Saturday night in Columbus will be an iconic matchup between two of the great brands in college football and it will mark the 10th matchup between the two schools.
The rivalry between the Ohio State Buckeyes and the UCLA Bruins turns 10-year-old on Saturday night in Columbus, OH. The two teams come into this game with an even 4-4-1 record over the course of time, and will look to officially break the rubber match.
One of the only positives from conference realignment is the increased number of West Coast teams that typically do not get exposed to playing against Big Ten schools in November. This added benefit gets us into the "Wayback Machine" to see what the history was between the two schools.
Buckle up, we are jumping into the time machine to look at the beginning of this rivalry.
This matchup began in 1961 and 1962, with the first two games being barnburners to say the least.
The first contest between these two historical programs took place in Columbus, where the Buckeyes won by a final score of 13-3. UCLA responded in kind by handing the Buckeyes the following year with a convincing 9-7 loss.
Ohio State Buckeyes running back Archie Griffin (45) carries the ball against the UCLA Bruins in the 1976 Rose Bowl. UCLA defeated Ohio State 23-10.Yes, that is not a typo.
It wasn't until 13 years later that the two teams would square off against at each other, and in 1975, they got a double dose.
In the first matchup, the Buckeyes would come out victorious, 41-20. However, this would be followed by a Rose Bowl matchup between the two teams. And unfortunately for Ohio State, they fell in that Rose Bowl 23-10.
The last "Buckeyes' Cycle" for UCLA took place in 1999 to 2001, as the Buckeyes and the Bruins faced each other twice over that span, resulting in another they again split of the series. One of the games was a scheduled game, with the other taking place during the 2001 Rose Bowl, which UCLA won 13-6.
- 1961 - Columbus, OH: 13-3 W
- 1962 - LA Memorial Coliseum: 9-7 L
- 1975 - LA Memorial Coliseum: 41-20 W
- 1975 - Pasadena, CA (Rose Bowl): 23-10 L
- 1976 - Columbus, OH: 10-10 T
- 1979 - LA Memorial Coliseum: 17-13 W
- 1980 - Columbus, OH: 17-0 L
- 1999 - Columbus, OH: 42-20 W
- 2001 - Pasadena, CA (Rose Bowl): 13-6 L
Saturday Night inside the Horseshoe will be an awesome combination of two of the great brands in college sports.
The only thing that would make the game better was if they both wore their home uniforms. The Bruin Blue contrasted with the Ohio State Scarlet home jerseys would truly be a sight to behold. It is unlikely, but it would only improve things.
This matchup tonight inside Ohio Stadium is an incredibly lopsided affair. Ohio State is favored by -32.5 points heading into the matchup, which seems very light for what Saturday could eventually turn into for the Buckeyes.
The worst position group of the UCLA defense is their secondary. The unit has failed to stop any offense this season, and after a short-lived, mid season win-streak, the Bruins’ defense has been getting rolled by opponents. UCLA is fighitng an uphill battle on Saturday as the Buckeyes try to take control of the all-time.
Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.
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