The Michigan and Ohio State Football Rivalry Tradition

This rivalry, in my opinion, is the greatest in all of college football. Actually, it could perhaps be the greatest in all of college sports, depending on who you're talking to. The reason this rivalry has always remained competitive each year is the consistent strength of the programs year after year. They are ranked among the top schools in the country each season and often times the conference title, as well as the hopes for a national championship, are at stake each time they take the field. It's a special rivalry to watch, even for a North Carolinian like myself.

Though ESPN just recently named the Michigan-Ohio State rivalry as the second best rivalry in football, the seeds to this rivalry were planted long ago. In fact, the rivalry has been played each season since 1935 and each year the hype gets bigger and bigger. I'll take you even further back with a story I heard from my step-father that just happens to be a Michigan native. He claims the tension between the two states really happened in the mid 1830's when there were disputes and battles over the border. This was called the "Toledo War." Whether or not this spawned the intense rivalry we'll never know, but it certainly adds to the mystery and romance of the Michigan-Ohio State football tradition.

The first game between Ohio State and Michigan was played in 1897 and was a victory for the Wolverines, who didn't allow a single point from a weak Ohio State team. Actually, Michigan held the advantage for the first twenty years, winning the majority of games.

Ohio State joined the Big Ten Conference in 1912, while Michigan came six years later in 1918. The first ever win for the Ohio State program came in 1919, finally breaking the losing streak and building some much needed confidence for the team. However, Michigan continued to impose its will on much of the early to mid 1900's, including a 30-12 record against Ohio State by 1950. Up until this point it was clear that the rivalry was one-sided.