Buckeyes trying to buck upset trend in rivalry

"The Game" has had many upsets, including last year when Michigan stunned Ohio State as nearly a 20-point underdog.

- BY LARRY LAGE

The top-ranked Buckeyes don’t want the 15th-ranked Wolverines to add to the long list Saturday at the “Big House.”

If Michigan wins a fifth consecutive game in the rivalry, it would rank as the second-biggest upset in terms of point spreads in at least 30 years.

Michigan was a 10-point underdog Thursday, according to BetMGM Sportbook.

Here’s a look back at the top five upsets, based on point spreads, and two other matchups with stunning results in the storied series that dates to 1897.

1969

Perhaps the most memorable game in one of the greatest rivalries in sports came more than a half-century ago.

Bo Schembechler capped his debut season as Michigan coach by beating his mentor, Woody Hayes, and the top-ranked Buckeyes 24-12.

Hayes later said that was the best team he ever had.

"You will never win a bigger game than that!" Schembechler recalled Hayes shouting at him. “And he was right. I don’t think I ever did.”

The matchup was the start of what became known as the “Ten Year War,” with Schembechler beating his mentor five times, losing four games and finishing one matchup famously tied.

1973