Best(s) of The Game

In my biased mind, no losses can go in the best of category.  And that severely limits any recent games before last season.  Just because we played waaaaay better in 2013 than expected (I predicted we would lose by 42) and Devin Gardner played inspired football despite being in severe pain, the fact that we lost by one on a failed two point conversion because we stupidly came out in the exact same formation as before the timeout…agh!!!!!  After all that, it’s just like handing OSU the win on a platter.  What a waste.  Sorry but fuck that game. 

1. 1997 Charles woodson

2. 1991 Desmond Howard

3. 1990 Game winning kick as time expired as yours truly watches his first The Game in person. 

2021 was awesome. 

1997 - OSU thought they would get to be the thorn in Michigan's side as Michigan had been for them so many times during the Cooper era. Charles Woodson said, Nope!

1996 - Michigan was 7-4 and things were not looking great for the program.  Down 9-0 Brian Griese comes off the bench and hits Tai Streets for a long TD. A couple of field goals later and Michigan eeks out the win. Had this game gone differently, Lloyd may not have been coaching in 97. 

Touchdown Tim Tshimanga Biakabatuka game has to be in the discussion.  

1997.  My sophomore year.  Atmosphere was electric (remember the "Boston" chants throughout?), the din after Woodson's punt return was mind-blowing, the cops were idiotic after the game in trying to stop us from rushing the field (I got pepper-sprayed in the mouth), and we all made it anyways.  Good lord was that amazing.  

Tim-man-ga Bee-ak-a-ba-TOOOOOOO-kaaaa!

I could probably list 44-27 of my favorite games in the rivalry, but, other than 2021, my favorite is 2003.

2003 is special to me in a LOT of ways and it's a day that I'll never forget. 1) Michigan won. 2) I turned 18 years old that day. 3) I was playing MI HS football and my team won the state semi-final game that day (and would go on to win the state title a week later). Ironically I didn't even get to watch that game in real time.

I personally never counted the year Hoke beat OSU against Adam Sandler, I mean Fickle... I told my then 9 year old daughter last year on my 36th birthday (as my bday is always around the The Game) that all I wanted for my bday that year was a UofM win over OSU. That "it had been 18 years since the last true feeling victory, and how it was conicidental that it was my 18th birthday, and now 18 years later I feel like they could actually do it". She thought that was pretty neat way of looking at it. So, in that regard 2021 is my second favorite win.

1988 might have been one of the strangest AND most classic meetings with the good guys coming out on top.

OSU was awful and only won 3 games all year.  Michigan, as expected, got up big and led 20-0 at halftime.  Then, OSU somehow went on a 24-0 run in the second half.  From there, there was 3 lead changes in the 4th quarter.  The winning drive started with John Kolesar returning the kickoff 60 yards and then two plays later, Kolesar catching a TD bomb from Demetrius Brown.  Michigan intercepted an OSU pass on the final drive and we won 34-31.  

1. 42-27 (so cathartic for UM...players, coaches, fans)

2. 1997 (forever love the image of Charles Woodson with a rose clenched with his teeth)

3. 313 (arguably the greatest UM performance against OSU by Touchdown Timmy)

I'm 26 years old, so my Michigan football memories only go back until about 2003.  The only answer to this for me is 2021.  All I've known in my fandom is pain against OSU, and even the win in 2011 felt a little tainted since it was against a sanctioned OSU team in limbo, and Michigan tried their very best to lose that game.  You can miss me with the moral victory/instant classic games that we lost because in all honesty those are even more painful than the '18-'19 hamblastings that we never had a shot in.  2021 felt like it was straight out of a movie.  The snow, everyone nationally writing it off as another OSU win, and the cockiness/confidence of the team despite all of that.

Let's make it 2 in a row.

2003 was the only time I've seen us win The Game in person. It was glorious but I'm still miffed that Braylon's coast-to-coast TD was called back on a hold (it was a legit call, fwiw).

The 1993, 1995, and 1996 games were the most shocking until 2021. I've never experienced as much joy, even in '97, as the final whistle last year. 

Gonna have a hard time listing any losses, even 2006 which was mostly a great event that even featured tv broadcasts of the marching bands.

1997 is the obvious and correct answer. My first time ever in the student section and my first in-person OSU game; I was a senior in high school and got some birthday money and sunk it all into a single ticket and boy was it worth it. From the electricity before the game (which is a mainstay of pretty much any Michigan-Ohio State game, there's nothing like it) to the bands to the color to the noise to Woodson over and over again...

To that final fourth down stop, and the absolutely deafening roar that rose and sustained as Brian Griese kneeled out those final seconds and the triumph was complete.

I doubt I'll ever have an in-person sports experience to match it.

Also enjoyed:

2003, which I attended with my wife, only time she's gotten to be at something like that.

2000, our last win down there, which was the first time I went to The Game in enemy territory. A thrilling experience as much for the remarkable events my friend and I encountered in the stands as the win.

1993/5/6, all fantastic and surprising upsets.

1991, when we were decidedly superior and Desmond made the play.

But I'll go ahead and put 2021 right up there in second place to 1997, and honestly I don't think it's even that hard of a call. 2021 was amazing and important in a way few games can be. 

2011 was a fun game.

1976  

We won 22-0. The thing that made it memorable was the fake extra point attempt after the 2nd touchdown. The holder ran it in for the two point conversion making the score 15-0 which felt like a insurmountable lead!!    

Every single M-OSU game is equally exciting going into it.  Every single M victory is a highlight.  And even the 1973 tie was a highlight since Woody Hayes chose to tear up the sideline markers right in front of me. 

The 1969 victory is probably the watershed victory during the last 75 years since it turned the program from an average one over the previous roughly 20 years into an outstanding one during the following roughly 20 years.  Unfortunately, I couldn't attend as it was the day I had to report for Army Basic Training (listened to Van Patrick report the scores during a Notre Dame game).

My favorite (barely) is a personal one -- in 1964 when M beat OSU 10-0 in Columbus and I was there as a sophomore, having been invited by a cousin who attended OSU.  We sat in the old south end zone in bleachers with a stiff wind at our backs in sub-20 degree weather.  That was the also coldest game I have ever witnessed, including this past Saturday (perhaps second place).  Final score was 10-0.  Also stopped a four year losing streak.  All hail, Bob Timberlake!  Threw a touchdown, kicked the extra point and kicked a field goal!

2021 because we got the monkey off our back!!!!

1997, 1995, 1991, 1993 and 2003 were the best I attended.

And don't forget the one that started it all.....1969

Go Blue 

'69 Dude!

1971: I was in the stadium to watch "Touchdown Billy Taylor" as Michigan finishes the season undefeated/untied for the first time since 1948.

1976: 22-0 over the Buckeyes down in Columbus

1985: Harbaugh to Kolesar for 77 yards to seal the game in the 4th quarter.

1976 in Columbus 22-0 it was our first win in enemy territory in 12 years, time to get that monkey off our back.

1950 - Long before I was born but the snow bowl is still a favorite.

1969 - I don't remember it but it set up the modern rivalry

1973 - I can't remember if it was on TV or radio but the aftermath makes it memorable.  I still feel the angst almost 50 years later and it still influences how I feel about other B1G teams.

1976 - It was the first time I saw us win

1983 - The first time I saw us win in person

1986 - The Harbaugh Guarantee - it went down to the wire and the win sent us to the Rose Bowl and my sister made the trip.

1988 - First time I watched the Game with my wife (then girlfriend)

1989 - First time I saw us win with my wife

1991 - The pose but I wasn't there

1992 - My first trip to C-bus

1993 - It was just awesome to be there - the outcome was so unexpected

1995 - The only game I did not see live or in person since 1973 (one of them may have not been on TV so I listened on radio).  I was in Australia and found out when the game ended (8:00 a.m. Sunday Sydney time).  Unexpected result and had a whole day to gloat.  Best part was when a Buckeye saw my hat and humbly informed me that we won.

1997 - Watched on TV but national championship implications and I love Woodson with the Rose.

2006 - So much hype, sadness and disappointment.  Did not go but special nonetheless.

2011 - I was there and it was really nice to win.

2013 - I was sick so I stayed home.  Game was exciting.  Devin played his heart out.

2016 - Did not go but J.T. was short

2021 - First time I saw us win with my daughter sitting next to me and my first win since I got season tickets.  Special.

2022 - Going to C-bus for the second time with both daughters - the U-M Alum and the freshman Buckeye.

I can't rank them.  It's just a huge life cycle event.

It let's you impress a client when you tell him you see Archie Griffin's jersey in the background of his Zoom square.

Go Blue!!

I'm still shaking my head about 2016 because even with multiple mistakes and turnovers- they still had a chance to win. The defense was amazing holding osu to 7 points in the 4th quarter.

I hate that game the most because they should have won that game despite those turnovers and "the spot"

"One man...Goodbye!  Heh-looo Heisman!"

1976 beating Dr. StrangeHayes in columbus… Ricky the Peach Leach the guts and glue of the Maize and Blue and Rob Lyltle !!!