B1G Things to Know: Michigan

“B1G Things to Know” is your weekly gathering of the 10 most important things you’ll want to know about this week’s Ohio State game. These 10 facts will help you be the most knowledgeable fan at your Game Day activity, no matter where you gather across Buckeye Nation to cheer on the Men of the Scarlet & Gray.

The University of Michigan was established in Detroit on August 26, 1817 as the Catholepistemiad. In 1821, the university was officially renamed the University of Michigan. The university relocated to Ann Arbor in 1841, where the first classes were held with six freshmen and a sophomore. Eleven students graduated in the first commencement in 1845.

Michigan began competing in intercollegiate football in 1879. Michigan is a charter member of the Western Conference (the Big Ten), having joined at its founding in 1896. In 1902, the Wolverines would play in and win the first Rose Bowl game. In 139 years of football, Michigan has an all-time record of 953-340-36, which ranks #1 all-time.

The Wolverines have a 511-206-18 all-time record in the Big Ten. Michigan has 42 conference championships. There are 11 national championships claimed by Michigan, 10 of which come prior to the 1949 season. Michigan has 28 10+ win seasons, 23 undefeated seasons, and 46 bowl game appearances among its history — they have gone 21-25 in those games.

The Game, as the annual Ohio State and Michigan game is known, has been voted as “college football’s greatest rivalry.”

The Buckeyes face off with the Wolverines Saturday at noon in Ohio Stadium. The winner of this game will win the Big Ten East and will face Northwestern next week in the Big Ten Championship Game.

• This will be the 115th meeting between Michigan and Ohio State. The Wolverines and Buckeyes are playing for the 101st-consecutive year. The two programs have played every year since 1918, a streak that ranks eighth in Division I-A for the longest uninterrupted series.
• Michigan leads the all-time series 58-50-6. The Buckeyes have won six straight match-ups and 13 of the past 14 editions of The Game. Michigan’s last win was a 40-34 victory in 2011.
• The Game this week matches the No. 1 and No. 2 winning programs in Football Bowl Subdivison history. Michigan has 953 wins and Ohio State has 908. Each team has compiled 511 wins all-time in the Big Ten.
• This will be the 22nd time that Michigan and Ohio State take the field in a top 10 match-up. The Buckeyes hold a 10-9-2 advantage in those contests.
• The Wolverines have compiled a 21-21-4 record against the Buckeyes when both teams enter the game ranked in the AP poll.
• The Wolverines have a 27-27-2 record all-time in Columbus, including a 24-23-1 mark at the Horseshoe. Ohio State has won the last eight games at home.
• Since 1951, Woody Hayes’ first season as Ohio State’s head coach, the Buckeyes lead the series 37-27-2. Michigan won 13 of the first 15 games in this series with two ties, but since Ohio State’s first win in 1919, the series tilts in Ohio State’s favor by a 49-45-4 margin.
• The Ohio State-Michigan game has been decided by one score 40 times previously. Each team has won 20 of those contests.
• Michigan has 12 players from the Buckeye State. Ohio State has four Michigan natives on its roster.

And there you have it. You are now officially ready to begin your Game Day activities. Along with not giving a damn for the whole state, you can now lay claim to the title of “Smartest Buckeye Fan at your Tailgate/Watch Party”. Go Bucks!

Each week, Mike Meals scours through the Media Guides of Ohio State and that week’s opponent to find you the 10 most fascinating, important, and/or crazy facts to prepare you for that week’s game. You can also catch Mike along with Hayes & Cannon Content Manager/Writer Brandon Zimmerman on the weekly episodes of “The Sons of Schmidt” podcast on the Ozone Radio Network. Follow Mike on twitter (@mmeals)