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Posted at 12:24 p.m., Tuesday, November 14, 2006

OSU-Michigan: Remembrances of 'The Game'

By Rusty Miller
Associated Press

Associated Press Sports Writer Rusty Miller has covered the Big Ten for 30 years, including 27 Michigan-Ohio State games

COLUMBUS, Ohio — It's simply called "The Game," perhaps the greatest rivalry in college football.

On Saturday, the Ohio State-Michigan game, or Michigan-Ohio State game depending on your rooting interest, means even more than usual.

It will be the first time in 103 meetings that the Big Ten powers are ranked 1-2 in the nation — Ohio State is No. 1 and Michigan is No. 2. The winner not only captures the league title, but also locks up a spot in the Bowl Championship Series national title game on Jan. 8 at Glendale, Ariz.

Here's the top half dozen:

1. Michigan 9, Ohio State 3 (1950): The temperature hovered near 10 degrees and winds whipped the snow at 28 mph. Columbus was paralyzed on Nov. 25, by one of the worst snowstorms ever to hit the area. Yet, Michigan and Ohio State played on. Several inches of snow obliterated the yard lines at Ohio Stadium. Long-snappers said when they looked back between their legs they couldn't even see the punter. And punters played a huge role.

Michigan's Chuck Ortman punted 24 times for 723 yards. Ohio State's Vic Janowicz, who won the Heisman Trophy that year, had 685 yards on 21 punts. The teams frequently punted on first down, just to avoid a turnover. Ultimately, it was a turnover — a blocked punt, of course — that provided the difference.

On third-and-6 at the Ohio State 13, Buckeyes coach Wes Fesler instructed Janowicz to punt with Ohio State holding a 3-2 lead. Only 47 seconds remained in the half and it was likely that Ohio State could have run out the clock. But Michigan's Tony Momsen — whose older brother Bob played for the Buckeyes — blocked the kick and fell on it in the end zone, closing the scoring in a 9-3 Michigan win.

Michigan won the infamous "Snow Bowl" — despite not having a first down and going 0-for-9 passing.

Fesler was fired, and a young coach from Miami (Ohio) named Wayne Woodrow Hayes was eventually hired to take his place.

2. Michigan 24, Ohio State 12 (1969): This was the first meeting between Michigan's Glenn "Bo" Schembechler, and his former boss and good friend, Hayes. A year after Hayes' Buckeyes cruised past the Wolverines 50-14 on their way to a national championship, Schembechler denied No. 1-ranked Ohio State a second consecutive title with a stunning 24-12 upset in Ann Arbor.

3. Ohio State 10, Michigan 10 (1973): No. 4 Michigan had outscored its opponents 235-48. No. 1 Ohio State had a 297-27 scoring edge on its opponents. Both were 10-0. It figured they would play to a 10-10 tie.

After the game, the Big Ten athletic directors met to select the conference's representative to the Rose Bowl. Even though Michigan's Mike Lantry missed two field goals in the last 2 minutes and the Wolverines easily won the statistical battle, the ADs voted for Ohio State, driving Schembechler into a frenzy.

"I thought they might give Michigan the opportunity," says Ohio State tailback Archie Griffin, who would win the Heisman Trophy the next two seasons. "I think they looked at the fact that Dennis Franklin, who was their quarterback, got injured and the fact that they didn't beat us at home."

4. Ohio State 13, Michigan 3 (1919): Forget polls and championships. If it weren't for this game, the rivalry might never have bloomed. Michigan was 13-0-2 in the first 15 meetings, winning by scores of 86-0, 34-0 and 40-0 — and that was back when a touchdown was only worth four or five points. The Wolverines had outscored the Buckeyes 369-21 in the series.

Chic Harley, Ohio State's first football star, scored on a 42-yard run for the game's only touchdown, punted 10 times for a 40-yard average and intercepted four passes in a 13-3 Buckeyes triumph that jump-started the rivalry.

5. Michigan 13, Ohio State 9 (1996): For the second year in a row, Ohio State was unbeaten and ranked No. 2. Michigan had three losses and was a heavy underdog at Ohio Stadium. The Wolverines' 13-9 shocker — aided by a slippery field when Buckeyes' All-American cornerback Shawn Springs slipped on Tai Streets' short catch that turned into a long touchdown — dropped Ohio State just enough in the polls that even when the Buckeyes won the Rose Bowl they ended up No. 2.

6. Ohio State 14, Michigan 9 (2002): No. 2 Ohio State was unbeaten coming into the Nov. 23 contest at home against the 12th-ranked Wolverines.

Michigan led 9-7 through three quarters before Buckeyes freshman tailback Maurice Clarett — playing in his only game against the Wolverines — pulled in a 26-yard pass that helped set up Maurice Hall's 3-yard sweep around right end with 4:55 left to put the Buckeyes in front 14-9.

Quarterback John Navarre was hit by Darrion Scott and fumbled the ball away near the Ohio State 30 with 2:02 left. The Wolverines then forced a punt and got the ball back and moved to the Buckeyes 24. On the final play, Navarre's pass was intercepted by Will Allen just short of the goal line, preserving the win.

The Buckeyes went on to upset top-ranked Miami 31-24 in double-overtime — they're seventh win by seven or fewer points in 14 games — to win their first national title since 1968.