1. November 30, 2013
The 2013 matchup in Ann Arbor reigns supreme as the best game this decade (so far). The Buckeyes were undefeated. The Wolverines were trending downward, with a 7-4 record and coming off a painful loss to Iowa the previous week. Admittedly, most assumed this would be a lesson in humility at the hands of Professors Miller and Myer.
At least, that was the general assumption.
But Devin Gardner torched the Buckeyes’ secondary, throwing for 451 yards and four touchdowns. Carlos Hyde and Braxton Miller steamrolled the Wolverines’ run defense, gaining 379 yards and four touchdowns total. For 60 grueling, uncomfortable, unforgettable, seat-fidgeting minutes, it was back and forth—a momentum shift here, a momentum shift there. Some 1,100-plus total yards of offense later, the game ended 42-41, and perfectly highlighted the general ethos of the Buckeye-Wolverine rivalry: The records mean absolutely nothing.
What will this year’s game hold, and where will it rank when we reflect back on this decade of Ohio State dominance? We’ll find out Saturday in The Game.