regular starter missed Michael Wiley on what should have been a sure TD, instead, Josh Jackson kicked his 2nd FG, a 26 yarder, and with 1:26 remaining in the half, Buckeyes were up 6-0. Griese, now in at QB for the injured Scott Dreisbach, couldn’t run of the clock, with So. LB Andy Katzenmoyer sacking him on 3rd down, forcing a Wolverine punt. Less than a minute to go, Germaine came back in under center, and hit Dimitrious Stanley for a 30 yard gain to the Michigan 14 yard line. After an incompletion, Pearson rushed to the 5 on 2nd down, as the Sr. gained 107 yards in the 1st half. 3rd and 1, Germaine, under pressure, rolled to his right, lofted a pass to Pearson in the end zone, but the RB couldn’t make the catch, and Jackson came on for his 3rd FG, another 21 yarder, and 9-0 halftime lead for the Buckeyes.

 

          In the opening minute of the 3rd quarter, Michigan grabbed the momentum and never let go. On 2nd and 9, from their own 31 yard line, Griese hit WR Tai Streets on a slant pattern, Springs and Ty Howard both slipped, leaving Streets with lots of room to run, and he ran all the way to the end zone, a 69 yard TD score, despite Ohio State still leading 9-7, there was a sense it was just a matter of time. Later in the 3rd quarter, Hamilton put the visitors ahead with a 43 yard FG, and late in the 4th, he added another FG, this one a 39 yarder for the 13-9 lead. Buckeyes last shot ended when Columbus-native Marcus Ray picked off Germaine, the game’s only turnover. Fremont’s Charles Woodson lit the flame for next year, saying , “It was a great victory, to be able to look those people (Buckeye fans) in the eyes and say, ‘This is why I didn’t go to Ohio State. I wanted to win at Michigan.’” Fostoria’s Damon Moore tied Katzenmoyer with a team high 11 tackles, one more than Rob Kelly.

 

          Despite the loss, Ohio State was still going to the Rose Bowl to face Cooper’s former team, Arizona State. Michigan was Tampa-bound, where they finished the season 8-4 with a loss to Alabama 17-14.

 

 

 

          1991: #18 Ohio State loses at #4 Michigan 31-3

          The Game 1991: Desmond Screws Up the Heisman Pose

          Buckeye legend Chris Spielman wanted to play for Bo Schembechler, but his Dad wouldn’t let him go north. He correctly chose to go to Ohio State, but as fate would have it, the NFL’s Detroit Lions drafted the LB and he spent his first 8 years in the NFL in That State up North, giving him great insight into The Game and how the programs feed off each other. “I always say Michigan football would be nowhere without players from Ohio, and the best guy to coach Michigan was from Ohio, Bo Schembechler, so they have to come to Ohio to get what they need to fulfill their football program.” No better example of how much the Wolverines depended on Ohioians than the 91 team, lead by Cleveland natives Elvis Grbac and Desmond Howard, to go along with 17 others who crossed the border to play football.

 

          #4 Michigan came into The Game with a 9-1 record, with their only loss coming to the top ranked Florida State back in September. Meanwhile the 18th ranked Buckeyes were 8-2, so while the Wolverines had already wrapped up a spot in the Rose Bowl, OSU could ruin their undefeated Big Ten run, and make their arch rivals share the league crown with Iowa. It would not happen, as Michigan handed John Cooper’s his 4th straight loss, the worst start of any Buckeye head coach in the series, since Michigan rejoined the Big Ten in 1916.

 

          The Wolverines started fast, opening a 7-0 lead in the 1st quarter on a Bernie Leggett short TD run, a score set up on a successfully converted fake field goal. Buckeyes only points came early in the 2nd quarter, when Tim Williams connected on a 50 yard field goal. But Michigan responded with 10 points off Buckeye turnovers. So, with under 5:00 remaining in the half, the home team was clearly in control, leading 17-3, when Williams punted from the Buckeye 40 yard line. A solid punt, maybe a little too good, as Desmond Howard retreated back to his own 7 yard line to field the kick. Brent Johnson and Jim Borchers had the best shot at tackling the Cleveland St. Joseph grad, but he made them miss, turned on his considerable afterburners, cut to his left, easily outraced Williams to the sideline and sped into the end zone for a Michigan record 93 yard punt return TD. As he crossed into the end zone, ABC’s Keith Jackson said, “Hello, Heisman” and almost on cue, Howard went into the Heisman pose. Or at least he thought he did. Take another look at what he did. The ball is tucked into his right side, and his left arm is outstretched as in a stiff arm. That’s accurate. Standing upright, he raises his left leg, with his knee almost up to his chest. That is where I have a problem. Look at the actual Heisman Trophy, both feet are on the ground. The right leg is outstretched behind the runner, with his left leg firmly planted on the ground, and the ball carrier nearly bent over at the waist. I know I’m nitpicking, but he got it wrong, and compounding that error, everyone now repeats it when “striking the pose,” even the President of the United States. And thus endeth the rant.

 

 

          After the punt return the game wasn’t over, it just felt that way. Tyrone Wheatley added a 3rd quarter TD, as Michigan handed OSU a 28 point loss, the Wolverines biggest margin of victory in the series since the 58-6 win in 1946. Howard, wasn’t just a special teams threat, he did catch 3 passes for 96 yards in The Game, and did go on to deservedly win the Heisman. Michigan’s season ended disappointingly with a 34-14 loss to Washington in the Rose Bowl, while the Buckeyes were going to Tampa and the Hall of Fame Bowl against Syracuse.

 

 

 

          1985: #12 Ohio State loses at #6 Michigan 27-17

          The Game 1985: Michigan Stuffs Buckeye Ground Game

          After upsetting #1 Iowa, the 12th ranked Buckeyes slumped, getting tested by Northwestern before losing to Wisconsin before they prepared for #6 Michigan and the Wolverine’s stingy Defense. The Maize and Blue, with Lima’s Gary Moeller as the Defensive Coordinator and lead by Wapakoneta’s Mike Hammerstein (the team MVP that year), had posted 3 shutouts and only allowed 3 TDs all season heading into The Game. Coming off the demoralizing loss to Wisconsin, and with a Rose Bowl berth still in play, Earle Bruce turned to Woody Hayes for motivation. A few weeks after a heart attack, a weakened Bruce addressed the team from a wheel chair. While his body may have lacked strength, his words did not, as he told the team to go up there and “kick the hell” out of Bo and those smart alecks. To get to Pasadena, Buckeyes would need to beat Michigan and have Minnesota upset Iowa. Neither happened, as Michigan got the 27-17 victory, holding Ohio State to just 90 yards rushing on 30 carries.

 

          Home team grabbed the 1st quarter lead when Ivan Hicks intercepted Buckeye QB Jim Karsatos at the OSU 48 and returned it 10 yards. Seven plays later, Pat Moons made it 3-0 Maize and Blue on a 34 yard FG. Buckeyes answered with a 48 yard Rich Spangler FG. On Michigan’s next possession, So. LB Chris Spielman forced a Jamie Morris fumble, recovered by Eric Kumerow at the UM 19 yard line. FB George Cooper’s 7 yard catch on 3rd and 7, helped set up Keith Byars two yard TD run and 10-3 Ohio State lead. In his final regular season game, Byars limited to just 35 yards on 12 carries. Michigan QB Jim Harbaugh (born in Toledo, but as the son of a football coach, grew up in a couple of places, including Ann Arbor, so we can’t really count him as an Ohio Wolverine) started to dazzle, keeping plays alive with his feet and arm. On 3rd and goal from the 4, Harbaugh kept his cool, coming up with a bobbled snap before hitting RB Gerald White with a TD pass, tying the game at 10 at the half. In the 3rd quarter, Michigan began to pull away, with Moons breaking the tie with his 2nd FG of the game. Later in the 3rd, Harbaugh threw his 2nd TD pass, this one going to TE Eric Kaitus, as the Cincinnati native caught 6 passes for 83 yards. Trailing 20-10 in the 4th, Buckeyes rallied, with Karsatos throwing a 36 yard TD pass to So. WR Cris Carter, already the 16th in his Buckeye career. Following Spangler’s PAT, it was just a one score lead, with Michigan up 20-17. But 2 plays later, Sonny Gordon came on the safety blitz, Harbaugh stood in the pocket and delivered before Gordon unloaded on him. Harbaugh’s pass was on the mark and John Kolesar made the catch, beating William White, and with Gordon blitzing, there was no one back there to stop the Westlake, Ohio native. Kolesar went 77 yards for the clinching score. Kolesar had 4 catches for 109 yards, while Harbaugh completed 16 of 19 for 230 yards.

 

          The 17 Buckeye points were the most anyone scored on Michigan during the regular season. Nebraska would hang 23 on the Wolverines in the Fiesta Bowl, but the Maize and Blue would beat the future Big Ten school, 27-23 to conclude a 10-1-1 season. After dropping their final 2 regular season games, Ohio State fell into a 4th place tie in the Big Ten standings and were off to Orlando to face BYU in the Citrus Bowl, their 1st appearance in that game.

          2008: #10 Ohio State beats Michigan 42-7

 

          The Game 2008: Five in a Row

 

          Immediately following the Buckeyes win in Ann Arbor in 2007, Jim Tressel planted the seeds of what was to come. During his post-game press conference he mentioned that while Ohio State had won 4 in a row over Michigan, no OSU team had beaten the Wolverines 5 straight times. Some 371 days later, his #10 Buckeyes accomplished that feat, with a 42-7 win over UM. In Rich Rodriguez’s 1st season at Michigan, he had already managed to do something Bo Schembechler, Gary Moeller and Lloyd Carr never did: post a losing season. The last time the Wolverines had a losing season, Bump Elliot was the Head Coach, 1967 when they went 4-6. Rodriguez’s team brought a 3-8 record into the Columbus and would not be playing in a Bowl game, ending the program’s record run of 33 straight years in a post-season game.

 

          For a half, The Game was a game. Buckeyes opened the game with the ball and quickly turned it over, as Fr. QB Terrelle Pryor was intercepted on the opening possession, giving Michigan the ball at the Buckeye 13 yard line. The Silver Bullets held firm, with DL Doug Worthington and Nader Abdallah teaming up for a pair of tackles, and after a false start and an incompletion, Michigan missed a 35 yard FG. Buckeyes couldn’t capitalize on a muffed punt, and late in the 1st quarter there was no score. Jr. RB Beanie Wells quickly changed that with a 59 yard TD run. Beanie took a handoff went up the middle, virtually untouched, before breaking to his right and scoring as he was dragged down from behind. In his final game against Michigan, the Akron native rushed for 134 yards on 15 carries, joining Archie Griffin, Tim Spencer, Keith Byars, Eddie George and Antonio Pittman as the only Buckeyes with back to back 1,000 yard seasons. For his 3 game career against the Maize and Blue, Wells had 4 TDs, 412 yards rushing, averaging almost 7 yards a carry. Early in the 2nd, the quick strike Buckeyes hit again, as Pryor threw a 53 yard TD pass to Brian Hartline for a 14-0 lead. Later in the 2nd, after Pryor’s incompletion on 4th and 3 at UM 35, the Wolverines put together their only sustained drive of the game, a 14 play 65 yard march down the field, capped off by Brandon Minor’s 1 yard TD run. Ohio State took a 14-7 lead into the break.

 

          In the 3rd quarter, following a Michigan punt, the Scarlet and Gray needed just 2 plays to cover 91 yards and blow the game open. At their own 9, Buckeyes pitched to Wells, and running to his left, he galloped 42 yards before stepping out of bounds just across midfield, still nursing a sore hamstring from the win at Illinois. The next play, the torch was passed, with Beanie on the sidelines, handoff to Boom Herron and the red-shirt Freshman had his 1st long TD run against the Wolverines, going 49 yards for a 21-7 Buckeye lead. Ohio State’s next score was set up by the Special Teams, as Ray Small, back in the lineup after missing the last 2 games for unspecified team rules violations, returned a Zoltan Mesko punt 80 yards to the UM 8 yard line. One play later, it was 28-7 OSU, with Pryor’s 2nd TD pass of the game, this one going to Sr. WR Brian Robiskie. Early in the 4th, Herron made it 35-7 with a short TD run, the Warren native finishing the day with 80 yards on 8 carries. Shaun Lane forced a Michigan fumble on the ensuing kickoff and Sr. QB Todd Boeckman entered the game to loud cheers. The reigning all Big Ten QB had played sparingly since losing his starting job to Pryor, but in his final game at Ohio Stadium, with the crowd chanting his name, threw an 18 yard TD pass to Brian Hartline to cap the scoring.

 

          The 35 point victory was the Buckeyes biggest in The Game, since 1968′s 50-14 OSU win, the “Because I couldn’t go for 3″ game. The Silver Bullets forced 12 Michigan punts, and counting the missed FG in the 1st quarter, 9 three and outs. LB James Laurinaitis playing in his final game at Ohio Stadium, racked up 12 tackles and a sack. With Penn State beating Michigan State 49-18, the Nittany Lions and Buckeyes shared the Big Ten title, with Penn State earning the automatic bid to the Rose Bowl, thanks to their win over OSU. Ohio State wouldn’t be shutout of the BCS however, as the 10-2 Buckeyes were awarded an at-large bid to the Fiesta Bowl to face Texas.

 

 

 

 

 

         2003: #4 Ohio State loses to #5 Michigan 35-21, in Ann Arbor

 

          The Game 2003: Tressel’s Only Loss to Michigan

 

          Despite the loss at Wisconsin, the 2003 Buckeyes entered the 100th installment of The Game not only with Big Ten title hopes still alive, but sitting at 2nd in the BCS standings, Ohio State was in position to defend their National Title on the field. Meanwhile, Michigan, who had started the season 4-2, had quietly won their last 4 games, and were tied with Ohio State, at 6-1, for the Conference lead. As it should be, winner of The Game would be the outright Big Ten Champs. For the only time in Jim Tressel’s tenure at Ohio State, Michigan would get the victory, as the #5 Wolverines held off a late charge from the 4th ranked Buckeyes to win 35-21.

 

          Wolverines got on the board 1st with an 18 play, 89 yard TD drive in the 1st quarter, with Steve Breaston scoring from 3 yards out. In the 2nd quarter,  Michigan beat Ohio State with big plays, as John Navarre threw a 64 yard TD pass to Braylon Edwards for a 14-0 lead, followed by a 23 yard TD pass to Edwards and a 21-0 lead. Edwards caught 7 passes for 130 yards, while Navarre was 21 of 32 for 278 yards. The offense finally got in gear, as Sr. QB Craig Krenzel accounted for all the yards of a 12 play 81 yard drive. Krenzel completed 8 of 9 on the drive, and rushed 3 times for 18 yards, including a 3rd down conversion. Fr. Santonio Holmes scored on an 8 yard TD pass in the final minute of the half, cutting the deficit to 21-7, the 1st time all season the Wolverines had allowed anyone to score in the 1st half at home. Michigan got the ball back at their won 30 yard line with :44 seconds remaining, but chose to take two knees instead of attempting anything downfield. When asked about that strategy as he was walking off the field at half, Lloyd Carr stared down the ABC reporter saying, “Why would you ask a dumb question like that?” before walking off without answering any more questions.

 

          In the 2nd half, Michigan quickly upped the lead back to 21 points, as Sr. RB Chris Perry rushed 30 yards for his 1st TD of the game, 28-7 Wolverines. After trading punts, OSU got back into the end zone as Holmes, who did not start the game following a campus fight earlier in the week, caught a 13 yard TD pass from Krenzel, Buckeyes trailing 28-14.Later in the 3rd, Krenzel was sidelined with the shoulder injury that bothered him all season, and back-up Scott McMullen came in, and just like earlier in the season at Penn State, he worked his magic, completing 4 of 6 passes, including a 40 yarder to Holmes, setting up Lydell Ross’s 2 yard TD run. Early in the 4th quarter, Ohio State trailed just 28-21. Michigan’s next drive ended at their Buckeye 37 as Chris Gamble, a fulltime, lockdown CB, picked off Navarre. But OSU couldn’t move the ball and had to punt back to the Maize and Blue. Perry, who would go onto finish 4th in the Heisman balloting and win the Big Ten MVP award while also taking home the Doak Walker award as the nation’s top running back, sealed the victory with his 2nd TD run, a 15 yarder. The Fork Union grad (the same school that produced Eddie George) rushed for 154 yards on 31 carries. Krenzel and McMullen combined for a pretty good passing day, 28 of 46 for 329 yards, 2 TDs and 1 INT, but just like all season long, the lack of a consistent ground game hurt the Buckeyes. Defensively, DBs Will Allen and Nate Salley were the Buckeyes top tacklers, with 14 and 11 stops respectively.

 

          Michigan went on the Rose Bowl, their first trip to Pasadena since 1997′s split national championship season, where they lost to USC 28-14, as the Trojans claimed a share of National Title, with the AP voters disagreeing with the BCS Championship winners, LSU. The Buckeyes would participate in a BCS Bowl for a 2nd straight year, going back to Tempe to face Kansas State in the Fiesta Bowl.

 

 

 

          1997: #4 Ohio State loses to #1 Michigan in Ann Arbor 20-14

          The Game 1997: Buckeyes Can’t Flip the Script

          For the 3rd straight year, a team came into The Game undefeated, but this time it was Michigan, and not Ohio State, and just like the previous two meetings, the Wolverines would emerge victoriously, as #1 Michigan beat #4 Ohio State, 20-14, bolstering CB Charles Woodson’s Heisman candidacy.

 

          This game was the high watermark in the OSU-UM trash talking, with David Boston saying he went up against better DBs in practice than Woodson and Marcus Ray. Boston, ironically, from Humble, Texas, went on to predict a Buckeye victory by 2 or 3 touchdowns. According to Ray, a Columbus native who never liked Ohio State, the smack went back to Boston’s recruiting, when the WR visited Michigan and told Ray and Woodson he was going to Ohio State and called the two of them scrubs. All three would play key roles in the game, providing lasting images.

 

          After a scoreless 1st quarter, Woodson helped set up the game’s 1st score, as the Fremont native, who did see some time at WR throughout the season, made a 37 yard catch, probably would have been a TD, if not for Antoine Winfield’s shoe string tackle. Two plays later, Anthony Thomas carried in from one yard out for a 7-0 lead and Michigan’s only offensive score of the game. Buckeyes went three and out, and on the punt, deja vu all over again, as Woodson returned it 78 yards for a TD. Six years earlier, Desmond Howard, en route to the Heisman Trophy, returned a punt against the Buckeyes down the same sideline. At least Woodson didn’t strike the Heisman pose in the end zone. Percy King blocked the PAT attempt, Andy Katzenmoyer picked up the live ball and started running down the sideline, but was tackled at the Michigan 15 before he could score the safety, so Michigan’s halftime lead was 13-0.

 

        Buckeyes started the 3rd quarter with the ball, and looked like it would be similar to the 1st half, as they lined up for what appeared to be Brent Bartholomew’s 7th punt of the game, after another 3 and out. But John Cooper’s team dug deep in the playbook and called a fake punt. Kevin Houser snapped to the up-back, LB Jerry Rudzinski, while Bartholomew leaped in the air, faking a high snap. Play worked, as Rudzinski went right up the middle, stumbling for 20 yards and a 1st down. Two plays later, QB Stanley Jackson completed to WR Dee Miller, with Woodson in coverage, for a 26 yard gain to the Wolverine 9 yard line. FB Matt Keller gained 2 yards on the ground, but on 2nd and goal, Jackson threw his 1st INT of the game, as Woodson picked it off in the end zone. The Silver Bullets forced a three and out and a punt, and the Buckeyes took over at their own 44 yard line. Jackson, under tremendous pressure, made his next bad decision, flipping a “pass” in the direction of no one, and Michigan’s Andre Weathers made the interception, returning it 43 yards for the score, and 20-0 Wolverines lead. Late in the 3rd, with Joe Germaine in at QB, Buckeyes finally got on the board. On 1st and 10 from their own 44, Germaine went deep, and Boston was all alone, as Woodson had slipped, Boston made the catch, his 1st of the game, and back peddled into the end zone, taunting Woodson (they had previously had a pretty intense shoving match) and earning a personal foul penalty. Point after was good, and the Buckeyes were only down 20-7. Both team’s pass rushes were bringing it. Michigan sacked Joe Germaine 5 times (Stanley Jackson wasn’t sacked but had the 2 picks) and the Buckeyes dropped Brian Griese 4 times, Early in the 4th that rush paid off, Gary Berry on a safety blitz, forced a fumble that Rudzinski recovered at the Michigan 2 yard line. On the next play, Pepe Pearson made it a one score game with a TD run, Buckeyes trailing 20-14. Ohio State got the ball back and drove to the Michigan 40 yard line, on 3rd and 15, Germaine threw to Boston, but the pass was high, Boston could only get a fingertip on it and it fell incomplete. Ray undercut Boston, sending him to the turf flat on his back, and giving Sports Illustrated their cover. Ohio State had two more possessions, but could not cross midfield.

 

          Woodson would go on to win the Heisman Trophy, still the only predominantly defensive player to take home the game’s top individual award. The Wolverines went to the Rose Bowl and beat Washington State 21-16 to finish the season 12-0, and #1 in the AP Poll, the Coaches Poll had Michigan 2nd, behind Nebraska. Ohio State’s season would end in a major bowl as well, as the Buckeyes went to New Orleans to play Florida State in the Sugar Bowl.

 

          1986: #7 Ohio State loses to #6 Michigan 26-24

          The Game 1986: Harbaugh Backs up his Boast

 

          If you think Jim Harbaugh only recently became brash and outspoken, then you don’t remember him as the Maize and Blue’s starting QB. Michigan was undefeated the week before The Game, until Minnesota beat them 20-17, after that game Harbaugh said, “I guarantee we will beat Ohio State and go to Pasadena.” Buckeyes were coming in to The Game with a 9 game winning streak, and with the Wolverines loss, had clinched at least a share of the Big Ten title. If they could make the Toledo-born Harbaugh eat his words, they would be going to Pasadena for the 2nd time in 3 years. They could not, as #6 Michigan won at 7th ranked Ohio State 26-24, in a game marked with big plays, and big momentum shifts.

 

 

          Buckeyes started strong, as Jamie Holland returned the opening kickoff 47 yards to the Michigan 45 yard line. Buckeyes went on a 10 play scoring drive, with SR. QB Jim Karsatos finding WR Cris Carter in the end zone for a 7-0 lead, on Carter’s patented fade route. The Jr. playing in what would be his final game at Ohio Stadium, celebrated the catch with the Pee Wee Herman dance. Good times, indeed. Michigan drove into the red zone, but Sonny Gordon’s TFL, made the visitors settle for a 32 yard FG. Later in the opening quarter, Everett Ross caught a Karsatos pass at the OSU 37 and then spun two separate times to break tackles and avoid defenders, moving the ball to Michigan’s 46. Next play, Karsatos pitched to Vince Workman, TE Ed Taggart and Cris Carter opened a huge hole at the line for Workman who started right, then cut left, for a 46 yard TD and a 14-3 first quarter Buckeye lead. Workman had 126 yards on 26 carries. In the 2nd quarter, Michigan added a 2nd FG, and late in the quarter were in position to score again. Under a minute to go, Wolverines had 1st and goal at the 8, when LB Michael Kee intercepted a Harbaugh pass at the one, as OSU took the 8 point lead into the locker rooms. Kee had the 2nd most tackles for Ohio State, as he was credited with 19. Jr. LB Chris Spielman, who badly wanted a face an undefeated Michigan team in The Game, tied Tom Cousineau’s school record with 29 tackles in the loss.

 

 

          In the 3rd quarter, Michigan’s Jamie Morris took over, as Bo Schembechler decided to rein in Harbaugh and run the ball with two TEs. Morris finished the game with 210 yards on 29 carries, and his 2 TDs in the 3rd, sandwiched around a Matt Frantz FG, gave Michigan the 19-17 lead headed into the 4th quarter. Wolverines added to that lead, with RB Thomas Wilcher scoring a TD from 7 yards out. The 1st TDs the Buckeyes had allowed at home to a Big Ten team all season. Visitors clearly with all the momentum, as they had outscored OSU 23-3 since the 1st quarter. Maize and Blue were ready to add to that lead, after a Karsatos interception, Mike Gillette came on for a long FG attempt, but Darryl Lee blocked the kick, giving the Scarlet and Gray the momentum, and a short field to work with. Karsatos, who was shaken up on the interception, returned and threaded the needle for a 17 yard TD pass to a diving Carter, Buckeyes trailing 26-24 with 9:42 on the clock. Defense forced a Michigan punt, but the OSU had to punt it back to the Wolverines. Jr. DB William White came up with the next big play, as the Lima native forced a Michigan fumble, recovered by Gordon, giving Ohio State the ball back. With just over a minute left, walk-on Kicker Matt Frantz came out to attempt a 45 yard FG from the left hash mark. It was long enough, but hooked left of the uprights and Michigan had escaped with the 2 point victory and were going to the Rose Bowl.

 

          The win was Schembechler’s 166th at Michigan, passing Fielding Yost as the school’s winningest head coach. Wolverines went to the Rose Bowl, where John Cooper’s Arizona State Sun Devils won 22-15. Buckeyes would also play on January 1st, as the Big Ten co-champs went to Dallas to face Texas A&M in the Cotton Bowl.

 

 

 

          1980: #5 Ohio State loses to #10 Michigan 9-3

 

          The Game 1980: Bruce’s 1st Big Ten Loss

 

          I come from mixed heritage. My maternal grandfather, with roots in SE Michigan, was a Michigan fan. My paternal grandfather, who held Woody Hayes and George S. Patton in equal regards, was an Ohio State fan. Sometimes we would watch The Game in Maumee with my Dad’s family. Sometimes in Perrysburg with my Mom’s family. Following The Game 1980, in which #10 Michigan beat 5th ranked Ohio State 9-3 in a battle of Big Ten unbeatens, we presented Granddaddy with a Maize and Blue Nerf football with the final score written on it.

 

          The usual stakes were on the line, Big Ten title, Rose Bowl berth and bragging rights. Ohio State had rebounded from the early season loss to UCLA to win 6 in a row, while the Wolverines, after starting the season 1-2, had reeled off 7 wins in a row, thanks to a defense that had not allowed a point in 14 straight quarters leading into The Game. That streak extended to 15 quarters, before the Buckeyes got on the board early in the 2nd, on Vlade Janakievsi’s 33 yard FG, for the 3-0 Ohio State lead. Wolverines countered later in the 2nd with Ali Haji-Sheikh’s 43 yard FG. Tied at 3 in the 3rd quarter, with ball near midfield, Jr. QB Art Schlichter completed to Gary Williams, but Michigan’s Marion Brody popped the ball free and Tony Jackson, a Clevelander playing for the Wolverines, recovered, setting up the game’s only TD. So. WR Anthony Carter caught a 13 yard slant for the 9-3 lead. Haji-Sheikh’s PAT attempt his the upright and was no good, but it would not matter, as the Buckeyes didn’t score again. Michigan Jr. RB Butch Woolfolk rushed 31 times for 141 yards, as the Maize and Blue successfully played keep-away, controlling the ball for over 37 minutes, while running 84 plays, to the Buckeyes 58. Ohio State was just 4 of 15 on 3rd down conversions, as Earle Bruce, in his 2nd season as Buckeyes Head Coach, suffered his 1st Big Ten loss.

 

          With the win, Michigan got the Rose Bowl, beating Washington 23-6, Bo Schembechler’s 1st Rose Bowl victory. Buckeyes were off to Tempe to play in the Fiesta Bowl, against Penn State. 1968-1980 the Big Ten was referred to as the Big 2 and Little 8, as Ohio State and Michigan dominated the league. The two arch-rivals went to every Rose Bowl during that period. Against each other, they were 6-6-1, with each team scoring exactly 176 points. Meanwhile, against the rest of the Big Ten, the so-called Little 8, the Big 2 were 83-5.

          2009: #9 Ohio State beats Michigan 21-10

          The Game 2009: TOs give OSU 6 in a Row over UM

          The 9th ranked Buckeyes had already clinched the Rose Bowl berth, as well as at least a piece of their 5th straight Big Ten title, as they travelled to Ann Arbor. Michigan, in Rich Rodriguez’s second season, was trying to avoid a second straight losing season, not to mention a 2nd straight season without a Bowl game. Ohio State, since the loss at Purdue, had reeled off 4 straight wins thanks to the running game. After averaging 157 yards a game over the 1st 7 contests, the Buckeyes upped that average by more than 100 yards for the 4 games leading into The Game. The Wolverines had started the season 4-0, but had won only 1 of the next 7 games, and that victory was over FCS Delaware St. Two days before the game, Chris Spielman’s wife, Stephanie, lost her legthy battle with breast cancer. The Spielmans would not be forgotten by either set of fans during The Game. Ohio State had a different look on the field, as the team either A) honored the 1954 National Championship team with throwback uniforms, or B) did whatever Nike told them in an attempt to sell a new, alternate jersey by debuting it during the Christmas shopping season. 

 

 

          Ohio State got the ball to start the game, but punted, the first of 9 punts for Jon Thoma. The senior from Cleveland pinned the Wolverines inside their 10 yard line. After DE Cameron Heyward dropped RB Michael Shaw for a 2 yard loss on 1st down, on 3rd down, the Georgia native recovered Michigan QB Tate Forcier’s fumble in the end zone, and the Buckeyes had the lead, 7-0. Score stayed that way until the 2nd quarter, Maize and Blue K Jason Olsenavage atoned for a missed FG in the 1st quarter with a 46 yard FG, home team trailed 7-3. Buckeyes immediately responded with Terrelle Pryor and Brandon Saine rushing for all 80 yards of the TD drive, Pryor’s 25 yard run on the zone-option read, set up Saine’s 29 yard TD run on the following play, and a 14-3 OSU lead. Buckeyes had lined up in the wrong formation, but Saine, on an inside hand off , made it work. Wolverines tried to immediately answer back, on 1st and 10, Forcier went deep down the sidelines and CB Chimdi Chekwa deflected the pass to Safety Kurt Coleman was made the interception at the Buckeye 32 yard line. The Scarlet and Gray couldn’t capitalize, and 4 punts later, the half was over, with the Buckeyes up by 11.

 

 

 

        After forcing Michigan to punt on their opening drive of the 3rd quarter, Ohio State played right into the Wolverines hands, with the ball at the Michigan 45 yard line, Pryor’s pass intended for DeVier Posey popped into the air, and Jonas Mouton intercepted it, leading to Forcier’s 18 yard TD pass to Vincent Smith, Wolverines were within a TD, trailing 14-10. With the clouds starting to part in Ann Arbor, the sun was shining on the Buckeyes. Pryor, Saine and Boom Herron all had runs of over 10 yards on the drive, with Boom picking up 23 yards to set up a 1st and goal from the Michigan 2. OSU lost yardage on the next two plays, but on 3rd and goal from the 12, Pryor floated an underneath pass to Herron, who caught it and ran into the end zone for the 21-10 Ohio State lead. In the 4th quarter, Forcier threw three more interceptions, with Coleman coming up with his 2nd pick, but the Buckeyes couldn’t do anything with the turnover and punted back to Michigan. Wolverines put together their second sustained drive, moving the ball to the OSU 11 yard line, on 2nd and 5, Forcier threw on the run, looking for a receiver in the end zone, but Devon Torrence stepped in front of it for another interception. Forcier wasn’t done, he threw one more pick, with Thaddeus Gibson making an athletic play. The DE dropped back into coverage, and when Forcier tried to throw it over him, he made the pick, ending Michigan’s last threat.

 

 

 

          Ohio State outgained Michigan 251 to 80, and while no Buckeye rushed for 100 yards, Herron, Saine and Pryor were all over 74 yards on the ground. Forcier’s 4 picks in The Game, were the most by a QB since Michigan’s John Navarre threw 4 in the 2001 loss to the Buckeyes. Coldwater’s Ross Homan had a game high 12 tackles in the win. The 21-10 win sent OSU to Pasadena on a 5 game winning streak, to face the Oregon Ducks. Meanwhile Michigan, now 5-7, had back to back losing seasons for the first time since 1962-63. To show you how even the series is, following this Buckeye 21-10 victory, since 1927 both teams had scored exactly 1,309 points against each other, and over the last 84 meetings the record stood 40-40-4.

 

 

 

        1998: #7 Ohio State beats #11 Michigan 31-16

          The Game 1998: Buckeyes Salvage Season

          In 1993, ’95, and ’97 Ohio State losses in The Game cost them Rose Bowl appearances. Two weeks after Michigan State upset the Buckeyes, costing them a potential National Championship, #7 OSU was able to turn the tables on 11th ranked Michigan, beating the Wolverines 31-16, costing Michigan a Rose Bowl berth and stopping the Maize and Blue’s 16 game Big Ten win streak. It did not take the sting away from the previous failures.

 

          Ohio State dominated all phases of the game, as they were never seriously threatened. 1,000 yard rusher Michael Wiley came off the bench (Sr. Joe Montgomery got the start on Senior Day, and was coming off a 144 yard day in Iowa) and on the Buckeyes 2nd possession of the game, put the home team ahead 7-0, with a 53 yard TD run, as FB Matt Keller, and Guards Ben Gilbert and Rob Murphy had key blocks on the TD, as the Jr. finished the day with 120 yards on 12 carries. The Silver Bullets forced a three and out, and then the special teams came through. Wolverines Punter Jason Vinson had trouble handling the snap, and Kevin Griffin was quickly on top of him, the kicker got the punt off, but it didn’t cross the original line of scrimmage, and OSU took over at the Michigan 16 yard line. Three plays later it was 14-0 as QB Joe Germaine hit Dee Miller in the end zone. In the 2nd quarter, Michigan got on the board with a 27 yard Jay Feely FG, 14-3 Buckeyes. Stayed that way until late in the 2nd quarter, when OSU’s “Score” team (the punt return unit), came through again. Freshman Derek Ross blocked Vinson’s punt and fellow Freshman Jonathan Wells recovered at the Michigan 20 yard line. I was down on the field, standing next to former Buckeyes Ryan Miller and Jamie Sumner, with that momentum change, those recent grads knew this year was different. After a penalty, Germaine proceeded to throw his 2nd TD pass, a 30 yarder to WR David Boston, Buckeyes up 21-3, with 3:15 to go in the half. Even though Tom Brady quickly led Michigan down the field, hitting Tai Streets for a TD in the final minute, Ohio State kept the momentum going into the locker rooms, leading 21-10.

        In the 3rd period, Sr. Co-captain Jerry Rudzinski came up with the next big play, intercepting Brady. Off the turnover, Germaine and Boston connected once again, this time a 43 yard TD pass, to extend the Buckeye lead to 28-10. On the game, Boston set an Ohio State series record with 217 yards on 10 catches. Germaine finished with 330 yards (also a Buckeye series record) on 16 of 28 passing. After that, it was all FGs, with Dan Stultz making one for the Scarlet and Gray, and Feely adding 2 more for the Maize and Blue. Leading 31-16, Ahmed Plummer sealed the victory with an interception. Trailing the entire game, Michigan threw quite a bit, in fact, the two teams combined for 95 pass attempts, a series record. Brady and Streets set Michigan series records, as the future Super Bowl MVP threw for 375 yards (albeit on 31 of 56, plus 2 interceptions), while Streets had 118 yards on 9 catches. The Silver Bullets completely shut down the Wolverine ground game, holding Michigan to just 4 yards rushing on 28 attempts. All-Americans Damon Moore, Antoine Winfield and Andy Katzenmoyer all had double digit tackle games.

 

          The crowd rushed the field following the victory, but this time no mass pepper spraying, although many players admitted to tearing up on the sidelines because of good old emotions, and not a chemical reaction. With the win, Ohio State and Michigan had identical 7-1 Big Ten records, but the Buckeyes slim Rose Bowl hopes were dashed later that day, when Wisconsin beat Penn St. 24-3, creating a 3 way tie for the league lead, and thanks to the longest Rose Bowl drought rule, Badgers were going back to Pasadena, while Ohio State would play in the Sugar Bowl against Texas A&M. Wolverines rebounded with a 45-31 win over Arkansas in the Citrus Bowl, as they finished the season 10-3.

 

 

          1992: #17 Ohio State ties #6 Michigan 13-13

          The Game 1992: E. Gordon Gee’s Greatest Win

          Long before E. Gordon Gee’s “I hope he doesn’t dismiss me” line or the “little sisters of the poor” crack, the bow-tied Ohio State President had a long history of opening his mouth and inserting his foot. Like after The Game 1992, 17th ranked Ohio State tied #6 Michigan 13-13, prompting Gee to call it “one of our greatest wins ever.”  The Wolverines, at 6-0-1 in the Big Ten, and 8-0-2 overall, had already clinched the outright league crown, and the Rose Bowl, while the Buckeyes, at 5-2 and 8-2, were going to Orlando and the Citrus Bowl regardless of the outcome of The Game. Played in a cold, November rain, the field conditions, and the crowd, would ultimately play a factor in the unsatisfying outcome.

 

          Buckeyes opened the scoring with a 39 yard Tim Williams FG to take the 3-0 lead. Score stayed that way until the 2nd quarter, when Michigan QB Elvis Grbac scored from 3 yards out on a QB draw on 3rd and goal, but the Cleveland native injured his ribs on the play and would not return to the game. Literally, adding insult to injury, Peter Elezovic missed the PAT, so the Wolverines only led 6-3. In the 3rd quarter, visitors upped the lead to 13-3, when back-up QB Todd Collins scored on a short run, also coming on 3rd and goal. Inches from the goal line, Collins faked the hand off, rolled to his right and strolled into the end zone untouched. Williams cut the lead to 7 with his 2nd FG, this one a 30 yarder, early in the 4th quarter. Buckeyes defense forced a punt, and Ohio State got the ball back, down 7, with 12:16 left in the game. Sr. QB Kirk Herbstreit led his team on a 14 play, 54 yard drive, but the drive seemingly stalled in the Red Zone. After Herbstreit had been stuffed on 2nd and 3rd down runs, on 4th and goal from the 5, Buckeyes went to the air, with Herbstreit hitting WR Greg Beatty on a quick slant, the Senior from Texas made the catch, and with 4:24 to go, John Cooper signaled for Williams to tie it at 13 with an extra point kick and he did. Michigan went conservative, with Gary Moeller blaming the slick field conditions, comparing the prescription turf to an ice rink, and the loud crowd as reasons to, in the words of a contemporary AP story, “play it close to the vest.” Yes, while Jim Tressel was at Youngstown State, national media was still complaining about conservative play calling in the Big Ten. Michigan punted back to the Buckeyes, and facing a 4th and 4 from the Michigan 49 with 1:12 to go, Cooper decided to punt, as well. Game ended with Walter Taylor intercepting Collins’s Hail Mary attempt, returning it to the Michigan 34 before he was tackled with no time left on the clock.

 

          Ohio State outplayed Michigan, leading in first downs, 24-16, and in Total Offense, 362-271. Herbstreit had his best passing day as a Buckeye QB, completing 28 of 46 for 271 yards and the TD, Brian Stablein the main beneficiary, as the WR caught 12 passes for 111 yards. Chico Nelson’s 11 tackles led the way for OSU. After the game, Cooper brought out one of his favorite, down-home adages to explain to the media why they didn’t go for it on 4th and 4, “You want to gamble, guys, but you want to gamble with my chips.” Buckeyes were off to Florida to play Georgia in the Citrus Bowl, while the Wolverines wrapped up an undefeated season, albeit one with 3 ties, with a 38-31 Rose Bowl win over Washington.

 

 

          1987: Ohio State beats Michigan in Ann Arbor 23-20

          The Game 1987: Earle Goes Out on Top

 

          There had never been a Beat Michigan Week like this one, and even with all the Urban Meyer rumors, there never will be one. Following three straight losses, and with a 5-4-1 record, Ohio State President Edward Jennings decided to fire Head Coach Earle Bruce, despite Bruce having another year on his contract, and informed Athletic Director Rick Bay to make that announcement following the game at Michigan. Bay, who had persuaded Bruce to stay in Columbus earlier that year when Arizona made a strong push to lure the 56 year old out West, was flabbergasted. Jennings had no solid reason for dismissing Bruce, and Bay didn’t think the decision could be kept secret over the week, so Monday afternoon, Bay called a press conference and made two announcements. 1) Bruce’s contract was terminated and 2) in protest, Bay was resigning, saying, “It’s a shame, it’s a dark day for Ohio State.” Bruce was allowed to coach in The Game, but there really wasn’t much on the line. Neither team was ranked, the last time that has happened, and neither team had a shot to even share the Big Ten title, as Michigan State had already clinched the Rose Bowl and outright title. Following warm-ups, the Buckeyes, who brought back the red shows from the Cotton Bowl win, took the field wearing head bands, some around their necks. Bruce had no idea what was going on, saw the headbands out of the corner of his eye and was about to start yelling at the team to take them off, before he saw what the headbands said, “EARLE” and thought he couldn’t possibly ask them to take those off. Playing for their now deposed head coach, the Buckeyes came out flat, before rallying for the 23-20 win, the team’s last victory in Ann Arbor until 2001.

 

          With everything that was going on off the field, perhaps it’s not surprising Ohio State struggled in the 1st half, as Michigan outgained them 283-91. A Jamie Morris TD and two Mike Gillette FGs put the Wolverines up 13-0 midway through the 2nd quarter. The home team was driving when OSU DT Ray Holliman forced a Jerrod Bunch fumble, LB Mike McCray recovered at the Buckeye 39 yard line. Tom Tupa finally got the offense on track, driving the Buckeyes 61 yards, capped off by Everett Ross’s 4 yard TD, Buckeyes down just 13-7 at the break. In the 2nd half, Michigan got the ball to start the 3rd quarter, but a LB Chris Spielman sack forced a punt, as the Lombardi Award Winner finished up his Buckeye career with 16 tackles. On the 1st play of the ensuing drive, Tupa hit RB Carlos Snow coming out of the backfield, the Freshman broke a tackle to get outside, picked up a key block from Ross and sprinted down the sideline for a 70 yard TD, and the 14-13 lead. After trading punts, another Wolverine turnover lead to another Buckeye TD. OSU DB David Brown intercepted Demetrius Brown’s pass near midfield and returned it to the UM 19 yard line. Holliman put pressure on Brown, and William White gave David Brown a good block on the return. With the short field, it took the offense just 3 plays to get back into the end zone, after Tupa completed to Vince Workman down to the one, the Sr. QB snuck in from the one, Matt Frantz missed the PAT, snapping his streak of 52 successful PATs, so instead of an 8 point lead, Ohio State was up 20-13. Wolverines answered with Leroy Hoard scoring a 10 yard rushing TD, tying the game at 20, late in the 3rd quarter. In the final quarter, Tupa was shaken up and had to go to the sidelines for one play. Fr. Greg Frey came in on 3rd and 9, and calmly completed a 19 yard pass to Workman to keep the drive alive. Frantz rebounded from the missed PAT and a year after missing a potential game-winning FG in The Game, the former walk-on and future “stand-up comic” came through with a 26 yard FG with 5:18 to go, visitors leading 23-20. Michigan’s next drive came to an end with the Wolverine’s 4th turnover of the game, as LB Eric Kumerow recovered a Hoard fumble at the Buckeye 47 yard line. Ohio State ran out all but :09, turning the ball over on downs at the Michigan 2 yard line. One batted down Hail Mary later, and Ohio State carried Bruce off the field as a winner.

 

          After the game, Bo Schembechler sought out Bruce and told him, “You know how I don’t like losing. But, somehow, today I don’t mind.” Michigan was off to play in the Hall of Fame Bowl, where they beat Alabama 28-24 to finish the season at 8-4. Meanwhile Ohio State, with a 6-4-1 record, were bowl eligible, and the Sun Bowl invited the Buckeyes to El Paso, Texas, to take on Oklahoma State (hey, guaranteed OSU win) but the Buckeyes declined, ending a 13 year Bowl streak. A decision Bruce did not agree with, saying the University was doing a disservice to the team’s seniors. Bruce’s Ohio State career came to an end with a 81-26-1 record, the best in the Big Ten during that span. He had a 5-4 record against Michigan, 4 league titles and a 5-3 record in Bowl Games (but 0-2 in the Rose Bowl). Bruce went on to coach at Northern Iowa and Colorado State, before retiring. In 2002, Bruce was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.

 

 

 

          1981: Ohio State beats #7 Michigan in Ann Arbor 14-9

          The Game 1981: Broadnax’s Big Block

 

          Woody Hayes did not attend any Ohio State games in Earle Bruce’s 1st two years as Head Coach, fearing his presence would overshadow his former assistant and the players. In 1981, Hayes returned to Ohio Stadium for the first time, watching the Buckeyes destroy Duke 34-13 in the season opener. Later in the year, with the Big Ten title on the line, Hayes went back to That State Up North, and saw Ohio State wrap up the league title with a 14-9 comeback win, the first time the Old Man had made a road trip with the Buckeyes since his firing.

 

          Michigan, Ohio State and Iowa all had Big Ten Title hopes, all with 2 league losses. Iowa had beaten Michigan, and the Hawkeyes and Buckeyes did not play in the 1st of 2 years of a true round-robin conference schedule. In the 1st quarter, Wolverines were deep in Ohio State territory, when DB Doug Hill intercepted a Steve Smith pass at the Buckeye 5 yard line. OSU couldn’t do anything with the ball and punted back to Michigan, a low line drive punt that Anthony Carter returned 19 yards to the OSU 29. Wolverines moved the ball to the OSU 4, but had to settle for a 19 yard Ali Haji-Sheikh FG and a 3-0 lead. After another Buckeye punt, Michigan was back on the move, until DB Kelvin Bell tipped a pass and LB Marcus Marek had the interception. Ohio State offense got on track, with RB Tim Spencer contributing a couple of long runs and Cedric Anderson added a 17 yard reception. In a drive that stretched into the 2nd quarter, FB Vaughn Broadnax picked up a key 1st down on 3rd and short at the UM 5. Two plays later, Sr. QB Art Schlichter followed Center Jim DeLeone and sneaked into the end zone for a 7-3 lead. Later in the 2nd quarter, Michigan again drove into Ohio State territory, but on 4th down, Marek stopped Smith short of the first down, and Ohio State took the lead into the break. In the 3rd quarter, more of the same, Michigan drove to the Buckeye 6, before the D rose to the occasion with Shaun Gayle stopping Smith on 3rd and 3, Wolverines settle for another short Haji-Shikh FG, this one a 26 yarder, cutting the OSU lead to 7-6. On the ensuing drive, Schlichter’s pass for Anderson was tipped by Keith Bostic and intercepted by Michigan’s Tony Jackson, one more Cleveland-native that Bo was able to lure North of the Border. But Marek came up with 3 big tackles, forcing another FG, and Ann Arbor-born Haji-Sheikh was 3 for 3, connecting from 23 yards out, home team up 9-7 in the 3rd quarter. Michigan’s Brian Carpenter intercepted a Schlichter pass, but Michigan could not capitalize, as Bell and Hill forced a Butch Woolfolk fumble, recovered by Shaun Gayle. OSU couldn’t capitalize, either, as Bob Atha missed a FG. Michigan had a chance to put the game away, driving to the OSU 8, when Smith threw his 3rd interception, with Gayle tipping and Bell catching in the end zone. The offense drove 80 yards, converting a pair of 3rd downs, including a Schlichter sneak, in which he fumbled, only to have Guard Joe Lukens recover. Spencer finished with 25 carries for 110 yards, including a 19 yard gain to the Michigan 9 yard line. On 3rd and goal from the 6, Schlichter had a run/pass option, rolling to his right, no one was open, and there were plenty of Michigan defenders between him and the goal line, but he also had Broadnax in front of him. The sophomore was engaged with one Wolverine, and as Schlichter went past him, Broadnax threw a block on a 2nd defender, giving the QB enough space to get into the end zone, Ohio State up 14-9 with 2:50 remaining. Michigan couldn’t do anything with it, despite crossing midfield 8 times, the home team only had the 3 FGs to show for it, this coming against a Defense that had allowed 50 points over their last 3 games. The Maize and Blue outgained OSU 367-257 and had 5 more First downs, but turnovers and the inability to get into the end zone were too much to overcome.

 

          Iowa beat Michigan State that afternoon, so the Hawkeyes and Buckeyes shared the title with Iowa getting the Rose Bowl bid (their last trip to Pasadena was in 1958, OSU was there two years before). Ohio State settled for a trip to Memphis and the Liberty Bowl to take on Navy. Michigan finished up the season 9-3 after beating UCLA 33-14 in Houston’s Bluebonnet Bowl.

          2010: #9 Ohio State beats #20 Iowa in Iowa City 20-17

          A year after meeting with a trip to Pasadena on the line, the stakes were smaller in the Buckeyes-Hawkeyes rematch, but the drama was just as intense, as #9 Ohio State kept their Big Ten title hopes alive with a come from behind 20-17 victory over 20th ranked Iowa. The Hawkeyes had struggled to match 2009′s success and came into the game with a 7-3 record, 4-2 in the Big Ten. Buckeyes were 9-1, 5-1 and in a 3 way tie for the league lead with Michigan State and Wisconsin. Hawkeyes took a 7-0 lead on a Marvin McNutt TD catch. In the 2nd quarter, Dane Sanzenbacher’s 26 yard catch to the Hawkeye 20 yard line, lead to a Devin Barclay FG. Iowa missed a FG later in the 2nd quarter, but OSU could not capitalize, as Fostoria’s Micah Hyde intercepted Terrelle Pryor off a tipped pass in the end zone. On their 1st drive of the 2nd half, Ohio State took the lead, with Pryor connecting with TE Reid Fragel for the go-ahead TD. An Iowa FG, tied it back up at 10. In the 4th quarter things got really interesting, Shaun Prater intercepted Pryor, off another deflected pass, in Ohio State territory, and the Hawkeyes got ball at the Buckeyes 27 yard line. Back-up RB Marcus Coker, who started for Adam Robinson (out with “academic indigestion”) rushed 26 yards on the next play, and then carried it in from a yard out to put Iowa ahead 17-10. Barclay continued to torment the Hawkeyes, kicking a career long 48 yarder to slice the lead to 17-13, with 7:38 left. John Simon set the tone for the next drive, as he sacked Ricki Stanzi on 1st down, leading to a 3 and out. Buckeyes moved the ball to midfield, on 3rd and 10, Pryor went deep, had DeVier Posey wide open in the end zone, ball right on the money, and right through Posey’s hands. Brutus Buckeye couldn’t believe it. Pryor and Posey couldn’t believe it. Ohio State now faced a 4th and 10, TP dropped back to pass, drifting to his right, with no one open, and plenty of running room to his left, he started moving that way, and picked up the 1st down on a 14 yard scramble. Two plays later, Pryor found Sanzenbacher down the right sideline for a 24 yard pickup to the Iowa 2 yard line. Two more plays later, Boom Herron gave the Buckeyes the 20-17 lead with a 1 yard TD run with 1:47 remaining. Silver Bullets clamped down on Iowa on the ensuing drive, with Cameron Heyward sacking Stanzi for an 11 yard loss on 3rd down and Coldwater’s Ross Homan tackling McNutt 2 yards short of the 1st down marker on 4th and 21. Ohio State had escaped with the victory. Pryor beat Iowa with both his arm and feet, throwing for 195 yards, while rushing for 78. Sanzenbacher caught 6 passes for 102 yards. Michigan State beat Purdue 35-31, and Wisconsin got the win over Michigan, 48-28, so the 3 way tie would continue into the Big Ten’s final weekend. Buckeyes would take a 4 game winning streak into The Game, while Iowa would finish out the season 8-5, beating Missouri in the Insight Bowl, 27-24.

 

 

 

         2004: Ohio State beats #7 Michigan 37-21

 

          The Game 2004: Troy Smith Torments That Team Up North

          Jim Tressel’s critics will try to belittle his 9-1 record against Michigan by saying that he always had more talent on the field than the Wolverines (which is a spurious claim, isn’t that what coaches who are allowed to recruit are supposed to do? Get the best talent for their system) and that his record was inflated by playing bad Wolverine teams. His last 3 wins over the Maize and Blue were certainly over bad Rich Rodriguez teams, but in 2001, 2004 and to a lesser extent, 2007, the Scarlet and Gray prevailed over good Michigan teams that they perhaps should not have beaten. In the 2nd half  of the 2004 season, the Buckeyes finally found their replacement to Craig Krenzel, as Troy Smith, thrust into the starting lineup after a Justin Zwick injury, began to put his mark on the Ohio State program, but the unranked Buckeyes were out of the Big Ten title race with a 6-4 record, 3-4 in the Big Ten. #7 Michigan, coming off a Rose Bowl appearance, were primed to return to Pasadena, with a perfect 7-0 record in the league, 9-1 overall, with their only loss coming at Notre Dame in the 2nd week of the season.

 

          Buckeyes got the ball 1st and needed just 5 plays to get in the end zone, on 3rd and 12 from their own 32 yard line, Smith bought time with his feet, before floating a pass over the middle to Anthony Gonzalez. The son of a former Michigan Wolverines, made the catch at the UM 25, broke one tackle and raced into the end zone for a 7-0 lead just under 90 seconds into the game. Michigan Freshman Chad Henne had not played like a Freshman all season, quarterbacking an explosive offense along with fellow 1st year player, RB Mike Hart. On the Wolverine’s opening drive, Henne hit Braylon Edwards for a 16 yard completion on 3rd and long , found Hart coming out of the backfield for a 38 yard gain, and tied the game at 7 on a 4 yard TD pass to Jason Avent. After a Buckeye punt, Michigan went up 14-7 on Hart’s 1 yard TD run. On the 1st play of the 2nd quarter, Buckeyes faced a 3rd and 3 at their own 41, Smith found Santonio Holmes for a 34 yard gain to keep the drive alive. A 15 yard Smith run set up the tying score, a one yard QB keeper, 14-14 early in the 2nd. On their next drive, Buckeyes quickly moved to the Wolverines 2 yard line, with Ted Ginn Jr. and Ryan Hamby coming up with key catches, but Michigan stopped them on 4th and 1, ball back over to the visitors. Silver Bullets forced a 3 and out, and the Buckeyes were back in business. A 14 yard Smith run put Ohio State at the Michigan two, for another 1st and goal. But the Wolverine D rose to the occasion again, stuffing 3 straight running plays. Tressel settled for the FG, and Mike Nugent converted from 21 yards out, Ohio State up 17-14. Ohio State got the ball back with 1:15 remaining in the 2nd half, and again, quickly moved down the field, on Smith’s arm and feet. The red-shirt Sophomore picked up 18 more yards on the ground, and then hit Ginn for a 26 yard pickup, on 3rd and 15, leading to Nugent’s last second 42 yard FG, Buckeyes leading 20-14 at half, but couldn’t feel too good about that lead, considering how well the Michigan Defense was playing in the red zone.

 

          The two teams swapped punts to open the 3rd quarter, and the Wolverines punted it away again, that’s when the momentum permanently switched to the Buckeye side, as Adam Finley punted to Ginn. The Freshman sensation made a couple Wolverine tackles miss in the middle of the field, and then bounced outside to his left, turned the corner and simply raced all the way into the end zone, an 82 yard punt return and a 27-14 Buckeyes lead. The Cleveland Glenville grad had just tied a Big Ten and NCAA record with his 4th punt return for a TD that season. After another Michigan punt, Smith had a 46 yard rush, which helped to set up Holmes 12 yard TD pass from Smith, and Ohio State were in front 34-14 in the 3rd quarter. Early in the 4th, Michigan threatened to make it interesting , as Henne connected with Edwards for a 46 yard gain down to the Buckeye 8 yard line, Edwards caught 11 balls for 172 yards, while Henne was 27 of 54 for 328 yards. With a chance to cut it to a one score game, Ashton Youboty picked off Henne at the goal line. Henne did throw another TD pass, but the Buckeyes answered with Nugent’s 3rd FG of the game, and Nate Salley ended the game with an interception, with the Buckeyes winning 37-21, to give Tressel his 3rd win in 4 tries against That Team Up North, following this game, no Tressel Buckeye team would be unranked.

 

          This was Troy Smith’s coming out party, he tore up the Wolverines, passing for 241 yards on 13 of 23, while rushing for 18 times and 145 yards, one shy of Cornelius Greene’s record for most rushing yards by a Buckeye QB in a game. But 145 yards doesn’t really do it justice, he kept plays alive with his feet, he was shifty when he needed to be, fast when he needed to be, and above all else, smart with the football. Ohio State was off to San Antonio to face Oklahoma State in the Alamo Bowl, but would have to whether another storm before that. Meanwhile, Michigan, despite the loss, was still going to the Rose Bowl, as Iowa upset Wisconsin, giving the Wolverines the outright league crown, just the 3rd time the loser of The Game, still went to the Rose Bowl (Michigan in 1982 and Ohio State in 1996).

 

          1999: Ohio State loses at #10 Michigan 24-17

          The Game 1999: Penalties Do in Buckeyes

          Forget a half full glass of water, by the late ’90s if you wanted to know if you were an optimist or a pessimist, just check your attitude heading into The Game. Either John Cooper was long overdue for a win or two against Michigan, or it simply no longer mattered, he could not, would not, find a way to beat That Team Up North. No better example than The Game: 1999. Michigan was 10th in the nation, 8-2 overall, but those 2 losses were in the Big Ten, and despite the Wolverines beating Wisconsin, the Badgers had already clinched the league title and the trip to the Rose Bowl, having wrapped up their 7-1 Big Ten campaign the week before. The Buckeyes were reeling, having lost their last 2 games and needing a win over the Maize and Blue to get bowl eligible. Ohio State would outrush Michigan, outgain Michigan, but not outscore Michigan, as the visitors won 24-17, dropping Cooper’s record to 2-9-1 against his nemesis. As the Wolverines used 13 Buckeye penalties and 3 turnovers to earn a bid to the Orange Bowl.

 

          For a while it looked like the upset bid would come through, as Ohio State led for most of the game. TE Kevin Houser gave the Buckeyes a 7-0 lead in the 1st quarter on a 6 yard TD catch. Michigan tied it in the 2nd quarter with RB Anthony Thomas scoring from a yard out, but on the ensuing drive, OSU used 12 plays to go 80 yards, with Steve Bellisari throwing his 2nd TD pass, this one going to FB Jamar Martin from a yard out, Ohio State up 14-7 at the break. In the 3rd quarter, the two teams traded FGs (a Bellisari interception leading to the Michigan 3 pointer) and the Buckeyes had a chance to break it open. Michigan was driving, when Tom Brady dropped back to pass, Mike Doss came on a safety blitz, stripped him, and Clinton Wayne recovered the fumble. Brady tried to argue he was throwing the ball and it should have been an incomplete pass, but it wasn’t snowing, the opponent wasn’t the Raiders, this wasn’t the NFL, and the Tuck Rule wasn’t famous. Jonathan Wells sprinted down the right sideline for a long gain, but Wolverines Todd Wells caught him behind at the Michigan 6 yard line, a 78 yard gain, still tied for the 7th longest rushing play from scrimmage in Ohio State history. Despite having 1st and goal from the 6, Buckeyes could not get into the end zone, so no 24-10 lead, OK, settled for the FG, go up 20-10. Except Bellisari mishandled the snap, the kick was missed, and Michigan was only down 7 points, and had the momentum. Late in the 3rd, Bellisari’s 2nd INT gave Michigan the ball at the Buckeye 8 yard line and on the 1st play from scrimmage, Tom Brady threw an 8 yard TD pass to Shawn Thompson, tying the game at 17 heading into the 4th quarter. The 3rd Buckeye turnover was costly as well, Bellisari connected with Vanness Provit, but as he spun away from a tackler, he fumbled and Michigan recovered, leading to Brady’s 2nd TD pass, a 10 yarder to Marquise Walker, and the 24-17 final score.

 

         The Buckeyes outgained Michigan 368-252, holding the Wolverines to 146 yards below their season average. Thomas was Michigan’s leading rusher (31 carries for 119 yards) and leading receiver (catching 5 passes for 51 yards). Ohio State was whistled for 13 penalties for 115 yards, as opposed to the home team’s 1 infraction for just 7 yards. 111,575 were on hand in the Big House, at the time, a record for a regular season game. Ohio State’s streak of 10 straight Bowls came to an end, while the Maize and Blue wrapped up a 10-2 season with a thrilling 35-34 overtime win over Alabama in the Orange Bowl.     

 

 

 

          1993: #5 Ohio State loses at Michigan 28-0

          The Game 1993: Michigan Hands OSU 1st loss

          John Cooper lost his 1st four games against Michigan, but heading into The Game 1993, there was cause for optimism. Buckeyes had tied the Wolverines the year before, and without question this was Cooper’s best Ohio State team to date. OSU was ranked 5th in the country, and hadn’t lost a game all season, 9-0-1, with the tie coming at Wisconsin. Michigan on the other hand, was struggling in Gary Moeller’s 4th season, 6-4 with three Big Ten losses.

 

          All of that was quickly thrown out the window, as Michigan built a 3 TD lead in the 1st half and went on to shut out Ohio State 28-0, the first time the Buckeyes failed to score against That Team Up North since 1976 and the first time anyone had shut them out since 1982. Wolverines mixed up the run and pass quite effectively, as Todd Collins completed 14 of 20 for 140 yards and 2 TDs against just one interception. Meanwhile, Tyrone Wheatley gained 105 yards on 16 rushes and Ed Davis added 96 yards and a TD. Offensively, the Buckeyes couldn’t do anything, rushing for only 58 yards, and while So. QB Bobby Hoying’s numbers (11 of 24 for 134 yards, 1 INT) were respectable, he split time with Bret Powers who threw 3 picks.

 

          John Cooper called it “by far the most embarrassing game” he had ever been associated with. Michigan was off to the Hall of Fame Bowl where the beat North Carolina St. 42-7, as they finished the season with 4 straight wins and an 8-4 record. Meanwhile Ohio State had to wait 2 more weeks to learn their Bowl fate, and it had nothing to do with the BCS. Wisconsin and Michigan State were playing their regular season game in Japan two weeks after everyone else had played their final game. Badgers beat the Spartans 41-20, giving Ohio State and Wisconsin identical 9-1-1 records. Since they tied in their head to head match-up, Barry Alvarez’s team got the Pasadena trip, on the basis of not having gone to the Rose Bowl for a longer period of time than the Buckeyes (1963 for the Badgers, 1985 for OSU). John Cooper’s team would be San Diego bound, meeting BYU in the Holiday Bowl.

 

        1982: Ohio State beats #13 Michigan 24-14

          The Game 1982: Michigan Makes History with Loss

          From 1968 to 1982, Ohio State and Michigan combined to win, or at least share, every Big Ten Title. Coming into The Game, the Wolverines, 8-2 overall, 8-0 in the league, had already clinched the Rose Bowl berth. Ohio State was 7-3 overall and 6-1 in the league, in the 2nd of back to back years where the Big Ten played 9 game conference schedules, except the Buckeyes and Iowa, and for the 2nd straight season the scheduling quirk worked against Ohio State. Earle Bruce improved his record to 3-1 against That Team Up North, winning 24-14 over the 13th ranked Maize and Blue. For the 1st time in the series history, the loser of The Game, still went to the Rose Bowl.

 

         The visiting Wolverines took a 7-0 lead in the 1st quarter, as Lawrence Ricks scored from a yard out on 3rd and goal, the RB finished with 110 yards on 27 carries. In the 2nd quarter, a Rowland Tatum interception helped set up the tying score, as the LB picked off Steve Smith and the Buckeyes took over at the Michigan 29 yard line. On 3rd and 10, QB Mike Tomczak found TE John Frank for the 1st down. After a penalty and a sack, Tim Spencer and Cedric Anderson catches set up 4th and 1 from the 6 yard line. Buckeyes go for it, with FB Vaughn Broadnax refusing to go down, bulled his way into the end zone, tying the game at 7. Another Wolverine turnover (Smith’s fumble recovered by Jerome Foster) set up the go-ahead score, as Spencer and Anderson again moved the ball down the field, with the Sr. RB scoring from 2 yards out, and a 14-7 halftime lead.

 

         In the 2nd half, Buckeyes were in Michigan territory, when Robert Thompson sacked Tomczak, forcing a fumble recovered by Wapakoneta’s Mike Hammerstein. Smith scored a few plays later on a 4 yard TD run, tying the game at 14. Stayed that way until the 4th quarter, when once again, a turnover turned things around. Tatum and Doug Hill hit Michigan’s Anthony Carter forcing a fumble deep in Wolverine territory, Hill falls on it and three plays later, Spencer puts the Buckeyes ahead for good, 21-14. The Sr. RB played his final game at Ohio Stadium and went out on top, rushing for 124 yards. The Buckeyes had one more takeaway up their sleeve, as LB Marcus Marek, also playing his final game at the Shoe, picked off Smith, setting up a Rich Spangler FG, and the final score, 24-14. Marek’s 19 tackles led the team, as the Defense forced 6 turnovers (Kelvin Bell interception and Clarence Curtis fumble recovery rounding out the half dozen momentum changers).

 

         Buckeyes had now won 6 in a row, and were Bowling in San Diego, taking on BYU in the Holiday Bowl. Michigan, as they often did, lost in the Rose Bowl, 24-14 to UCLA, finishing the season with an 8-4 record.

 

 

          1976: #8 Ohio State loses to #4 Michigan 22-0

 

          The Game 1976: Bo’s Revenge

          From 1972-75, Michigan entered The Game with an undefeated record every season and each season they were denied a Rose Bowl trip by the Buckeyes thanks to 3 losses and a tie. Two weeks before The Game 1976, Wolverines lost to Purdue 16-14, so that streak was over. Speaking of streaks, with a win over #4 Michigan, 8th ranked Ohio State would not only go to a 5th straight Rose Bowl, but also would run their Big Ten winning streak to a record 18 games. Alas, neither of those things happened, as OSU’s streak of 122 games with at least one score, came to an end with a 22-0 Michigan victory, sending Bo Schembechler to the Rose Bowl.

        First half was scoreless, Buckeyes could not move the ball at all, and only All-American Punter Tom Skladany kept OSU in it, as he finished with 8 punts and a 52.2 yard average. Late in the 2nd quarter, Buckeyes mounted their only serious scoring threat, moving the ball to the Michigan 8 yard line, on 2nd down, Jim Pacenta faked a hand-off, but was quickly under a Wolverine blitz and threw an ill-advised pass in the direction of TE Greg Storer, but Jim Pickens intercepted in the end zone. In the 2nd half, Michigan’s offense got back on track, putting together long scoring drives, while keeping the ball away from Ohio State, who had -7 yards rushing in the 2nd half in just 4 series. For the game, Michigan held the Buckeyes to 225 yards below the OSU average. Fremont’s Rob Lytle had a huge day for the Wolverines, rushing for 165 yards on 29 carries.

 

          The last time Ohio State had been shutout, 1964, also against Michigan. Wolverines would lose to USC 14-6 in the Rose Bowl. Buckeyes were now 8-2-1 and for the 1st time in program history, going to a Bowl game other than the Rose Bowl, as they accepted an invitation to face the Big 8′s Colorado in the Orange Bowl. The Buffaloes were coached by former Woody Hayes assistant Bill Mallory.

          2005: #9 Ohio State beats #17 Michigan 25-21 in Ann Arbor

          The Game 2005: Troy Smith leads 4th Quarter Comeback

          The 9th ranked Buckeyes had run off 5 straight wins since losing at Penn State, and were favored as they headed to Ann Arbor to take on #17 Michigan. The Wolverines were 7-3, but after losing to Notre Dame (for 3rd time in 4 years) and handing the Little Brown Jug back to Minnesota, some were rumbling it was time for Lloyd Carr to go. Those rumbles would grow louder, after the Buckeyes scored a pair of 4th quarter TDs to win 25-21, the 4th time in 5 years that Jim Tressel got the better of Carr and company.

 

          After losing the coin toss, Buckeyes got the ball to start the game and drove 80 yards in 13 plays, taking over 6 minutes off the clock. Jr. QB Troy Smith completed 5 of 6 passes on the drive for 61 yards, and scored on a 4 yard TD run, however, the PAT was missed, and the lead was only 6-0. Michigan’s 1st play from scrimmage, a 5 yard QB Chad Henne completion to WR Steve Breaston, was seemingly insignificant, but Buckeye Sr. LB Bobby Carpenter broke his leg on the play, and was done for the game. Little used Fr. LB James Laurinaitis replaced the future 1st round draft pick and filled in admirably. Findlay’s Josh Huston opened the 2nd quarter with a 47 yard FG, for the 9-0 lead. Midway through the 2nd quarter, Pierre Woods forced a Maurice Wells fumble that Gabe Watson recovered at the Ohio State 36 yard line. After the Buckeyes were called for Pass Interference in the end zone, Michigan got on the board when Jason Avent caught a 2 yard Henne pass for the TD, cutting the lead to 9-7. Smith found Fr. So. Ted Ginn Jr. for a 23 yard gain, helping to set up another Huston FG, a 25 yarder, and a 12-7 halftime lead for the visitors.

 

          In the 3rd quarter, the Buckeyes sloppy play caught up with them, after Ginn fumbled a punt return, recovered by Santonio Holmes (the 1st of two times that would happen in the game), LaMarr Woodley sacked Smith causing a fumble recovered by Alan Branch, leading to a Garrett Rivas FG, Ohio State still up, but only 12-10. Later in the 3rd, A.J. Trapasso shanked a punt, it travelled  just 18 yards, giving Michigan the ball at the Ohio State 37 yard line. After another Buckeye pass interference penalty in the end zone, back-up RB Kevin Grady scored from 2 yards out, putting Michigan ahead 16-12, with Mike Hart banged up, Grady got the bulk of the 2nd half carries, but neither one was effective, Hart 15 yards on 9 carries, Grady 11 on 6 rushes. Henne converted the 2 point conversion to put Michigan ahead 18-12 going into the 4th quarter. After Huston missed a 46 yard FG, Wolverines took advantage, a 38 yard pass to Mario Maningham hepled set up another Rivas FG, a 19 yarder, to put Michigan ahead 21-12. The Wolverines had played a nearly flawless game to this point, while the Buckeyes had more than their share of mistakes, but all that would be erased over the final 7:49 of the game.

 

          Buckeyes had good field position after a short Ryan Ross kickoff, and on 1st down moved into Michigan territory as Anthony Gonzalez had a 27 yard catch to the Wolverines 40 yard line. Two incompletions later, Smith, on 3rd and 10, picked up 14 yards on the ground. Next play, Holmes ran a slant, caught the Smith pass at the 7 and dove into the end zone (earning a unsportsmanlike conduct penalty in the process) for the 26 yard TD, Buckeyes down 21-19 after Huston’s PAT. With good field position after the penalty was enforced on the kickoff, Michigan moved to the Ohio State 40 yard line, after Grady lost a yard and an incompletion, Wolverines faced 3rd and 11 at the 41. All-American LB A.J. Hawk tackled Antonio Bass 4 yards shy of the 1st down marker. Instead of attempting a 51 yard FG into the wind, Rivas pooch-punted, with the ball rolling out of bounds at the Buckeye 12 yard line, with 4:18 left on the clock. Much like their 1st drive of the game, Ohio State’s final drive was very efficient, and time consuming. Smith completed 7 of 8 passes for 77 yards, and the Buckeyes never faced a 3rd down situation. The biggest play came on 1st and 10 from the Michigan 30 yard line, Smith dropped back to pass, started to scramble, made a move through a hole, but then jumped back, and completed a 26 yard pass to Anthony Gonzalez at the 4 yard line. Gonzo had been pushed out of bounds by a Michigan defender, but did legally come back in to make the leaping, body-contorting catch. After Smith picked up a yard on the ground, Wolverines used their final timeout to stop the clock with 29 seconds left in the game. On the next play, Antonio Pittman lowered his head, and bulled into the end zone, despite a pair of Wolverine tacklers meeting him at the 2 yard line. Buckeyes went for the 2 point conversion, were denied, but still led 25-21 with just :24 left. Huston’s kickoff went into the end zone, so Michigan started at their own 20 yard line, after  Jason Avent picked up 22 yards on a catch, Michigan spiked to stop the clock, Henne completed his final pass to Tyler Ecker but instead of getting out of bounds, the TE fought for more yardage and was tackled in bounds, Wolverines never got another snap. Buckeyes won 25-21.

 

          Smith, who had hurt Michigan the year before with his feet and arm (241 yards passing, 145 yards rushing), won this game with his arm, completing 27 of 37 passes for exactly 300 yards, his 1st career 300 yard game. As I was watching this game on TV, an almost old-school 1:00 start time, the setting sun started to shine through a window and reflect off the beveled edge of a mirrored award, which reflected a prism over the television set. At first I was annoyed, and was close to moving the award, but as Holmes dove into the end zone, I realized the prism was forming an arc over the left side of the set, much like a rainbow. The Buckeyes were driving to that side, making the Wolverines end zone the end of the rainbow and we all know a pot of gold can be found at the end of rainbow. I didn’t move the award, and the Buckeyes had their 1st 4th quarter comeback victory in The Game, since Vaughn Broadnax’s 3 Wolverine Block paved the way for Art Schlichter in 1981. The loss dropped Michigan to 7-4 on the season and sent them to the Alamo Bowl, ending their 9 year run of January Bowl Games, where they lost to Nebraska, 32-28. The Buckeyes missed out on an outright Big Ten Title, as Penn State beat Michigan State, 31-22, and the Nittany Lions were on their way to Pasadena, as they beat Ohio State in the head to head matchup. Buckeyes wouldn’t miss out on the BCS fun, as they got an invitation to head back to the desert, facing Notre Dame in the Fiesta Bowl, the 3rd time in 4 years, OSU would play in Tempe.

 

 

 

          1994: #22 Ohio State beats #15 Michigan 22-6

          The Game 2004: Coop finally beats Michigan

          With Penn State undefeated, and the 22nd Buckeyes and #15 Michigan with identical 5-2 Big Ten records, this meeting wasn’t for the Rose Bowl, but rather for the Citrus Bowl. It would be Ohio State going to Orlando, after the 22-6 victory, John Cooper’s 1st win over the Wolverines while at OSU. Injured Michigan WR Walter Smith provided the bulletin board material for this one, as earlier in the week  he said Michigan wanted to win, so that Cooper would be fired. A bit of circular logic is you ask me, Michigan was 5-0-1 against the Buckeyes since Cooper took over in 1988. You’d think they would want Cooper to stick around a few more years to pick up some more wins.

 

         In an attempt to inspire the Buckeyes, AD Andy Geiger and hero of the 1968 National Championship team, Rex Kern, organized some 300 former Buckeyes to come down on the field and form the very 1st Tunnel of Pride. In the 1st quarter of a scoreless game, Buckeyes Punter Scott Terna booted a ball deep in Michigan territory, for whatever reason, Amani Toomer did not call for a fair catch, and special teams demon Tito Paul downed the ball at the one yard line. On the 1st play from scrimmage, Wolverines QB Todd Collins got his feet tangled and fell in the end zone, a safety, giving Ohio State the 2-0 lead. On the ensuing drive, which stretched into the 2nd quarter, Buckeyes converted a 3rd and 11 when FB Nicky Sualua made a catch out of the backfield and dragged tacklers to the Michigan 5 yard line. QB Bobby Hoying faked a pitch and with rolled out on a naked bootleg, with Rickey Dudley sealing a lane into the end zone, the Jr. QB scored the game’s 1st TD, 9-0 Ohio State. Later in the 2nd, Hoying hit Joey Galloway on a 4th and 5 play, keeping the drive alive, as Josh Jackson came on for make a 26 yard FG and a 12-0 lead. Michigan got back into the game, as a 59 yard Toomer catch help set up Remy Hamilton’s 22 yard FG, the Wolverines only points of the 1st half.

 

         The 3rd quarter, was more of the same, Michigan driving, having to settle for another 22 yard Hamilton FG, while the Buckeyes offense was stuck in neutral. In the 4th quarter, Wolverines were once again in the Ohio State red zone, but once again could not get into the end zone, settling for another Hamilton FG attempt. But this time, the snap was high, giving Marlon Kerner, who blocked a potential game winning FG the year before in Wisconsin, time to get in there and block this attempt. Instead of clinging to a 3 point lead and on their heels, the Buckeyes had the momentum, and the offense got back in gear. After finally picking up a 1st down, Ohio State had only 10 yards in the entire 3rd quarter, Buckeyes got back on the board, with a 36 yard Josh Jackson FG, 15-6, Ohio State. Michigan’s next possession ended in a turnover, as DT Luke Fickell deflected a Collins pass and made the interception. Occasionally going with a Jumbo package, with Fr. Orlando Pace, 325 lbs, lining up on the same side as Jr. Korey Stringer, 350 lbs, Buckeyes started to pound the running game, with Eddie George scoring a 2 yard TD for the game’s final score. Lima native Gary Moeller laid the blame on the defeat on his offense, as Michigan drove into the red zone 4 times, but only had 2 FGs to show for it. It was the 1st time the Maize and Blue were held without a TD in 112 games. Ironically, the last time Michigan was without a TD, a 3-3 tie at Illinois in 1985, was the same day the Buckeyes were upsetting #1 Iowa.

 

         With his 1st win over Michigan, Cooper job was safe, although it is debatable, despite what Walter Smith thought, if Coop was in serious trouble. There would be a new coaching match-up in The Game the following season, as Moeller was fired following a drunken incident at a Detroit area restaurant. The crowd rushed the field, so much easier to do in the days of the track’s on-field seating and before the field was lowered during the turn of the century renovation. The crowd, along with John Cooper, most of the Buckeye players and the media, were pepper sprayed in an attempt to control the chaos. The Buckeyes were off to the Citrus Bowl to take on Alabama, while Michigan would head to San Diego to beat Colorado State 24-14 in the Holiday Bowl to finish the season 8-4.

 

 

          1988: Ohio State loses to #12 Michigan 34-31

          The Game 1988: Buckeyes 2nd Half Rally not Enough

          John Cooper’s 1st taste of The Game, proved to be a fitting synopsis of his experience in the rivalry, lots of thrills and chills, the outcome would affect the Big Ten title, and the Buckeyes would come up short in the end, losing to 12th ranked Michigan, 34-31. After starting the season with losses to Notre Dame and Miami, the Maize and Blue won three in a row, before tying Iowa, and then winning their next 4. Wolverines had already clinched a Rose Bowl berth, but an Ohio State win would force Michigan to share the title with in-state foe Michigan State. Among the reasons why John Cooper was hired, his Arizona State Sun Devils beat Michigan in the 1987 Rose Bowl.

 

 

         The Wolverines started strong and fast, building a 20-0 lead in the 1st half, including a 56 yard Mike Gillette FG, while outgaining the Buckeyes 313-116 yards in the 1st 30 minutes. Michigan RBs Leroy Hoard and Tony Boles were both on their way to 100 yard rushing games, the last time OSU allowed two 100 yard rushers until the trip to Nebraska in 2011. In the 2nd half, the Scarlet and Gray took over, scoring on their next 5 possessions. Carlos Snow spearheaded the comeback as the So. RB got the Buckeyes on the board with a 4 yard TD. The Cincinnati native had a career high 170 yards on 25 carries. On the next drive, FB Bill Matlock found pay dirt, a 9 yard rushing TD, Ohio State trailed 20-14 as the 3rd quarter ended. Early in the 4th, Buckeyes drove 90 yards, with QB Greg Frey throwing his only TD pass of the game, a 14 yarder to Bobby Olive, home team had their 1st lead, 21-20. Michigan’s next drive ended with a turnover, as DT Pat Thomas forced a Boles fumble, recovered by Mike Sullivan at the Wolverine 22 yard line. Buckeyes had a first and goal at the UM 3, but could not get into the end zone and had to settle for a 24-20 lead on a Pat O’Morrow FG, his 18th of the year tying Vlade Janakievski’s school record. Michigan’s offense woke back up, driving 76 yards capped off by Hoard’s 2nd TD of the game, reclaiming the lead 27-24, with 4:20 left to go. Buckeyes offense stayed on track, marching 92 yards, with Matlock scoring his 2nd TD of the game, this one a 16 yarder. The Columbus native entered the game with 0 TDs and just 264 yards on 61 carries, but had a career day in The Game, putting the Buckeyes back in front, 31-27 with 2:02 remaining. But Michigan had one more comeback left in them, thanks to an Ohio native. John Kolesar, from Westlake, gave the Wolverines good field position, returning the ensuing kickoff 59 yards to the Buckeye 41 yard line. Two plays later, the Senior WR caught the go-ahead TD pass from Demetrious Brown, 34-31 Michigan. Buckeye got the ball back with 1:36 left, drove to the Michigan 39, but Marc Spencer intercepted Frey, ending the Buckeyes comeback attempt and their season. The two teams combined for 968 total yards of offense, with each team picking up 24 first downs.

 

         At 4-6-1, Ohio State had their worst record since going 4-5 in 1966 and for the 2nd year in a row were not going to play in a Bowl Game. It was also just the 2nd time John Cooper had a losing record in his coaching career. Michigan was the outright Big Ten Champs, and would go on to beat USC in the Rose Bowl, 22-14 to finish the season 9-2-1. The win in the Granddaddy of ‘em All was Bo Schembechler’s 2nd, and final, victory in Pasadena.

 

 

          1983: #10 Ohio State loses at #8 Michigan 24-21

          The Game 1983: Lachey Right backfires

          Illinois had pretty much wrapped up the Big Ten title, the Fighting Illini only had to beat the 2-8 Northwestern Wildcats, to claim their first outright league title in 20 years. #10 Ohio State and 8th ranked Michigan were both 8-2 overall, but Michigan had just one league loss, while the Buckeyes had two. After the trip to Ann Arbor, Earle Bruce’s team had a 3rd loss for 4th straight year, falling 24-21 as turnovers doomed OSU’s chances.

 

          Wolverines scored the game’s first 10 points, as Shaun Gayle gambled on an interception attempt, missed and Triando Markray walked into the end zone on a 67 yard TD. In the 2nd quarter, Buckeyes got on the board as Keith Byars capped a short TD drive with a one yard score, OSU trailed 10-7 at the break. In the third quarter, Buckeyes took the 14-10 lead, on another Byars TD run, as he finished the game with 115 yards on 26 carries. Byars also set a Big Ten record with his 19th rushing TD of the season, breaking the mark  of 18 set by Michigan State’s Eric Allen. The So. RB started the drive with a 19 yard run, then QB Mike Tomczak hit WR Thad Jemison for 10 yards, and Cedric Anderson for an additional 22 yards down to the Wolverine 18 yard line. On the next play, Tomczak, on the option, pitched to the big Dayton native for an 18 yard TD. Early in the 4th, Wolverines regained the lead, 17-14, as QB Steven Smith kept it on a 2nd and goal from the 2 yard line. Ohio State began their next drive at their own 20 and needed just 3 plays to gain 42 yards. All week in practice, the Buckeyes had been successfully practicing their own version of the fumble-rooski, called Lachey Right. Buckeyes Center Joe Dooley would snap the ball to Tomczak, who would place the ball on the ground before faking a pitch to Byars to the left, the entire line would block to the left, except Left Guard Jim Lachey. The St. Henry native, who was a very good high school basketball player, was always known as an agile big man, quick on his feet. The Junior was supposed to pick up the ball, and then run to the right, as the Defense continues to pursue Byars to the left. On second down, Buckeyes called Lachey-Right, but alas, the future 1st round draft pick, never got the ball, it was kicked on the intricate play, and Wapakoneta’s Mike Hammerstein recovered at the Michigan 40 yard line, one of 2 Buckeye fumbles the home team fell on. Wolverines extended the lead to 24-14 as Smith hit TE Eric Kattus, for a 8 yard TD, just the Junior from Cincinnati’s 2nd catch of the season. Buckeyes rallied, with Tomczak throwing his only TD pass, a 32 yarder to Cedric Anderson, bringing the Buckeyes back within three, 24-21. Anderson caught4 passes for 94 yards, as Tomczak completed 21 of 40 for 298 yards, and 2 costly INTs. His 1st set up Smith’s TD, and his second sealed the victory, as Mike Mallory, son of former Buckeye Assistant Bill, tipped a pass intended for TE John Frank (who had caught 10 passes for 123 yards), and Brad Cochran had his 2nd pick. On the return, Byars managed to knock the ball free, but Mallory was there for the recovery.

 

          The Buckeyes modest 2 game winning streak in the rivalry was over. Ohio State would head to Arizona for their 2nd trip to the Fiesta Bowl, where they would take on Pittsburgh. Michigan, also would play in a major bowl, as they traveled to New Orleans to face off against Bo Jackson and the Auburn Tigers. Despite holding Bo in check, Wolverines lost 9-7 to finish the season 9-3.

 

 

 

          1977: #4 Ohio State loses at #5 Michigan 14-6

          The Game 1977: Classic Woody Tantrum

          It was a typical engagement in the 10 Year War, Woody and Bo both had top 5 teams. #4 Buckeyes had the better Big Ten record, 7-0, while the 5th ranked Wolverines were a game back in the league race, yet both teams were 9-1 overall. Ohio State would dominate the statistics, but Michigan outscored them 14-6 for the win. A then record crowd of 106,024 filled the Big House and saw their Wolverines capitalize on Buckeye turnovers in the win. Ohio State was able to move the ball all day on Michigan, outgaining the Wolverines 352-196 and picking up 23 first downs to the home team’s 10. But the Maize and Blue’s Defense came through when it mattered most, in the Red Zone. Ohio State took 19 snaps inside the Michigan 20 yard line, and only could manage a pair of Vlade Janakievski FGs. Trailing 3-0, the home team took the lead on a Roosevelt Smith TD. In the 3rd quarter, Wolverine LB Ron Simpkins recovered a Ron Springs fumble at the Ohio State 20 on the Buckeye’s 2nd play of the 2nd half. QB Rick Leach put the home team up 14-3 on a short TD run on the ensuing drive. Late in the 4th quarter, trailing 14-6, Ohio State had a 1st and goal at the 8 yard line. Disaster struck again, as QB Rod Gerald slipped on the Michigan Stadium carpet, his option pitch to Ron Springs was off target and the Wolverines recovered, effectively ending the game. Hayes was furious and threw his headset to the ground. The ABC Cameraman edged closer to the Old Man to air another classic tantrum, when Hayes turned his anger on the cameraman, throwing an elbow at him, which a national TV audience witnessed. Following the game, Big Ten commissioner Wayne Duke publicly reprimanded Hayes for the outburst, but did concede that the cameraman HAD broken NCAA regulations by getting too close to the Ohio State bench. With the win Bo Schembechler evened his record against his mentor to 4-4-1. Michigan was Rose Bowl bound, where they would lose to Washington, 27-20, wrapping up a 10-2 season. Ohio State’s reward, a trip to New Orleans and a match-up with Bear Bryant and the Alabama Crimson Tide in the Sugar Bowl.

          2006: #1 Ohio State beats #2 Michigan 42-39

          The Game 2006: #1 vs. #2

          Ohio State and Michigan had meet plenty of times with lots on the line, Big Ten Titles, berths in National Championship games, undefeated seasons on the line, top 5 match-ups, and all those things, for both teams, were still alive. But for the 1st time ever it was #1 vs. #2. The Buckeyes had been ranked #1 all season, while the Wolverines had begun the season at #14 in the AP Poll, but had been #2 in the voters’ minds since starting the season  7-0. OSU was scoring 35 points a game and winning by an average of 28 points a game, while the Wolverines Defense was only allowing 12 points a game, as Lloyd Carr’s club was winning by an average of 17 points a game. Ohio State won 42-39, earning a spot in the National Championship game, some 51 days later, in Glendale, Arizona, with many believing the loser should get a rematch.

 

          On the day before The Game, all the hype and hatred was turned down a notch, when Bo Schembechler succumbed to heart disease. The legendary Michigan Head Coach, played under Woody hayes at Miami and began his coaching career at Ohio State, as a Graduate Assistant, and would later return to the Buckeyes as a full assistant. Despite the intensity of the 10-year war, Schembechler and Hayes remained close, in fact, in 1987, a frail Woody Hayes went to Dayton to introduce the Barberton, Ohio native at a reception, stayed to hear his former player and assistant speak, and then went home and passed away. Prior to the start of the game, the Ohio State videoboard showed a tribute to Schembechler, and while it wasn’t quite a moment of silence, the 105,708 in the Stadium (police reports had another 100,000 fans in the area around the Shoe, without tickets, just soaking up the atmosphere, tailgating, being part of the party) certainly did show respect for Glenn Edward (Bo) Schembechler. Of course, it was Senior Day for Ohio State, with QB Troy Smith introduced last, before running through the Tunnel of Pride, the Heisman Trophy front-runner pawed the Ohio Stadium turf, the Bull was ready to charge the Wolverines.

 

          Michigan got the ball first, and quickly drove down the field, QB Chad Henne and WR Mario Mannigham connected on a pair of 20+ passes, helping to set up RB Mike Hart’s 1st TD run, a one yarder. Ohio State quickly responded with a 14 play 69 yard TD drive. Little used Sr. WR Roy Hall came into the game with just 10 catches on the season, caught three passes on the drive including the one yard TD catch. FB Stan White Jr. another little used Senior, also had a key play on the drive, making a 7 yard catch out of the backfield. The two teams traded punts to end the 1st quarter, tied at 7, with a sense that the 2 Heavyweight champs were merely feeling each other out before the haymakers started to fly.

 

          The visitors started the 2nd quarter with their 2nd punt of the game, 2 plays later, Smith handed off to Freshman Beanie Wells, the RB spun away from a tackler in the backfield and then broke through the line and outran the Michigan secondary for the 52 yard TD run and 14-7 Ohio State lead. Wolverines punted back to the Buckeyes, on their own 13, Smith scrambled to buy time, eventually hit So. WR Brian Robiskie, who was coming back to the ball, on the right sideline near the OSU 32, Leon Hall tried to tackle Robo high, but he slipped out of  it, broke to the middle of the field and picked up 20 more yards across midfield for a 39 yard pickup. Two plays later, on 2nd and inches, Smith faked the hand off to Wells and threw it deep, former Cleveland Glenville teammate Ted Ginn, Jr. went up and made the catch in double coverage, a 39 yard TD catch and a 21-7 Buckeye lead. But just as Ohio State fans started to feel comfortable, Michigan answered, with Hart picking up 30 yards on a draw, and then, one play after Van Wert’s Joel Penton sacked Henne for a 10 yard loss, Henne bounced back up and threw a 37 yard TD pass to Adrian Arrington bringing the Wolverines back within 7 points, late in the half. Buckeyes #2 WR Anthony Gonzalez hadn’t caught a pass yet, but in the final drive of the 2nd quarter, #11 caught 4 passes for 50 yards, including the 8 yard TD, as Ohio State went back up by 2 TDs, with a 9 play, 80 yard drive in just over two minutes, to effectively end the half, Ohio State kicked off with :20 left, Michigan let the clock expire to head into the locker room down 28-14.

 

          Buckeyes got the ball to start the 3rd quarter but A.J. Trapasso come on for just his 2nd punt of the game, on the ensuing drive, Hart took over, rushing for all but one yard on the 5 play 60 yard TD drive, capped off by Hart’s 2 yard run, Michigan back within a score, 28-21. Turnovers started to hamper the Buckeyes, as Alan Branch picked off a deflected Smith pass at the OSU 25 yard line, but the Silver Bullets held Michigan to just a FG, keeping Ohio State in front 28-24. The 3 points were the first points Ohio State had allowed off a Buckeye turnover all season. Buckeyes Offense quickly struck back, after a 9 yard pass to Ginn, (8 catches for 104 yards), Antonio Pittman gave the Buckeyes their 2nd long TD run against a Wolverines rush D that was only allowing 29 yards a game. Steve Rehrig pulled to help open a huge hole for the Akron native who sprinted 56 yards, virtually untouched, to increase the Ohio State lead to 35-24, the Jr. finished the day with 139 yards on 18 carries. Later in the 3rd, Michigan, facing 3rd and 1 near midfield, went deep, with CB Malcolm Jenkins seemingly making a diving interception, but the play was overruled on replay, forcing a Michigan punt, but taking momentum away from the Buckeyes. Two plays later, another OSU turnover, as Smith couldn’t handle a high snap, the ball was batted backwards, with Branch finally recovering at the Ohio State 9 yard line for his 2nd takeaway. Quarter ended with the Buckeyes up 35-24 but with Michigan threatening.

 

          First play of the 4th quarter, Steve Breaston picked up 9 yards, but did not get into the end zone, as his TD was over turned on replay, but only delayed the inevitable, as Hart scored his 3rd TD, bringing Michigan back within one score, 35-31, as the New York native rushed for 142 yards on 23 carries. Buckeyes started to drive down the field, reaching the Michigan 28 yard line, but on 3rd and short, Doug Datish had another bad snap, and again the Wolverines able to capitalize as Lamar Woodley recovered the fumble, giving the ball back to Michigan with a chance to take the lead. But again, the Silver Bullets stepped up, forcing a three and out, and a punt. Buckeyes’ Offense picked up right where they left off, again marching down the field, with So. WR Brian Hartline catching an 8 yard pass on a key 3rd down conversion. On the ensuing set of downs, Buckeyes faced a 3rd and 15 from the Michigan 38 yard line, Smith rolled to his right, threw an incomplete pass, but was bailed out when Massillon, Ohio native Shawn Crable got flagged for a roughing the passer penalty, helmet to helmet, giving the Buckeyes a 1st down. Three plays later, Smith had his 4th TD pass of the game, to 4 different receivers, as Robiskie made the 13 yard catch in the left corner of the end zone, with replay confirming he got his feet in, Buckeyes back up by 2 scores, 42-31, with 5:38 remaining. Smith had another stellar game against That Team Up North, passing for 300 yards for the second straight time in The Game, as he completed 29 of 41 for 316, with 8 different Buckeyes catching at least one pass. Michigan wasn’t giving up, as Henne led another drive, helped in part by a Buckeye pass interference call on 4th down, TE Tyler Ecker caught a 16 yard TD pass, and with Henne completing to Breaston on the 2 point conversion, the Jr. QB was 21 of 31 for 267 yards and the Wolverines were only down 3, 42-39 with 2:16 to go, but they were out of timeouts. Garrett Rivas attempted the on-side kick, it took a high hop and Ginn caught it in the air. Three Pittman rushes later, it was over, Ohio State had beaten Michigan 42-39. Troy Smith joined Tippy Dye as the only Buckeye starting QBs, at that time, with 3 wins over Michigan. While the Defense did allow 39 points, 2 more than they had allowed on the last 6 games combined, they did come up big when they were needed most, holding Michigan to a FG after Smith’s interception and forcing a 3 and out in the 4th quarter, when a Michigan TD would have given the visitors the lead.

          Of course the fans rushed the field, to celebrate a win that I refuse to let be tainted by what happened the next couples times these teams took the field. There is no doubt in my mind, for the players in this game, November 18th, 2006 WAS the National Championship, both the Buckeyes and Wolverines left everything on the Ohio Stadium field, that coupled with ridiculously long layoffs, lead to their poor showing in their Bowl Games, as Michigan lost to USC in the Rose Bowl 32-18 to  finish the year 11-2.

 

 

 

 

 

          2000: #12 Ohio State loses to #19 Michigan 38-26      

          The Game 2000: John Cooper’s last loss to That Team Up North

          Perhaps fitting in The Game that featured teams with 2 Big Ten losses a piece, this was not a good game, as Michigan won in Columbus, 38-26, in what would prove to be John Cooper’s final game at Ohio Stadium, and last loss to the Wolverines. The two arch-rivals were part of a 4 way tie atop the league standings, along with Northwestern and Purdue. The Game started off all Buckeyes, as Nate Clements gave the home team great field position off the opening kick, the DB faked a reverse and returned the ball 80 yards before stepping out of bounds, a few plays later, on 4th and inches, Buckeyes went for it, with Jonathan Wells scoring from 11 yards out to give the home team a 6-0 lead, but the PAT was not good. Michigan’s 1st possession ended when Drew Henson’s pass for David Terrell, bounced off his helmet and David Mitchell grabbed it for an interception, leading to a 37 yard Dan Stultz FG. But Michigan quickly responded with a 70 yard Anthony Thomas TD catch off a screen pass, and Terrell’s 1st TD of the game to go up 14-9 heading into the 2nd quarter. Another Stultz FG brought the Buckeyes within 2, 14-12 at the half. But in the 3rd quarter, all Wolverines, 17 straight points to blow open the game, including a 50 yard pick 6 from Julius Curry. Buckeyes mounted a comeback, with Wells scoring his 2nd TD early in the 4th, and Ken-Yon Rambo made it a one score game, catching an 18 yard TD pass from Steve Bellisari, Michigan up 31-26 with 7:03 left. Silver Bullets got the ball back from the Wolverines, and OSU put together another drive deep in enemy territory, with just over 3:00 remaining, down 5, Buckeyes faced a 4th and inches, instead of attempting a 35 yard FG, and a 2 point deficit, Cooper went for it. Ohio State had struggled in short yardage situations all season, and this time was no different, Victor Hobson and Eric Wilson dropped Wells for a loss. Michigan scored a final TD on a Henson run, as the two-sport “star” threw for 303 yards on 15 of 25 passing. Cooper was now 2-10-1 against Michigan, with 8 of those 10 losses costing the Buckeyes either an outright, or like this one, a shared Big Ten Title. Purdue ended up in the Rose Bowl, the Wolverines wrapped up a 9-3 campaign with a 31-28 win over Auburn in the Citrus Bowl, while the Buckeyes were going to Tampa to face South Carolina in the Outback Bowl.

 

 

          1995: #2 Ohio State beats Indiana 42-3

 

         Ohio State said good-bye to the Big Three, as Eddie George, Bobby Hoying and Terry Glenn all played pivotal roles in the 2nd ranked Buckeyes blowout win over Indiana, 42-3, to remain undefeated heading into The Game. Glenn, who would leave his native Columbus following this, his Junior season, for the NFL, was still nursing a sore shoulder, but still caught 5 passes for 103 yards, including a pair of 1st quarter TDs. In the 2nd quarter, George scored his 1st of 2 TDs, as the Heisman Trophy candidate did nothing to hurt his chances, gaining 130 yards on 26 rushes. Hoying, along with George and LB Matt Bonhaus the team’s captains, completed 12 of 17 passes for 203 yards before he left the game in the 3rd quarter with a concussion. Even in limited playing time, the St. Henry native passed Art Schlichter for the program’s single season passing record, with 2,737. Back-up QB Stanley Jackson came off the bench and the offense didn’t miss a beat, adding 3 more TDs (George run, Rickey Dudley catch and Pepe Pearson run). The 42 points gave Ohio State 438 points in 11 games,  breaking the school record of 437, set by the 74 Buckeyes in 12 games. Defensively, LB Greg Bellisari’s 9 tackles led the way, with DE Mike Vrabel picking up 2 TFL, giving him 20 on the season, tying the record he, along with DE Matt Finkes, had set the year before. The Hoosiers had now lost 7 straight games, and after falling to arch-rival Purdue the following week, would finish the year 2-9 in Bill Mallory’s 2nd to last year in Bloomington. Meanwhile, Michigan lost to Penn State 27-17, to fall to 8-3 just days after Lloyd Carr had the interim tag removed from his Head Coach title. Northwestern remained undefeated in the Big Ten, so the Buckeyes needed a win in Ann arbor the following week to claim the league crown and earn the Rose Bowl bid.

 

 

          1989: #22 Ohio State beats Wisconsin 42-22

          For the first time in 5 years, Ohio State went undefeated in the Horseshoe, as the 22nd ranked Buckeyes wrapped up the home schedule with a 42-22 win over Wisconsin, their 6 straight win, after starting the season 2-2. Badgers scored 1st, a 40 yard FG, but Ohio State answered with a 5 yard Dante Lee TD. In the 2nd quarter, trailing 7-6, Wisconsin grabbed the lead on a 71 yard Troy Vincent punt return. Buckeyes then scored the next 4 TDs to seize control. QB Greg Frey hit TE Jim Palmer for a 9 yard TD, Lee’s 2nd TD made it 21-13, as the Freshman rushed for 98 yards on 22 carries. Late in the half, CB David Brown intercepted the Lionell Crawford pass and returned it 43 yard for the TD. That was Crawford’s only pass that didn’t hit the turf first, as the Badgers QB was 0-8, Ohio State hadn’t held a team to 0 passing yards since 1976. In the 2nd half, Scottie Graham, seeing time at both FB and TB, scored a pair of TDs, as the New York native rushed for a career high 152 yards. For the 5th straight game, Ohio State had over 400 yards of offense, and came into The Game, with a chance to share the Big Ten title. Buckeyes were now 8-2 overall, 6-1 in the Big Ten (tied for 2nd with Illinois), while the Wolverines were 7-0 in league play, 9-1 overall.

 

          1978: #19 Ohio State beats Indiana in Bloomington 21-18

          Woody Hayes improved to 22-1-1 all-time against Indiana with the 19th ranked Buckeyes 21-18 road win over Indiana. It was also Hayes’s 205th, and final, victory as Ohio State Head Coach. Lee Corso’s Hoosiers were only 4-5, but felt like they could compete with the Buckeyes, and they did, albeit relying on all sorts of gadget plays, including 3 quick-kicks and several reverses. Paul Campbell gave the Buckeyes the 7-0 lead on a 4 yard TD run on the game’s opening possession. After OSU was stopped on 4th and one at their own 32 on the next possession, Hoosiers tied it at 7, on a TD scored by Mark Harkrader, the son of Jerry Harkrader who played for Hayes at Ohio State and scored a TD in the 1955 Rose Bowl win over USC. An Indiana FG put the Buckeyes behind by 3 at the break. In the 3rd quarter, Freshman QB Art Schlichter put the Buckeyes back in front, capping a 20 play, 98 yard drive, with a 3 yard TD run. Ricky Johnson’s 46 yard TD, put the Buckeyes in front 21-10, but the Hoosiers had a comeback left in them, cutting the lead to 3 on a TD and 2 point conversion, and were threatening late in the 4th quarter, when DB Mike Guess wasn’t fooled on an end-around-reverse WR pass, as the Eastmoor grad intercepted Mike Friede’s pass in the end zone to seal the win. Buckeyes were 7-2-1,  as they prepared for the 9-1 Wolverines.

          2007: #7 Ohio State beats #21 Michigan 14-3 in Ann Arbor

           

The Game 2007: Beanie Runs Wild

          Buckeyes dropped to 7th in the polls after their 1st loss of the season the week before at home against Illinois. While that loss seemingly took Ohio State out of the National Championship picture, a win in Ann Arbor would send OSU to their 1st Rose Bowl since in 11 years. Wolverines had opened the season with back to back losses, including the monumental upset at home at the hands of FCS Appalachian St., but had won 8 in a row before losing to Wisconsin the week before. It was the 1st time since 1959 that both teams had lost the week before The Game. On the one year anniversary of Bo Schembechler’s death, the coin used for the opening toss had a likeness of Bo on one side, and a likeness of Woody Hayes on the other. It wasn’t pretty, as the game was almost as ugly as the weather, as a rain/sleet/snow mix fell for most of the contest, but the Buckeyes got the 14-3 victory, as Jim Tressel increased his record against the arch-rival to 7-1, meanwhile Lloyd Carr’s 4th straight loss to the Buckeyes would be his last, as he announced his retirement the Monday after the game.

 

          Michigan scored first, their only points of the game, on a K.C. Lopata 33 yard FG. Ohio State’s next drive stalled, when QB Todd Boeckman fumbled a snap on 3rd and 4, the St. Henry native’s 2nd fumble, but the Buckeyes recovered both of them, and A.J. Trapasso’s punt pinned Michigan inside their own 20. The Silver Bullets forced a 3 and out, with DT Dexter Larimore sacking Chad Henne on 3rd down, and with good field position, Buckeyes quickly took the lead as Beanie Wells rushed for a 1 yard TD. Late in the 2nd quarter, Boeckman threw an interception, that Brandent Englemon returned to the Buckeye 24 yard line, but Michigan could not capitalize, as Lopata missed a 48 yard FG attempt as time expired. Wolverines went 3 and out on their 1st possession of the 2nd half, and Ray Small returned Zoltan Mesko’s punt for a TD, but the return was negated by a Buckeye penalty. No problem, on the next play from scrimmage, Beanie Wells broke to the left, broke a couple tackles, broke back to the right and for the 2nd year in a row, had a long TD run against Michigan, this one a 62 yarder, and the Buckeye lead 14-3. With the two score lead, a dominant defense and poor passing conditions, Jim Tressel was quite content to keep the ball on the ground and run out the clock, leading in time of possession 37:50-22:10.  Boeckman would only attempt 2 passes in the 2nd half, while Wells rushed for a career high 222 yards on 39 carries, also a career high, and the rushing total was also a Buckeye record for The Game.

 

          The Silver Bullets completely throttled the Michigan offense, as the Wolverines gained only 13 yards on the ground and only 89 total yards for the game. DE Vernon Gholston abused future #1 NFL Draft pick Jack Long, sacking Michigan QBs 3 times, as starter Chad Henne missed some time with an injury, but back-up Ryan Mallett didn’t fare any better. Michigan RB Mike Hart returned for his senior season in order to beat Ohio State, yet was held to just 44 yards on 18 carries, his lowest yards per carry average of his career, perhaps a little pay-back from the Silver Bullets after Hart called the Ohio State defense, “nothing special” following Ohio State’s win over Michigan in 2006. The 3 points were the least Michigan had scored in the series since 1962 as they were just 3 of 18 on 3rd down conversions. Game ended with Ohio State choosing to take a knee deep in Wolverine territory instead of scoring a meaningless TD.

 

         I’d been to OSU-Michigan games before, both in Columbus and in Ann Arbor, had seen the Buckeyes win at both places, had been on the field (working, mind you) for both the ’98 and ’06 wins, but an Ohio State celebration on the Michigan field is something else. Not nearly as chaotic as the Shoe, but just as sweet. Everyone assumed the win meant the Buckeyes were going to the Rose Bowl, not foreseeing the run of upsets that occurred over the following 2 weeks to spring Ohio State back into the National Championship game, so there were plenty of Roses in Ann Arbor, band members passed them out late in the 4th quarter, players took pictures with Roses in mouth. After the obligatory handshakes with Michigan, the team swarmed to the south west corner of the field in front of the OSU section to sing Carmen Ohio, a moment I’ll never forget.

 

 

          After Carr resigned, Michigan eventually settled on Rich Rodriguez as their new head coach, and he was on the sidelines, as an observer, as Carr went out on top, beating Urban Meyer and Florida, 41-35 in the Capital One Bowl.

 

 

 

 

 

          2001: #25 Ohio State loses to #12 Illinois 34-22

          In his 1st season as Ohio State’s head coach, Jim Tressel had to face a dilemma with his starting QB, and he acted quickly and decisively, too bad he didn’t do the same thing 8 and 1/2 years later. Less than 48 hours before the 25th ranked Buckeyes game against Big Ten leading #12 Illinois, 3-year starting QB and 2-time captain Steve Bellisari was arrested on DUI charges. He was immediately suspended indefinitely, would not play in Ohio State’s final 2 regular season games, and would not start the Bowl game, either. Red-shirt So. Scott McMullen got the start at QB, although classmate Craig Krenzel saw time under center as well. Game got off to an ominous start for the Buckeyes, as they got the ball first, went three and out, and Jamaal Clark blocked the punt, returned it 2 yards, and one minute into the game, Fighting Illini led 7-0. But Ohio State answered, with Jonathan Wells breaking out for a 59 yard run, leading to McMullen’s 10 yard TD pass to Chris Vance. Later in the quarter, Mike Nugent’s 23 yard FG gave the Buckeyes to 10-7 lead. In the 2nd quarter, Illini QB Kurt Kittner took over, throwing a pair of TDs in under 100 seconds, to put the visitors up 21-10. On the game Kittner completed 18 of 28 passes for 274 yards. Krenzel took over for Ohio State in the 2nd quarter, and after the half got the offense on track, throwing a 17 yard TD to Michael Jenkins, the 1st time in their careers that duo combined for 6 points, but far from the last. Buckeyes went for 2, to make it a 1 score game, but could not convert, Illini still led, 21-16. Krenzel then lead a 71 yard drive capped off by a 1 yard Wells TD. The New Orleans native rushed for a career high 192 yards on 23 carries, and went over the 1,000 yard mark as Ohio State took a 22-21 lead into the 4th quarter. Five minutes into the final quarter, Illinois reclaimed the lead on a short TD run. Later in the 4th, Krenzel threw his 2nd interception, and is was costly, as LB Ty Myers picked off a badly thrown pass and returned it 5 yards for a TD and the final score. Buckeyes were now 6-4 overall, 4-3 in the Big Ten heading to Ann Arbor, while the Fighting Illini were on a 6 game winning streak, and if they could beat Northwestern a few days later AND get help from Ohio State at Michigan, just 4 years after a winless season, Ron Turner’s team would be the Big Ten champs and earn a BCS Bowl bid (the Rose Bowl was hosting the National Championship game that year), which is exactly what happened, as Illinois lost the Sugar Bowl, 47-34, to LSU, finishing the year 10-2.

 

 

 

          1990: #21 Ohio State beats Wisconsin 35-10 in Madison

          The #21 Buckeyes tuned up for The Game with an explosive 4th quarter in a 35-10 win at Wisconsin. The Badgers, in Barry Alvarez’s 1st season were winless in the Big Ten, and had only beaten Ball State out of conference, yet played Ohio State close for 3 quarters, partially due to 4 OSU turnovers. Visitors scored 1st when Scottie Graham ran in from 7 yards out for a 7-0 lead in the opening quarter. Badgers answered with 10 straight points, but Raymont Harris reclaimed the lead for Ohio State late in the 2nd quarter with a short TD run. Score remained 14-10 until the 4th quarter, when RB Robert Smith scored a pair of rushing TDs, as the Freshman ran for a season high 171 yards on 23 carries. In the process, he passed Archie Griffin as Ohio State’s leading rusher as a Freshman. The Euclid native finished the day with 1,021 yards on the season, just the 15th Buckeye to reach that milestone, and just the 26th Freshman in the entire NCAA, to do so. Jeff Graham added some excitement with an 81 yard punt return for a TD, at the time tied for 3rd longest in program history. Buckeyes took a 5 game winning streak into The Game, ( 6 games without a loss, as they tied Indiana to start the run) and at 5-1-1 in league play.

 

 

          1984: #11 Ohio State beats Michigan 21-6

  

        The Game 1984: Byars Tri-fecta

 

          Michigan had already lost 4 games, tying it for the worst season under Bo Schembechler, and still had 2 more games to go. #11 Ohio State, despite 2 league losses, sat alone in 1st place in the Big Ten, a win at home over the Wolverines would send them to Pasadena for the 1st time since 1981, Earle Bruce’s 1st season. 90,286 were at the Shoe, then an Ohio Stadium record, to see the Buckeyes win 21-6. Midway through the 1st quarter, Jr. WR Mike Lanese had a pair of key receptions, as Jr. RB Keith Byars capped a 61 yard drive, with a shot TD run. In the 2nd quarter, Lanese fumbled a punt, leading to a Wolverine FG. Michigan had their only serious scoring threat in the 2nd, but Sonny Gordon intercepted Chris Zurbrugg in the end zone, the So. DB also had 9 tackles on the game. Michigan controlled the ball for over 12 minutes in the 3rd quarter, but only had another FG to show for it. In the 4th, clinging onto a 7-6 lead, Byars found the end zone again, a 2 yard run. On Michigan’s next play from scrimmage, Lima’s William White recovered a fumble, leading to a 3rd Byars TD, and the 21-6 final score. Even though the Heisman trophy candidate scored 3 times, he was held to just 93 yards on 28 carries. Defensively, Ohio State had 7 TFLs, with Larry Kolic leading the team with 12 tackles. Playing for That Team Up North, Wapakoneta’s Mike Hammerstein had 5 tackles, including one for loss. Even with a 6-5 record, Michigan was invited to the Holiday Bowl, where they lost to BYU, 24-17, ending the season 6-6, Schembechler’s only non-winning season.

 

   

 

       1979: #2 Ohio State beats #13 Michigan in Ann Arbor 18-15

 

          The Game 1979: The Block Party

          Earle Bruce’s tenure as Ohio State head coach started off with 10 straight win heading into The Game. As much as the season had been defined by So. QB Art Schlichter’s development and growth, the Defense was phenomenal. Heading into The Game, the #2 Buckeyes had only allowed 27 points over their last 6 games, but that was against unranked foes, as they prepared to travel to #13 Michigan. Over 106 thousand were on hand, at the time the largest crowd for a regular season football game, and they witnessed a classic match-up, that like so many other OSU-UM games came down to a special special-teams play. Wolverines had a golden, or maybe we should say a maize, chance to break the game open as they were denied on a 4th and inches play from the Buckeyes 2 yard line. QB Rick Hewlett (a Freshman starting his 1st game in Bo Schembechler’s attempt to add a spark to his dormant offense) was dropped for a 2 yard loss by LBs Marcus Marek and Al Washington, as the two combined for 26 tackles on the game. Vlade Janakievski kicked the Buckeyes to a 3-0 lead in the 2nd quarter. Michigan answered when Anthony Carter hauled in a 59 yard TD pass from John Wangler. Despite driving inside the Wolverine 40 yard line 5 times in the 1st half, the Buckeyes had to settle for just a pair of FGs as Janakievski kicked a 25 yarder with just 8 seconds left in the half. In the 3rd quarter, Ohio State took the lead, as Schlichter threw an 18 yard TD pass to Chuck Hunter, as the Sr. made the catch despite Michigan DB Mike Jolly tipping the pass. It was the Buckeyes 1st TD against Michigan since 1975. Ohio State went for two, but this time Jolly got more than just a finger on the ball, intercepting the Schlichter pass, the 2nd Schlichter attempt the Wolverines got their hands on. Home team responded, as Wangler threw a 66 yard pass to Carter, setting up a short Roosevelt Smith TD, and with a successful 2 points conversion, a 15-12 lead headed into the 4th quarter. Early in the final period, Michigan lined up to punt at their own 38 yard line, Ohio State eschewed setting up a return, and rushed 10, including LB Jim Laughlin, who switched from the right side to the left, Michigan failed to pick up the Cleveland native, and he got both forearms on the punt blocking it, Vince Skillings tried to scoop and score, couldn’t pick it up cleanly, but Todd Bell did at the 18 yard line and raced into the end zone for the TD and the 18-15 come from behind victory. Buckeyes had their 1st win over That Team Up North since ’75, and were Pasadena Bound for the 1st time since Griffin’s senior year, as well. Michigan, meanwhile, was headed to Jacksonville to take on North Carolina in the Gator Bowl, where they lost 17-15 to finish the season 8-4.