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Posted on by Jeff Cummins

THE GAME – Michigan vs Ohio State Football – Looking Back – 1998

Looking Back is a Special Feature by Jeff Cummins Highlighting Key Rivalry Games

The fourth installment of this year’s series looking back at the football rivalry between Michigan and Ohio State takes us back to 1998. The late 1990s became the modern “golden era” of Michigan football, punctuated by Michigan’s victory over Washington State in the Rose Bowl, clinching a perfect season and the AP National Championship. On top of that, Charles Woodson won the Heisman Trophy and the regents chose to add 5,000 seats to Michigan Stadium, reestablishing it as the largest collegiate stadium in the country.

Unfortunately, problems frequently develop when celebrations last too long. The hunger that fueled the relentless drive Michigan felt the previous season was replaced by a dangerous feeling of satisfaction.

Michigan had suffered the usual departures due to graduation, and Charles Woodson left to continue his football journey in the NFL. The 1997 team had achieved impressive success, but it was a very different team that began the 1998 season.

The Wolverines opened the 1998 campaign with a pair of losses, but Ray returned by midseason, and dominant victories over Penn State and Wisconsin proved that Michigan was playing solid football again, just in time for the trip to Columbus.

The Wolverines were greeted by a typically ornery crowd at Ohio Stadium, to put it kindly. Ohio State jumped out to a 14-0 lead in the first quarter on touchdowns by Michael Wiley and Dee Miller, putting Michigan in a deep hole. The Wolverines fought back gamely in the second quarter as Jay Feely kicked a 27-yard field goal and Tom Brady connected with Tai Streets for a 3-yard touchdown pass, but Michigan trailed at halftime, 21-10. Ultimately, Michigan lost, 31-16. A season that appeared to hold so much promise provided Michigan with a sobering reality: Glory is fleeting.

Still, there was reason for Michigan to be proud of its performance, even in defeat. After starting the season with two losses, the Wolverines rededicated themselves and persevered, producing some impressive victories along the way. The season ended with a 45-31 win over Arkansas in the Florida Citrus Bowl, the first of four consecutive wins over SEC opponents in bowl games. As the 1998 campaign ended, hopes were restored, and the following year would, once again, begin with considerable promise.

Thanks to ABC Sports, YouTube, and YouTube poster SteelBuck 6 for the highlight video of this game. We claim no ownership and do not profit from the video on this blog post.

About Jeff Cummins

Jeff Cummins has written about football since 1998, including nine years with The Record of Hackensack, N.J. He frequently contributes feature stories to Touchdown Illustrated, an insert in the national college football game program, published by University Sports Publications, and he has also written the official pregame stories for the game programs of the Rose Bowl, the Cotton Bowl, the Sugar Bowl, the Gator Bowl, and the BCS National Championship game. He has written the preview story for the official program for the NHL Winter Classic at MIchigan Stadium, and numerous college basketball feature stories for College Hoops Illustrated, another game program insert published by University Sports Publications. In addition, he has written stories about theater, music, physical therapy, and newsletter marketing. He’s an avid Michigan football fan and long-time New York Jets season ticket holder, and he can be reached at jeffcummins@optonline.net.

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