Ahead of another chapter in the greatest rivalry in sports, we take a look at some of the most iconic moments that fueled the hate.
Perhaps the most iconic moment of the entire history of The Game came in the fourth quarter of a lopsided Ohio State victory over Michigan in 1968.
Already leading their bitter rivals 44-14 late in the fourth quarter of a rivalry showdown, the Buckeyes found the end zone once again on a Jim Otis rush, pushing the score to an eye-popping 50-14.
It was already Ohio State's most lopsided win over the Wolverines in over 30 years, but apparently, that wasn't enough for Woody Hayes as he iconically called for a two-point conversion.
The conversion failed, but the damage was done – Woody had attempted to run up the score against Michigan.
Now, this is where the legend seems to differ from reality. According to legend, when asked about his decision by reporters after the game, Hayes said he went for two "because I couldn't go for three." But there's no real evidence of that, according to pretty extensive research from Tom Orr of The Ozone.
This is what Hayes did say after the game, according to The Lantern:
Hayes explained that the Bucks went for two because regular center John Muhlbach was hurt and field goal kicker Jim Roman had to center. Ordinarily, Larry Zelina would have kicked the extra point, but Hayes said he had received a blow to the head and wasn’t able. And also, “we wanted more than 50 points,” Hayes admitted.
That last quote is as close as you get to him admitting to wanting to run up the score.
Regardless, Hayes almost certainly said his famed "because I couldn't go for three" line at some point – too many former players and assistants, including Lou Holtz, have shared the story for it not to have been true – but it wasn't right after the game.
In any case, the actions alone were enough to absolutely infuriate those on the other side of the rivalry.
“That fat hog went for two,” Michigan assistant coach Tony Mason said in The Beacon-Journal. “That’s why he’s not wanted in this profession.”
Hilariously, this was actually the second time Woody went for two to pad a gigantic lead against Michigan.
Back in 1961, Ohio State found itself leading 42-20 with less than a minute remainingg, but Hayes clearly wasn't content to run out the clock and wanted to find the end zone again. After a 70-yard completion and a fourth-down conversion, the Buckeyes scored a touchdown with just six seconds left on the clock, and Hayes went for two and got it, to bring the lead to 50-20.
There seems to be a consensus that the late two-point conversion was payback for Michigan kicking a late field goal 58-6 win over Ohio State in 1946, but once again, the "because I couldn't go for three" quote is nowhere to be found.
But when he said the words – or even if he said the words – is largely irrelevant. Woody still used a two-point conversion to try to run up the score in The Game, multiple times. That's legendary in itself.
