1973 #1 Ohio State #4 Michigan

I had never seen this game before, just old films of Dennis Franklin's game tying TD late in the game.

While discussing famous Top 5 meetings between undefeated teams, this game came to mind, and so I googled it, and found the game, divided up into the first half, and then the second half, on You Tube.

Here's the 1st half...10-0 Buckeyes.

Now on to the 2nd Half...all Wolverines, 10-0...Go Blue!

This infamous game, played in Ann Arbor before 105, 233 at Michigan Stadium, was, at the time, of course, a new NCAA record.

The 10-10 tie was supposed to send the Wolverines to the Rose Bowl, because the Big Ten had a no-repeat rule that didn't allow any Big Ten team to play in the Rose Bowl in consecutive years.

Ohio State had gone to Pasadena the year before, and every Michigan coach, player, administrator, and fan, knew the Wolverines were headed to the Rose Bowl.

In a vote taken after the game by the Big Ten Athletic Directors, the Buckeyes, by a vote of 6-4, were sent by the conference to the Rose Bowl.

The A.D.'s of the Big ten were afraid that Michigan starting QB, Dennis Franklin, wouldn't recover from from the broken collar bone he suffered in the game.

The controversy was devastating to Michigan head football coach Bo Schembechler, who never forgot what the conference did to his Seniors, who finished their 4 year careers 30-2-1...and never were allowed to play in a bowl game.

Because of the infamous vote the Big Ten changed the rule, eliminating the Athletic Directors from voting in case of a tie, and the conference also allowed other Big Ten teams to go to bowl games.

Ohio State won the Rose Bowl, 42-21, over USC.

In 1975, Michigan became the 1st Big Ten team not to win the conference championship play in a bowl game, the 1976 Orange Bowl against Oklahoma.

Enjoy the game...and Go Blue!