Which one feels better? 2021 or 2022?

2021 felt better.

2022 was the better win.

Both are amazing.

comparison is the thief of joy, gift horses should be not looked in the mouth, etc etc.

both felt incredible in different ways, I'm not going to try and power rank them. they feel good on their own

Great question and post. I think what Aidan and friends did last year to finally vanquish Goliath will go down as the peak feeling.  But, man, they both felt so dang good!  They were both so remarkably special for some similar and some distinct reasons. Easily two of the three best sporting events of my life after college (the other being the Colts super bowl win)

O-JA-BO!!!!!

This is like asking a dog whether he liked the belly rub or the butt scratches more.

This is tough for me - 2021 came out of nowhere and was deliightful. 2022 wasn't unexpected - but it felt more validating. A 3 score win in the Shoe! Michigan IS the standard bearer for the Big Ten. Honestly it's a push for me. They both feel GREAT

Tough call. I was in attendance last year so that one will always be extra special. But damn it felt good to beat them soundly in their house. No flukes, no questionable calls. Just a flat out ass whooping. 

This one!  Last year was the feel good.  This one was F osU!!!  The daggers at the end from Donovan made even sweeter.  Only regret, wasn't Corum so he could've done "The Des" in the end zone. 

2022.

I attended neither game personally and unless Michigan won in Columbus, people would say that 2021 was a fluke.

Michigan's absolute beat down in Columbus changes all the narratives.

Good question OP and, FWIW, my personal experience/reaction to both games was identical to yours.  Openly weeping after 2021, running around my TV in 2022 yelling "FUCK YA" or something like it over and over again.  So probably they are tied (very different emotions).

I live in northern Ohio and have my Michigan Alumni life membership jacket on today.  And yesterday I went to the Browns game wearing my Donovan Peoples Jones jersey and my 2004 Rose Bowl hat (ran into Donovan's mom post game and got a big hug FWIW).  Literally every OSU person I've run into or know personally have congradulated me on the win and have acknowledged "you guys kicked our ass.  Out coached, out toughed, out hustled, out schemed, out everything."

Man this reminds me of the 90's all over again.  Soooooooooooo sweet.

2021 felt better cathartically for Michigan fans but 2022 felt worse for OSU fans, so the schadenfreude is better.

For the first time in two decades they have to grapple with the fact that they might not be top dog anymore. They spent all offseason prepping, talking shit, in the bunker. They fired their entire defensive staff EXCLUSIVELY SO THEY COULD BEAT MICHIGAN.

And what happened? THEY GAVE UP 45 POINTS IN THEIR OWN FUCKING HOUSE. They want to fire a guy with like a .920 winning percentage and the worst part is I kind of understand where they're coming from.

I don’t have kids but I imagine it’s like asking which is your favorite. Can’t choose. Both wins are fantastic.

The correct answer is January 9th, 2023 at 11:45 pm in Inglewood, California will feel the best.

I think 2021 felt better because it had been 10 while years since our last win against them, and it's hard to beat the magic of watching the team slowly pave Ohio State in the snow with the Big House rocking. 

Make no mistake though, 2022 was a much bigger win. Blowing them out in Ohio Stadium in Football Armageddon II will go down as one of the all-time great wins in program history.

Yes.

It has to be 2021.

-We needed it more.

-It felt impossible.

-The win felt more dominate play to play. Haskins broke their spirit. This game felt like OSU at least showed up prior to the fire bombing.

The only argument for 2022 is that they prepared for it for a year and it got worse. My girlfriends family are all OSU fans and told me all Thanksgiving how they were going to stop Corum lol

I doubt that sports will ever again make me feel the sheer joy that I felt after the 2021 win. Fell to the ground weeping in happiness, which is not something I've almost ever done. 2022 was also an incredible feeling, but more like an intense version of simple satisfaction. Smug satisfaction at Michigan being definitively the better team and program than our hated, diabolically fortunate arch-rival. Different feelings, both to be cherished

2022 by far. A win in their house, no question

Hard to say. 2021 was kind of a shock and an amazing end to a brutal stretch, but felt a little like it could have been a fluke, and maybe just this once we caught lightning in a bottle. Like the rivalry might be turning, but it’s one game; don’t get ahead of yourself.

THIS one however, feels different. No excuses, no distractions, in their toilet stadium; they were finally put in their place and there’s no escaping it.

I'm in the same boat as you - I started sobbing and gave my dad and brother hugs after we won last year and while there wasn't as much tears this time around (mostly because we were on a road trip back home) it just felt like this year's win was the ultimate vindication. The relief and the realization that we are for real and can reach higher heights than last year was emotional indeed. I'm 22 years old and haven't experienced the glory years of this program and this rivalry, but these past couple of years showed me just how sweet it can be.

As for which win feels better? I think 2022 edges out last year solely due to the circumstances. It's in the 'Shoe, we won in a completely different manner (explosive plays vs. methodical beatdown), and most importantly, we beat them by a greater margin without the guy our entire offense is designed around. My jaw was on the floor for almost the entire second half, it was truly unbelievable what we were doing and it felt like a fever dream.

edit: double post oops

This is really hard.

I want to say 2022 because I was there and it was not only a very long overdue win, but it was a win of epic proportions - first win by 20+ since 1976, first time scoring 45+ since 1946.

With that said, 2021 was pretty special, too. Last year, all the experts said we couldn't win. This year, we could beat them, but we wouldn't.

I think the best solution is to break the tie and beat them again in 2023 and maybe that will add some clarity. 

2021 - it broke the streak and was a major breakthrough and validation for Harbaugh.

2021 felt better. I'd say it was more important than the 1969 victory. I'd rank it as the most important win in modern Michigan Football History.

It saved Harbaugh's image at Michigan. We needed a hero. We needed someone who could transition us to the new image of Michigan. He rebuilt what that means. That happened in 2021. And it stopped the worst OSU streak in modern Michigan football. I'd say it was bigger than 1969

Many at the game including media not connected to UM have called 2021 the best sporting atmosphere they had ever witnessed (not just football).

Nothing will top what 2021 was. 

But 2022 was a better win. It capped a year that we beat MSU and are perfect. That happens so rarely. It was in Columbus. We beat them in a way that seems repeatable. It sets us up going forward to a reshaped B1G. It's not the big bad OSU anymore. We had to be tougher mentally and execute even better. We did it without Corum. It was an incredible win.

Yes.

This was like comparing the magic of watching Star Wars for the first time and seeing them take down the Death Star, vs. watching all the heroes blow up the even bigger and badder Death Star II that claimed to have its fatal weaknesses fixed. Never thought I would be so happy that we didn't get Empire Strikes Back instead.

It's like your children: They're different. The experience is different when they're born and when they grow up. They have different characteristics, different habits, different glitches, different strengths.

But you love them both. 

2021 because finally… however make no mistake 2022 made the statement that this truly is now an even rivalry… the nuts now have to prove they can play tough can get down and dirty when things aren’t going their way… they have a huge psychological barrier to overcome… make no mistake they are now obsessed with trying anything they can to win The Game again !!! 

It’s The Godfather vs. The Godfather Part Two.

Liked the first one a tiny bit better but the second one was real close.  Let’s just hope OSU does t get in the playoff as I don’t want to risk The Godfather Part Three.

I'm not sure they can really be compared. 

2021 was a more emotional win, something completely unexpected and just relieving. The proverbial monkey was finally off your back. Whether it was a one-off fluke of a game or the sign of things to come, in that moment it didn't matter because Michigan finally found a way to do it. 

2022 was validation. Proof that last year was not a fluke and that we are seeing either a more permanent return to the Big Two, Little Eight, or perhaps even a changing of the guard atop the Big Ten entirely, where there is no longer any room for OSU to sit at the top. 

The first post summed it up best. 2021 felt better, but 2022 was a better win for the program. 

2021 makes a lot of sense as the answer but for me it’s 2022. They were very vocal about how they were focused on this game and it’s in Columbus.

In 2004 I was like, fine whatever, let them have it. In 2005 I was like what is happening in this rivalry.

Last year was their 2004. This year was their 2005.

Both are two of the greatest days of my life

It's weird, because I was more optimistic last year, and yet somehow last year also felt more surreal when it finally happened. I think last year made me realize it can be done, and I just needed this year to confirm it wasn't a fluke. So even though this year I kept expecting all game for the other shoe to drop, a 2017-like feeling, when it never happened it somehow wasn't as shocking as last year, it was kinda like, "Yeah, I knew they could do it," even though I was expecting it to be a difficult climb without Corum, maybe too difficult.

I guess in the moment, last year felt better, but this year the feeling gets better with each passing minute as the realization of what has at last happened to the rivalry, and what it means for the program, continues to set in. I said on this board a few days ago, everything started to go wrong for Michigan football in the early 2000s, a gradual but steady decline, culminating in the Appalachian State --> Rich Rod --> Hoke abyss of 2007-14. It was a lot of things, but my opinion has always been that it all began when Michigan started losing to Ohio State in 2001.

2021 was pure jubilation... 2022 is pure vindication! 

Beating them on the road takes the cake for me

Weird analogy time even if not a perfect comparison.

2021 was basically Rocky 1. In Rocky, the long-shot underdog goes the distance with the champ. In that 2021 game, Michigan who was a major underdog got a shot with the juggernaut champ and more than went the distance with them – in fact, unlike Rocky, we beat the juggernaut.

2022 was basically Rocky 2. In Rocky 2, Apollo wants a rematch to prove that the last fight was nothing but a fluke. He  is no longer underestimating Rocky and wants to pulverize him. Didn’t matter. Rocky proved he could hold his own a second time and the first fight wasn’t a fluke by beating the champ in their rematch. The recent win was Michigan proving to the country that the first bout was absolutely not a fluke and as they beat the juggernaut again.

Great question.   I will go with this year - 2022.  I was at the game in person - in Ann Arbor - in 2021, and loved everything about it.  We hosted a "tailgate" at our house on Saturday - with our "usual" Michigan Stadium menu - and, it was a fantastic day (albeit quite a bit warmer in the house).

So, why this year?   Primarily because the Buckeyes focused on this game - changing their staff - playing at the Shoe - the weather was not a factor (or excuse), unless you think the sun was too bright and the temperature was too warm - everything was focused on defeating Michigan.

The win on Saturday changes the narrative and discussion.   The pendulum is swinging the other way - and, the momentum is in Ann Arbor, not in Columbus.

The Buckeyes roster is - and has been - more talented.  Michigan has a TEAM (including the staff) that is more effective.

It happens once a year - the "exam".  It would appear the Maize & Blue have aced their last two exams.   The pressure in Columbus will increase - and, from my perch - it's going to be great to watch.

Go Blue!

I mean... which child do you love more?

In 2021 it didn't occur to me that we'd win, let along by fifteen points, but that wasn't even close to being forefront on my mind.  The Tuesday before Thanksgiving in 2021, we suddenly lost our Maltese who we inherited from my late MIL.  Scampy was a scamp in every sense of the word and it turned out she had a weak heart all the while and we were in retrospect lucky she made it to 10.  But, suffice it to say that the game wasn't the main thing on my mind that Saturday.  I resigned myself to another game where we'd hold our own against OSU until their arsenal of 5-star skill players got the best of us somewhere around the 3rd quarter.  I knew this team was different, but not quite talented enough to go punch for punch with the #2 team in the country.  So at least I'd watch our first act to see how far we'd come and how long we'd stay upright - just anything to take my mind off not having Scampers around.  I most wanted to see us fight and make a respectable showing and land a few punches.  I was at peace with what we'd accomplished and with the probable result - because after all, it's the hope that kills you. 

But then we kept on punching.  And I kept waiting for their counter-punch, for them to find a new way to break our hearts.  Even as their front seven scattered away from Haskin's fifth TD like snowflakes blown by an errant Arctic wind, I glumly awaited the inevitable denoument: long TD strike to Olave>>recovered onside>>long TD strike to Wilson>>2pt conversion>>win in OT. And then, O-JA-BO. 

It didn't feel quite right in the moment to have a full-throated celebration when I was still mourning Scampy, but the thing with Scampers is she did whatever the fuck she wanted - the number of times I had to shush her out of the kitchen from trawling for scraps is only slightly lower than Mel Tucker's buyout - and she'd want me to have a selfish moment of joy.  So my main emotion after 42-27 was a sweetbitter catharsis.  If I had a choice I'd rather have not lost our fur baby, but goodness was I ever grateful for a little bit of light after that week.

---------

Fast forward to 2022:

This time, I thought we could win, but thought it'd be harder because we weren't going to take them by surprise.  Whomever designed the second edition of the Death Star would almost certainly reinforce the exhaust ports with anti-torpedo countermeasures, right?  I foolishly bought into OSU's hype about Jim Knowles, because you don't climb out of a Black Pit that's been dug for twenty years with one fool hurdled.  I knew we could run on them, but didn't know how we'd stop them without the best pass-rushing tandem in recent M history.  I knew we would have the right game plan and the right mindset to back it up, but didn't know if it'd be enough against a rival who had more then enough talent to compensate for their softness.  And then losing Corum took me from tempered optimism to resigned pessimism.  We could still win, but it'd take everything going right.

Everything didn't go right.  They ripped us with a perfectly scripted opening drive.  Marvin Harrison Jr did Marvin Harrison Jr things. Our fourth (fifth?) string running backs showed us why they were fourth-stringers.  We got two long bombs to keep it within striking distance, but that wasn't going to be sustainable.

Until it was.  

The second half was a fever dream.  As with last year I kept waiting for the other shoe to drop, but it became quickly apparent that that shoe wasn't the Horseshoe, but a Harbaugh-sized cleat kicking OSU's ass.  I hyperventilated during the first Edwards run and then absolutely lost my shit on the second one, and my living room floor probably has a viable #MeToo complaint against me if it wished to litigate.

After the game, I went out to High Street to celebrate in full M gear.  To their credit all the fans I talked to were pretty cool about it, because after 45-23, what else can you say but good game?

Here's a few scenes from Columbus afterwards:

Trying to figure it out.  Asking myself, "which win would I give back if I had to."

I still can't figure it out.  Gun to my head (who would do that, btw), I say I'd keep last year, because it laid the foundation for this year.  Take away last year's win and OSU has crazy momentum and we still have major questions.  Take away this year's and we still have the program in a great place ... though the streak in Columbus would still be alive.

For me it’s 2022, hands down. 2021 was incredible, no doubt, but this year’s victory seemed more like the win that completely took the wind out of their sails. They’ll be feeling the sting of this loss for years to come. In their house, with a great offense and seemingly much better defense, especially with Michigan’s best offensive player sidelined, they believed their own hype as well as many of the talking heads that last year was a fluke. That Michigan’s competitiveness in the game was not sustainable. That it was their destiny to win this year and have a great chance to win it all, again. 
 

This year it wasn’t just that Michigan won and deprived them of what they all thought would happen. It was the way Michigan won. It totally took the life out of them. So much so that they are now turning on each other. This might just be the start to their own implosion for a decade or more. That is why this year is better, IMO.

"When you compare, something or somebody gets diminished." - Jim Harbaugh

This year was cathartic and euphoric and joyful. But I didn't cry. I cried last year.

Last year, but mainly because I was there. Saturday was amazing and I still feel like I’m walking on air, but being there in person is just better than watching it on tv (though that’s also pretty fucking great)

Porque no los dos?

2021 was a huge relief for all the reasons that have been beaten to death at least 12 times over since last November.

2022 has the feeling that the rivalry could be at least swinging back to annually competitive where no team is able to run off 4 in a row because it’ll be too hard to win on the road twice in three years, if not back to the futility of Cooper where UM can inflate the overall series lead back up to double digits.

Neither win is diminished by the other, but rather both are elevated.