Ohio State On This Date: The Game of the Century Against Michigan Highlights the Buckeyes' History on Nov. 18

The first game Ohio State played on Nov. 18 was the sixth game of the 1893 season. The Buckeyes hosted Cincinnati and blasted the Bearcats, 38-0. The schools faced each other for five straight seasons (1893-1897) with the next four games being played in Cincinnati. Ohio State won the first three games, but lost the last two. The loss in 1897 was the last time the Buckeyes did not defeat the Bearcats. 

In 2017, a rain-soaked Ohio Stadium was the backdrop to the game between No. 8 Ohio State and the unranked Illini. J.T. Barrett led the Buckeyes to scoring drives on the team's first six possessions and Ohio State cruised to a 52-14 victory. With the win, and Wisconsin knocking off Michigan, Ohio State won the 2017 Big Ten East title. Mike Weber rushed for 108 yards and two touchdowns on 11 carries and Barrett threw two touchdown passes to Binjimen Victor in the 38-point win over the Illini.

Games to remember

Game of the Century

For the second time during the 2006 season, Ohio State was facing the second-ranked team in the nation. In Week 2, the top-ranked Buckeyes traveled to Austin and defeated the Texas Longhorns, 24-7. The regular-season finale against Michigan would be the first time in The Game's history that Ohio State and Michigan met as the two highest-ranked teams in college football.

If the stage could not get bigger for the 105,708 in attendance – and the millions watching from home – Michigan's legendary coach Bo Schembechler passed away the day before kickoff. 

The Wolverines received the ball on the opening kick and drove the ball 80 yards on seven plays to take an early 7-0 lead. Ohio State responded by scoring the game's next 21 points and took a 28-14 lead into the locker room at halftime.   

Jim Tressel leaned heavily on Troy Smith, and the quarterback came through. Smith completed 29 passes for 316 yards and four touchdowns to ensure his name being called in New York as the Heisman Trophy winner a few weeks later.

During the second half, Lloyd Carr's team pulled within one score of the Buckeyes four times, but Ohio State never relinquished its lead in the epic 42-39 victory. 

The Buckeyes went on to face Florida in the BCS National Championship Game but came up short of the program's second national championship in five seasons with a 41-14 loss to Urban Meyer's Gators. 

Sloppy play, seven turnovers lead to seven-point loss at Illinois

As Ohio State's head coach, Wes Fesler often spoke about the pressures applied to the position. On this date against Illinois in Champaign in 1950, the pressure felt by Fesler transferred to his players.

Fred Major gave Illinois a 14-0 lead when he threw two touchdown passes in the second quarter. Vic Janowicz and the No. 1-ranked Buckeyes responded with a touchdown and trailed by seven at the half.  

The 71,119 fans in Memorial Stadium witnessed Ohio State's offense commit seven turnovers and the Buckeyes could not overcome the slight deficit, losing the game 14-7. Fesler's team dropped its first conference game and second loss of the season.

One week later, the Buckeyes hosted Michigan in the Snow Bowl and lost 9-3. The loss to the Wolverines would be the final game for Fesler as Ohio State's head coach.

Stat Superlatives

Five Fun Facts

1. The ball was officially kicked off at 3:44 in the 2006 Ohio State-Michigan game, making it the latest kickoff in The Game's history. 
2. J.T. Barrett threw his 100th touchdown pass as a Buckeye on this date in 2017.
3. The Buckeyes faced Iowa for the first time in 1922. Ohio State went 0-3-1 against the Hawkeyes in the first four games of the series (1922-25).
4. Ohio State played at Oberlin for the last time on this date in 1911.
5. Ohio State’s 38-0 win over Cincinnati in 1893 was its first of 15 wins in 17 total games against the Bearcats.