I'm no stranger to rivalries, but even growing up outside of the upper Midwest, I knew the Michigan/Ohio State Rivalry was a big... BIG deal. No rivalry in the country (aside from Navy/Army) is as dedicated, and storied in the entirety of college athletics.

Until this past season, the Wolverines had been in a slump when it came to playing football in Columbus. But with Jim Harbaugh at the helm again, the stars aligned, and Michigan finally broke the curse. Now, they're memorializing that moment, in the what I'm sure Wolverines will call the best possible way.

The Game

Leading up to the 2021 season, Ohio State had won 14 of the past 15 meetings. Michigan got their first victory over Ohio State in 10 years, 45-27. But that one was in Ann Arbor.

The moment felt good to break THAT run from the Buckeyes in front of the home crowd. But the 2022 season loomed with a road trip to Columbus, and a 22-year slump in need of correcting.

Entering the game, the Buckeyes were ranked No. 2 in the country. The Wolverines were right behind them at No. 3. All accounts from the sports "experts" around the horn were picking Ohio State in a close one, but Michigan had Jim Harbaugh at the helm, who personally made it his mission to put the Wolverines back on top.

At halftime, it was still close, Ohio State held a slight lead for most of the game, leading 20-17 headed into the locker room. But whatever Jim Harbaugh said to the Maize and Blue stirred them up something fierce, and they came out banging.

Colston Loveland pulled in a 45-yard pass from J.J. McCarthy to make it 24-20. McCarthy would then run it in himself early in the 4th quarter to put Michigan up 31-20.

And after a quaint field goal from Ohio State, Donovan Edwards put the nail in the coffin... TWICE... with a pair of 75 and 85 yard runs to give Michigan their first win in Columbus in 22 years, 45-23. It was also their first back-to-back wins over Ohio State since the 1999 and 2000 seasons.

It was a big moment.

The Flag

In the moments following the end of the game, the Wolverines celebrated wildly, and defensive back Mike Sainristil understood the assignment.

He rushed to the sideline, grabbed a HUGE Maize and Blue Block "M" flag, walked out to the 50-yard line, and planted it squarely in the middle of Ohio State's iconic Block "O."

This was Michigan's second house again.

That flag became a symbol for Michigan's return to glory in Big Ten Football over a seasonably dominant Ohio State. And now, that symbol has a spot in the history books, AND in a museum.

The flag will soon be on display at Michigan Football's Towsley Museum, at the request of Harbaugh, with a display plaque that simply reads "The Game."

"Love it. I love seeing that. I think about that game every day. Think about every moment. When you walk into the building, you see it as soon as you walk in. Obviously, you see all the things about the rivalry, and what it is... but you thin about that every day. It's constantly on my mind. It's constantly on the players' minds. And we're always preparing for it." - Sherrone Moore, Offensive Coordinator