The golden spectacle of college football’s rivalry weekend is simply known as The Game. Ohio State versus Michigan is an annual clash that is as historic as it is competitive, and the origins of the rivalry go back further than football.
Ohio gained its stateship in 1803 and believed, based on outdated maps, that the Toledo Strip was their territory. The Toledo Strip was valuable land off of Lake Erie, and when new mapping was revealed, Michigan believed it to be theirs and claimed the land. Both Ohio and Michigan readied their militias for a battle over Toledo, and, convinced of its economic importance, were prepared to fight. However, President Andrew Jackson negotiated a compromise in 1836 that gave Toledo to Ohio and the Upper Peninsula to Michigan. To soften the blow, Andrew Jackson granted Michigan statehood in early 1837.
After being on the cusp of war in the mid-1800s, the two states shifted competition to the gridiron by the end of the century. Michigan won the first-ever meeting between the two universities in 1897 and dominated the early years of the rivalry. Ohio State wouldn’t win until 1919.
The Game entered one of its best eras under legendary coaches Bo Schembechler for the Wolverines and Woody Hayes for the Buckeyes. The legendary span of games between Ohio State and Michigan from 1969 to 1978 is now known as “The Ten Year War.” Marked by intense competition and Big Ten Championship stakes, Ohio State and Michigan matchups became exactly what you want in a rivalry.
There was animosity between the two teams and a bitterness that often spilled over into on-field scuffles.
While on a recruiting trip in the state of Michigan, Hayes once refused to stop for gas.
“We’ll coast and push this goddamn car to the Ohio line before I give this state a nickel of my money!” Hayes said to the coach driving.
In the more recent renditions of the rivalry, Head Coach Urban Meyer cemented himself as a Buckeye great by going 7–0 against the Wolverines. His quarterbacks Braxton Miller, J.T. Barrett, and Dwayne Haskins never lost to Michigan in his tenure. After The Game was postponed in the 2020 COVID-19 season, Michigan flipped the script.
Head Coach Jim Harbaugh built a run-first culture at Michigan and recruited a roster that could compete with Ohio State. After years of defeat, his vision for Wolverine football came together in 2021 after Michigan trampled Ohio State behind running back Hassan Haskins’ five touchdowns. The next year was much of the same, but this time it was Donovan Edwards and J.J. McCarthy who ran all over the Buckeyes. In 2023, it was Blake Corum’s turn to decimate Ohio State’s defense. It had been three years since a rivalry win in Columbus, and the defeats were humiliating. The Buckeyes just could not stop the Wolverines on the ground.
In 2024, though, it was supposed to be different. Michigan came into the Horseshoe with a nonexistent offense — one of the worst in the country. And yet, inexplicably, an unranked 6–5 Michigan team that managed just 62 passing yards all game pulled off an upset for the ages on the back of kicker Dominic Zvada and two interceptions thrown by Ohio State quarterback Will Howard. Following the 13–10 win, Michigan planted their flag on Ohio State’s logo, and Buckeyes players, who were also planning on rushing the field if they had won, tried to defend their field, leading to a brawl. The police used pepper spray to try to break up the fight, and it was an ugly scene for college football. But nobody questioned the fierceness of The Game.
Michigan versus Ohio State alternates stadiums every year, and this year, The Game was back at the Big House in Ann Arbor. Four straight losses to their bitter rival hung over Ohio State Head Coach Ryan Day’s head, but he preached the importance of focusing on what can be controlled and playing for the love of your brother. The 11-0 Buckeyes, the consensus best team in the country, looked poised to end the streak.
The Game got off to a rocky start for Ohio State. An early Michigan field goal followed a Julian Sayin interception, and it started to seem like a repeat of last year. The Wolverines pushed their lead to 6–0 before the sleeping giant woke. From that point on, Ohio State put together a complete performance and silenced the Michigan crowd.
Sayin, their Heisman candidate and quarterback bounced back from an early miscue and showed great poise. He delivered a strike to Jeremiah Smith on fourth and 5 for a touchdown to give Ohio State a 10–6 lead — it was reviewed for a potential fumble, but the call stood. Known for their great receivers, the Buckeyes made sure to get them the ball. All three of Ohio State’s starters — Smith, Carnell Tate, and Brandon Inniss — would catch a touchdown in The Game.
Sayin was accurate and confident in the pocket, even uncharacteristically scrambling a few times to pick up first downs. Their true freshman running back Bo Jackson had the best game of his career on a season-high 22 carries. Their kicker Jayden Fielding redeemed himself after two missed field goals against Michigan a year ago and was perfect on the day. And the suffocating Ohio State defense put a lid on talented freshman quarterback Bryce Underwood, who struggled after a promising opening series.
The combination of Ohio State’s linebacking duo of Sonny Styles and Arwell Reese, along with safety Caleb Downs flying all over the field, made it difficult for Underwood and the Wolverines offense to get any offensive rhythm. A 50-yard touchdown from Sayin to Carnell in the third quarter may have been the dagger, and Ohio State ran out the clock on a 27–9 win.
The Buckeyes snapped a 2,191 day drought without beating the Wolverines. They jumped into the stands with the Ohio State faithful to celebrate while Michigan players stayed at midfield guarding their logo. The hostility doesn’t end after four quarters.
Ohio State was able to cool down an electric Ann Arbor atmosphere and win the 2025 version of this matchup, pushing the all-time record to 62–52–6 in favor of the Wolverines. Ohio State/Michigan has seen some of the best players to ever compete in college football, such as Charles Woodson, Archie Griffin, Tom Brady, Cris Carter, Desmond Howard, and Ezekiel Elliot. With the playoff implications of the Saturday after Thanksgiving, the blue blood status of both teams, and the hatred between them, The Game does not disappoint as one of the best rivalries in American sports.
