This vCalc sports equation reports several comparative statistics in the long-standing rivalry between Ohio State and Michigan (that team up north).  The reported statistics are base on the tabled data Ohio State vs Michigan Scores.  This data set represents all the battles between these two teams beginning in 1897.

The selectable statistics are based on the history of scoring in this, collegiate football's greatest rivalry - THE Game.

How To Use This Equation

To use the equation, just select a statistic you would like to see and the period over which you would like to have the statistic reported.  

The period defaults to the entire set of battles waged since 1897 but selecting a period allows you to look at modern era statistics as well.  Since many of the statistics are heavily skewed if you look across the entire period since 1897, looking at modern periods gives you a better view of the real rivalry. 

For instance, if you wish to see which team has the most wins in a modern period since 2000, then you would select the statistic, "Most Wins" with the beginning of the period being 2000 and the ending of the period the present season year.

Also, for instance, it is highly unlikely that either team will ever win again by a margin as high as that of 1902, so it is useful to look at the "Largest win Margin" for more contemporary view of the statistics, such as the "Largest win Margin" in the 1980s and 1990s.

One of the most interesting periods to view is, of course, the famous period referred to as the "Ten Year War":  1969 through 1978. These were the hottest years of the rivalry when you saw Woody Hayes' and Bo Schembeckler's teams wage the most amazing battles.

THE Rivalry

Ohio State played "that team up North"  first in 1897 and has played them annually since 1918¹.  THE Game is the biggest rivalry in all of college football, unquestionably. There is no bigger rivalry anywhere.  It is such an important rivalry that since 1935 THE Game has been played ever year as the last game of the regular Big Ten Conference season.  When the Big Ten expanded in 2010, an outcry from the Ohio State and Michigan fans forced the Big Ten to accommodate the great rivalry.  The conference allows THE Game to remain the last game of the season by putting Ohio State and Michigan  in separate divisions in the Big Ten and making THE Game a "protected crossover" game, to be played every year at the end of the regular season.

THE Game is such an enormous rivalry that winning the National Championship is of significantly less importance and since these two teams have so often been in the hunt for the National Championship, that assertion has been often tested.² 

Rivalry Numbers

Examples

As you can see, the statistics in the modern era are much more closely matched, with Ohio State even leading in overall wins if you look at the last five, ten, fifteen, twenty and even thirty years.  If you go back as far as 1918, the statistics show Ohio State leading in most all statistical categories.  The data shows fairly clearly that Ohio State will completely overtake Michigan lead from the early 1900s.

Present Day

Ohio State won the first CFP championship 42 to 20 over Oregon and was awarded the first College Football Playoff National Championship trophy after beating Michigan handily in 2014 (OSU 42 vs Mich 28).  The first CFP Championship game was held in Arlington, Texas in 2015.

Michigan's last win over Ohio State was in 2011, prior to Ohio State's coach Urban Meyer winning his first of four straight games over the

Famous Rivalry Quotes

1. Michigan coaching legend Bo Schembechler -  "If this isn't a great rivalry, why in the hell are all you staying around here to listen to me? I haven't coached in 14 years."³
2. "Oh, yeah. This is the pressure game. This is the big one. Just like at Ohio State, they always know your record against Michigan. Here, they always know the coach's record against Ohio State. That's the way it is."⁴
3. "I talked about it all the time," Schembechler said. "I did something every day to beat Ohio State, and to beat Woody."⁵
4. Michigan running back RobLytle - "If you could play the greatest game of your life, you would play it that day." ⁶
5. Woody Hayes - Because they wouldn't let me go for three."

   Jim Otis’ had scored his fourth touchdown of the day, and it made the score 50-14 with only 1:23 remaining. The Buckeyes went for the two point conversion with a 36 point lead and in the locker room afterwards a reporter asked coach Hayes, “Coach, why did you go for two points with a 50-14 lead?”  And the coach replied with the famous quip.

6. Jon Stewart - compared the rivalry to the disputes between Sunni and Shiite Muslims⁷ 

7. Buckeye All-American linebacker Randy Gradishar - "Before you left for Ohio State as a freshman, you know Michigan was a big game according to Woody. He let you know that before you even signed a letter of intent. The first meeting of the year was always about Michigan."⁸
8. All-American offensive lineman John Hicks - "They are a badge of honor. [referring to the gold pants pin that players receive if they beat Michigan] Wives wear them. You'll see Buckeye wives from the '40s, '50s, '60s, '70s, '80s. The first thing they do is pull out their Michigan pants. You'll hear someone say, 'You only got one?' That wife will give her husband a dirty look."
9. Hall of Fame (College and Pro) guard Jim Parker - "I'd rather lose every other game, and win the Michigan game."
10. Coach Earl Bruce -  "You're not going to be recognized for too much success. We've had 11-1 and 10-1 football teams that lost to Michigan and they're not even mentioned in the second breath."
11. Coach Jim Tressel's in his first news conference at Ohio State - "I can assure you that you will be proud of our young people in the classroom, in the community and most especially in 310 days in Ann Arbor, Mich., on the football field."

See also

• Ohio State vs Michigan Scores
• Football Calculator
• Aerodynamic Torque on a Football
• Deflection Due to Magnus Force
• Drag Force on a Football
• College Football Consensus National Champions Data
• Most College Championships
• Number of College Football Championships
• Goal Post Cross-bar Height (American Football)
• Length of Football Field
• Sport Ball Sizes
• Minimum Football Circumference - NCAA
• Minimum Football Length - NCAA
• Maximum Football Circumference - NCAA
• Maximum Football Length - NCAA
• Minimum Football axis_1 or axis_2 - NCAA
• Maximum Football axis_1 or axis_2 - NCAA

1. ^ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michigan%E2%80%93Ohio_State_football_rivalry
2. ^ http://proxy.espn.go.com/ncf/columns/story?columnist=maisel_ivan&id=1667333
3. ^ http://proxy.espn.go.com/ncf/columns/story?columnist=maisel_ivan&id=1667333
4. ^ http://proxy.espn.go.com/ncf/columns/story?columnist=maisel_ivan&id=1667333
5. ^ http://proxy.espn.go.com/ncf/columns/story?columnist=maisel_ivan&id=1667333
6. ^ http://proxy.espn.go.com/ncf/columns/story?columnist=maisel_ivan&id=1667333
7. ^ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michigan%E2%80%93Ohio_State_football_rivalry#cite_note-Weareredyouareblueweallmustide-28
8. ^ http://proxy.espn.go.com/ncf/columns/story?columnist=maisel_ivan&id=1667333