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Bo Schembechler

Bo Schembechler

U-M coach, on the sidelines in 1971

The Ten Year War

Of all the coaching match-ups in the long Michigan-Ohio State rivalry, none has been more intense and at times bitter than that between Woody Hayes and Bo Schembechler.

For ten years the two dominated the “Big 2 and Little 8,” splitting ten conference titles between them and finishing second eight times.

Woody Hayes

Woody Hayes

Ohio State coach, on the sidelines in 1977

Hayes supposedly could not bring himself to speak the name of “that school up north” and Schembechler, who played for Hayes at Miami of Ohio and was an Ohio State assistant coach, savored nothing more than putting it to his old mentor.

After a decade of memorable on-field stratagems, sideline antics, and locker room psychological ploys, the two coaches came out almost dead-even, Schembechler holding a slim 5-4-1 advantage.

Touch and drag to navigate
Wayne Woodrow HayesGlenn E. Schembechler
BirthdateFeb. 14, 1913April 1, 1929
HometownNewcomerstown, OH (born in Clifton, OH)Barberton, OH
CollegeDenison University, 1935Miami of Ohio, 1951
Prior Coaching ExperienceDenison University, 1946-1948
Miami of Ohio, 1949-1950
Ohio State, 1952-53 (graduate assistant)
Presbyterian College, 1954 (assistant)
Bowling Green, 1955 (assistant)
Northwestern, 1958 (assistant)
Ohio State, 1959-1963 (assistant)
Miami of Ohio, 1964-1968
Career Record238-72-10234-65-8
Years at OSU/UM1951-1978
28 seasons
1969-1989
21 seasons
OSU/UM Record205-61-10194-48-5
Big Ten Record125-38-7143-24-3
UM vs OSU16-11-111-9-1
Woody vs Bo4-5-15-4-1
Big Ten Titles1313
National Championships50
Rose Bowl Record4-42-8-0
All Bowl Games5-65-12-0
All-Americans5639
Heisman Trophy Winners30
1st Round Picks2913
National Coach of the Year21

Woody on Bo

“If ‘Bo’ is not a winner, I never saw one and I should know. He beat me the last three games we played. We’ve fought and quarreled for years but we’re great friends.” [Quoted in The Lantern February 10, 1986.]

Bo on Woody

“There was plenty to criticize about Woody Hayes. His methods were tough, his temper was, at times, unforgivable. And, unless you knew him or played for him, it is hard to explain why you liked being around the guy. But you didn’t just like it, you loved it. He was simply fascinating.” [From Bo by Bo Schembechler and Mitch Albom.]

Ufer on Woody and Bo

Michigan radio announcer Bob Ufer recites his epic “Burying Wood Hayes

Woody vs Bo, 1969–1978

Touch and drag to navigate
RankingResultsBig 10 Finish
DateSiteUMOSUWUMOSUUMOSUAttendance
11/22/1969Ann Arbor121UM24121st (T)1st (T)103,588
11/21/1970Columbus45OSU9202nd (T)1st87,331
11/20/1971Ann Arbor3UM1071st3rd (T)104,016
11/25/1972Columbus39OSU11141st (T)1st (T)87,040
11/24/1973Ann Arbor41T10101st (T)1st (T)105,233
11/23/1974Columbus34OSU10121st (T)1st (T)88,234
11/22/1975Ann Arbor53OSU14212nd1st105,543
11/20/1976Columbus48UM2201st (T)1st (T)88,250
11/19/1977Ann Arbor54UM1461st (T)1st (T)105,312
11/25/1978Columbus616UM1431st (T)4th88,38