When No. 2 Ohio State and No. 3 Michigan meet on Saturday, there will be multiple references to The Ten-Year War.
That is the most-hallowed chapter of The Game, and perhaps of any college football rivalry given the two coaches responsible for that segment. Ohio State coach Woody Hayes and Michigan coach Bo Schembechler took the rivalry from a regional Big Ten rivalry to a national spectacle, and those heights arguably have not been duplicated to this day.
The Ten-Year War had everything but a consensus national champion. There were Heisman Trophy winners, including the only two-time winner in Ohio State running back Archie Griffin. Controversy, including the fallout from the 10-10 tie in 1973. Yet most of it focused on Hayes and Schembechler, the friends turned rivals that took the rivalry to another level.
More on The Ten Year War here.
MORE: The Last War: Why the 2023 clash will be the last of its kind
Did Bo Schembechler coach at Ohio State?
Glenn “Bo” Schembechler was born in Barberton, Ohio, in 1958. He played tackle at Miami, Ohio before starting a coaching career.
Schembechler was an assistant under Woody Hayes at Ohio State from 1958-62. He took the head coaching job at Miami (Ohio) from 1963-68 before taking the job at Michigan in 1969.
Did Woody Hayes start The Ten Year War?
Hayes took the Ohio State job in 1951 and built a dynasty that won five national championships. He had a 12-6 record against Michigan from 1951-68 before The Ten-Year War, and that reached its peak on Nov. 23, 1968.
No. 2 Ohio State beat No. 4 Michigan 50-14 in a blowout that carried the Buckeyes to a national championship. The Buckeyes went for a two-point conversion late in the game, and according to the legend when Hayes was asked why he went for two he responded: "Because I couldn’t go for three."
What launched The Ten Year War?
Michigan replaced Bump Elliott with Bo Schembechler after the 1968 game, and the 1969 matchup was the first with his mentor Hayes. The Buckeyes were 8-0 and heavily favored to repeat as national champions, but Michigan pulled a 24-12 upset at Michigan Stadium with the help of seven Ohio State turnovers. That upset launched The Ten Year War between the Big Ten rivals that brought national attention to Hayes and Schembechler.
MORE: Ryan Day under pressure to end Michigan losing streak
How many top-10 showdowns were in Ten Year War?
From 1969-78, Michigan and Ohio State played in seven top-10 showdowns. The average margin of victory was 8.8 points per game, and three games were decided by three points. Either Ohio State or Michigan represented the Big Ten in the Rose Bowl every year during that 10-year period.
Griffin was the marquee player during The Ten Year War. He led Ohio State to victories in 1974 and 1975 en route to becoming the only two-time Heisman Trophy winner.
What happened after the Michigan-Ohio State tie in 1973?
The rivalry took an unexpected turn in the 1973 matchup between No. 2 Ohio State (9-0) and No. 4 Michigan (10-0). Griffin staked Ohio State to a 10-0 lead, but the Wolverines rallied at Michigan Stadium. Mike Lantry missed a late field goal, however, and quarterback Dennis Franklin suffered a broken collarbone. The Big Ten athletic directors voted to send Ohio State to the Rose Bowl instead of Michigan, a decision that left bitter feelings with Schembechler that still resonate 50 years later.
What are Woody Hayes and Bo Schembechler's coaching records?
Schembechler had a 5-4-1 record against Hayes in The Ten Year War.
Hayes finished 238-72-10, and he had a 205-61-10 record at Ohio State from 1951-78. He is the Buckeyes’ all-time leader in wins. He finished 16-11-1 against Michigan.
Schembechler finished 234-65-8, and he had a 194-48-5 record at Michigan. He is the Wolverines’ all-time leader in wins. He finished 11-9 against Ohio State.
Ohio State vs. Michigan: Ten Year War results
A look at the results of The Ten Year War. Michigan had a 5-4-1 advantage in those legendary matchups between Woody Hayes and his protege Bo Schembechler.
| DATE | WINNER | SCORE | LOSER | SCORE |
| Nov. 22, 1969 | No. 12 Michigan | 24 | No. 1 Ohio State | 12 |
| Nov. 21, 1970 | No. 5 Ohio State | 20 | No. 4 Michigan | 9 |
| Nov. 20, 1971 | No. 3 Michigan | 10 | Ohio State | 7 |
| Nov. 25, 1972 | No. 9 Ohio State | 14 | No. 3 Michigan | 11 |
| Nov. 24, 1973 | No. 1 Ohio State | 10 | No. 4 Michigan | 10 |
| Nov. 23, 1974 | No. 4 Ohio State | 12 | No. 3 Michigan | 10 |
| Nov. 22, 1975 | No. 3 Ohio State | 21 | No. 5 Michigan | 14 |
| Nov. 20, 1976 | No. 5 Michigan | 22 | No. 8 Ohio State | 0 |
| Nov. 19, 1977 | No. 5 Michigan | 14 | No. 4 Ohio State | 6 |
| Nov. 25, 1978 | No. 6 Michigan | 14 | No. 16 Ohio State | 3 |
