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 2:52 PM ^
2011 and 2003. Being on the field after.
December 11th, 2020 at 2:54 PM ^
Biakabutuka!
December 11th, 2020 at 3:14 PM ^
1977. Woody Hayes punches ABC cameraman on the sideline after the Buckeyes fumble it away when driving for a potential tying TD. Woody's anger management issues eventually ended his career...
December 11th, 2020 at 3:15 PM ^
Lol. Just graduated from umich in the spring and I have no good memories of the game. Wasn't a football fan in 2011. But I do have vivid memories of 3 blowout losses (2015, 2018, 2019) and 3 gut-punch losses (2013, 2016, 2017).
December 11th, 2020 at 3:23 PM ^
I remember when the games were somewhat competitive. UM actually win one here and there too! Great times.
December 11th, 2020 at 3:53 PM ^
I am 12 years old, and I watched The Game with my father. Michigan was not very good that year, and got blown out, as expected. But at the end of the game, having just scored a pointless touchdown, Ohio State went for the 2 point conversion, and got it, to make the score 50-14.
We went out rake leaves, and my father explained to me that "Ohio State" stood for "steaming pile of shit". I have lived by that credo ever since.
December 11th, 2020 at 4:01 PM ^
Your dad sounds like my kind of guy.
We'll get you a big win one day, young man!
December 11th, 2020 at 5:03 PM ^
If he was 10 in 1968, so he's pretty old now, like 63.
December 11th, 2020 at 7:18 PM ^
Your father was a very good person and raised his children properly
December 11th, 2020 at 4:23 PM ^
I have to say 31 - 0 in 2016 Fiesta Bowl. Clemson put the "0" in Ohio.
December 11th, 2020 at 5:06 PM ^
Haha that was a fun one!
December 11th, 2020 at 4:27 PM ^
1964 in Columbus. Other games I have attended (such as 1997) stick way out as exciting but 1964 was one of only two I have attended in Columbus, and what an initiation! It was my sophomore year and M had begun the season predicted as a middling team. OSU was supposedly the leader. M had lost just one game that year when Bob Griese led Purdue to win by one point (M missed a 2 pt conversion to lose).
A cousin was a freshman at OSU and bought tickets for us in the old south end zone bleachers. At least we were in the stadium! The only problem was that the temp that day was below 20 and the wind was blowing at least that strong. The coldest game I have ever attended during over 50 years of going to the games! (The hottest game was at the Rose Bowl for a regular season game against UCLA -- 100+ deg)
Of course, it wouldn't have been real memorable if M had lost. But M did win, 10-0, in a hard fought game on both sides. I'm pretty sure that M's scoring was in front of us in the south end zone; a miracle! It was also M's first Big 10 championship in 14 years. How great it was to be in Columbus after a Michigan victory! Set up a great Rose Bowl victory in Pasadena.
December 11th, 2020 at 5:06 PM ^
This is awesome! Especially love hearing stories about The Games from before my time...
December 11th, 2020 at 7:25 PM ^
UCLA game. That was in 2000. I was there too and agree on the heat. It was blazing hot!!
December 11th, 2020 at 4:29 PM ^
Desmond did the pose. My dad and brothers, who are OSU fans, didn't like it. That is when I became a fan of Michigan.
The Cooper years
2003 and 2011
December 11th, 2020 at 5:24 PM ^
1996 immediately comes to mind cause it's the only time I've seen a UM win in Columbus, and I've seen a handful of games there. First half OSU kind of controlled but they were only able to kick 3 FGs. Cooper's struggles with UM had been established by 1996 so you could feel the uneasiness in the air at halftime cause OSU should have had a bigger lead.
UM got possession to start the second half and within the first 3 plays, they call a simple short post pattern over the middle. They connect on it and the receiver outraces the defense for something like a 75 yd TD. You could just feel the anxiety level in the stadium immediately spike to 11 on a scale of 1-10. UM controlled the second half, kicked 2 more FGs and walked out with a 13-9 win over the #2 ranked Buckeyes!!
I miss those days.
December 11th, 2020 at 5:43 PM ^
December 11th, 2020 at 6:57 PM ^
I loved all the games where they didn’t chicken out and showed up to play.
December 11th, 2020 at 7:02 PM ^
When I was in junior high our church hosted this thing for our entire denomination in Michigan called “Let it Growl”. It was basically a lock-in in which we had no food for 24 hours. It was intended to build empathy for world hunger. All it initially did for me is build resentment towards my dad, who made me go even though he would certainly not miss the game. We had a surprise bowling outing that Saturday afternoon and one of our church youth leaders let me stand in the back of the bar and watch the entire 2nd half of Michigan’s 9-3 victory as long as I promised not to break our pledge to not eat for 24 hours. That’s how a youth leader connects with a junior high kid!
December 11th, 2020 at 7:33 PM ^
1976 - My first memory of watching Michigan win the game. We started off slow but finished strong and total dominated at the shoe.
1980 - My first memory of Michigan winning the game as a student. Also at the shoe so I saw on TV.
1981 - My first time seeing the game in person. We lost so it kind of sucked.
1983 - My first time seeing us win the game in person.
1988 - The first time watching the game on TV with my wife (then girlfriend).
1989 - Went to the game as part of my honeymoon.
1991 - Watched on TV but the pose was great.
1992 - First and last trip to the shoe. Game ended in a tie. I think it was the last time I saw a tie.
1993 - Went to the game - we were the underdog but totally dominated them knocking them out of the Rose Bowl.
1995 - Skipped the game to go to Australia. Game ended early Sunday morning there. It was before internet so I found out with a phone call. It's great finding out first thing in the morning because there's a whole day of gloating ahead. The best was bumping into some Ohio guy who wanted me to know that we won.
1997 - Watched on TV Charles Woodson. National Champs. Enough said.
2011 - My daughter was a freshman. I ended up picking up a ticket at the last minute. Great game.
Since then a lot of bad memories of Michigan ticket holders selling out for $$$ and seeing a see of red in the stands.
December 12th, 2020 at 10:17 AM ^
1958 in Columbus. M not very good that season and a decided underdog in the game. The team played hard, and at the end were driving into the closed end of the horseshoe toward what could have been a game winning score that ended short. Our players carried coach Benny Oosterbaan off the field on their shoulders as his career as HC ended.