Was Michigan's 2024 upset in Columbus even bigger than 1969?

A half a year ago, in the lion's den of the horseshoe, Michigan football confidently charged into Ohio Stadium unfazed and pulled off the most perplexing upset of the entire college football season. The three-touchdown underdog cost its most seething rival a rematch for the Big Ten championship that the world desperately wanted to witness.

Going way back to 1969, a first-year coach did the same thing, only this time it was in front of the largest crowd to ever watch a contest in Michigan Stadium up until that point. Ohio native Bo Schembechler caused a titanic stir by unseating the powerhouse that was his coached by his mentor. The No. 1-ranked team in the land and previously unbeaten Ohio State Buckeyes, who were riding a 22-game win streak, fell victim to the upset of the century.

In 1969, Michigan was quarterbacked by Don Moorhead. 55 years later, Michigan had a walk-on take the field as their starting centerpiece. Michigan was also without its prized tight end and cornerback, all while losing one of its rotational backs to injury. The David versus Goliath moniker couldn't have been more of a real-life situation than that day.

Another revealing fact from that day in November of 1969 was that the Buckeyes were touted as the "greatest college football team of all time." About two months after last November's drama-packed thriller, Ohio State was saluted for going on the greatest run of all time by beating seven top-10 schools on the way to a national championship. But it will forever remain tainted because they lost the one game that you can't lose, no matter what the stakes are.

Those who attended or saw that game back in 1969 will probably debate that it is the upset that trumps them all, but for those who were a part of last season's series presentation, they'll beg to differ. Personally, for me, 2024 might not have happened if 1969 had never materialized. Both are milestone days in Michigan football history, and either way you slice it, the maize and blue rose victorious in both matchups, and that is the most tantalizing part about it.