For Ohio State fans, the Michigan rivalry has delivered plenty of joy in recent memory. The Buckeyes have had their share of satisfying wins over TTUN, and a few stretches stand out as especially sweet for anyone wearing scarlet and gray.
The first was the entire 2000s. Once Jim Tressel arrived in 2001, beating Michigan became a priority, and he delivered in a big way. Tressel went 9-1 against Michigan, though the final win was officially vacated.
That decade produced some of the most memorable moments in the rivalry. The 2002 win was especially meaningful because it sent Ohio State on the path to the national championship game, where the Buckeyes beat Miami in the Fiesta Bowl for their first national title since 1968.
Then came 2006, when No. 1 met No. 2 in the Shoe. The atmosphere was unforgettable, and for many Ohio State fans, it remains one of the best sports memories they’ve ever had.
The next golden stretch came during the Urban Meyer era. Meyer, an Ohio native, made it clear he wanted to beat TTUN every year, and he never lost to Michigan while leading the Buckeyes. He treated the rivalry like a year-round project and made sure his players understood what it meant.
Two wins from that run still loom large. In 2016, Ohio State survived a double-overtime battle in one of the most dramatic finishes of the rivalry.
J.T. Barrett picked up a first down by an inch on fourth down, and the Buckeyes scored the winning touchdown on the next play.
That victory knocked Michigan out of the CFP and sent Ohio State in.
Then there was 2018, Meyer’s last win over the Wolverines. Michigan came in favored to win and reach the College Football Playoff, but Ohio State crushed those hopes with a 62-39 win in the Shoe.
The third moment came in 2019, and it mattered for a different reason. It was Ryan Day’s first rivalry game as a head coach, and Michigan fans were talking plenty of trash before kickoff. They believed this would finally be their year, but Ohio State had other plans.
Day’s team rolled to a 56-27 win in Ann Arbor, and the game was never in doubt. Justin Fields got hurt, returned, and then threw a touchdown pass to Garett Wilson on the very first play after coming back. For Buckeye fans, it was another reminder that Michigan’s wait to turn the rivalry around was still going on.
Day has since beaten Michigan again, and this year’s matchup gives him another chance to keep pushing the rivalry in Ohio State’s favor.
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Buckeyes Finally Have Real O-Line Hope With One Huge Catch
Ohio States offensive line finally has the look of a group that could settle in and grow together, which is a welcome development for a program that has spent too much time trying to piece that unit together on the fly. The 2026 outlook includes several returning starters, and the Buckeyes also have enough young talent in the pipeline to make the front look sturdy if the pieces keep progressing the way they should.
The catch, of course, is that the best version of this plan depends on continuity, and that is never a given in Columbus. If Arthur Smith stays in place long enough to keep building the line and the offense around it, Ohio State could be looking at a real run of stability up front, but the possibility of key departures after the season hangs over everything and leaves the long-term picture a little less certain than it first appears. [Read more 🡒]
Ohio States 2027 Five Star Picture May Not Stay This Simple
DJ Jacobs gives Ohio State an early anchor in the 2027 class, and the Buckeyes have to like the shape of that commitment. The EDGE rusher brings the kind of physical profile that plays in Columbus, with the ability to get after the passer while also holding up against the run, which is exactly the sort of versatility the staff keeps chasing on the defensive front.
For now, the picture looks simple enough with one five-star already in the fold, but recruiting rarely stays that way for long. Ohio State has positioned itself well with another top target in the same cycle, and the next few days could determine whether this class starts to look like a one-headline story or something a lot more imposing. [Read more 🡒]
Julian Sayin Faces The Real Test Of His Heisman Hype
Julian Sayins first season as Ohio States starter already put him in rare air. The freshman was named Big Ten Freshman of the Year and a second-team All-Big Ten passer in 2025, then guided the Buckeyes through an undefeated regular season and all the way into the Heisman conversation as a finalist. He did not win the trophy, but the buzz has carried over into the offseason, where he is already sitting among the betting favorites for 2026.
The next step, though, looks a lot harder than the last one. Ohio States schedule gives Sayin little room to coast, with Texas arriving early and road trips to Iowa, Indiana and USC mixed in with home dates against Oregon and Michigan. For Sayin to stay in the Heisman race, the Buckeyes likely need him still in the mix deep into the fall, with the kind of steady production and late-season momentum that keeps voters looking his way when the biggest games arrive. [Read more 🡒]