No. 1 Ohio State vs. No. 2 Michigan.
- Angela Cesere
As I came closer and closer to typing that phrase, it became more and more difficult to believe.
We’ve had all season to prepare for it, but I can’t say I’m actually ready.
No. 1 Ohio State vs. No. 2 Michigan.
There was the 1950 Snow Bowl, in which Michigan won 9-3 without gaining a single first down thanks to a terrible blizzard that forced the teams to punt a combined 45 times.
There was the 1969 Upset, in which the underdog Wolverines broke a 22-game Buckeye winning streak with a 24-12 victory.
There was the 1973 Tie, in which Michigan and Ohio State both entered and left the game undefeated after a 10-10 game.
But next Saturday, we could witness what will go down as The Game in a rivalry so heated, every game is dubbed simply The Game.
No. 1 Ohio State vs. No. 2 Michigan.
You can take your Woodys and Bos, your Griffins and Harmons, your Georges and Woodsons and all the great games of the past.
I’ll take my Tressels and Carrs, my Smiths and Hennes and my Ginns and Manninghams. And, oh yeah:
No. 1 Ohio State vs. No. 2 Michigan.
I’ve seen my alma mater Verona High School capture a state football championship over hated neighbor Cedar Grove in a rematch one week after losing to it on Thanksgiving. I’ve seen the Stanley-Cup bound New York Rangers topple the despised New Jersey Devils in a seven-game series with three double-overtime games. I’ve seen my beloved Mets fall to the Yankees in a once-in-a-lifetime Subway (World) Series.
You can add, multiply or try whatever mathematical trickery you’d like on those rivalries. What you won’t get is anything near the magnitude of what’s coming, as I write this, in a mere six days, 15 hours, 32 minutes and 55 seconds.
No. 1 Ohio State vs. No. 2 Michigan.
Two of the most storied college football teams, involved annually in the most storied college football rivalry, will play in a game that some people have already penciled in on their Game of the Century ballots.
It’s won’t be the first time the teams meet undefeated. Or the first time a Big Ten title and, potentially, a National Championship have been on the line. But it’s never ever been like this.
No. 1 Ohio State vs. No. 2 Michigan.
Come Saturday, you’ll forget about your finance exam, your history paper and possibly even a family member’s birthday (that is, if you haven’t already).
Class of 2006, sorry you missed it.
Classes of 2007-09, this certainly makes up for last year.
Class of 2010, be thankful for some great timing.
No. 1 Ohio State vs. No. 2 Michigan.
For one week, we can come together as one campus and set aside any Election Day differences.
Belt out The Victors in the Diag. Don your maize and blue. High-five your classmates. Have fun. Get excited. Smile.
Cherish this week in Ann Arbor, because you may never be part of another one like it. Remember all the details, big and small, so that you can tell your children all about a game summed up in a few words.
No. 1 Ohio State vs. No. 2 Michigan.
– Herman can be reached at jaherman@umich.edu.