1969 Michigan vs . Ohio State football game The 1969 edition of the Michigan - Ohio State rivalry is considered one of the best - known games of the series , as well as one of the biggest upsets in college football history . The Buckeyes of Ohio State University went into the game as the top - ranked team in the country , with a 22 - game winning streak under the direction of head coach Woody Hayes . They were also defending national champions . The Wolverines of the University of Michigan went into the game under a new coach , Bo Schembechler , who was trying to redefine a college football power that had fallen on hard times . Ohio State was playing for its second straight national title , while Michigan was playing for the Rose Bowl , and the championship of the Big Ten Conference was on the line . The game was witnessed by a ( then ) stadium - record crowd of 103 , 588 at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor , and began the combative stretch of the rivalry informally known as The Ten Year War . Background . Ohio State ' s 1969 football team was dubbed by the media as the " greatest college football team of all time " , with a handful of proven All - Big Ten players and All - America ns , such as quarterback Rex Kern , running backs Larry Zelina , Jim Otis and John Brockington , wide receivers Jan White and Bruce Jankowski , middle guard Jim Stillwagon and defensive star Jack Tatum . Leading up to the Buckeyes ' meeting with Michigan , Ohio State had never trailed in a game during the 1969 season , and no team had scored more than 21 points on them all season ( Michigan State in a 54 - 21 loss ) . In addition , Ohio State had not scored less than 34 points in any game and their closest margin of victory was 27 points in a 34 - 7 win over Minnesota . Michigan was in the process of rebuilding after a period of mediocrity that saw them only go to one Rose Bowl between 1951 and 1968 ; the program , known for the winning traditions under Fielding H . Yost and Fritz Crisler , seemed to had lost its way . Schembechler was hired before the 1969 season , after six successful seasons as head coach of his alma mater , Miami University of Ohio , where he ' d won two MAC titles . But the team began the season with an unassuming 3 - 2 record , including a loss to in - state rival Michigan State . But they did get a key 30 - 21 win vs . # 9 Purdue on Oct . 11 that was crucial ; had they lost that game , Purdue would have gone to the Rose Bowl ( Ohio State could not go due to the Big Ten ' s " no repeat " rule ) regardless of the outcome of the Ohio State game . They would go on to win their next four straight , with a team including quarterback Don Moorhead , fullback Garvie Craw , wingback John Gabler , tailbacks Glenn Doughty and Billy Taylor , offensive lineman Dan Dierdorf and defensive stars Barry Pierson , Thom Darden , Cecil Pryor and Henry Hill . When Schembechler was hired , he set the team goal — beat Ohio State . One advantage Schembechler had was that he had played for Woody Hayes at Miami ( Ohio ) , then coached with him at Ohio State , so he patterned his team after Hayes ' 1969 behemoth . There was also a revenge factor from the 1968 game when Ohio State trounced Michigan , 50 - 14 , including going for two after their last touchdown in the game ' s final moments . After the game , when reporters asked Ohio State coach Woody Hayes why he went for two , Hayes replied " because I couldn ' t go for three ! " Ohio State was favored by 17 points going into Michigan Stadium on November 22 . Due to the Big Ten ' s " no repeat " rule in effect at the time , the Buckeyes knew a victory would give them their second consecutive national championship because they could not go to a Bowl Game . Michigan was playing for a share of the conference championship . To motivate his team , Schembechler had the number 50 displayed everywhere in the Michigan locker room , and taped to every player ' s practice uniform . First half . Ohio State appeared to take control of the game right from the opening kickoff , when Rex Kern kept the ball and ran for 25 yards on the first play from scrimmage . Jim Otis would carry the next three plays for another first down . The Buckeyes got the ball to the Michigan 11 , when the Wolverine defense ended the drive on a fourth down - and - two to take over . Michigan failed to get a first down , and the Buckeyes would get the ball back and get on the scoreboard first , on a 1 - yard touchdown run by Otis . A missed extra - point left the score 6 - 0 in favor of the scarlet - and - gray . Glenn Doughty would return the kickoff to the Michigan 44 , and Don Moorhead would lead a drive downfield , primarily getting the ball to tight end and captain Jim Mandich . Once Michigan got the ball to the Ohio State 3 , Schembechler called a basic off - tackle play , and Garvie Craw would score to tie it up . The Frank Titus extra - point put Michigan ahead ( and Ohio State behind for the first time this season ) 7 - 6 . Ohio State shook the score off and began a drive that carried over into the second quarter . Kern would lead the Buckeyes downfield again , hitting Larry Zelina and Jan White , who would score and put Ohio State up 12 - 7 . The extra - point was kicked , but Michigan was called for offsides , and Hayes tried for a two - point conversion , which failed . Michigan started the next possession at their own 33 . Once they reached the Ohio State 33 , Michigan ran a tailback draw , and Billy Taylor gained 28 yards to the Buckeye 5 . Two plays later , Craw punched into the end zone to put Michigan ahead 14 - 12 . After Ohio State went three - and - out on their next possession , punter Mike Sensibaugh kicked to Michigan ' s Barry Pierson , who began his career game by returning the punt all the way to the Buckeye 3 - yard line , sending Michigan Stadium into delirium . Morehead scored two plays later on an option play , and it was 21 - 12 in favor of the maize - and - blue . The Buckeyes got the ball going again , but their next possession ended on the Wolverine 36 . Michigan drove down the field again and Schembechler went for it on a fourth - and - three on the Ohio State 3 . Morehead tossed to Mandich for a touchdown , but it was called back on an illegal procedure penalty . Ted Killian kicked the field goal to put Michigan up at the half 24 - 12 . Second half . The Wolverines got the ball to start the third quarter and began racking up more first downs , only to have the drive end on the Ohio State 30 . Killian missed a 47 - yard field goal and Ohio State took over , only to have a Kern pass picked off by Pierson . Michigan would go three - and - out and miss another field goal . In what would become a refrain throughout the second half , another Ohio State pass would be picked off , with a third - down pass intercepted again by Pierson , who would this time return it to the Buckeye 35 . Killian would miss another field goal try . As the fourth quarter got underway , Hayes realized that his offense needed to play more liberally and not punt the ball back to Michigan after each possession . Kern was tackled for a loss on the Buckeyes ' first drive of the quarter , on fourth down . Michigan got the ball back at the Ohio State 40 , and Michigan continued to churn out the yards , getting the ball to the Buckeye 10 . Craw went for it on fourth - and - one and failed , keeping Ohio State in the game . Ohio State ' s offense went three - and - out , then Michigan drove the ball again to the Buckeye red zone . Craw tried to get a first down again and was once again rebuffed . Hayes pulled Kern out of the game and went with his backup at quarterback , Ron Maciejowski . Maciejowski was able to get a first down , but then threw a pass intercepted again by Pierson , his third of the game . Yet another Wolverine possession was stopped , and Killian missed another field goal try . The Buckeyes tried one last - ditch effort to pull within Michigan with 3 : 12 left in the game , with Maciejowski finding Dick Kuhn . Hayes called a fake punt with Sensibaugh throwing to Zelina to get the first down at their own 38 . Kuhn then took another pass in Michigan territory , then Maciejowski threw to Ray Gillian at the Michigan 22 . The drive was squashed on the next play when Maciejowski threw an interception to Thom Darden . The Michigan Stadium crowd , sensing a major upset , began screaming and chanting . Michigan tried to run down the clock , but Ohio State stalled with timeouts and got the ball back after a Wolverine punt . With 29 seconds left , Maciejowski fumbled the ball , and it was recovered by Cecil Pryor . The Buckeyes had committed an unheard - of seven turnovers on the day , six interceptions and a fumble . Moorhead took a knee as the crowd counted down the final seconds , then rushed the field in ecstasy . ABC - TV play - by - play announcer Bill Flemming exclaimed , " There it is ! What has to be the upset of the century ! " Schembechler was carried off on players ' shoulders ( he was accidentally dropped , but Bo noted " it was the only thing [ they ] fumbled all day . " ) , and Jim Mandich was seen being carried , with tears of joy streaming down his cheeks .