Ohio State vs Michigan: Football Rivalry & Game Updates 2023

Michigan defeated Ohio State 71-67 on March 13, 2026, securing a spot in the Big Ten Tournament semifinals, according to a report from YouTube channel Michigan Insider.

The victory advances Michigan to face the winner of the Ohio State/Michigan State matchup next Saturday in the Big Ten Tournament Championship, as reported on Instagram by user um.go.blue.

The outcome follows a history of playful rivalry between the two states, stemming from a decades-old prank orchestrated by Peter Fletcher, a Michigan alumnus and former chairman of the State Highway Commission. In the late 1970s, Fletcher ordered the inclusion of the fictitious towns of “Goblu” and “Beatosu” onto the official state of Michigan map.

“Goblu” was placed near Bono, Ohio, off State Route 2, while “Beatosu” appeared near Archbold, Ohio, just south of Interstate 80/90. The names were a pointed reference to the University of Michigan’s “Go Blue!” rallying cry and a jab at their rivals, Ohio State University, with “Beat OSU.” The fictional town names were intentionally rendered in lowercase, distinguishing them from the capitalized names of actual Ohio cities.

Fletcher, in a 2008 interview, explained the prank was a response to teasing from a fellow Michigan alumnus regarding the Mackinac Bridge’s colors – green and white, the colors of Michigan State University. While constrained by federal highway regulations regarding the bridge’s color scheme, Fletcher found he had greater latitude with the state highway map.

The maps featuring the fictional towns had a limited print run and have since become collector’s items, according to an obituary published by AnnArbor.com following Fletcher’s death in 2012.