Famous generals

Fielding Yost: As a coach for 25 season for Michigan, Yost ammassed an impressive 165-29-10 record with his “Point-a-minute” teams which were known for their overpowering offense. Against Ohio State, Yost’s teams dominated nearly every game going 16-3-1 in his meetings with the Buckeyes. Though just at the beginning of this rivalry, Yost’s teams outscored Ohio State 242-6 over seven seasons from 1901-1907. But again, this wasn’t much of a rivalry for a few more decades.

Woody Hayes: No head coach stayed at Ohio State for more than seven seasons before Hayes arrived in Columbus to take over in 1951. In his tenure with the Buckeyes, Hayes finished with a record of 205-61-10 and five national titles. He is credited with making Ohio State competitive with the Wolverines as Hayes was victorious in just his second matchup against Michigan. Hayes finished with a record of 16-11-1 versus the Wolverines, and it was only that low due to the impact of his former assistant coach, Bo Schembechler.

Bo Schembechler: In 1969, in Schembechler’s first season as head coach, he guided Michigan to a victory over then-No. 1 Ohio State, which is considered to be by many one of the biggest upsets in college football history. Over the next 20 years, Schemebechler and Hayes traded barbs and blows while forming the most bitter rivalry in college football. The Big Ten title was decided in 10 of their 11 meetings, the only season where the victor did not also take the Big Ten title was 1971 (Ohio State was not in contention).

Perhaps the most bitter meeting between the two was in 1974, when undefeated No. 1 Ohio State tied undefeated and No. 4 Michigan 10-10. To decide who went to the Rose Bowl to represent the Big Ten, athletic directors from the conference schools voted, and the Buckeyes were chosen. Needless to say, Schembechler was outraged. Schembechler finished with a 5-4-1 record against Hayes and an 11-9-1 record against Ohio State overall. Despite the heat of battle, they shared a mutual respect for one another.

John Cooper: If Hayes is remembered by Michigan fans for making the rivalry competitive, Cooper will be remembered for making the series decidedly uncompetitive. In his 12 seasons as head coach, he could only muster two wins, despite having national championship-caliber talent. On three occasions Cooper brought his Buckeyes in to the game with an undefeated record (1993, 1995, 1996) and each time left the field with a loss. Cooper’s inability to defeat the Wolverines is at least paritally to blame for his removal as coach at the end of the 2000 season.

Lloyd Carr: Though he has not been to quite as many Rose Bowls as Bo Schembechler, Carr solidified his place in Michigan history by winning the Wolverines’ first national title in nearly 50 years in 1997. He is also known for getting his fair share of wins from the Buckeyes, going 5-2 in the series. In his five wins, Michigan spoiled Ohio State’s national championship bids twice (1995, 1996). After Schembechler retired in 1989, Carr combined with his predecessor, Gary Moeller, to give former Ohio State coach John Cooper his dubious 2-10-1.

Jim Tressel: Brought in as a Michigan killer, he did just that, calling his shot and knocking it out of the park. Though not an explicit declaration, Tressel said that Ohio State fans would be “proud” of their team when they left the field against Michigan last season. The Buckeyes spoiled Michigan’s BCS hopes with a 26-20 victory in The Big House. With that, he has Ohio State fans rejoicing and Michigan fans fearing that the rivalry is truly competitive once again.