Hard to believe, but ‘The Game’ has taken a back seat to the Big Ten’s expansion this week, which is disappointing considering that rivalry games are the backbone of college football.
Few rivalries can match the significance of the annual battle between Ohio State and Michigan.
From the “Ten-Year War” between Woody Hayes and Bo Schembechler to Jim Tressel owning Michigan over the last decade, the clash between the Buckeyes and Wolverines is as intense as any in the game.
It is no secret that Ohio State and Michigan coaches are measured by their ability to win this game. Besides God, family and a job, nothing else really matters in Ohio and Michigan. The outcome affects the morale of the fans throughout the long offseason.
The 109th version this week is arguably the most important in the series since 1969.
In 1968, Ohio State clobbered Michigan 50-14 and went on to win the national championship by beating USC 27-16 in the Rose Bowl.
Even though the Wolverines lost the game, they may have won the fight. After the game, head coach Bump Elliott resigned, and Schembechler was hired to replace him.
Few knew Woody better than Bo. He played for him and coached with him. He was the perfect man to restore the glory in Ann Arbor. Surprisingly, it took just one year.
Continue reading at Bleacher Report – Big Ten Football
