The Michigan-Ohio State college football rivalry runs deep — so deep that the annual matchup is simply dubbed “The Game.” They first played in 1897 and have faced off every year since 1918, except for 2020. It typically serves as the regular-season finale for both teams, with Michigan holding a 62-51-6 all-time advantage. Michigan also has the most all-time wins of any program in Division I, with Ohio State second.
Advertisement
Just this year, there was a ton of drama surrounding the Wolverines planting their flag on the Buckeyes’ logo after upsetting Ohio State on their home turf. Michigan was having a down year, and the Buckeyes went on to win the National Championship, but the Wolverines still managed to get one over their rivals, their fourth straight win in the matchup.
Urban Meyer knows a thing or two about this rivalry, having coached the Buckeyes from 2012 to 2018 during one of their best stretches. Meyer, now a Fox analyst, recently said, however, that no one has more respect for Michigan than he does.
“As you’re the head coach of Ohio State, you dislike the Wolverines. I grew up an Ohio State fan, but I’ve said this many times. I’d fight many and say, ‘Name a person that has more respect for the Wolverines than Urban Meyer. I don’t know if there’s that many,'” said Meyer on The Triple Option.
However, there’s an interesting caveat to Meyer’s place in the Ohio State-Michigan rivalry: his Buckeyes beat the Wolverines in all seven seasons he was the head coach in Columbus. Sure, it was still a rivalry, but Meyer was part of a dominant Buckeyes era in which they won 17 of the 19 “Big Games” held from 2001 to 2019.
There’s definitely animosity, but without the frustrating feeling of defeat, it’s hard to truly disrespect or hate another team, even if they’re supposed to be rivals. That’s why when Michigan’s big spying scandal broke in 2023, Meyer was one of the few who reserved judgment until all the facts came out, despite his role as a Fox analyst.
“We’re in State College, and all of a sudden, it was like wildfire, you were hearing accusation after accusation, and I’ve experienced it. My staff experienced it. My friends experienced accusations that you try to say that is not true,” Meyer continued.
“So, if you remember, I was one of the few people; there were many analysts across all different networks that were piling on, saying, you know, and I said pump the brakes. “
View this post on Instagram
The crazy part is that though he stood in defense of Michigan, in true Wolverines fashion, they hung the former Ohio State coach out to dry: the accusations turned into a lengthy investigation that resulted in various suspensions being handed out at Ann Arbor. Though they have never gotten to the bottom of the Connor Stalions, all signs point to the accusations having some veracity.
Guys like Will Howard have talked about how intertwined the rivalry is with each program’s own sense of self—there is no blue and no M’s allowed in the Ohio State football facilities.
When Howard was on his first visit, he didn’t realize the depth of the rivalry, so he wore a blue sweater. After receiving more than a few strange looks, he forced himself to go through the rest of the visit, on a very chilly day, mind you, wearing just his t-shirt.
That hatred probably dissipates when you beat a team seven times in a row, as Urban Meyer did. That’s why he’s comfortable being so respectful and magnanimous toward the Wolverines in his post-coaching media career.
