It could be. 14 degrees with WNW wind at 17 mph = -3 windchill. I know the coldest game ever at Kinnick was vs. Michigan 2013 @ 18 degrees at kickoff.
Oh, and it was the coldest game in the history of college football.
Columbus, Ohio is no stranger to cold weather and a ton of snow. But the single-day November record for snowfall was set on November 25th, 1950, the morning before Michigan rolled into town to take on Ohio State. A full seven and a half inches came out of nowhere to dust all of Columbus, and the game started with a total whiteout. The field was frozen underneath a tarp and the conditions were so bad that players felt that they couldn’t spring or change direction. The teams decided that the best strategy was to kick the ball to the opponent and hope for a mistake. It might be the only game in history in which the first play from scrimmage was a punt by Michigan. Both teams tried to punt the ball back and forth and then would take shots at the endzone with field goals.
The temperature that day, the “Snow Bowl,” was around 13 degrees. And the 30-35 mile per hour wind took the game down to a wind chill of around -4 degrees. The game kept snowing and dumping snow onto the players. Players reported seeing fans walking into the stadium, constantly slipping and falling. Michigan ended up winning the game with only 27 yards of offense. The Michigan team, shockingly, had not a single first down and had no pass completions. The losing Ohio State team had more yards and 3 more completions than the Michigan team.
THE COLDEST COLLEGE FOOTBALL GAME: THE SNOW BOWL
The 1950 Michigan and Ohio State game is important for a couple of reasons. It featured what were then two really good football teams, and are now two of the winningest and rowdiest football programs in the history of college football.Oh, and it was the coldest game in the history of college football.
Columbus, Ohio is no stranger to cold weather and a ton of snow. But the single-day November record for snowfall was set on November 25th, 1950, the morning before Michigan rolled into town to take on Ohio State. A full seven and a half inches came out of nowhere to dust all of Columbus, and the game started with a total whiteout. The field was frozen underneath a tarp and the conditions were so bad that players felt that they couldn’t spring or change direction. The teams decided that the best strategy was to kick the ball to the opponent and hope for a mistake. It might be the only game in history in which the first play from scrimmage was a punt by Michigan. Both teams tried to punt the ball back and forth and then would take shots at the endzone with field goals.
The temperature that day, the “Snow Bowl,” was around 13 degrees. And the 30-35 mile per hour wind took the game down to a wind chill of around -4 degrees. The game kept snowing and dumping snow onto the players. Players reported seeing fans walking into the stadium, constantly slipping and falling. Michigan ended up winning the game with only 27 yards of offense. The Michigan team, shockingly, had not a single first down and had no pass completions. The losing Ohio State team had more yards and 3 more completions than the Michigan team.