Posted on

THE GAME – 𝑳𝑶𝑶𝑲𝑰𝑵𝑮 𝑩𝑨𝑪𝑲: 𝑴𝑰𝑪𝑯𝑰𝑮𝑨𝑵 𝑽𝑺. 𝑶𝑯𝑰𝑶 𝑺𝑻𝑨𝑻𝑬, 1980

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

9-3. The mere mention of that score brings smiles to the faces of Wolverines everywhere, as they remember the legendary “Snow Bowl” in 1950.

But no, this isn’t about that game.

The fourth installment of this year’s series looking back at the football rivalry between Michigan and Ohio State takes us back 1980, thirty years after the Snow Bowl. By this time, Ronald Reagan was the president of the United States, the automobile industry that fueled the midwest for decades had changed significantly, and American society was undergoing massive changes. Some new things were occurring, and in some instances, old things were being revived.

One thing that never needed revival was the rivalry between Michigan and Ohio State. In 1980, both teams entered “The Game” with perfect records in the Big Ten and the conference title on the line, as it has been on many occasions. With both teams playing stingy defense, every possession would be critical. Michigan coach Bo Schembechler was acutely aware of this fact, and he designed a game plan that featured a lot of running, with backs Lawrence Ricks, Stan Edwards and Butch Woolfolk repeatedly probing the Ohio State forward wall, secure in the knowledge that if the Buckeyes overcommitted to stopping the run, Michigan receiver Anthony Carter had the speed to make them regret that choice.

Nonetheless, Ohio State grabbed the early lead when Vlade Janakievski kicked a 33-yard field goal to put the Buekeyes up, 3-0. The Wolverines didn’t take long to respond, though. With their backs repeatedly pounding the Ohio State defensive line, the Wolverines drove into Ohio State territory, where Ali Haji-Sheikh kicked a 43-yard field goal to send the teams to their lockers at halftime with the score tied, 3-3.

Michigan used the same game plan in the second half, and when the Wolverines drove to the Ohio State 13-yard line, John Wangler connected with Carter in the end zone to give Michigan a 9-3 lead.

With a one score lead, Michigan appeared poised to take firm control of the game when Stan Edwwards threw an option pass into the Ohio State end zone. However, the Bucheyes were ready, and they intercepted the pass, thwarting Michigan’s threat.

Ohio State had one final chance, on a 4th down and 25 yards to go from the Michigan 47-yard line. Buckeye QB Art Schlichter faded back to pass, but he never saw Robert Thompson, who hit Schlichter right in the chest and drove him to the ground, securing Michigan’s win.

The victory sent the Wolverines to the Rose Bowl, where they routed Washington, 23-6. The 1980 team was marked by a dominant defense, which produced one of the best efforts by a Michigan defense at Ohio Stadium in the last 60 years.

This and other great content can be found at newyorkwolverine.com

Posted on

THE GAME – 𝑳𝑶𝑶𝑲𝑰𝑵𝑮 𝑩𝑨𝑪𝑲: 𝑴𝑰𝑪𝑯𝑰𝑮𝑨𝑵 𝑽𝑺. 𝑶𝑯𝑰𝑶 𝑺𝑻𝑨𝑻𝑬, 2002

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

The third installment of this week’s series looking back at the football rivalry between Michigan and Ohio State takes us to 2002. Five years after Michigan’s 1997 National Championship, the landscape looked a little different. Ohio State coach Jim Tressel established the previous season that he would be a force to be reckoned with; a sobering reality for Michigan fans who had thoroughly enjoyed the rivalry during the John Cooper years.

Adam Finley provided much of the spark in the first half for Michigan. Finley’s three field goals sent the Wolverines to the locker room with a 9-7 lead at halftime.

With less than seven minutes remaining, Ohio State faced a critical 3rd down and 7 yards to go. Michigan needed just two stops to give the ball back to the Wolverine offense. Someone from Michigan had to make a big play.

Unfortunately for the Wolverines, that player was Ohio State quarterback Craig Krenzel, a native of Michigan. After gaining six yards on third down, Krenzel stretched past the first down marker, giving Ohio State a fresh set of downs. A few plays later, Krenzel pitched the ball to Maurice Hall, who ran into the corner of the end zone for the go-ahead touchdown.

But Michigan was not done. With one second left on the clock, the Wolverines were 24 yards from the end zone. All Michigan needed was one clutch play to secure the victory.

Sadly, it was not to be. Will Allen intercepted John Navarre’s pass short of the goal line, ending the game. The loss was frustrating for the Wolverines, who earned 26 first downs to just 13 for Ohio State. Unfortunately, the Wolverines were not able to complete any drives, a key point in the defeat.

A little more than a month later, the season ended on a high note for the Wolverines, as the offense found the warm Florida sun to its liking. Michigan topped the Florida Gators, 38-30, securing the Wolverines’ 10th win of the season. The following season would bring new opportunities—and new glory— for Michigan.

This and other great content can be found at newyorkwolverine.com

Posted on

THE GAME – 𝑳𝑶𝑶𝑲𝑰𝑵𝑮 𝑩𝑨𝑪𝑲: 𝑴𝑰𝑪𝑯𝑰𝑮𝑨𝑵 𝑽𝑺. 𝑶𝑯𝑰𝑶 𝑺𝑻𝑨𝑻𝑬, 1978

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

The second installment of this year’s series looking back at the football rivalry between Michigan and Ohio State takes us back to 1978. Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin and Egyptian President Anwar Sadat signed the Camp David Accords. Resorts International Casino opened in Atlantic City, N.J., the first casino to open on the East Coast.

In college football, Michigan was in the 10th season of coach Bo Schembechler’s tenure, and he had the Wolverines firing on all cylinders. Senior quarterback Rick Leach directed Michigan’s option offense, and opposing defenses had their hands full every game. If defenses concentrated too much on Leach, running backs Harlan Huckleby and Russell Davis were poised to strike, as were receiver Rodney Feaster and tight end Doug Marsh. On defense, junior linebacker Ron Simpkins spearheaded an attacking group of players who swarmed to the ball. In the simplest of terms, the 1978 Wolverines had very few weaknesses.

Ohio State started the season slowly, but the Buckeyes reeled off five consecutive victories heading into “The Game,” giving them plenty of momentum. Even more worrisome for the Wolverines, the game would be played at Ohio Stadium; always a daunting venue for Michigan.

There was even more reason for concern when a Bob Atha field goal gave Ohio State a 3-0 lead in the first quarter. The Wolverines maintained their composure and responded with a dominant drive that covered 70 yards in just four plays. Leach culminated the scoring drive by connecting with Feaster for a 30-yard touchdown pass. After Ohio State took the lead, Michigan responded little more than a minute later. The Wolverines extended their lead in the third quarter when junior tailback Roosevelt Smith caught an 11-yard scoring pass to give Michigan a 14-3 lead. From that point, Michigan’s defense took control of the game. It was a rare when a Bo Schembechler-era Michigan defense surrendered a double-digit lead. This game marked the third consecutive contest vs Ohio State where the Buckeyes failed to score a touchdown vs Michigan, a point that wasn’t lost on Ohio State coach Woody Hayes, who greeted a reporter angrily when he was questioned about the streak after the game. Including the 1978 game, Michigan had surrendered only nine points to Ohio State over the last three meetings between the two rivals.

The win also marked Michigan’s third consecutive triumph in the series, and enabled Michigan to claim a share of the Big Ten championship.

This and other great content can be found at newyorkwolverine.com

Posted on

THE GAME – 𝑳𝑶𝑶𝑲𝑰𝑵𝑮 𝑩𝑨𝑪𝑲: 𝑴𝑰𝑪𝑯𝑰𝑮𝑨𝑵 𝑽𝑺. 𝑶𝑯𝑰𝑶 𝑺𝑻𝑨𝑻𝑬, 2003: 𝑻𝑯𝑬 100𝑻𝑯 𝑮𝑨𝑴𝑬

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

The first installment of this week’s series looking back at the football rivalry beween Michigan and Ohio State takes back to 2003 for the 100th game in the series. For the first time since 1969, Ohio State entered “The Game” as the defending national champion, a fact that provided extra motivation for a hungry Michigan team.

Michigan approached 2003 with redemption on its mind. John Navarre had been named the starting quarterback in 2001, after Drew Henson left early to pursue a baseball career. Running back Chris Perry had toyed with transferring, but opted to stay the course and stay in Ann Arbor. For both men, the 2003 iteration of The Game represented one final shot to cement their legacy.

The first sign that this was Michigan’s day came very early.
Michigan safety Ernest Shazor’s tackle of Ohio State tight end Ben Hartsock prevented an easy first down, forcing the Buckeyes to punt. Then the Michigan offensive line seized the momentum. Perry gashed the Ohio State defensive line for sizable gains, and suddenly the Wolverines were at the Ohio State 3-yard line, facing a 3rd down and goal to go. Steve Breaston, usually a receiver, lined up at quarterback and scored a 3-yard touchdown to give the Wolverines the early lead. The Wolverines extended that lead when Navarre connected with Braylon Edwards for a 64-yard touchdown pass highlighted by a broken tackle. Once Edwards freed himself from the defender, he went all the way for the touchdown to give Michigan a two-score lead. Navarre and Edwards connected for a 23-yard touchdown pass later in the second quarter to make the score 21-0. The Wolverines had a comfortable cushion, or so they thought.

Ohio State kept plugging away, and after Lydell Ross scored on a 2-yard run early in the fourth quarter, the Wolverines’ lead was only a touchdown. Undaunted, Michigan went back to basics. Perry completed a drive that lasted almost four

This and other great content can be found at newyorkwolverine.com

Posted on

Nothing But ‘Net – Week #07 – 11/24/2025 – Finally, Another Blow-Out Win

The (#7) University of Michigan men’s basketball team played one game this past week, and they won it.  On Wednesday (11/19/2025), they beat Middle Tennessee State 86-61 in Crisler Arena.  Michigan’s record improves to 4-0.

What Happened?

After a couple tense, close games (beating Wake Forest by 1 point in overtime, then beating TCU by 4 points), it was refreshing to have a relatively low-stress game that turned into a blow-out win.  The game was close for much of the 1st half, but Michigan woke up in the 2nd half and beat MTSU convincingly.

Game Flow

As I just mentioned, the 1st half of the game was close and tense.  Michigan led for most of the half, but they built up a nice lead, then let it almost entirely slip away.  MTSU had their last lead of the game at the 15:40 mark, up 9-8.  Michigan then went on a 12-0 run, to take control, 20-9, with 10:34 left.  They pushed the lead up to 12 points (23-11) at the 9:18 mark, then they let MTSU sneak back into the game.  MTSU went on a 13-2 run, and got within one point (25-24) with 3:56 left in the half.  Michigan woke up, and pushed their lead back up to 9 points (36-27) with 8 seconds left.  Unfortunately, MTSU scored an “and one” at the buzzer, to cut the lead to 6 points (36-30) at halftime.

Michigan came out on fire to start the 2nd half, and quickly doubled their lead: 42-30 in the first 45 seconds.  They slowly pushed their lead higher and higher, finally getting over 20 (61-40) at the 13:08 mark.  They pushed the lead as high as 27 points several times, and kept it in the 24-26 point range the rest of the game, winning by 25 points.

Stats

The game stats were just OK.  Michigan shot pretty well overall (31/67 = 46.3%), they shot 3-pointers terribly (5/25 = 20.0%), and they shot free throws pretty well (19/26 = 73.1%).  They won the rebounding battle (48-40) and the turnover battle (13-15).  They won this game with decent overall shooting and good rebounding.  They still had a few too many turnovers, and the 3-point shooting continues to be a problem.

Who Started?

The starters were Nimari Burnett, Elliot Cadeau, Morez Johnson Jr., Yaxel Lendeborg, and Will Tschetter.  Tschetter started in place of Aday Mara, who did fairly well off the bench.

Who Looked Good?

It was the Yaxel Lendeborg show, again.  He was the leading scorer, with 25 points, and the leading rebounder, with 12 boards, giving him another double-double.  He even had 3 assists, 2 steals, 1 blocked shot, and 0 turnovers.  He was brilliant.

Cadeau was the only other starter in double figures, with 10 points.

Mara was the only other Michigan player in double figures, with 10 points off the bench.  He also had 10 rebounds, for a nice double-double.  He needs to work on his 3-foot jumpers; he missed several of them.

Johnson almost hit double figures, with 9 points, to go with 7 rebounds.

Roddy Gayle Jr. did a nice job off the bench, with 8 points.

L.J. Cason also did a nice job off the bench, with 8 points.

Who Looked Not-So-Good?

Tschetter started out strong, with Michigan’s first basket, a 3-pointer 33 seconds into the game, but that was it for him.  He finished with 5 points on 1/3 shooting, all from deep, and a pair of free throws.

Burnett was quiet out there, again.  He had 5 points on 2/6 shooting, 0/3 from deep.

Trey McKenney came off the bench and had a terrible game.  He scored 3 points on lousy shooting: 1/10 overall, 1/7 from deep.

Who Else Played?

Oscar Goodman played for 3 minutes, and missed his only shot attempt, an easy put-back layup.

Winters Grady was finally recovered from his foot injury, and played 7 minutes.  He missed his only shot, a 3-point attempt.

Malick Kordel played for 2 minutes, and scored 3 points.  He made his only shot attempt (a dunk), and made 1/2 free throws.

Charlie May played in the final minute, but didn’t attempt a shot.

Who Didn’t Play?

The only scholarship player who didn’t play was Ricky Liburd.

The Scout Team players who didn’t play were: Howard Eisley Jr. and Harrison Hochberg.

What Does It Mean?

Middle Tennessee State is a notch up from “cupcake”, but not at the same level as Wake Forest or TCU.  Still, this was a game that Michigan couldn’t afford to lose, and they played pretty well, especially in the 2nd half.  Every win helps Michigan build their postseason resume, and this was a solid win.

This Week

This week, Michigan plays three games, all in the Players Era Championship in Las Vegas, NV.  On Monday (11/24/2025, 10:30 p.m. EST, truTV), they play San Diego State, then on Tuesday (11/25/2025, 8:30 p.m. EST, TNT), they play (#22) Auburn.

 Depending on how those games go, Michigan might play in one of these games:

  • The championship third-place game at 7:00 p.m. EST on Wednesday (11/26/2025)
  • The championship first-place game at 9:30 p.m. EST on Wednesday (11/26/2025)
  • The consolation bracket first-place game at 8:00 p.m. EST on Thursday (11/27/2025)
  • The consolation bracket third-place game at 10:30 p.m. EST on Thursday (11/27/2025)

Confusing?  You bet.  That’s only 4 games on Wednesday/Thursday, and there are 18 teams; are there 10 teams that will only play 2 games?  I don’t know.

San Diego State is currently 2-1, with no noteworthy results.  Last season, they were 21-10 (14-6 in the Mountain West).  They had some big wins last season: (#21) Creighton and (#6) Houston.  They lost in the 1st round of their conference tournament, but they went to the NCAA Tournament.  They lost in the 1st round of the Big Dance.  They don’t have any noteworthy players, but they do have some height: a 7-footer and a 7’1” guy.  This could be a very challenging contest.  Michigan should win, as long as they don’t commit too many turnovers and shoot a decent percentage from 3-point range.

Auburn is currently 4-1, with their only loss by one point to (#1) Houston.  They were 32-6 last season, and were a #1 seed in the NCAA Tournament, where they beat Michigan 78-65 in the Sweet 16, before losing to Florida in the Final Four.  They have a loaded roster, with some height: a 6’10” player and a 7-footer.  This will be Michigan’s most difficult non-conference game until the Duke game in February.  If Michigan really deserves to be ranked in the Top 10, they need to win this kind of game.

Check back next week to find out what happened and why.

Go Blue!