"We Don't Give a Damn for the Whole State of Michigan."
| Sport | Record vs UM |
|---|---|
| Men's Sports | |
| Baseball | 1-2 |
| Basketball | 1-0 |
| Football | 1-0 |
| Gymnastics | 1-0 |
| Hockey | 2-2 |
| Lacrosse | 1-0 |
| Soccer | 1-0 |
| Swimming | 0-1 |
| Tennis | 2-0 |
| Women's Sports | |
| Basketball | 1-0 |
| Field Hockey | 0-1 |
| Lacrosse | 0-1 |
| Soccer | 1-0 |
| Softball | 1-2 |
| Swimming | 0-1 |
| Tennis | 2-0 |
| Volleyball | 0-1 |
| Total | 15-11 |
What started as a football rivalry has permeated into all aspects of Buckeye life.
Simply put, Ohio State wants to beat Michigan in anything and everything. This season, the Buckeyes were pretty darn close to doing just that. 12 different Ohio State teams tasted victory against the Wolverines during the 2016-17 athletic season for an overall record of 15-11 against Michigan in head-to-head sports (this only includes events where the two teams met match style or head to head, and not when the teams met in a larger competition where multiple teams were involved).
The Buckeyes beat the Wolverines in baseball, men's basketball, football, men's gymnastics, men's hockey, men's lacrosse, men's soccer, men's tennis, women's basketball, women's soccer, softball and women's tennis.
That is a lot of sports and a lot of wins. Even the most dedicated Ohio State fan likely missed or has forgotten some of those victories over those teams up north, so we decided to look back at some of the sweetest Buckeye wins over Michigan during the 2016-17 athletic season.
So, here are the top-five Ohio State victories over the Wolverines from last athletic season, in no particular order.
Football
Let's be real, this one isn't on the list because you missed it or forgot about it, it's because you can't stop reliving it.
On November 26, 2016, No. 2 Ohio State hosted No. 3 Michigan in the biggest game the rivalry has seen since The Game in 2006. A College Football Playoff appearance on the line, Urban Meyer vs. Jim Harbaugh, two of the top secondaries in the country — it was the perfect setup.
And it delivered all we could ask and more. Ohio State defeated Michigan 30-27 in a double-overtime thriller that featured enough Wolverine tears to flood the Olentangy.
Softball
Entering the 2017 season, Ohio State hadn't beaten Michigan in softball since April 28, 2010 — nearly seven years. The Buckeyes snapped that streak on April 9, upsetting the Wolverines 5-0, snapping a 21-game losing streak.
The game's star was Shelby McCombs. The junior pitcher tossed a complete-game shutout with 10 strikeouts, allowing only three hits in the game. Meanwhile, the Buckeye offense was all over one of the nation's top pitchers, scoring five runs against Michigan's Megan Betsa, including a solo home run from Anna Kirk and a three-run homer from Ashley Goodwin.
Ohio State finished its season 35-18, ending its season in the Knoxville, Tennessee NCAA Regional.
Men's Basketball
Thad Matta's final season at Ohio State was not exactly great, but there was one bright spot. Somehow, the Buckeyes beat Michigan — a team that won the Big Ten Tournament, made it to the NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 and had one of the best offenses in the country.
The Buckeyes climbed out of an 11-point hole to down the Wolverines 70-66, giving Matta one last win over that team up north.
Women's Gymnastics
The women's gymnastics team also ended a lengthy losing streak to Michigan this season, finishing 1st with a score of 195.800 in a quad against No. 11 Michigan, Kent State and Washington State.
Of course, since this was an event against multiple teams and not a one-on-one, head-to-head meet against Michigan, it doesn't count towards that 15-11 total, but it was still noteworthy.
Also, they got gold leotards, which is good.
When football beats ichigan they get gold pants. When gymnastics beats ichigan we get gold leotards May the TRADITION continue #GoBucks pic.twitter.com/2DGb4XdVEc
— Ohio State WGYM (@OhioState_WGYM) April 22, 2017
Men's Soccer
The Ohio State men's soccer team didn't win many games in 2016, finishing just 5-13-1 on the season. One of those five wins, though, came against Michigan, which makes everything okay.
The Buckeyes battled Michigan to a scoreless tie in regulation before scoring in the second overtime with just 23 seconds remaining on the clock to take down the Wolverines 1-0.
The kicker (pun totally intended): the game-winning goal was scored by Nate Kohl, a transfer from the University of Michigan.
