Ohio State vs. Michigan: 10 Greatest Editions of "The Game"

Tomorrow Michigan and Ohio State will take the field in Ann Arbor for the 108th meeting in their storied rivalry.

Although Michigan is heavily favored for the first time since Ohio State started its current streak of seven wins in 2004, there's a good chance that this year's installment of The Game will be one of the best in the series.

For the first time since 1929, both teams enter the game with first-year head coaches, as Luke Fickell leads his first (and what may be his last) Ohio State team, and Brady Hoke begins his run at Michigan.

Hoke wants to shake this rivalry back into Michigan's favor right at the beginning of his tenure like Jim Tressel did for OSU ten years ago. Meanwhile, Fickell would love to hold what will likely end up being a 1–0 career record against the Wolverines (Urban Meyer appears poised to be announced as Ohio State's next coach after this game).

Michigan holds a 57–44–6 lead in the series, but the Wolverines started 13–0–2.  In other words, the rivalry is deadlocked at 44–44–4 in the last 92 meetings.

Although this year has the makings of a great game, let's take a look back at the eleven best games in the previous 107 meetings.  Going in chronological order:

1944: Ohio State 18, Michigan 14

For the first time in the rivalry, the winner of this game would be the outright Big Ten conference champion.  The lead changed hands on every touchdown as the Buckeyes surrendered the lead twice to Michigan.

However, future Heisman Trophy winner Les Horvath willed the Buckeyes to one more touchdown to gain the lead late.  In a tough stretch of games for the Buckeyes, Horvath struck the first notable blow by denying Michigan a Big Ten title while winning one of his own, as well as the first of seven OSU Heisman Trophies.

1950: Michigan 9, Ohio State 3

With Ohio State leading the conference, the 1950 game was set in Columbus amidst a full-on blizzard.  The conference offered the Buckeyes the opportunity to cancel the game, which would have awarded them the title, but Ohio State refused to cancel the game.

That decision turned out to be costly, as both teams struggled to find any offense in the game named the "Snow Bowl."  Both teams combined for 45 punts, many of them on first downs, in an attempt to force the other team to make a mistake handling the ball.

The Buckeyes made the only two mistakes in the punting game, with two blocks that led to a safety and a Michigan touchdown.  Although the Wolverines produced zero first downs and zero completed passes, Michigan won by six points.

Ohio State would win another Heisman with Vic Janowicz this season, but the failure to defeat Michigan led to coach Wes Fesler's firing and the hiring of Woody Hayes.

1969: Michigan 24, Ohio State 12

Following on the 1968 meeting when the Buckeyes poured it on in a 50–14 beatdown, Michigan hired Bo Schembechler, a former assistant coach under Hayes.  Schembechler would become the greatest Michigan coach, while Hayes had already built his legacy as the greatest Ohio State coach.

Ohio State brought a 22-game winning streak into this game, but a punt returned for a touchdown and three interceptions by Michigan defensive back Barry Pierson turned the game to Michigan's favor in the second quarter.  The teams stifled one another to a scoreless tie in the second half, meaning Schembechler had upset the mighty Buckeyes in his first try.

And with that, the "Ten Year War" between Schembechler and Hayes was on. Every year during this ten-season battle, the Wolverines and the Buckeyes played one another with Big Ten championship hopes on the line as both teams dominated the rest of the conference.

1970: Ohio State 20, Michigan 9

One year after Schembechler shot across the bow with a massive upset of the Buckeyes, Hayes got a little payback with a dominating performance.  Both teams came into the game undefeated and untied for the first time in the series, meaning national championship and conference championship hopes hung in the balance.

Ohio State quarterback Rex Kern led a steady Buckeyes offense that was also helped along by 118 yards from Leo Hayden.  However, the star of the show was the Buckeye defense, which held Michigan to 155 yards total offense and 37 rushing yards.

The dominant performance was a prelude to the next few years when Hayes took a lead in the Ten Year War, only to be caught and passed by Schembechler in the end.

1973: Ohio State 10, Michigan 10

Just like in 1970, this year marked the second time in the series that both teams came into The Game undefeated and untied.  Both teams played conservatively, but well enough to win with strong defense.

However, the game would come down to two field goal attempts in the final two minutes of regulation by Michigan's Mike Lantry.  Lantry missed both, leaving the game in a 10–10 tie, which was a fitting end for two great undefeated teams.

Ohio State was voted to go to the Rose Bowl by the other Big Ten schools, which incensed Schembechler and Michigan for years to come (and perhaps forever).

1979: Ohio State 18, Michigan 15

The end of the Hayes era came with three straight losses to Michigan in which the Buckeyes failed to score a touchdown.  However, when new coach Earle Bruce had his first opportunity against the Wolverines in 1979, he made the most of it.

This game is referred to by Ohio State fans as the Buckeye Block Party, as a Michigan punt was blocked and returned by Todd Bell for the deciding touchdown in the second half.

Earle Bruce continued the equal play in the rivalry in the next ten years, extending the competitiveness of the Hayes vs. Schembechler days.

1986: Michigan 26, Ohio State 24

One year before Earle Bruce was fired, the turning point in his tenure as the Buckeyes' coach happened when Michigan won in Columbus in 1986.  Michigan quarterback Jim Harbaugh, who you may be familiar with now as an NFL coach, guaranteed victory over the heavily favored Buckeyes.

A victory was just what Harbaugh delivered, as Michigan racked up a series-record 529 yards of offense on the Buckeye defense. RB Jamie Morris ran for 210 yards despite the heroic efforts of Buckeye linebacker Chris Spielman, who had 29 tackles in this game. 

This game marked the beginning of 15 years of Michigan dominance in the series, highlighted by multiple denials of the Rose Bowl for the Buckeyes.

1995: Michigan 31, Ohio State 23

John Cooper had failed to defeat Michigan in his first six seasons, but he had finally broken through in the rivalry with a win in 1994.  The Buckeyes came into Ann Arbor with an 11–0 record and a chance at a national title the following year, but were denied in another painful season-ruining loss.

Ohio State wide receiver Terry Glenn set off the Wolverines by saying before the game that "Michigan is nothing," but he was shut down by a talented Michigan defensive backfield in this offensive showdown.

Despite a solid effort from Heisman Trophy winner Eddie George, the Buckeyes still lost, thanks to an amazing 313 yards rushing by Michigan's Tim Biakabutuka.

1997: Michigan 20, Ohio State 14

Unlike the previous two seasons, when Ohio State came into the game undefeated and ended up going home with a loss, Michigan entered the 1997 game with a flawless record and a chance to win their first national title in half a century.  Although Ohio State hoped to return the favor from the past two seasons, this day would belong to Charles Woodson and the Wolverines.

Woodson caught a 37-yard pass that set up a rushing touchdown, intercepted a pass in the end zone and ran a punt back for a touchdown in perhaps the most memorable play in the last 30 years of the series.  Woodson posed with a Heisman stance following the return, and ended up winning the Heisman Trophy a couple weeks later.

Michigan also went on to win the Rose Bowl and a national championship.

2002: Ohio State 14, Michigan 9

Jim Tressel completed in two seasons what it took John Cooper 13 to do—that being to defeat Michigan twice.  Ohio State entered this game with a 12–0 record, but the Wolverines dominated the first half, with three field goals on all three of their possessions for a 9–0 lead.

Freshman running back Maurice Clarett set a freshman rushing record with 119 yards and a 30-yard reception on the game-winning touchdown drive.  Ohio State celebrated its first national title in 30 years a few weeks later, cementing Tressel as one of the best Ohio State coaches.

2006: Ohio State 42, Michigan 39

The first "Game of the Century" was the third time both teams entered the game undefeated.  Legendary Michigan coach Bo Schembechler died one day before this showdown, and the Michigan players vowed to win this one for Bo in Ohio Stadium.

However, Troy Smith burned the Wolverines for the third straight season, racking up 316 yards passing and four touchdowns. Michigan running back Mike Hart turned in a solid 142 yards rushing and three touchdowns of his own, as Michigan kept clawing back into the game in a surprising offensive explosion for both teams.

However, the Michigan comeback fell just short in the fourth quarter, and Ohio State went on to the national championship game.  Michigan was almost awarded a rematch in the BCS Championship, but instead, Florida (led by coach Urban Meyer) was put into the game, and ended up winning it.

Many believe that Ohio State felt like national champions after beating Michigan and so did not care about beating Florida, which makes sense considering the passion and competitiveness of The Game.

Although Jim Tressel dominated the past decade in a similar manner as Michigan did in the 1990s, both teams now come into the next decade with new coaches and a clean slate.

Will Michigan break the seven-year drought against the Buckeyes? Will Fickell win his only game against Michigan?

It should be an interesting showdown.