For most college football programs, the ultimate goal of each season is to win a national championship. That’s the pinnacle, the reward for months of hard work, countless hours of preparation, and overcoming the best teams in the country. But for Ohio State, as strange as it may seem to outsiders, there is one game that can hold even more emotional weight than the national title: beating Michigan. The Ohio State–Michigan rivalry is more than just a football game—it’s a cultural cornerstone, a historical clash, and a fierce annual test of pride and identity. For fans, players, and coaches alike, one win over Michigan can validate an entire season, even if a national title remains out of reach.
To understand why this is the case, you have to grasp the depth of the rivalry between these two programs. Known as “The Game,” the Ohio State–Michigan showdown is arguably the most intense and tradition-rich rivalry in college football, if not all of American sports. It goes back more than a century and has roots in more than just football—it’s a battle shaped by geography, history, and deep-seated pride. Ohio and Michigan have long had a competitive relationship, even predating football, and the annual clash between the Buckeyes and Wolverines has come to symbolize the ongoing cultural and athletic tug-of-war between these two bordering states.
Each year, no matter how the season is going for either team, the outcome of this single game often overshadows everything else. An undefeated season capped with a loss to Michigan feels hollow for Ohio State fans. Conversely, a disappointing season with a win over Michigan can feel salvaged, redeemed. It’s not hyperbole to say that for Ohio State, beating Michigan isn’t just one win—it’s *the* win. It’s the game everyone circles on the calendar, the game alumni fly in for, the game that defines legacies.
Players understand this reality as soon as they commit to the program. From day one, they’re taught that the Michigan game is different. During practices leading up to the matchup, the stakes are amped up, emotions run higher, and the intensity rises. Coaches and staff hammer home the importance of this game with slogans, traditions, and stories from past battles. Former players often return to speak to the team, sharing their own experiences and emphasizing how much one victory in The Game can mean. That emotional charge, passed down through generations, ensures the rivalry remains front and center in the minds of everyone involved.
For Ohio State fans, losing to Michigan is not just a disappointment—it’s an emotional gut punch that lingers long after the final whistle. It’s not uncommon to hear Buckeye fans say they’d trade postseason success for a win over Michigan. This isn’t an exaggeration or some temporary emotional reaction; it’s a reflection of the rivalry’s deeply ingrained emotional significance. Beating Michigan offers bragging rights, relief, and a sense of superiority that lasts an entire year. Losing to them, on the other hand, can tarnish even an otherwise successful season. In recent years, Ohio State has built a powerhouse program that regularly competes for Big Ten titles and College Football Playoff appearances. But even in the modern era, when postseason stakes are higher than ever, the Michigan game retains its unique power.
One need look no further than the last few seasons to understand this point. Ohio State suffered back-to-back losses to Michigan in 2021 and 2022 after a decade of dominance, and those defeats triggered an existential crisis for the program. Despite still making the playoff in 2022 and nearly defeating eventual national champion Georgia in a classic semifinal game, many fans and commentators described the season as disappointing. Why? Because they lost to Michigan. That game carries a weight that can overshadow everything else, including a national title run. The pressure and consequences of losing The Game are immense, often leading to calls for staff changes, scrutiny over coaching decisions, and soul-searching throughout the program.
When Ohio State wins, though, the joy is unmatched. There’s a release of tension, a validation of effort, and a collective exhale from the entire Buckeye community. That win can feel more personal, more emotionally fulfilling than a national championship, which may come against a distant opponent with far less cultural resonance. A national title, while the highest accolade, doesn’t have the same generational storytelling power as a victory over Michigan. People remember where they were when Ohio State beat Michigan. Families and friends gather every year to watch together. Memories of classic wins are passed down like folklore. It’s not just about the game—it’s about what it represents.
Moreover, because of the timing of the matchup—always the final regular season game—it serves as a climactic test, a kind of emotional and psychological finale to the year. Beating Michigan is the gateway to everything else. It often determines the Big Ten East champion, who goes on to the conference title game, and by extension, the College Football Playoff. In that way, it’s not just symbolic, it’s also practical. Without that win, everything else becomes exponentially harder. For Ohio State, the road to a national championship almost always runs through Michigan.
There’s also the matter of tradition. In a sport increasingly driven by money, realignment, and corporate interests, The Game stands out as a bastion of what college football used to be. It’s about rivalries, pageantry, student sections, and state pride. Beating Michigan is a way for Ohio State fans to connect with the past—to feel a part of something bigger than themselves. When the Buckeyes win, it ties them to the teams of Woody Hayes, Archie Griffin, Eddie George, and Jim Tressel. It’s a continuation of legacy, a link in a chain stretching back more than a century.
And then there’s the emotional element. Sports are ultimately about feelings—hope, pride, heartbreak, redemption. For Ohio State, beating Michigan provides the most cathartic, euphoric feelings the sport has to offer. It’s not a trophy, but it means everything. It’s about silencing your rival, defending your pride, and holding your head high in a state that lives and breathes Buckeye football. Some fans will tell you that a national title is a goal for the nation, but beating Michigan is for *us*. It’s personal, intimate, and defining.
That’s not to say that Ohio State doesn’t care about national championships. They do, deeply. The 2002 national title under Jim Tressel and the 2014 crown under Urban Meyer are treasured moments in program history. But if given the choice between going undefeated and losing to Michigan or losing one game and beating them, many fans would pick the latter. It’s not logical—it’s emotional. And that’s what makes college football, and this rivalry in particular, so compelling.
When you consider everything—history, identity, tradition, emotion, and stakes—it becomes easier to understand why one win over Michigan could mean more to Ohio State than even a national championship. The Game is more than a game. It’s the heart of the season, the definition of success, and the soul of Buckeye football. For fans, players, and coaches alike, beating Michigan is a moment that lives forever, a feeling that surpasses even the highest accolades. It’s not just about beating a rival—it’s about fulfilling the very essence of what it means to wear scarlet and gray.
So as each season unfolds and the Buckeyes battle through opponents from across the country, there remains one date that matters most: the last Saturday in November. On that day, more than championships, more than trophies, more than rankings, what truly matters is simple—beat Michigan. Because in Columbus, that win doesn’t just define the season—it defines everything.
