Harbaugh played in The Game twice and walked off victorious both times. He’ll look to do the same as head coach of the Wolverines on Saturday. Jim Harbaugh spent five years in Ann Arbor under the leadership of Bo Schembechler, but he only played twice the Buckeyes. A redshirt year, a backup year, and an injury-shortened year – a broken arm suffered against Michigan State – meant that Harbaugh spent three years champing at the bit from the sidelines during The Game. He entered the ’85 contest as a redshirt junior poised to swing the rivalry back in Michigan’s favor after watching Ohio State win two of the three games since he arrived in ’82. And he did just that by winning both games, which kicked off the Wolverines taking 12 of 15 against the Buckeyes from ’85 to 2000. 1985: A Bomb #6 Michigan 27, #12 Ohio State 17 Harbaugh’s Stats: 16/19 for 230 yards, 3 touchdowns, and 6 carries for 14 yards Source of gif found here, courtesy of SterlingIncorp Both teams entered The Game in ’85 with a couple of conference blemishes: Michigan lost to the then-ranked #1 Iowa Hawkeyes, who won the Big Ten that year, in Week 6 and tied a mediocre Illinois squad two weeks later; Ohio State fell to Illinois in Week 4 and traveled to Ann Arbor following a 12-7 upset to a bad Wisconsin team. The Buckeyes won the coin toss and elected to receive the opening kickoff. Wolverines senior Pat Moons booted the pigskin for Michigan, his first career kickoff after Bo suspended both Mike Gillette and Rick Sutkiewicz for disciplinary reasons. Ohio State probably hoped to score points early against a Michigan defense that had surrendered just three touchdowns on the year and no more than 15 points in a game. …
Continue Reading: Harbaugh vs. Ohio State: A Bomb and a Guarantee
