[Drunkard's note: Video ripped from Waiting For Next Year.]
Yes, in the college football world, it's rivalry week. For Ohio State University, that means a visit from "the team up north."
This Saturday's Ohio State-Michigan game is the 105th meeting of these two football teams in what some call the greatest rivalry in sports. Michigan holds a 57-41-6 lead over OSU, but has lost four straight and seven of the last 10 games between the two.
Two years ago, in the game shown above, OSU was ranked No. 1 and Michigan No. 2. In 2007, the Buckeyes beat Michigan to regain its No. 1 national ranking. Both games decided the Big Ten conference champion. (That would be Ohio State for those scoring at home.) However, this year, the game doesn't have the same cachet.
Michigan, under new head coach Rich Rodriguez, is on its way to its first losing season since 1967 and will not play in a bowl game for the first time since 1974. OSU, with two losses, has been eliminated from a third consecutive appearance in the national championship game.
Both teams have suffered a bit of a falling off this year, especially Michigan. However, it is said that if these teams win only one game all year, it better be this game. Perhaps that was Michigan's strategy all along.
Sarah expected a sharply worded screed against Michigan. But there is no need. This game is in Ohio Stadium, the deafening horseshoe. Michigan players won't be able to hear anything above the crowd noise except for the void where their wins used to be.
OSU is still vying for its fourth straight share of the Big Ten championship. Junior tailback Chris Wells, who ran for 222 yards and two touchdowns in last year's meeting, will be looking to pad his stats for the NFL draft. Buckeye freshman quarterback Terrelle Pryor will be trying to establish himself as the next big thing, playing against a coach who highly coveted the recruit as a high-schooler. (Though, like his predecessor Lloyd Carr often did, Rodriguez lost to coach Jim Tressel and Pryor chose Ohio State.)
And don't forget the band. For you lovely band geeks out there, I now give you The Best Damn Band in the Land:
O-H!
Wolverine Rebuttal
I know what the Michigan fans will say. That OSU lost two consecutive national title games in 2006 and 2007. That OSU can't win the big game. That OSU is overrated.
What's better, to be overrated or not rated at all?
Q: Why can't Michigan show up for the game Saturday?
A: They couldn't get past Toledo.
I-O!
What I want to know is why did Sarah, a former Ohioan, become a turncoat?
O-H (I-O), Yeah! This IS a Running Blog
One-K Tracker: 140 miles to go
Fall Tracker: 29 miles since last tumble
And a Drinking Blog
FYI, I currently have a dwindling case of Yuengling Porter in my possession. Ah, nostalgia! And delicious!
10 comments:
MMMM... Yuengling :-)
You should so do that Shamrock marathon in VA in March. Free Yuengling -- running and beveraging :-)!
You...you...sigh. I knew what game that was about 15 seconds into it. Oh, I remember it all too well. I couldn't watch it past a minute. *sob* Are you happy now? I HAVE RED BLOOD AFTER ALL. Oh well, I asked for it, didn't I?
I was at the 100th meeting of the Big Game in 2003 when Michigan beat OSU, which incidentally was the last time that happened. Just being in the Big House for that historic event has lessened the sting of subsequent years.
Why did I turn my back on Ohio? Really short answer: I moved here to attend graduate school at the University of Michigan. You want the long answer, well, you will have to pry it out of me over a beer (or two), say, next week when I'm in Cleveland for the holiday. Just email me already, goddammit.
If nothing else we can get drunk and trash talk football.
I admit, to say I "skimmed" over this post would be a gross exaggeration.
But it got me to the previous one, which I'd missed, and made me all nostalgic about my ice hockey days. You see, I started playing when I was in elementary school, too. Maybe that's why I had faith that you wouldn't slip on the ice. What do I win? Xenia sent me a prize when I was right on her blog!
Oh yeah: so there.
;)
Sorry, I saw the words "college football" and just sorta glazed over until I got to Yuengling. Mmmm, Yuengling. It comes in cans now.
...why you hating on Fresno State?
heh.
Okay, I'll admit it, the Ohio movement thingy was kinda cool, and that kicking thing the band leader did.
I love the music with the first one.
i'm using some of my yuengling in my meat mania chili on sunday. mmmmm.
I had heard that the dreary midwestern Falls and (especially) Winters led people otherwise capable of engaging in elementary ratiocinative processes to grasp onto, and invest with Significance, certain simple, primitive tribal rituals. I now see that this also happens to people like you.
As a member of the East Coast Elite, I'm searching for the Objective Correlative that would enable me to grasp this behavior on something other than a detached, intellectual, quasi-anthropological level, but I don't see it. But you're in good company. Eliot didn't see the O. C. in Hamlet, either.
Which means later today, in your Flashback Friday, you can mischaracterize this thus:
"Captain TL;DR says my last post was as gripping as Hamlet."
Or you could bust me back down to Buck Private and give me KP duty.
Your choice.
Ahh. Glad to see I'm not the only one who read a few words and zoned out until the mention of beer. Don't know why, I just don't get much into college football. Probably because I'm from Boston where there are over 50 colleges and no good football teams (well, I guess Boston College sometimes does ok?). I've become a fair weather fan of LSU, but it has a lot more to do with the awesome tailgating that occurs around here.
invest with Significance, certain simple, primitive tribal rituals
GQH. Be careful. Tread lightly, for you may find yourself between a nut and a Wolverine.
(I think it's pretty clear who is who 'round these parts. And be honest, which would you rather be-- a fruit or a fierce predator?)
There is nothing simple nor primitive about The Greatest Rivalry Ever. And one does not have to inject significance into the event. It is significant unto itself. Inasmuch as Viper and I may see eye to eye on some things (running, beer, certain indie rock artists), in this matter we part ways. For there is one Game, the Game, the only Game. Michigan is 3-8 on the season-- worst record in the program's 129-year history. Yet if (oh, if only!) we were to beat the mighty Buckeyes all would be forgiven and forgotten among the Wolverine faithful. In essence we have ourselves a one-game season. For no one remembers what happened before The Game. Only the outcome of The Game matters.
And on that note:
GO BLUE!!
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