Three best Ohio State Football vs. Michigan matchups in history
By Ryan Stano
![Ohio State's Troy Smith, 10, prepares to hug his mother during pre game festivities at the Ohio Stadium, November 18, 2006. (Dispatch photo by Neal C. Lauron)Ncl Biggame 37 Ohio State's Troy Smith, 10, prepares to hug his mother during pre game festivities at the Ohio Stadium, November 18, 2006. (Dispatch photo by Neal C. Lauron)Ncl Biggame 37](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/shape/cover/sport/4ffa49c1a03d3749a48db2ee0bd49bae4ae991f74818f1beb99b43aa3fab3cb5.jpg)
2. Ohio State football vs. Michigan 2016
There is still only one time in the history of The Game where it has gone to overtime. That was back in 2016. It was once again a game that would decide the fate of the Big Ten East and who would make the College Football Playoff.
This game didn’t get really tense until the fourth quarter, even though it was close throughout. J.T. Barrett was stopped right at the first down marker on a 4th and 1 attempt in double overtime. Every Michigan player and fan swears that he was stopped short. He was ruled to have gotten the first down and the game continued.
What’s forgotten in this game is why Barrett even tried to go for it on that play in the first place. Urban Meyer decided to do that because the Buckeyes had already missed two kicks in this game. Even though a field goal would have sent this game into triple overtime, Meyer didn’t trust his kicker to make this one.
After Barrett made the first down, we all know what happened. Curtis Samuel took a handoff and ran it into the endzone to give the Buckeyes the win and send them to the CFP. Ohio State didn’t even win the Big Ten that year (Penn State did) but they still made the Playoff.
This game still grates at TTUN fans. It’s one they thought they had won to break the Buckeyes’ winning streak over them. It’s also the last game between these two teams that I have attended, until this Saturday.
While that game was great, it’s hard to get better than this final matchup.