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Revisiting the Origin of the Michigan-Ohio State Rivalry

By Will Coleman

Ohio State State running back J.K. Dobbins finds a hole in the offensive line during a game against Michigan.
Ohio State State running back J.K. Dobbins finds a hole in the offensive line during a game against Michigan. / Leon Halip/Getty Images

The Ohio State-Michigan clash is regarded as not just one of the greatest rivalries in college athletics, but across all sports. But long before the foes faced off in the modern world, the rivalry was still hot -- it dates back to the 19th century, when the two schools first met on the gridiron, and it's since spread throughout their athletic departments and campuses.

Buckeye fans refer to their rivals as TTUN (That Team Up North), refuse to wear blue, and refrain from using the letter 'M' during the last week of November. Wolverines fans simply call their hated conference foes "Ohio" and like to tease them for their mascot being a nut.

Its history long and unique, the Ohio State-Michigan rivalry is fueled by so much hatred and beef that it makes for arguably the NCAA's best border clash.

Before the universities ever competed against each other, there was a border dispute between the two states known as the Toledo War in the 1830s. While there were no casualties and just one person wounded, some would trace the rivalry's intensity back to this conflict between the two states.

Once the rivalry finally took form on the football field, the Wolverines consistently dominated the Buckeyes. Michigan went 19-3-2 in their first 24 meetings, but something positive came out of it for OSU. After an 86-0 smackdown at the hands of Michigan in 1902, Ohio State's classic alma matter, "Carmen Ohio," was created on the bus ride home.

A few decades later, the Buckeyes made the series a lot more competitive than it once was, and the rivalry we all know today was birthed. The Ten Year War between head coaches Woody Hayes and Bo Schembechler was at the forefront of college football for much of the 1970s, and the rivalry has continued to vamp itself up and stand out from the rest ever since.

The teams only meet once a year on the gridiron, but the rivalry goes far beyond the football field. OSU and Michigan athletes that play other sports take it seriously, too, and the fans get into it with trash talk throughout the year. The Buckeyes and Wolverines couldn't hate each other more, and that's exactly what makes their rivalry so good.