Michigan Football: “THE GAME”
Posted at 6:45am — 11/30/2013
Michigan Football: “THE GAME”
Selected as the greatest rivalry in all of sport by ESPN.com in 1999, Michigan and Ohio State will meet for the 96th straight year on the gridiron.
he two programs have played every year since 1918, a streak that ranks 10th in Division I-A for the longest uninterrupted series.
The overall series dates back to 1897, when the Wolverines claimed a 34-0 victory over the Buckeyes in Ann Arbor.
The winner of the annual rivalry between Michigan and Ohio State does not receive a trophy for the triumph. Rather, there is usually something much bigger on the line when these two teams match up, be it a conference title, a Rose Bowl berth or even a national championship. In a series that dates back to 1897, Michigan and Ohio State have met on the gridiron 109 times, ranking it tied for 16th among Division I-A most played rivalries.
The Buckeyes and Wolverines have played every year since 1918, a 95-year streak which ranks 10th in NCAA Division I-A for longest uninterrupted series. Since the game was moved to the final Saturday of the Big Ten season in 1935, the game has had the potential for major impact in the Big Ten standings 44 times. This includes 22 contests where the two schools decided the Big Ten champion between themselves. Every season from 1972-81, the Michigan-Ohio State game determined which team would take a New Year’s trip to Pasadena.
While Michigan holds a 58-45-6 edge over Ohio State in the series, the advantage is just 46-45-4 since 1918. This includes a 21-24-1 Michigan record at Ohio Stadium, where the Wolverines played and won the dedication game in 1922, and a 23-18-3 Michigan lead at Michigan Stadium, where the Buckeyes were invited for the dedication game in 1927.
Since 1927, the teams have been so evenly matched that neither one has compiled anything longer than a seven game winning streak in the matchup. In fact, in the last 29 meetings between the Buckeyes and the Wolverines, the team that entered the game with a lower winning percentage has earned a record of 12-18-1 (the teams came in with equal records in 1983 and 2006). In the last 11 games where exactly one team has come in without a loss, that team has only left with its record unblemished six times (Ohio State in 1979, 2002, 2006 and 2012 and Michigan in 1971, 1992 and 1997). Both team were unbeaten and ranked 1-2 in the polls for the 2006 game, a 42-39 victory for the top-ranked Buckeyes at Ohio Stadium.
Nov 9, 2013; Ann Arbor, MI, USA; Michigan Wolverines offensive linesman Taylor Lewan (77) leads the team onto the field before the game against the Nebraska Cornhuskers at Michigan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY SportsSince the Ohio Stadium dedication game in 1922, 7,963,573 fans have seen the Wolverines and Buckeyes meet on the gridiron. Sixty-three of those 91 games have been sold out, including the last 44 in a row. Since 1922, more people have attended Michigan-Ohio State games than any other gridiron matchup in the country.
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Written by GBMWolverine Staff
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