Fansided

Ohio State vs Michigan: 5 best individual performances of all-time

By Carly Regehr

Nov 28, 2015; Ann Arbor, MI, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes head coach Urban Meyer and Michigan Wolverines head coach Jim Harbaugh prior to the game at Michigan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tim Fuller-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 28, 2015; Ann Arbor, MI, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes head coach Urban Meyer and Michigan Wolverines head coach Jim Harbaugh prior to the game at Michigan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tim Fuller-USA TODAY Sports /
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October 20, 2012; Ann Arbor, MI, USA; Michigan Wolverines players hold up their helmets after the game against the Michigan State Spartans at Michigan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports
October 20, 2012; Ann Arbor, MI, USA; Michigan Wolverines players hold up their helmets after the game against the Michigan State Spartans at Michigan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports /

No. 1: 290 total yards, 4 total TD; caught 3 INT; kicked 4 XP (1940)

Player: Michigan’s Tom Harmon

Final Score: 40 Michigan, Ohio State 0

Head Coaches: Fritz Crisler (Michigan), Francis Schmidt (Ohio State)

W-L Record in 1940: 7-1 (Michigan), 4-4 (Ohio State)

In his last game as a Michigan Wolverine, Tom Harmon’s monster day is single-handedly the best performance of the 119-year-old rivalry.

A man also known as “Greater than Grange” superceded the competition. Over the span of three seasons, Harmon registered 33 touchdowns, two more than Fighting Illini QB Red Grange. Harmon was also an athlete of allocating portions. He ended with over 300 rushing attempts to over 200 pass attempts by the time the clock ran out as a Wolverine.

Arguably one of the weirdest instances in Michigan football history, Harmon’s No. 98 jersey was un-retired. The reason? Devin Gardner felt like representing that number against Notre Dame. Harmon’s publicity didn’t end there. He also starred in two movies focused on the sports genre, Harmon of Michigan and The Spirit of West Point.

That said, football wasn’t a career to Tom Harmon. Once college wrapped up, Harmon expressed interest in radio announcing. He would follow that dream eventually after he took on something bigger than himself. In 1941, Harmon devoted his time to the Army, where he enlisted as a pilot during World War II. According to the New York Times, Harmon went MIA twice, but returned home safely in 1944, when he married Elyse Knox.

Next: Ranking The 25 Best Rivalries In College Football

Other Notable Performances in The Game: OSU QB Braxton Miller: 286 total yards, 5 total TD (2013), OSU RB Ezekiel Elliott: 214-2 (2015), Michigan WR Marquise Walker: 160-2 (2001), OSU QB Troy Smith: 316-4 (2006), Michigan QB Denard Robinson: 337 total yards, 5 TD (2011), OSU RB Beanie Wells: 222-2 (2007), Michigan DB Charles Woodson: Off. TD, Def. TD, Special Teams TD (1997)

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