Ohio State has won seven consecutive games against Michigan, and on this Thanksgiving Day, we're thankful for each and every one of them.
Ranking your favorite wins against Michigan is like ranking your children, but we're going to do it anyway.
7) 2014 – #6 Ohio State 42, Michigan 28
Again, choosing a least favorite win over Michigan is like choosing a least favorite child, but one game had to be last, and this is it.
In hindsight, we know how this season ended and that makes everything okay, but at the time this game was far from awesome and seemed to put a dent in Ohio State's national title chances for a number of reasons.
For one, J.T. Barrett's record-breaking season came to a screeching halt after a broken ankle, putting the season in the hands of Cardale Jones. If you were optimistic at that point, congratulations, you had more faith than Urban Meyer.
Secondly, a forgettable running back named Drake Johnson seemed to be finding holes with ease towards the end of the game, averaging nearly five yards a carry and scoring two touchdowns. A week after Tevin Coleman rushed for 223 yards and three touchdowns, this had Buckeye fans just a bit nervous about playing Melvin Gordon a week later.
Ultimately, it all turned out great! But we can't pretend this was Ohio State's most favorite 14-point win over Michigan at the time.
6) 2015 – #8 Ohio State 42, #10 Michigan 13
It's tough to have a four-touchdown win so low on the list, but his one was the definition of bittersweet.
The sweet – Ohio State smacked the hell out of Michigan and handed Jim Harbaugh his first of many losses in the series. Ezekiel Elliott rushed for 214 yards and two touchdowns, averaging 7.1 yards per carry, J.T. Barrett rushed for 139 yards and three touchdowns on 7.8 yards per carry, and Joey Bosa even got an interception.
The bitter – where the hell was all of that the week before? It was delightful to see the Buckeyes splatter Michigan like a bug on a windshield in their own stadium, but that game should have been a tune up before a title run.
It was fun, and one hell of a bounce back, but it should have been more.
5) 2017 – #5 Ohio State 31, Michigan 20
This game got a little more interesting than usual just after halftime when J.T. Barrett went down with an injury with the Buckeyes trailing in the Big House.
It wasn't an issue for Ohio State, because Dwayne Haskins delivered.
In his first meaningful college snaps, Haskins led the Buckeyes to a 31-20 comeback victory on road victory over Michigan, completing more than 85 percent of his passes for 97 yards.
This game isn't higher on the list because frankly that Michigan team wasn't very good, but a road victory over Michigan is always sweet and it was certainly a preview of what was to come for Haskins.
4) 2012 – Ohio State 26, #16 Michigan 21
This was played under an extremely unique circumstance that we're probably never going to see again.
The Buckeyes entered the game undefeated after a 11-0 start under Urban Meyer in his first year, but were ineligible to play in a bowl game. It wasn't an ideal situation, but it did give Ohio State the unique opportunity to cap off an undefeated season at home against Michigan.
There was no Big Ten Championship game. There was no hope of a national title. There was only Michigan, and the Buckeyes came through with a hard-fought 26-21 victory over the Wolverines, and partied on the field afterwards.
3) 2013 – #3 Ohio State 42, Michigan 41
Ohio State entered the 2013 edition of The Game the No. 3 team in the country, riding a 23-game winning streak, having never lost under Urban Meyer.
It was wild.
The teams combined for over 1,100 total yards and 83 points. Braxton Miller rushed for 153 yards and three touchdowns, averaging 9.6 yards per carry while Carlos Hyde put up 226 yards and a touchdown of his own, averaging 8.4 yards per carry.
While Ohio State gashed Michigan on the ground, the Buckeye secondary had its own issues defending the Wolverine passing attack as Devin Gardner, a former wide receiver, threw for 451 yards and four touchdowns.
Ultimately, the Buckeyes survived in epic fashion as Tyvis Powell intercepted a Michigan two-point conversion attempt to seal Ohio State's 24th-straight win and keep the national title hops alive.
2) 2016 – #2 Ohio State 30, #3 Michigan 27 (Double Overtime)
This was undoubtably the most hard-fought game on the list with both teams boasting elite defenses and essentially playing for a spot in the College Football Playoff.
Urban Meyer called this the hardest game he's ever coached, and for Buckeye fans, it was a gut-wrencher from the start until Curtis Samuel leapt into the end zone for the game-winning touchdown.
Ohio State spent much of the game, particularly in the first half, pinned in its own territory unable to move the ball. But the defense delivered. Both Ohio State regulation touchdowns were set up by turnovers as Malik Hooker had a pick six just before the half and Jerome Baker intercepted a pass deep in Michigan territory.
Ultimately, Ohio State pulled out the win in double overtime thanks to a very accurate spot on a fourth-down run and some late-game heroics from Curtis Samuel.
1) 2018 – #10 Ohio State 62, #4 Michigan 39
Maybe this is recency bias, but maybe this game was just every bit as awesome as I think it was. Either way, it's my No. 1 and it's Urban Meyer's No. 1.
Michigan entered this game favored and more confident than I'd seen them in my lifetime. They were out there guaranteeing victories, wearing their "Revenge Tour" shirts during warmups and cracking Buckeyes before the game.
And Ohio State rolled them like a cheap rug.
The Buckeyes put up 62 points – the most they've ever scored in the rivalry – and sent Michigan back to Ann Arbor with a 62-39 loss that they still think about today.
