Michigan Football Rivalries: A Look Into the Greatest

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Dec 30, 2014; Ann Arbor, MI, USA; Former coach Lloyd Carr (left to right) interim athletic director Jim Hackett, new coach Jim Harbaugh and former coach Gary Moeller pose for a group photo after Jim Harbaugh is introduced as the new head football coach of the Michigan Wolverines at Jonge Center. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports

The Wolverines have this classic game that they play with a team from Ohio. I’m sure you understand my not mentioning said team. They first met in 1897 and since have had 111 meetings. Michigan leads the series 58-46-6.

As I’m sure you have noticed, Michigan doesn’t have a losing record against any of its rivals. This one, however, is a bit different. You see, this is no sibling rivalry, no in-state rivalry, no “hey we are going to be cool after this” rivalry.

This is The Game, and it gets rough. This rivalry started with some flesh wounds in the “Toledo war.” These teams hate each other. They will not be friends, they never were. They may respect each other, with they key word being may.

This rivalry is the rivalry of all rivalries. In 2000 ESPN ranked this rivalry the “greatest sports rivalry in North America.” And for good reason. If you go back and look to see how many times these teams have influenced the outcome of a season of college football, it’s crazy. Conference championships, national championships, and rose bowl aspirations have been obliterated in the past.

Let’s take a look at some of the things that have come from this rivalry.

In 1902 the Buckeyes got beat 86-0, which inspired the writing of the fight song “Carmen Ohio.” Michigan also introduced the script Ohio.

When Francis Schmidt became head coach of the Buckeyes he was asked if he thought he could beat Michigan. He responded by saying, “They put their pants on one leg at a time just like we do.” Then the gold pants tradition started after every victory over Michigan. Crazy, right? There is actually tradition and a meaning behind those things. Huh.

Enough about all that craziness. It can’t be denied how bad the blood is between these teams. The games are always chippy, families are torn apart. I’m pretty sure fans still fight, and we just don’t hear about it. This game is probably one of the best to watch year in and year out.

Even the most abysmal team can still kill the other’s championship aspirations. Just look at the 90’s. My goodness, Jon Cooper couldn’t figure out how to beat Michigan at all, and he had some truly great teams. At the time Michigan was average, with a couple great players. This is another rivalry where you have two traditional schools battling it out for bragging rights. Since both represent the Big Ten it usually has conference championship implications.

Since Jim Tressel was first hired, Michigan has been on the losing end. It didn’t help when it experimented with Rich Rod, either.

Now that Harbaugh is home, I’m sure things will change. The fire between these two was never gone, by any means, but now they will have the coaching ability to put all the talent that’s there to true use.

If Michigan does nothing else in one season, beating the Buckeyes is the only goal.

Next: What to watch against MSU

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Michigan Football Rivalries: A Look Into The Greatest

By Jay Meade | Oct 17, 2015

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