The date was Nov. 26, 2011.
It was the first season for Brady Hoke as head coach at Michigan. The Wolverines had lost seven straight to rival Ohio State, including a 30-point loss the year before.
But this season was different.
Michigan (9-2) was ranked 16th in the nation. Ohio State was reeling after the resignation of Jim Tressel. They had an interim coach leading the program (whatever happened to Luke Fickell, anyway?) and entered the game on a two-game skid.
A different season, indeed.
In the first matchup between a pair of first-year coaches in the rivalry in 82 years, Denard Robinson was responsible for five touchdowns in the Wolverines' 40-34 win.
That was 3,000 days ago on Wednesday. Really, we counted (with help from Google).
The Wolverines went on to the Sugar Bowl, defeating Virginia Tech in New Orleans and finishing in the top 10 in the nation.
Since then ... yikes.
Michigan has lost eight straight to the Buckeyes, and the last two by an average of 26 points.
And while the Wolverines, under Hoke and then Jim Harbaugh, have been unable to reach the Big Ten championship game, Ohio State, under Urban Meyer and now Ryan Day, has dominated the conference, won a national championship and become a perennial contender.
And based off of recruiting rankings, it's hard to see much of this changing.
The eight-game winning streak Ohio State is enjoying is the longest in this storied rivalry since Michigan won nine straight from 1901-09.
One would think the law of averages would say the Wolverines get one sooner or later, right?
Right?
Three thousand days is a long time to not beat your rival.
