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Award-winning columnist Tom Archdeacon — an old-school storyteller in a brand-new venue — writes about sports, the city, southwest Ohio and anything else that catches his fancy… or yours.Home > Blogs > Through the Arch > Archives > 2009 > November > 21 > Entry
OSU-Michigan : The TOP 10 Performances Ever
ANN ARBOR — “Great players play great in the Michigan game.”
That — according to Ohio State linebacker Austin Spitler — was Earle Bruce preaching to the Buckeyes football team this past week as they prepped for today’s game with Michigan in Ann Arbor.
“Coach Bruce said. ‘If you don’t play great in the Michigan game, you ARE NOT a great player here at Ohio State,’” said the OSU senior captain from Bellbrook High. “It’s the last game of the year, the biggest game , the most fierce game — the greatest rivalry in college football — and everybody strives to make a big play that impacts the game.”
And over the years there have been some OSU and Michigan players who have impacted games in monumental ways.
Jim Naveau, who covers Ohio State quite well for the Lima News, came up with a list in his Friday paper of the 20 players he felt had had the most memorable performances in this storied rivalry. He listed his Top 10 from Ohio State, then his Top 10 from Michigan.
I agreed with most of his choices — though I’d put a couple of other people on the list and I’d change the order of importance of a few. But that’s the fun of lists — everybody makes them up differently .
Here are my top performers from both schools, ranked — as I see it — in the order of their impact on the game. Like I said, the list is debatable:
1 — TOM HARMON (Michigan) — Michigan’s first Heisman winner was so overwhelming dominant in the 1940 game, he got standing ovation from crowd — the Ohio Stadium crowd!!! He passed for 151 yards and two touchdowns, rushed for 139 yards and two more touchdowns , intercepted a pass and returned it for a score and averaged 50 yards on punts.
2 — TROY SMITH (Ohio State) — His 2006 performance against Michigan sealed the Heisman Trophy for him, but his previous two games were just as good…..In 2004, he threw for 241 yards and two touchdowns and rushed for 145 yards and TD in 37-21 win….The next year he passed for 300 yards and a score as OSU came back from 9 down in the final minutes to win 25-21… Finally, in 2006, he threw for 316 yards and four TDs in a 42-29 victory.
3 — LES HORVATH (Ohio State) — The Buckeyes first Heisman winner, he played the entire 60 minutes of the 1944 game, running for two touchdowns, including the game-winner as No . 3 OSU edged No. 6 Michigan, 18-14 …In 1942, he ran for one TD and threw for another as OSU won 21-3.
4 — TSHIMANGA BIAKABUTUKA (Michigan) — Carried the ball 37 times for 313 yards as Michigan upset Ohio State 31-23 in 1995.
5 — CHRIS WELLS (Ohio State) — Ran for 222 yards on 39 carries and scored on a 62-yard run in 2007 …He ran for 134 yards — scoring on a 59 yard run — in 2008
6 — DESMOND HOWARD (Michigan) — He struck the Heisman pose after stunning the Bucks with a 93-yard punt return for a touchdown in the Wolverines’ 31-3 victory in 1991. He also caught a 50-yard pass that game…In 1990, he had five catches for 73 yards and a score.
7 — ARCHIE GRIFFIN (Ohio State) — The two-time Heisman winner was part of three OSU wins and a tie. He scored a TD as a freshman, ran for 163 yards as a sophomore and ran for 111 yards as a junior.
8 — BOB FERGUSON (Ohio State) — He rushed for four touchdowns and 152 yards in the Buckeyes 50-20 victory in 1961… In 1960, he scored the only touchdown in OSU’s 7-0 victory.
9 — CHARLES WOODSON ( Michigan) — He sealed his Heisman Trophy in 1997 when he returned a punt 78 yards for a score, caught a 37-yard pass and intercepted a Buckeye pass in Michigan’s 20-14 win…In 1995, he had two interceptions in Michigan’s upset of OSU.
10 — CHRIS SPIELMAN (Ohio State) — He had an unbelievable 29 tackles in a 26-24 loss in 1986. The next year he had 16 tackles and a quarterback sack in OSU’s 23-20 win.
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Comments
By Joe
November 23, 2009 3:19 PM | Link to this
Compared to others on this list, Archie had typical numbers. And the comment about Archie having the ball meaning Michigan didn’t is ridiculous. It was OSU’s defense and offensive line that kept Michigan from having the ball. I love Archie, don’t get me wrong, but the numbers he put up were typical of Archie. What did he do out of the ordinary?
By dude
November 22, 2009 11:24 AM | Link to this
If Archie had the ball that meant Michigan didnt. Most of those yards were grind it out and to get that many yards and having the defense key on you like they were Archie? BIG impact on the game.
By Fred
November 21, 2009 3:59 PM | Link to this
Joe, Rushing for 163 yards and 111 yards has a big impact on a game! Archie was great!
By Joe
November 21, 2009 1:01 PM | Link to this
Desmond Howard does not belong on this list. He made one play in the games he played. And I hate to say it, but what did Archie Griffin do? Sure, he ran for a lot of yards but did he really impact a game?