Coach's Corner With Bill Conley: OSU, UM Both Claim Historic Bragging Rights
Known as one of the top recruiters in college football, Bill Conley is a national championship-winning coach and player at Ohio State who suited up for Woody Hayes and spent 17 years on the staffs of Earle Bruce, John Cooper and Jim Tressel. He spent the past six seasons building Ohio Dominican University in Columbus into one of the top Division II programs in the country. His column will appear throughout the season in BSB, and he can be heard on WTVN 610 AM in Columbus during Thursday night’s ‘Bucksline’ broadcasts from 6-8 p.m. and on the station’s game-day coverage of Ohio State football.
The Ohio State-Michigan series goes back to 1897 and is recognized by many in the athletic world as the greatest rivalry in all of sports. The first couple of decades were dominated by the Wolverines even though the teams didn’t play every year.
Then in 1919, a versatile and athletic running back by the name of Chic Harley led the Buckeyes to their first-ever victory over Michigan by a score of 13-3. Since that time the Buckeyes have won 47 and Michigan 45, plus four games have ended in ties.
Bragging rights in the rivalry can be claimed by both sides in various ways throughout the years. Michigan can boast about having more national and Big Ten titles while the Ohio State faithful can claim more consensus All-Americans and Heisman Trophy winners.
The truth is both schools have very strong gridiron traditions. Great coaches and players have walked the sidelines over the years, and on many occasions this regular-season finale has been for a conference championship, a Rose Bowl appearance or a top national ranking. Buckeyes have the extra incentive of winning a coveted pair of gold pants. Many high school athletes have chosen to go to Ohio State or Michigan just to play in this game.
Even though the Ohio State and Michigan rivalry has always been special since its inception, it took on a life-of-its-own identity in 1969. It was that year that Woody Hayes and Bo Schembechler squared off in the initial contest of the “Ten-Year War.” The two outstanding coaches boasted strong personalities and a competitive fire unmatched in the coaching profession.
Bo had been mentored by Woody as a player and coach. Bo had played for Woody at Miami (Ohio), served as a graduate assistant and eventually became the offensive line coach for Coach Hayes at Ohio State. It was also Woody who recommended Bo for the head coaching position at Miami in 1963.
The Ohio State mauling of Michigan in Columbus in 1968 by a score of 50-14 forced the Michigan administration to make a head coaching change. Woody had beat The Team Up North 12 of 18 times, and this embarrassing defeat was too much for the Maize and Blue to stomach. The Michigan athletics department looked south to Oxford, Ohio, and hired Schembechler to be its next head coach.
As a freshman football player at Ohio State in 1968, I was able to witness the big victory over the Wolverines and quickly realized “Michigan Week” was a season in itself. Practices that week in preparation were a little sharper, more physical and much more intense than any other game. Every day was started by a pep talk from Woody, who would remind us, in his special way, why we really needed to despise that team north of the border.
In the inaugural game of the Ten-Year War in 1969, Michigan upset us in Ann Arbor by a score of 24-12. We had beaten USC and Heisman Trophy winner O.J. Simpson in the Rose Bowl at the end of the previous season to win a national championship, and no team during the 1969 season had come close to beating us. We had a 22-game winning streak, and even though we would be unable to go to the Rose Bowl again in the postseason because of the Big Ten no-repeat rule, we didn’t take the Wolverines for granted. That day, however, they outplayed us and the rivalry became even more heightened.
As soon as the game was over, preparation for the 1970 meeting in Columbus was already under way by the coaching staff. The entire spring and fall we had to walk across a rug on our way out to the practice field. The rug had the 24-12 score on it. Woody was not going to let us forget.
Both teams went into the 1970 game undefeated, and it was apparent that the victor would have a legitimate shot at a national championship. We forced a fumble on the opening kickoff to set the tone for the afternoon. As usual, the game was largely a defensive struggle, but we scored 10 points in the final quarter for a 20-9 win and sweet revenge. The students tore down the goalposts and marched them down High Street to the Statehouse as Buckeye Nation went wild. Even though we lost the Rose Bowl to Stanford, we gave Bo his first taste of defeat in the Ten-Year War. Most importantly, we didn’t have to walk across that rug anymore.
For eight more seasons the two giants of the game, Woody and Bo, would face off at the end of November. Most of the games were very close in terms of the scores but, more importantly, they were heavyweight fights in terms of their physicality and intensity. Just as the two head coaches demanded, the players always performed at a higher level in the big game. It was almost an unwritten law that the teams would not try to outsmart the other but just outhit the enemy. If you won the battle in the trenches, you usually won the game.
As fierce as the rivalry was between Woody and Bo, the personal relationship was nothing like that. The two had a great love and respect for each other, except for that three-hour time span in November. It was the teacher-pupil, head coach-assistant coach and friend-friend relationship that truly characterized the bond between them. Neither would admit that in public however. They didn’t want anyone to think they were getting “soft.”
The 2016 Game
Both Urban Meyer and Jim Harbaugh understand that both teams will give and get their best shot from each other. The team that runs the ball best is most likely to win. The stout Michigan defensive line vs. a young but improving Ohio State offensive line may very well be the key to the game. The Buckeyes must make positive yardage on first down to allow a good run-pass mix.
We can’t afford to get behind the chains resulting in a lot of third-and-long situations. The strong and athletic Wolverine defensive front must be neutralized and kept off balance. Both teams are very evenly matched in terms of having strong defenses. The Buckeye passing attack is superior to that of the Wolverines, and J.T. Barrett and his receiving corps have performed better than their counterparts in maize and blue. The key is for the Buckeye offensive front to protect J.T. when it’s time to put the ball up.
Just like the tradition dictates, the most physical team will win the game. Meyer and Harbaugh will have their teams physically and mentally prepared Saturday in Columbus. You can expect each team to leave it on the field. Woody and Bo will be proud.
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