Reliving the 4 times Michigan State football upset top-ranked Ohio State

1. Bizarre Bowl, 1974

In a game that happened so long ago that my parents hadn’t even attended school in East Lansing yet, the impact of this match hasn’t faded at all. The Buckeyes were heavily favored in this 1974 matchup and hadn’t lost a Big Ten game since their last time facing the Spartans in East Lansing.

Michigan State found itself up 16-13 on the Buckeyes late in the fourth quarter. Ohio State was on Michigan State’s 1-yard-line and after a failed attempt at reaching the end zone, snapped the ball into wide receiver Brian Baschnagel’s hands. He found his way into the end zone, but two referees indicated that time had already expired, while one showed the touchdown signal.

Spartan fans stormed the field and the officials seemingly disappeared into the mess. Coaches searched for the officials, while Ohio State’s staff was left in a flood of their own anger and Michigan State fans.

Big Ten commissioner would find his way to Wayne Duke to alert Woody Hayes, Ohio State head coach, that their team had lost a game that has since been dubbed as the “Bizarre Bowl“.