Tradition Runs Deep: Michigan vs. Ohio State
- Mayline Ruiz
- 1 day ago
- 5 min read
The Game, it’s all anyone ever talks about. As Thanksgiving nears, people know that one of the biggest rivalries is coming. The University of Michigan and the Ohio State are set to play each other on November 29. With the biggest game of the year just a few days away, let’s take a look at these universities and where the rivalry began.
The History of the University of Michigan
The University of Michigan was founded in 1817. Michigan has 59 National Team Championships, with 333 Individual National Titles, 421 Big Ten Championships, and 186 CSC (College Sports Communications) Academic All-Americans. The university has more than 200 student-athletes and coaches who are Olympic medalists. Michigan is currently ranked No.18 in the College Football Rankings, and the program has also won 44 Big Ten Football Championships.
The History of The Ohio State University
The Ohio State University was founded in 1870, nearly 50 years after Michigan. Ohio has 32 NCAA team titles, seven individual trophies, and 77 of its athletes are Olympic medalists. Ohio has won 39 Big Ten Football Championships, placing second behind Michigan. OSU also has nine national championships, and during the 2024-25 season, they won their most recent one against Notre Dame, with a final score of 34-23. Ohio is currently ranked No.1 in the College Football Rankings. Information was found on ESPN.
The School's Rivalry
The rivalry goes all the way back to the Toledo War in 1835-36, where the states of Michigan and Ohio fought due to a dispute over the Michigan-Ohio border, which brought anger between UMICH and OSU fans. The rivalry caused animosity between them, and they have gone as far as doing traditions on campus when the match-up is nearing.
Rivalry Week Traditions at OSU
Rivalry week is one of the best times leading up to the game, because it's when people start to be creative and show the hatred they have toward each other's schools. One of the classics is when people go around campus and place an X on all of the M’s. It can be buildings, restrooms, or anywhere you can think of. There is also the Mirror Lake Jump, which was when students jumped into Mirror Lake regardless of the temperature, but that ended in 2015.
While it’s a fairly new tradition, the rivalry run has already gained momentum. Since 2019, the student section for Ohio State has run the event, and it’s the one and three-mile races that occur at 9:34 PM. They chose 9:34 PM to honor the tradition of the gold pants.
Rivalry Week Traditions at UMICH
While Ohio State has a lot of different traditions, Michigan has some up its sleeve, too, such as people avoiding wearing red. One of the more unique ones is the graveyard walk, where people will walk from Burton Bell Tower to the cemetery to pay respects to Michigan athletes. Some people will leave yellow roses and even smash a buckeye nut with a hammer.
The Ohio State University and the University of Michigan's First Match-Up
OSU and Michigan didn’t have their first competition against each other until October 16, 1897, where Michigan won 34-0. Since then, Michigan has defeated OSU 49 times, and Ohio has defeated Michigan 51 times. In all of their matchups, there have only been four ties.
Something that has outraged OSU fans is that Michigan has won four years straight against OSU with help from players such as JJ McCarthy, Davis Warren, Blake Corum, and others. However, this year, Ohio has a record of 10-0, while Michigan has a record of 8-2.
Players to Watch out for at OSU
Just like every year, this season is going to be one you want to watch, especially with the players on both rosters.
Julian Sayin has had an incredible season with 25 touchdowns, 2675 yards, and 226 out of 282 passing attempts. One of his best games was against the Wisconsin Badgers, where he had 36 of 42 completed passes, 393 yards, and four touchdowns, as Ohio won 34-0.
Bo Jackson has also had a great season with 110 rushing attempts, 725 yards, and three touchdowns. Jackson had a great game against UCLA, where OSU won 34-10 in their season opener. In this matchup, Jackson had 15 rushing attempts, 112 yards, and one touchdown.
Another player you should watch out for is Jeremiah Smith. This season, Smith has had 69 receptions, 902 yards, and 10 touchdowns. When OSU faced the Ohio Bobcats, Smith had nine receptions, 153 yards, and one touchdown.
Players to Watch out for at UMICH
While OSU is undefeated, Michigan also has some good players that Ohio should look out for.
Bryce Underwood, who is the starting quarterback, has had a good season despite it being his first year starting for Michigan. Underwood completed 155 out of 252 passes, threw for 1951 yards, and had seven touchdowns. During Michigan’s matchup against the Washington Huskies, Underwood had 21 out of 27 completed passes, two touchdowns, and 230 yards.
Jordan Marshall has also had a great year with 143 rushing attempts, 871 rushing yards, and 10 touchdowns. In Michigan’s second game of the season against Purdue, Marshall had 25 rushing attempts, 3 touchdowns, and 185 rushing yards.
One final Michigan player you should keep an eye out for is Andrew Marsh. Marsh didn’t score his first touchdown of the season until Michigan faced Washington, but he has had 37 receptions with 565 receiving yards and two touchdowns so far this year. Marsh had a great game against Northwestern, where he had 12 receptions and 189 receiving yards.
This matchup is one you can’t miss. The Ohio State and Michigan game will be on FOX at 9 AM Pacific Time. Who do you think is going to win? Do you think there will be a player who will come out shining? Let me know what you think!
Edited by Mary Merensky