Ohio State is hoping for revenge and possibly a repeat appearance in the Rose Bowl for the first time in more than 20 years. The past two seasons, upset victories by downtrodden Michigan have destroyed perfect seasons for second-ranked Ohio State teams. The Buckeyes went on to an 11-1 record that included a Rose Bowl victory. Now, perhaps, it is Ohio State's turn to issue some paybacks. The Buckeyes are now the underdogs.
Paybacks are part of the long history of the rivalry.
In the 1970s, the Michigan-Ohio State season finale decided the Big Ten title between the two teams and determined who would represent the conference in the Rose Bowl almost every year. Tomorrow's game will continue that tradition, playing a major part in determining the Big Ten's Rose Bowl representative for the 37th time. With the exception of the 1971 season, the two teams decided who would go to Pasadena amongst themselves on the final day of the season. From 1969 on, Michigan was led by legendary coach Bo Schembechler, who coached against his mentor, Ohio State's Woody Hayes. Four times Ohio State won, four times Michigan won.