Ohio State
Michigan
Ohio State, Michigan Renew Rivalry on Saturday
11/25/2025 7:09:00 AM | Football
FIRST AND TEN
- Ohio State, 11-0 overall and 8-0 in the Big Ten Conference, travels to Ann Arbor, Mich., this weekend to meet Michigan, 9-2 and 7-1, respectively, in the 121st meeting between these two football powers.
- Both teams are vying for a berth in the Big Ten Conference championship game at Lucas Oil Stadium Dec. 6, as are Indiana (11-0 and 8-0) and Oregon (10-1 and 7-1).
- After a streak of eight consecutive wins over Michigan from 2012-19, and 14 wins against just one loss between 2004 and 2019, Ohio State has lost four consecutive games to the Wolverines.
- This most-intense and exciting and pressurized rivalry rests in the favor of Michigan through the years: 62 wins to 51 wins for Ohio State with six ties. (Note: Ohio State's 37-7 win in 2010 was vacated and is not reflected in Ohio State's official series records vs. Michigan.)
- Ohio State and Michigan have played in the regular season finale every year since 1935 except twice: in 1942 Ohio State defeated the Iowa Pre-Flight Seahawks to cap a 9-1, national championship season, and in 2020 the game was canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic.Â
BY THE NUMBERS
Wins: Ohio State and Michigan rank 1-2 in Big Ten Conference wins – Ohio State has 565; Michigan has 557 – and overall wins: Michigan has 1,021 wins and Ohio State has 989. Alabama is third with 983.Â
<300:>This year represents the second time since 1960 that Ohio State's defense has held 10 consecutive opponents to under 300 yards of total offense. The 2019 Buckeyes did so 11 times.Â
=: The Ohio State vs. Michigan series is tied at 22-22-4 when both teams are nationally ranked with Michigan winning the last three. Ohio State won eight consecutive "ranked" games from 2005-19.
TEs: These five tight ends, who collectively average 6-5, 250, have combined for 61 receptions for 620 yards and six TDs: Max Klare, Will Kacmarek, Bennett Christian, Jelani Thurman and Nate Roberts.Â
MCDONALD'S IMPACT
Kayden McDonald, an ambassador with Ronald McDonald House Charities of Central Ohio, has been "Big Mac" on the field: 47 tackles from his DT position – 5th most on the team – plus 8.0 TFLs, three QB sacks and two forced fumbles. The Outland Trophy finalist has been outstanding in the big games: career-high eight tackles vs. Texas & Penn State; 3.0 TFLs/2.0 sacks vs. Washington.
OHIO STATE VS. MICHIGAN
- The Ohio State/Michigan rivalry was deemed the greatest rivalry late in the 20th century and it remains the greatest rivalry in sports in the 21st century.
- Michigan, which played varsity football 11 years before Ohio State (1879 to 1890), has always held an advantage in wins after a 13-0-2 start in the series.
- Michigan won the first game between the two, 34-0 in 1897, and then held a 54-35-6 won/loss advantage over Ohio State in the 20th Century, including a 13-6-1 record between 1980-99.
- This century started with a Michigan win in 2000, but Ohio State holds a 16-7 advantage in wins, including a 14-1 stretch of victories from 2004-2019.
- Officially, and because of the vacated 2010 win, Ohio State documents the series record as 62-51-6 in favor of Michigan.
SINCE WHEN…
- Since Ohio State recorded its first win over Michigan in 1919 and after Michigan had won 13 of the first 15 games with two ties, the Buckeyes actually lead the series, 51-49-4.
- And since 1951, Woody Hayes' first year as coach, Ohio State leads this series, 39-31-2.
MORE OHIO STATE/MICHIGAN LORE
- Michigan leads the series, 33-24-4, in games played in Ann Arbor and it leads, 29-27-2, in games played in Columbus.
- The defending national champion has won the previous two Ohio State/Michigan games as the visitor: unranked Michigan in 2024 in Columbus, 13-10; and Ohio State in 2015 in Ann Arbor, 42-13.
- When the 2020 game was cancelled because of the COVID-19 pandemic, it stopped a stretch of 102 consecutive years – dating to 1918 – that the two rivals had played on the gridiron.
- The two teams have played 45 one-score games with Michigan winning consecutive one-score games in 2023 (30-24 in Ann Arbor) and 2024 (13-10 in Columbus). Ohio State's last one-score win: 30-27 in double overtime in Columbus.
- The 10-Year War era / Woody vs. Bo decade was from 1969-78 with each team winning five times, and nine times an outright Big Ten title was at stake.
- Ohio State began awarding gold pants to its players after a win over Michigan in 1934.
- Michigan was Ohio State's opponent for the dedication game of Ohio Stadium in 1922.
- Ohio State was Michigan's opponent for the dedication game of Michigan Stadium in 1927.
- Ohio State's alma mater, "Carmen Ohio" was written by student Fred Cornell in 1903 on a train ride home from Ann Arbor following the game.
UNBEATEN INTO THE GAME
- Since 1935, Ohio State has taken an unbeaten record into The Game 17 times and is 11-5-1 in those games.
- Ohio State is 4-3-1 in such games in Ann Arbor.
- An 11-0 Ohio State team is 4-3 in games vs. Michigan.
