Thursday, Nov. 17, 2022 | The Lantern | 9
thelantern.com @TheLantern

A dominant decade: ‘The Game’s’ horseshoe history

GABE BURGGRAF

Asst. LTV Sports Producer

AMAL SAEED | LANTERN FILE PHOTO- 

Ohio State then-redshirt sophomore quarterback Dwayne Haskins (7) looks to pass the ball 
during the second half of the game against Michigan on Nov. 24, 2018. Ohio State won 62-39. 
Ohio State has not played Michigan at home since.

It’s been nearly four years since the 

Buckeyes welcomed Michigan to Ohio 
Stadium. 

In 2020, “The Game” was canceled due 

to an increase in positive COVID-19 cas-
es within the Michigan program during 
the week leading up to the matchup.

Nonetheless, the ‘Shoe has proved a 

fortress for the Buckeyes.

The Buckeyes have only lost six games 

in the ‘Shoe since 2010, with two coming 
in 2011 under former head coach Luke 
Fickell and the most recent against Ore-
gon Sep. 11, 2021.

However, in the last five Ohio 

State-Michigan matchups south of Lake 
Erie, the Buckeyes have dominated the 
win column, victorious each game in 
their home stadium. 

Let’s take a look back at the recent edi-

tions of “The Game” in the ‘Shoe:

2018: No. 10 Ohio State dominates No. 

4 Michigan 62-39

Ohio 
State 
quarterback 
Dwayne 

Haskins threw three first half touchdown 
passes, connecting with wide receiver 
Chris Olave for two before lofting one to 
a wide open Johnnie Dixon III, giving 
the Buckeyes a 21-6 lead in the second 
quarter

Wolverines quarterback Shea Patter-

son tossed two touchdowns of his own to 
keep Michigan within striking distance, 
cutting the lead to two before Blake 
Haubeil’s 19-yard field goal gave Ohio 
State a 24-19 lead at the break. 

That was as close as it would get for 

Michigan, defensive back Sevyn Banks 
caught a blocked punt mid-air, return-
ing it 33 yards for an Ohio State touch-
down, spurring 17-unanswered points as 
the Buckeyes stretched the lead to 41-19 
headed to the final frame.

The Buckeyes and Wolverines scored 

two more touchdowns each in the fourth 
quarter, as Ohio State cruised to a 62-39 
win.

Haskins was efficient through the air, 

completing 20 of 31 passes for 396 yards 
and six scores.

Patterson played well, completing 

20 of 34 passes for 187 yards and three 
touchdowns, but the Buckeyes offensive 
artillery proved too much to keep pace 
with.

2016: No. 2 Ohio State wins a battle of 

inches, outlasts No. 3 Michigan 30-27 in 
overtime

The Ohio State defense scored the first 

touchdown, pressuring Wolverines quar-
terback Wilton Speight into a rushed 
throw from his own end zone, then in-
tercepted and returned 16 yards by safe-
ty Malik Hooker to put the Buckeyes up 
7-3 with just over four minutes left in the 
second quarter.

But Michigan answered, as running 

back Khalid Hill plunged over the goal 
line from the 1-yard line, giving the Wol-
verines a 10-7 lead at the half. Hill added 
an 8-yard receiving touchdown as Michi-
gan took a 10 point lead midway through 
the third quarter.

After Speight’s second interception of 

the day gave Ohio State great field po-
sition, running back Mike Weber dove 
over the goal line for a 1-yard score, 
cutting the deficit to three at 17-14 after 
three quarters.

Quarterback J.T. Barrett led the Buck-

eyes down to the Wolverine 6-yard line 
with 6 seconds left. Kicker Tyler Durbin’s 
23-yard field goal attempt tied the game 
17-all, deadlocking “The Game” at the 
end of regulation.

Barrett scampered in from the 7-yard 

line on the Buckeyes’ first overtime pos-
session, and the Wolverines threw for a 
score on fourth and goal to end overtime 
knotted at 24.

Ohio State forced a Michigan field 

goal on the first possession of the sec-
ond overtime period and on foruth and 
1 from the 16, Barrett kept the ball on a 
read option, running left behind his tight 
end before being knocked down right on 
the line to gain.

The spot gave Barrett and the Buck-

eyes the first down, and after review, the 
play stood as called on the field, giving 
Ohio State a fresh set of downs from the 
15-yard line.

On the next play, Buckeyes receiver 

Curtis Samuel took the handoff 15 yards 
untouched behind, pulling offensive line-
men to the endzone, ending the game in-
stantly with a touchdown, the final score 
reading 30-27 in favor of Ohio State.

Despite keeping pace with the Buck-

eyes on the scoreboard, the Michigan 
ground game only rushed for 93 yards on 
43 attempts.

And despite Weber only gaining 26 

yards on 11 attempts, the Buckeyes 
rushed for 206 yards and three touch-
downs. Barrett was only 15 of 32 for 124 
yards through the air, throwing no touch-
down passes and one interception, but he 
rushed 30 times for 125 yards. 

2014: No. 6 Ohio State feeds Ezekiel 

Elliott, runs to 42-28 victory over Mich-
igan

The tight end attack started early. 
Both scores in the first quarter were 

receiving touchdowns, the first from 
Barrett to tight end Nick Vannett for a 
6-yard score and the second from Mich-
igan quarterback Devin Gardner, who 
connected with tight end Jake Butt for 12 
yards.

Michigan running back Drake John-

son and Barrett went back-and-forth, 
each rushing for two touchdowns. With 
“The Game” knotted up at 21 midway 
through the third quarter, Buckeyes run-
ning back Ezekiel Elliott tallied a 2-yard 
touchdown rush, propelling Ohio State 
to a 28-21 lead after the third quarter.

On the first play of the fourth quarter, 

Barrett was tackled behind the line, even-
tually being carted off with a leg injury. 

On fourth and 1 at the Michigan 44-

yard line, Elliott burst through a hole 
on the left side of the line, sprinting 44 
yards to the endzone to give Ohio State 
a two-possession, 35-21 lead with just un-
der five minutes left in regulation.

Linebacker Darron Lee recovered 

and returned a Gardner fumble 33 yards 
to the end zone to put the exclamation 
point on 21 unanswered Buckeyes points, 
as Ohio State claimed a 42-28 victory.

Ohio State pounded the rock to the 

tune of 39 carries, 233 yards and four 
touchdowns. Elliott’s 17 attempts gar-
nered 121 yards and two touchdowns, as 
Barrett was 13 of 21 for 176 yards and one 
touchdown pass.

Gardner completed 22 of 32 passes 

for 233 yards, with two touchdowns and 
one interception. Despite Johnson’s two 
rushing touchdowns, he gained 74 yards 
on 15 carries as the Wolverines ran for 
only 121 yards on the day.

2012: Basil’s leg powers No. 4 Ohio 

State past No. 20 Michigan 26-21

Buckeyes running back Carlos Hyde 

powered into the endzone from 3 yards 
out on the game’s first drive to put Ohio 
State up 7-0. 

Michigan quarterback Denard Robin-

son connected with wide receiver Roy 
Roundtree, who broke a would-be Buck-
eye tackle before trotting into the end 
zone midway through the first quarter to 
even the score at seven.

Ohio State kicker Drew Basil split the 

uprights at the end of the first, putting 
Ohio State up 10-7 after one.

The Wolverines used a quarterback 

tandem with Robinson and Gardner, who 
bludgeoned in from two yards out to give 
Michigan the lead early in the second 
quarter.

Ohio State quarterback Braxton Mill-

er connected with wide receiver Corey 
Brown for a 14-yard passing touchdown 
to respond late in the half.

The Buckeyes grabbed the lead for all 

of 50 seconds, as Robinson accelerated 
and broke a tackle, scrambling 67 yards 
to put the Wolverines up by four. 

Before time expired, Basil struck his 

second field goal, this one from 52 yards, 
through the uprights as time expired, 
with Ohio State trailing 21-20 headed 
into the locker room.

Basil knocked a third field goal from 28 

yards midway through the third, to give 
Ohio State the lead, 23-21.

The Buckeyes defense held firm, keep-

ing the Wolverines scoreless in the sec-
ond half as Basil drilled his fourth field 
goal from 25 yards to give Ohio State a 
26-21 lead. 

Gardner was intercepted by Buckeyes 

defensive back C.J. Barnett with just un-
der five minutes to play in the game. A 
13-yard Hyde rush on third and 7 helped 
salt the remaining time away, as Urban 
Meyer won his first game against Michi-
gan as head coach, 26-21.

Hyde carried the ball 26 times for 146 

yards and a touchdown. Miller complet-
ed 14 of 18 passes for 189 yards and a 
touchdown and ran 20 times for 57 yards. 
Brown caught eight passes for 95 yards 
and a touchdown.

Robinson rushed 10 times for 122 yards 

and a touchdown, but the Buckeyes de-
fense stiffened in the second half, record-
ing six tackles for loss and four sacks.

2010: Dan Herron dominates as No. 8 

Ohio State cruises past Michigan 37-7

After a scoreless first quarter, a 33-yard 

Devin Barclay field goal and a 7-yard 
pass from quarterback Terelle Pryor to 
wide receiver Dane Sanzenbacher gave 
Ohio State a 10-0 lead early in the second 
quarter.

A Michael Shaw 1-yard rush closed the 

gap to 10-7 midway through the second, 
but Michigan wouldn’t score again. 

The Buckeyes scored twice before half 

time— a Jordan Hall 85-yard kickoff re-
turn and a 33-yard passing touchdown 
from Pryor to wide receiver DeVier 
Posey — on the way to scoring the game’s 
final 27 points.

Ohio State running back Dan Herron 

added a 32-yard rushing touchdown to 
put the Buckeyes up 21 before two, third 
quarter, Barclay field goals rounded out 
the afternoon’s scoring as the Buckeyes 
won 37-7.

Ohio State rushed 45 times for 258 

yards, leaning on the run with the game 
out of reach in the second half. Herron 
finished with 22 carries, 175 yards and a 
touchdown. Pryor was 18 of 27 for 220 
yards, two touchdowns and one intercep-
tion.

Robinson ran 18 times for 105 yards 

but threw for under 100 on eight comple-
tions as the Wolverines couldn’t muster 
much through the air.

SUBSCRIBE @ 
LANTERN TV

