Michigan fans have enjoyed three big wins over Ohio State to turn the rivalry

The last three years have been nothing short of spectacular for the Michigan Wolverines – a 40-3 record, three Big Ten championships and a national championship are enough to justify it. As storied as this program is, the 2021-23 season is one of its best, especially after the struggles of 2020 and the seemingly failed return of Jim Harbaugh to Ann Arbor.

Instead, Michigan returned to the top of college football with many fantastic memories. The Rose Bowl victory over Alabama in the College Football Playoff semifinals will never be forgotten, and the decisive win over Washington will live on in highlight videos until the end of time. But when fans look back on this stretch decades from now, three games will always be at the top of the list.

Which of Michigan’s recent wins over Ohio State was the most satisfying?

Shamelessly stolen from a Reddit post: There’s never a bad time to commemorate the three legendary victories over Ohio State that culminated in a national title. The 2021 game was one of the best in Michigan Stadium history, ending the losing streak in dominant fashion as the Wolverines imposed their will on their rivals. What felt like a program-changing event was, in fact, just the beginning.

The next season was a complete shock, as Michigan surprised Ohio State in Columbus. No one expected Michigan to win in 2022, let alone in this manner. The trilogy ended with a simply classic football game that was hard-fought the whole time between two excellent teams. It felt like a loss in 2023 could negate the previous two wins, which added to the pressure; add to that the fact that it was likely the last game with massive CFP implications at stake due to the expanded playoffs as well as changes to the Big Ten Championship Game, and it felt like the Wolverines ended this chapter of the rivalry on top.

For me, though, 2021 has to be the most satisfying. It may be a cliche, but 2022 and 2023 may not be possible without overcoming that first hurdle, and this game clearly changed the trajectory of this program. I’ll never forget the grey November skies with the snow drifting down, “Pump It Up” playing over and over as the nervous excitement continued to build in the Big House. 2022 was the confirmation and 2023 the final assault, but it feels like 2021 was just something completely different.

What do you think? Which game do you remember most fondly? Let us know in the comments below!