Still a rivalry? YUP!
OSU owns Michigan now. Even more so than Michigan owned OSU in the 90’s. The series ebbs and flows, depending on coaching changes, recruiting luck, etc. All I know is Saturday at the Big House, no one will care that Michigan can’t play defense and Ohio State may run the Power I off tackle play 54 times. It remains THE rivalry in college football, but not so much for the on-field competition.
Think of it this way. I’ll throw out a year—you tell me what happened. 1991? Desmond’s pose. 1981? Schlichter follows huge blocks and scores the GW td in Ann Arbor. 1987? Spielman’s sweet stache and headband for Earle, who gets carried off the field. 2004? Troy goes wild. 1997? Woodson shoves, swings and later holds a rose. 1950? Snow bowl….
And on and on and on.
What’s unique about this game is how vividly fans remember even the mundane facts about each meeting. Doesn’t matter if the score is 50-14 every year, people care. Bragging rights really matter here. In no other series has a coach wanted to go for “3” as Woody did. Look, the only football series that comes close right now is Army-Navy, and Navy’s won 9 of its past 10 over the Knights. Auburn-Alabama? Not so much…
See… Michigan will challenge the Bucks again, although right now it doesn’t seem likely. This will always be the game where a states dispute over territory turned into a gridiron rivalry unparalleled. I love hearing Earle get so fired up talking about the game that he’s bright red in the face. Who else wears little gold pants, besides Beyonce? This remains THE game.
My personal favorite OSU-Michigan story? 2004, my first Michigan game in person at Ohio Stadium. I was standing on the field pregame as the Michigan band took the field, I stood about 10 feet from the trombones who began to blast “Hail to the Victors”... except I couldn’t hear them! The fans were booing so loudly I couldn’t hear the band in the slightest, and the fans kept it up till the band left the field. The band members were furious, and I was baptized into Michigan hate.
One problem with this year… why no Brent Musburger on the play by play??? No “You are looking live at the Big House!“ this year!! The crew assigned is just fine I suppose, but give me a fired-up Musburger and Michigan misery and it’s another good year.
