 Despite the fact that Michigan came into the game ranked twelfth and had outscored its four most recent opponents 178–22, the Buckeyes were 17-point favorites.Because of a "no-repeat" policy in the Big Ten regarding the Rose Bowl and guaranteed no worse than a co-championship of the conference, the number one-ranked Buckeyes were playing for a perfect record only.Michigan was directed by first-year coach Bo Schembechler, a former Hayes protégé.