Remembering The 'Ten Year War' - 1976 Edition

Every game in the Ten Year War set the table for future games, but there are a couple games that truly impacted the Ten Year War and the legacy that followed.  The 1969 and 1973 games were undoubtedly these types of games and the 1976 was as well.  If Woody Hayes had retired after the 1975 season, his legacy would have been unquestioned.  He would have just ended an undefeated season and would have left with a 4-2-1 record against Bo Schembechler.  Of course, he did no such thing and the tide would once against shift in the 1976 edition of "The Game" back towards Michigan.


Background:
Michigan's 1976 team was something to behold.  Not only did they storm through their first 8 games with a score of 352-58, but they also were ranked #1 through 8 games.  The 1976 defense was impeccable, holding 8 opponents to one score or less and really only allowing three teams to score anything significant.  Even in Michigan's only regular season loss on the road against Purdue, the Boilermakers only scored 16 points.  This loss was pretty important, as it truly removed Michigan from the national championship discussion.  Granted, the Wolverines lost the Rose Bowl to USC, but they probably would have entered that game ranked #1 instead of #2.


What also adds to this performance wass the fact that the 1976 version of "The Game" was the 7th straight time that Michigan entered the game against Ohio State ranked in the top 5.  That much consistency is simply astounding.  Compare it to some of the more modern dynasties.  Bob Stoops and Oklahoma were ranked #6 or higher for 5 straight years, Alabama has been ranked #10 or higher for 4 straight years, Florida was #13 or higher for 5 straight years, Jim Tressel had OSU ranked #9 or higher for 6 straight years.  In fact, the only recent dynasty that can really match Michigan's performance from 1970-1976 was USC.  Pete Carroll had the Trojans ranked #4 or higher for 7 straight years.  However, we all know about the sanctions that removed some of those records so in reality, not even USC could match Michigan's performance during the 1970-1976 period.

Remembering The 'Ten Year War' - 1975 Edition

By 1975, not only were both teams battling hard in their regular season finale in "The Game", but they were also competing heavily on a national level year after year. The Wolverines had visited the Rose Bowl twice, and the Buckeyes had won the 1973 Rose Bowl against USC.



Background:
Michigan jumped into the 1975 season with a big, 23-6 victory against the Wisconsin Badgers, but they were unable to carry over the early momentum to the next two weeks, tying with both Stanford and Baylor. Although the Wolverines hadn't lost a game yet, having only one win through the first three weeks was already setting them back enough. It was vitally important to pick it up and not look back, which is exactly what they did.

The Wolverines pounced out through the rest of the season. Under Bo, Michigan was winning with relative ease, including an astonishing 69-0 victory over Northwestern. The next week was followed up with a 55-7 blow-out win over Indiana. That's 126 points in two weeks of football for the Wolverines, and things didn't cool down after that. Michigan marched on to win their final three games of the season, heading into "The Game" with a record of 8-0-2.

Remembering The 'Ten Year War' - 1974 Edition

By 1974, the Ten Year War was in full swing.  Since Bo's victory in 1969, the rivalry had taken a new life with both teams splitting sharing victories over one another.  Despite what some considered a "win" for Michigan in 1973, the Buckeyes had went to the Rose Bowl and gotten all the glory for the previous season.  The controversy that surrounded the two teams hung heavy over both programs throughout the 1974 season and especially in the weeks and days preceding "The Game".


Background:
Michigan may not have went to a bowl game in 1973 despite having an undefeated record, but the Wolverines came out swinging in 1974.  They dominated the first opponents on their schedule, allowing 1 touchdown in their first 3 games and winning by a combined score of 107-7 against some decent opponents, including Iowa and Colorado.  Michigan's defense weakened a bit over the following weeks, but the Wolverines were not seriously threatened until they faced Wisconsin in Camp Randall.

Remembering The 'Ten Year War' - 1973 Edition

The first four games of the Ten Year War had been very exciting, but none would be more controversial than the 1973 contest between the Wolverines and Buckeyes.  Yes, the 1971 game had been controversial because of the game-sealing interception, but it would be nothing like the weeks and offseason following the finale to the 1973 season.  The game would prove to be so important that it would permanently change Big Ten policies and change the face of the rivalry.


Background:
After a disappointing finish to the 1972 season, Michigan had rebounded well, beginning the season ranked #5 in the nation and holding their first seven opponents to 10 points or less.  During this stretch, Michigan would also be great on the offensive side of the ball, only scoring fewer than 20 points once.  By time the 1973 Ohio State game rolled around, Michigan had won 31 of its last 32 regular season games, something that would be impressive during any coaching tenure.

Remembering The 'Ten Year War' - 1972 Edition

The 1971 game may not have had as much hype as the 1969 and 1970 games in the Ten Year War, but the 1972 game brought the rivalry back to the forefront of the nation.  Tensions were stirred pretty high and although there was some pressure rising on Woody Hayes after a 6-4 season and a 1-2 record against Bo leading into 1972, both coaches had their programs in top shape and vying for the Big Ten title, a Rose Bowl berth, and a shot at the national title in Pasadena during this time.




Background:
This was a monumental year for college football in several ways.  First, the "no repeat" Rose Bowl rule was abolished, meaning that a team could go to the Rose Bowl in consecutive seasons from the Big Ten, which would be applicable to Michigan in the 1972 season since they made the Rose Bowl in 1971.  Along with this, the NCAA allowed freshmen to play on the varsity team.  This would be quite significant because it allowed Ohio State's famed running back Archie Griffin to be able to play during the 1972 season.