No Bulletin Board, No Problem | U-M 13, OSU 9 (11/23/1996)
Having learned that calling your arch-rival “nobody” to the press tends to backfire upon you, John Cooper instituted a very care “No Bulletin Board Material” policy for Michigan week in 1996. He had to feel good, after all his Buckeyes were undefeated and has sewn up a trip to Pasadena and Michigan was coming south as a 17 point underdog.
Ohio State was compelled to settle for three first half field goals and was only up 9-0 at the break. Michigan was forced to put backup quarterback Brian Griese into the game after starter Scott Dreisbach hurt his elbow during the first half. Griese lit a fire* under Michigan, finding Tai Streets on a slant route for a 68-yard touchdown pass in the first minutes of the third quarter to cut the Buckeye lead to two.
The Buckeyes collapsed under the weight of expectations and a prototype of what would become Michigan’s trademark defense the next season**, gaining just 80 yards and unable to score. Remy Hamilton added a pair of field goals and Chris Howard carried the rock for over 100 yards and Michigan escaped “the Snake Pit” with a a 13-9 win, crushing Ohio State’s national championship dreams once again and moving Coach Lloyd Carr to 2-0 against the Buckeyes.
(*–Yes, I regret that pun.)
(**–This was Greg Mattison’s last season as Lloyd’s DC, leaving for Notre Dame, until he would return in 2011 with Brady Hoke.)
