By the Numbers: Key facts and figures going into The Game

SB Nation

Even though stats can be thrown out the window heading into The Game, there are still some key numbers that define this year’s Game and rivalry. Let’s take a look at them in this week’s edition of “By

the Numbers.”

121

This is the 121st meeting between Ohio State and Michigan. Currently, the Wolverines lead the series 62-51-6.

Michigan, which played varsity football 11 years before Ohio State (1879 to 1890), has always held an advantage in wins after a 13-0-2 start in the series. While the Wolverines went 54-35-6 in the 20th Century against the Buckeyes, this century has been much different. Ohio State is 16-7 against Michigan in the 21st century.

Officially, and because of the vacated 2010 win, Ohio State documents the series record as 62-51-6 in favor of Michigan.

Since Michigan won 13 of the first 15 games against Ohio State, it’s been the Buckeyes that have dominated this rivalry. Ohio State recorded its first win over Michigan in 1919, and after Michigan had won 13 of the first 15 games with two ties, the Buckeyes actually lead the series, 51-49-4.

Further, since 1951, Woody Hayes’ first year as coach, Ohio State leads this series, 39-31-2.

With that, though, it’s been some tough sledding throughout The Game’s history in Ann Arbor. Michigan leads the series 33-24-4 in 61 games played in Ann Arbor.

Ohio State is the reigning College Football Playoff national champion, and that’s a good thing going into this matchup. The last time they won the national championship, in 2014, the Buckeyes went into Ann Arbor the following season and soundly beat the Wolverines, 42-13.

1999

In an article by ESPN that year, the final year of the 20th century, The Game was named the greatest rivalry in all of sports.

14

With 120 meetings played, and Saturday being the 121st, The Game ranks tied for the 14th most-played rivalry in FBS (Division I-A) history.

51

Since 1935, The Game has had the potential to impact the Big Ten standings in a major way 51 times.

24

There have been 24 occasions where the two schools decided the Big Ten champion between themselves based on the outcome on the final Saturday of the regular season.

1922

This was a momentous year in the rivalry. Ohio Stadium opened that year, and the Buckeyes hosted the Wolverines in The Shoe’s dedication game.

Since that season, more than 9 million fans have attended the annual game played between the two schools.

74

Since 1922, 74 of the 102 games have been sellouts.

102

When The Game wasn’t played in 2020, due to COVID-19, it stopped a streak of 102 consecutive years in which it was played.

2

Only two times since 1935 has The Game not been the regular-season finale for both teams. The first was in 1942, when Ohio State beat the Iowa Pre-Flight Seahawks to cap a 9-1, national championship season. Then, of course, there was 2020, when The Game was canceled due to COVID-19

In addition, there’s another meaning for the No.2 heading into Saturday. This season is just the second since 1960 that the Buckeyes defense has held 10 consecutive opponents to less than 300 yards in a single-season. The 2019 Buckeyes, led by No. 2 Chase Young, held 11 opponents to less than 300 yards that season.

Now let’s look at No. 1 AND No. 2

Ohio State and Michigan rank 1-2 in Big Ten Conference wins – Ohio State has 565, Michigan has 557 – and overall wins: Michigan has 1,021 wins, and Ohio State has 989.

Perhaps this is why the rivaly is called The Game.

22

There have been 48 matchups in The Game with both Ohio State and Michigan ranked. Each team has won 22 of those games. While Michigan has won the last three ranked matchups, the Buckeyes won eight straight from 2005-2019.

45

There have been 45 editions of The Game decided by one score. The last time the Buckeyes won against the Wolverines by one score was in 2016, one of the best and most pressurizing editions of The Game.

In double overtime, Curtis Samuel scored a game-winning 15-yard touchdown run to lift the Buckeyes to a 30-27 win and a berth in the then four-team College Football Playoff.

1934

The famous gold pants awarded to Buckeyes’ players after being the Wolverines was first awarded in 1934.

18

Saturday will be the 18th time the Buckeyes head into The Game undefeated.

There have been eight instances when the Buckeyes have taken an undefeated record into Ann Arbor. They are 4-3-1 in those games.

In seven games against the Wolverines when the Buckeyes have been 11-0, they are 4-3 in those games. Unfortuntely, two of those three losses came in 2022 and 2023.

9

Five Buckeyes — Caleb Downs, Kayden McDonald, Arvell Reese, Julian Sayin, and Jeremiah Smith — are finalists for a combined nine national awards in college football.

Those nine awards don’t even include the Heisman Trophy, for which Sayin and Smith are candidates.

1

Buckeyes quarterback Julian Sayin ranks No. 1 in the nation in both completion percentage (79.4 pct.) and quarterback rating (185.38), and he’s staring down the NCAA all-time completion percentage record of 77.45 pct. by Oregon’s Bo Nix in 2023.

Sayin also enters this week’s game at Michigan ranked No. 4 nationally at 9.4 yards per attempt, No. 4 with 27 touchdown passes, No. 16 with 2,832 passing yards and No. 19 with 257.5 ypg.

4

Four for No. 4.

Jeremiah Smith is the fastest Buckeye to reach milestones in four statistical categories:

Fastest Buckeye to 100 career receptions (20 games; tied Jaxon Smith-Njigba).
Fastest Buckeye to 1,500 and 2,000 receiving yards (19 and 24 games, respectively).
Fastest Buckeye to 25 receiving touchdowns (25 games).

6

The Buckeyes have allowed just six points in the first quarter all season.

63

The Wolverines have been ranked in 63 editions of The Game. Their record in those games is 32-27-4.

51

Saturday will be the 51st edition of The Game in Michigan Stadium. The Wolverines are 25-22-3 in the previous 50 games in the Big House.

2

Ohio State has two players on its roster with ties to the state of Michigan. Special teams player Joey Velazquez and offensive guard Gabe Van Sickle, the latter being from the Wolverine State.

7

Michigan has seven players who hail from the state of Ohio. Five players from the state have seen game action this fall: RB Jordan Marshall, S Rod Moore, OL Luke Hamilton, DL Ted Hammond and OL Ben Roebuck.

The two other Ohio Wolverines are WR CJ Charleston and QB Chase Herbstreit.

55

The Wolverines have 55 plays of 20+ yards this season (35 receiving, 20 rushing) through 11 weeks. Andrew Marsh leads the team with 16 such plays (15 receiving, one rushing) on offense. He also has six via kickoff return.

32

Michigan has 32 rushing touchdowns this season. That is sixth in the FBS going into this week.

The Wolverines are 10th in the country averaging 223.5 yards per contest. They have 200-plus yards in seven contests, including 250-plus yards in four.

In addition, the Wolverines have four straight 200-yard rushing games heading into this weekend, its longest streak since a four-game stretch in 2022.