The Ohio State-Michigan rivalry, commonly referred to as “The Game,” is such an intense rivalry that a head coach refused to stop and fill up his near-empty car with gas on the Michigan side of the state line. And this year marks their 128th meeting. Michigan holds a four-win lead while Ohio State enters with an 11-0 record.

It all started in the 19th-century Toledo War when a land dispute between Ohio and Michigan over a strip of land turned into a major rivalry. Michigan eventually received the Upper Peninsula, while Ohio retained the Toledo area, a move that Michigan felt was an unfair trade. Soon after, that tension shifted to sports. As the big rivalry beckons, let’s take a deep dive into the history of “The Game”.

Ohio State vs. Michigan “Snow Bowl” weather drama

The Ohio State-Michigan rivalry has many key moments, but one of the most famous remains their 1950s “Snow Bowl,” as Ohio State hosted Michigan during one of the worst blizzards in their history.

The Bucks could have canceled the game and claimed the Big 10 title by default, but they took the icy route. The weather didn’t make it any easier for the players. To force mistakes on other teams near their goal line, players consistently punted the ball over 45 yards in the game.

Ohio State’s Heisman winner and football halfback, Vic Janowicz, punted 21 times for 685 yards and kicked a field goal for the only points the Bucks scored. But even he couldn’t do much for the team, as Michigan took advantage of two blocked punts, turning one into two points when it went out of Ohio State’s end zone and the other into a TD before halftime.

What’s interesting is that despite not gaining a single first down or completing any passes, Michigan won with a 9-3 record, earning a Big Ten title and Rose Bowl spot.

Now, that win drew heavy criticism for the then-coach, Wes Fesler, and things turned so ugly that he had to resign from his post, too. Now you know how one rivalry game ended Fesler’s career with the Bucks.

The Gold Pants tradition

From 1930 to 1933, Michigan dominated the rivalry, winning three of its four games against Ohio State and even claiming the national championship twice. That was the time the Bucks were struggling, having lost nine of their previous twelve games against Michigan. But then a miracle happened.

In 1934, the Bucks hired Francis Schmidt as their new head coach. When a reporter asked him about beating Michigan that year after a long drought, Schmidt was confident about the win.

“Of course we can win; Michigan puts their pants on one leg at a time just like we do,” Schmidt said.

Despite a losing record, Schmidt’s words mirrored his belief in the team. That confidence finally paid off as Ohio State recorded four straight victories against Michigan from 1934 to 1937, outscoring them with a 114-0 record in that time span.

Significantly, Schmidt’s words and efforts inspired a lasting tradition, as every Bucks player wore gold pants with the player’s or coach’s initials, the date of their victory, and the score of the game after the win since 1934.

Ohio State-Michigan Ten-Year War

The Ten Year War refers to the ten annual matches between Ohio State and Michigan, spanning from 1969 to 1978. This decade-long rivalry between Ohio State’s Woody Hayes and Michigan’s coach Bo Schembechler became one of the main reasons behind the intensity of the rivalry we see today.

Michigan hired Schembechler, who previously worked as an assistant under Hayes, in 1969 as HC. In their first matchup, he pulled off one of the great wins in history, going 24-12 against Ohio State in a grand start to his career.

The 69 game stands as the only time Ohio State lost to Michigan as the No. 1 team in the AP poll. That loss became a key reason for the personal feud between Hayes and Schembechler. Hayes gave multiple names to Michigan, referring to them as “the school” or “team up north” in 1970. These are the terms now used by players, coaches, and fans.

Hayes even bashed Michigan and refused to buy gas from them.

“No, goddammit! We do NOT pull in and fill up. And I’ll tell you exactly why we don’t. It’s because I don’t buy one goddam drop of gas in the state of Michigan! We’ll coast and PUSH this goddam car to the Ohio line before I give this state a nickel of my money,” Hayes said.

Schembechler finished the ten-year record going 5-4-1 against Hayes. Therefore, that’s how their fiery comments and disagreements added fuel to the fire.