Your Best Memories of Ohio State Games?
With no game this weekend, I've been reflecting on memories of "The Game" in years past. Below are my favorite memories — how about yours?
1997: My brother and I were among the first fans charging the field when the clock showed zeros. A cop made a half-hearted attempt to grab us before realizing there were hundreds, if not thousands more coming right behind us. We dashed to midfield, where right in front of us Brian Griese and Charles Woodson, roses gripped in their mouths, gave each other a wild bear hug, screaming in jubilation. A moment later, they broke apart, and Griese whirled around, still biting a thorny rose stem, looking for his next hug. He seized my brother, lifted him in his arms, screaming a triumphant "Yaaa-arrrrghhhhh!!" in his left ear, before releasing him and rushing off to bear hug other teammates and fans. The look on my brother's face — delirious joy and surprise — was unforgettable.
2011: The night before The Game, after bars closed, I burned an Ohio State jersey in the alley next to Alley Bar (my avatar photo). Was too drunk to realize it at the time, but the next day at The Game, my dad kept asking me: What's that burning smell? Somehow I'd singed my eyebrows, my nose hairs, and my coat's faux fur collar. My dad's been going to games since he landed in A2 in 1968, but this was the Denard Robinson 40-34 win, and will always be a special one to me — our last win over OSU for my dad and I to see together in person. Hoping that by the time my son Desmond is old enough to go with me to games, the power imbalance will have swung back the other way.
Hope to hear some of your stories.
December 11th, 2020 at 2:21 AM ^
I've only been to 2 OSU games. One was 2003. The last win besides 2011. Which is insane because that feels like a lifetime ago. Michigan winning that game felt...normal. Beating OSU was a thing that used to happen, in the long long ago.
December 11th, 2020 at 2:29 AM ^
Very well said. That game got suddenly way too close in the 4th quarter, but then we stretched the lead out. Yeah, even though it was normal back then, I still remember how thrilling it felt to beat 'em! At this point anything that happened pre-pandemic seems like years ago, but these 2003 and 2011 games really feel like from another lifetime.
December 11th, 2020 at 3:36 AM ^
2011 felt cathartic, and we're now even farther removed from that game than 2011 was from 2003.
December 11th, 2020 at 2:39 AM ^
Considering I have multiple children who have never seen Michigan beat Ohio State, it has been a lifetime for some.
December 11th, 2020 at 2:56 AM ^
Wow, that's crazy. My son, too.
December 11th, 2020 at 6:20 AM ^
I’ve got three kids. Oldest turned 9 on November 30th. She was born 4 days after our last win against those bastards. My 4 year old son loves Michigan. Bless his heart. May this game be more enjoyable for you son than it’s been for your sister.
December 11th, 2020 at 9:54 AM ^
My 14 year old son would say the memory that he remembers most was the five year old him seeing his dad on the field after the 2011 game on television and his mom saying "Oh my God that's your dad. Shit." The first thing he told me when I called home to scream with him. He's a rabid fan today. I swear, that day did it.
December 11th, 2020 at 8:10 AM ^
When the 2018 Game started to get stupid, I just took my oldest kid on a walk. I was upset at the time because we were a little behind on the game and watching from DVR. He happened to glance over my wife's shoulder and see the live score on her phone and spoiled where the game was headed by the look on his face. We just took that walk and I explained to him I'm more upset that I've never been able to enjoy a Michigan win with him than I was with him spoiling the outcome. He was alive for 2011 but I was deployed. I have never watched a Michigan win with my family. One day.
December 11th, 2020 at 9:57 AM ^
Thanks for your service and the many sacrifices. I am confident that you will one day. And enjoy that day with reckless joy.
December 11th, 2020 at 8:29 AM ^
Key words... “been to”.
Just imagine going to any game filled with people and no COVID
December 11th, 2020 at 8:40 AM ^
That 2003 game was so great. Watching in person you knew that Chris Perry was going to do whatever it took to win. He was hurt and the OSU players were chirping at him. As he limped off the field he turned around and said, “I’ll be back.” He was, and Michigan pulled away again. We haven’t had that kind of swagger in over 15 years now.
December 11th, 2020 at 8:46 AM ^
Yup, my first ever Michigan game was that 03 game. Sat underneath the press box so couldn't see the punts for a few seconds. I was 13 at the time and remember an OSU fan being really nice when I told him it was my first game, he said "You'll remember this for the rest of your life", and I responded by saying "Yeah and I'll remember that Michigan won."
Wish I could still say that with a straight face before a game against OSU.
December 11th, 2020 at 2:33 AM ^
My best memories of Ohio State games are when they lose. It doesn’t happen that much so I can remember most of them over the past 10 years. But Desmond taking that punt to the house and throwing up the heisman on their asses was one of my all time favorites!!
Go Blue!!
December 11th, 2020 at 2:57 AM ^
#CLASSIC AF!!
December 11th, 2020 at 2:37 AM ^
Sharing a beer with an Ohio State fan while tailgating in AA. I was so full of beer and optimism about our chances at a win. Then kickoff took place and screwed everything up.
December 11th, 2020 at 2:58 AM ^
LOL. Some Ohio State fans aren't too obnoxious... until the game starts.
December 11th, 2020 at 2:45 AM ^
My best memories are so faded, they’re more like myths or legends now.
December 11th, 2020 at 2:59 AM ^
Well said. Share these legends with your grandchildren so they can pass them on to their grandchildren. The Biakabutukua game can live on as part of our oral tradition...
December 11th, 2020 at 2:59 AM ^
1976 going into Columbus and kicking their asses 22-0, after not beating them for 4 years, including the '73 tie BS.
The '77 & '78 games were also great, Leach knew how to win that game. Loved '91 & '97 too. So many others as well, it's too bad so many of you haven't experienced dominating them, which we did a lot before asshole Tressel the cheater came along.
December 11th, 2020 at 6:38 AM ^
The best moment of that '76 game was when we surprised them by going for 2 after one of our TD's--I believe Jerry Zuver was the holder on the fake extra point and he ran around end into the endzone for the conversion. My 13 year old self was jubilant. Been a while since I felt that way during an important Michigan football game.
December 11th, 2020 at 3:42 AM ^
I've only been to 2 of them. back to back 96 and 97. 96 was a pretty big upset in Columbus. my favorite part was the O-line and Chris Howard running out the clock with a huge drive at the end just pounding the ball down their fucking throats. I remember having my binoculars on Coach Carr during timeouts and him just screaming at the offense during that drive. Nobody was stopping that team.
December 11th, 2020 at 3:54 AM ^
2011. I was at Michigan Stadium with friends. Michigan won. It was glorious.
December 11th, 2020 at 3:55 AM ^
Way to ostracize all the blog readers who are under 20, OP.
Just kidding but sorta not, sadly.
December 11th, 2020 at 7:59 AM ^
Well grow the hell up so you can remember some games! Do we have to do everything for you?
December 11th, 2020 at 2:46 PM ^
Haha, maybe our memories of past victories will provide some hope to them... foolishly or not.
December 11th, 2020 at 4:16 AM ^
1997- being at the game and staying an hour after for the best party ever. Even better was going on the field the next day to kick field goals with friends and 1) seeing the scoreboard still reading Ohio State’s name, and 2) seeing all of the rose petals on the ground from the day before.
December 11th, 2020 at 5:03 AM ^
1995 - the Buckeye fans seated behind me were yapping before the game about how the result was a forgone conclusion, that OSU could name their score, etc. They were silenced very quickly as Biakabutuka tore the Buckeye defense to shreds. At the end of the game, they looked like war orphans.
1997 - the stadium was as loud as I've ever heard it when Woodson ran back the punt.
2003 - A great game by a clearly superior U-M team. The fans were packed in so tightly (I'm pretty sure that not everyone in my row had a ticket), that I had to stand at an odd angle for 3.5 hours. I didn't care.
December 11th, 2020 at 3:04 PM ^
1995 - There were a lot of Buckeyes at that game. They were all over South U talking trash the night before. They were #2, making plans for a national championship with Eddie George on his way to the Heisman. It was so nice to see Biakabutuka run over them and give their fanbase the dong punch it deserved.
December 11th, 2020 at 5:37 AM ^
1983 - senior year. sat on the bench for the game. our era was the hammerstein brothers, the mallory brothers, steve smith, guys like that. we won 24-21. during the game it really hit me that would be my last as a student and i remember looking around the stadium during the game, doing my best to take it in and savor it. after the game it was a weird feeling walking off the field, walking up that tunnel one last time.
flash forward to last year and i was able to get on the field for 'the game' with one of the avatar twins. despite the final outcome it was still a very cool thing. hard to believe 36 yrs had passed since the last time i was down there for a game v. ohio.
found this link to the game by wolverine historian. with a 'thank you' to him, some memories here with brandstatter doing color (his real talent) and ray lane the PBP guy, he was very good.
link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lPI-mk4_ELw
go blue, beat ohio...next year.
December 11th, 2020 at 6:01 AM ^
Woodson’s punt return in 97.
December 11th, 2020 at 6:25 AM ^
Biakabutuka.
December 11th, 2020 at 6:30 AM ^
One of my earliest memories was 1978 Leach vs. Schlichter, in Columbus, the 10th year of the the 10 year war. Michigan won.
I went to the game in 2000, last Michigan win in Columbus. Anthony Thomas had a big game, Drew Henson was our qb.
December 11th, 2020 at 6:37 AM ^
Ive told this story a few times on here but Ill repeat it one last time beause it fits the Topic...1973..I am 10 yrs old and a big Michigan fan...My family doesnt have alot of money..my Dad has to feed 6 kids so money was extremely tight..to say we were lower middle class is probably a stretch..SO telling him how much I wanted to go to just ONE game
I sent a letter to then AD Don Canham telling him how badly I wanted to see just one, any game but my Dad couldnt afford tickets. I told him what a great Dad he was how hard he worked to take care of his family and how he would probably not want me writing to talk about this.
Weeks go by and I get home from school and my Mom hands me a envelope from the Mail with a UM return address..Needless to say shes puzzled. I open it up and there were 4 tickets to the OHIO ST game...remember its 1973...1973 ring a bell???
I became the most popular kid in school because that meant I could take one friend with me to the game with my parents.. its a 6 hour Drive , it was COLD heavy rain and a miserable miserable day but I hardly noticed I was going to M OSU #1` vs #2..we get to the game and like a Miracle right at Kick off the rain stops!!
10-10 tie... and we left thinking assuredly Michigan would go to the Rose Bowl because we outplayed them. Anyways You know the rest of the story.
Years later Im working at a Resort in N Michigan at a Corporate event( My Job I organize and run large Corporate meetings events and incentivies). Our guest speaker is John U Bacon. I worked with him for 2 days and we couldnt stop talking Michigan sports..I told him the story and He was really amazed. I told him how much that gesture from Canham affected me and how I never forgot what he did for me and my family. He went back to Mrs Canham and told her the story and she was touched. He wrote back to me asking iof he could repeat the story in a future book and I said yes of course. Im glad my story touched her.
That was my first of many many games at the Big House.
December 11th, 2020 at 6:42 AM ^
Fantastic story. I'm your age, that was my first season going to all of the games w/my Dad, and I really thought one of those Lantry field goals was good. The AD's vote afterwards broke my heart, especially since they supposedly favored OSU in light of Dennis Franklin's broken collarbone.
December 11th, 2020 at 7:07 AM ^
What an awesome memory for you. Those kind of things are what make a fan for life. You'd never see an AD do something like that today. All about the dolla dolla bills yall.
December 11th, 2020 at 9:24 AM ^
That’s just an awesome story Maize4Life! I’m sitting here with my wife and I just read your story to her. Being as much of a fan of both the University and M football as I am and for as long as I’ve been, she teared up. Just classic Michigan stuff for sure. Thanks for sharing!
December 11th, 2020 at 10:03 AM ^
Crying the day before an OSU game like Bo died. Wow. Never read this one before. Thank you.
December 11th, 2020 at 6:47 AM ^
I'm not entirely sure that all of my positive memories aren't created by a computer program to give me the false impression that happiness is a real phenomenon.
December 11th, 2020 at 8:05 AM ^
Just go eat your virtual steak and forget about all of it.
December 12th, 2020 at 12:53 AM ^
You got the wrong program
December 11th, 2020 at 6:48 AM ^
1969: I was a freshman and will never forget the 24-12 beatdown of the 'unbeatable' Buckeyes. SI article before the game said that they were so good that they would be able to beat half of the NFL teams. Bo had the team ready after practicing every day all season for this game. The players needed to walk by a sign in the locker room that said simply '50-14'. After that 1968 game, Woody was asked why after scoring to go ahead 48-14 did he go for 2. He replied "Because I couldn't go for 3".
No game will ever top that memory for me.
December 11th, 2020 at 8:17 AM ^
69 was my junior year. It had snowed the night before, and sitting in the student section we started throwing snowballs at the Ohio State team as they were warming up before the game. Somebody down in front of me hits Stan White right in the back of the helmet. I'll never forget that. I was a physical education major and knew some of the players on the team, so that made it even more special for me.
December 11th, 2020 at 4:08 PM ^
1969 was memorable for me, along with some other years, though I didn't attend the game and couldn't watch it on TV either. It was my first day of Army Basic Training at Ford Ord, California, and a group of us from a Reserve unit in Jackson were together there. We could only listen to the radio and chose to listen to a Notre Dame game narrated by Van Patrick. So, we were limited to listen to him announce the scores and, of course, we were amazed. Will never forget it! Of course, this experience wasn't unlike a lot of other historic events that you can't attend yet remember as if you did. Since I was in Calif, had a chance to attend the Rose Bowl game though Bo had a heart attack and you know what happened at the game.
December 11th, 2020 at 6:50 AM ^
Any year M had beaten tO$u works for me.
Best for me though, was watching “The Game” 2011 edition with my 10 year old son, the M alumni group in High Point NC and, during post-game shots, thinking balance was returning to the rivalry.
Balance will return. Keep the faith.
Happy Holidays from mgoblu88 !!!
December 11th, 2020 at 7:10 AM ^
Sadly in my lifetime I’ve only seen Michigan beat Ohio state live twice 2003 and 2011. Sigh
December 11th, 2020 at 7:22 AM ^
That’s easy. Winning them. Fortunately as an aging Gen Xer of 53 I’ve got a fair bit of those kind of memories beyond Denard in 2011 and Woodson in 1997.
My heart sincerely goes out to the kids whose fanhood for this program came of age in the 21st Century. Y’all are wondering if Michigan is ever going to win this game again and I have no words of comfort to offer because our program seems much more so on the trajectory of the University of Chicago’s than the University of Alabama’s. That’s probably an exaggeration, but until Michigan decides that results on the field are as important as results in the classrooms I just don’t see any way out of this program’s continuing atrophy.
It might do The Powers That Be in Ann Arbor to read a book called “Presidents Can’t Punt”, written by George Lynn Cross (who once said of his employer Oklahoma University that he “wanted to build a university that the football team could be proud of”). It was published first in 1977, but a lot of its content is still relevant today.
December 11th, 2020 at 7:29 AM ^
The 1995 Biakabatuka game. The student section was still throwing marshmallows back then and there were OSU fans mixed in. At one point some Buckeye schmuck stood up and threatened everyone around him with an ass whooping if he got hit one more time. He was then mercilessly pelted by all around him, including some other OSU fans.
December 11th, 2020 at 7:33 AM ^
The last UM victory here. Watching this trashy, skinny, younger OSU fan stomping up from near the bottom of the stadium yelling something to the effect of how do you get out of this cramped fucking stadium.
December 11th, 2020 at 7:38 AM ^
OP: I was going to be an ass and just write "My best memories are Michigan being competitive in the game." Then I saw this:
"Somehow I'd singed my eyebrows, my nose hairs, and my coat's faux fur collar."
Well done, sir.
December 11th, 2020 at 7:51 AM ^
Rushing the field as a Freshman in 2003.....I will never forget that, easily top three memory of my four years in AA. Almost brings a tear to my eye.