The afterglow from Michigan’s 2011 win over Ohio State lasted exactly two days in Ann Arbor.
On the Monday following the Wolverines’ 40-34 win over the Buckeyes, OSU introduced its new head coach.
His name was Urban Meyer, and he had won two national championships since the last time Michigan won the Big Ten.
This did not represent good news for the maize-and-blue clad faithful.
Meyer quickly turned the Buckeyes from a regional powerhouse into a national one in recruiting and on the field as well.
If you missed Part One of our look at The Game through the years, you can find 2002-2006 here.
You can find Part Two of our look at The Game through the years, looking at 2007-2011 here.
2012
Much like the rest of the Buckeyes’ season, the 2012 version of The Game wasn’t the most dominating performance in memory, but Ohio State won.
Michigan came into the game with an 8-3 record and hopes of turning the Brady Hoke/Urban Meyer matchup into Ten Year War II.
With the benefit of hindsight that seems absurd, but with the Wolverines coming off a Sugar Bowl bid, it wasn’t quite so laughable at the time.
Meyer’s first OSU team wasn’t his most talented, but it found a way to get things done every week.
It had narrow escapes at Michigan State and Indiana, needed a last-second miracle to beat Purdue in overtime, and went to OT at Wisconsin as well. But it came into The Game at a perfect 11-0.
The first half almost qualified as a shootout.
The teams traded scores, including a crazy sequence of two touchdowns and a field goal in the last 1:30 of the half.
First, Braxton Miller connected with Corey “Philly” Brown to give the Buckeyes a 17-14 lead.
Then, just 0:50 later, a 67-yard run from Denard Robinson put Michigan back on top, 21-17.
The Buckeyes responded by cramming a 5-play, 30-yard drive into the final 0:40 of the half. Drew Basil’s 52-yard field goal at the gun cut the Wolverines’ edge to 21-20.
But the first half shootout gave way to a second half shutout.
The Buckeyes managed just a pair of field goals, but it was more than enough to seal the win.
That’s because the OSU defense completely locked down Michigan after the break. The Wolverines lost the ball on downs, then fumbled it away, had back-to-back 3-and-outs, then another fumble, and finally a game-ending interception. In all, Michigan put up 68 yards of total offense on 21 plays in the second half.
The photo above shows linebacker Zach Boren sacking Devin Gardner in the second quarter. That helped kill a promising Michigan drive, and set up the Buckeyes to take that 17-14 lead.
See the complete 2012 Ohio State – Michigan photo gallery here.
2013
The Buckeyes came in 11-0, and riding a 23-game win streak under Meyer. Michigan was just 7-4, and a two-touchdown underdog in its own stadium.
But a funny thing happened on what was supposed to be the Buckeyes’ smooth, easy path to the Big Ten Championship Game: Michigan showed up.
The Wolverines marched 99 yards on just five plays on their opening possession to take a 7-0 lead.
The Buckeyes tied it on a 53-yard pass from Miller to Devin Smith.
Michigan answered with a touchdown before Miller ran it into the end zone to tie the game at 14.
The teams traded scores again to go into halftime tied at 21.
The Buckeyes finally seemed to seize control in the third quarter, scoring twice to grab a 35-21 lead.
But Michigan responded with a touchdown, and then normally-reliable running back Carlos Hyde fumbled the ball away on the Buckeyes’ next possession.
Gardner hit Jake Butt for a touchdown, making it 35-all with 5:01 to play.
As they had all afternoon, the Buckeyes came up with an answer. Hyde got his revenge, scoring from a yard out to make it 42-35 with just 2:20 to play.
But that was plenty of time for the Wolverines. Gardner led them right back down the field and connected with Devin Funchess to make it 42-41 Buckeyes with 0:32 left on the clock.
Hoke opted to go for the win, but safety Tyvis Powell stepped in front of the two-point conversion pass for a game-saving interception. The Buckeyes recovered the ensuing onside kick and ran out the clock.
The photo above shows Powell securing his interception on the two-point conversion.
See the complete 2013 Ohio State – Michigan photo gallery here.
2014
The Buckeyes were four wins away from a national championship when they entered The Game, but it sure didn’t feel like it at the time.
OSU came in off an uninspiring win over Indiana and was ranked No. 6 in the polls.
Michigan was just 5-6, but true to form under Hoke, they played OSU to a near-stalemate.
J.T. Barrett threw for one touchdown and ran for two more, but the game was tied at 21-all late in the third quarter.
Ezekiel Elliott gave the Buckeyes a 28-21 lead with a short touchdown run.
They got the ball back after a quick three-and-out by Michigan, but then disaster struck.
A pair of Wolverines tackled Barrett, who went down awkwardly, breaking his right leg.
That left the season in the hands of Cardale Jones, who had started fall camp as the third-string quarterback.
On his first drive, Jones scrambled for 18 yards to convert a 2nd-and-15.
Four plays later, Elliott raced 44 yards for a score, and the Buckeyes had some breathing room.
On Michigan’s next possession, linebacker Darron Lee drove in the dagger.
Joey Bosa sacked Gardner, forcing a fumble. Lee scooped it up and sprinted 33 yards for the Buckeyes’ second touchdown in a minute of game action.
Just like that the game, and the Hoke era, were over.
The photo above shows Elliott on his way to the end zone to make it 35-21.
The following week, the Buckeyes destroyed Wisconsin, 59-0 in the Big Ten Championship Game and earned a berth in the first-ever College Football Playoff. Two wins later, they were national champions again.