A new chapter will be written in the historic rivalry between Ohio and Miami Saturday at Yager Stadium in Oxford, Ohio. It will be the 100th meeting on the football field between the two schools, marking a huge milestone in a storied matchup.
Not only will this be a big matchup for the rivalry of the two schools, but it will also have huge implications for the Mid-American Conference. The MAC preseason favorites in Miami are just 2-4 through six games this season while Ohio is 4-2 to start the year. A win over Miami will be huge for the Bobcat’s conference title hopes.
The first game played between Miami and Ohio was in 1908 in a game that ended in a 5-0 victory for the Redhawks at home. That win kickstarted a five-game win streak for Miami to start the rivalry, as Ohio wouldn’t get its first win against Miami until the sixth meeting between the schools.
Ohio is looking for some revenge after last year’s contest ended with a Miami victory on Frank Solich Field, the first loss on the field since it was named after the legendary Ohio head coach.
Speaking of Solich, his record against the Redhawks speaks for itself, as he is 11-4 all-time against Miami, giving him a winning percentage of .733, the best winning percentage against Miami in Ohio football history.
While Solich’s winning percentage is unmatched in the record books, his 11 total wins are matched by Don Peden, a fellow legendary coach and the namesake of Peden Stadium. Another record that is held by Peden is his five wins over Miami in Oxford, the most of any Ohio head coach.
The third coach with a glowing record over Miami is Bill Hess, head coach of the 1960 National Small College Champions team at Ohio after a 10-0 campaign in 1960 that included a 21-0 win over Miami in Athens.
Hess’ overall record against Miami is just 9-10, but that win in 1960 was not only a rivalry win in a national championship year, but also it snapped an 18-year losing streak against Miami for Ohio.
Greg Windham, Ohio redshirt junior quarterback, runs the ball during the Ohio vs Miami homecoming game. Ohio beat Miami 34-3.
In recent memory, the Bobcats have often held the upper hand over the Redhawks. Dating back 20 years to 2004, Ohio has a record of 13-6 against Miami, including a six-game win streak from 2006-2011 and a five-game win streak from 2013-2017.
If we narrow that time down to 18 years ago, in 2006, Ohio has won 13 out of the last 17 meetings against Miami, a very successful stretch that the Bobcats will look to continue this year in Oxford.
Ohio has had the upper hand in recent years not just at both sites but in Oxford as well, winning six out of the last eight games played in Western Ohio.
Current Ohio coach Tim Albin took over after the retirement of Solich in 2021. He is currently 2-1 against Miami, with his first loss coming last year. Albin will look to improve his record and the all-time record for Ohio, as the Bobcats currently have an all-time record of 42-55-2 against their rivals.
Wide receiver Dante Foster cuts left against the Miami defense. The ’Cats fell to the RedHawks 23-20 on October 27, 2012.
