Real Kato Blog: The Game, It Approaches

Michigan. Ohio State. Saturday.

It will be the 104th meeting between Michigan and Ohio State, in what has been described as the greatest rivalry in all of sport.

I was a small child growing up in Ann Arbor during the Woody Hayes versus Bo Schembechler era, the "ten-year war" from 1969 to 1978, where Michigan won five games, lost four, and tied one against the Buckeyes. It was hard not to get caught up in it. It was the talk of the town every November. The whole of the regular football season was just a series of exhibition games; the one game that mattered was Ohio State. On the weekend of The Game, 90% of the town dressed in maize and blue. (The other 10% lived under rocks or something.)

People who aren't from Michigan or Ohio, or people who didn't live in the 1960s and 1970s, might not fully appreciate the extent of the rivalry. It is filled with drama and wild stories.

In 1968, Ohio State attempted a two-point conversion even though they already led late in the game 48-14. When asked why he went for two, Woody Hayes said with a growl, "Because we couldn't go for three". Bo Schembechler came to Michigan the next year, and plastered the team uniforms and locker room with "50-14", to remind his players of that humiliation. Bo defeated his former coach in mentor in a shocking upset in 1969, and the ten-year war was on.

In 1973, an undefeated Michigan team and an undefeated Ohio State team played to a 10-10 tie. Though Michigan dominated most of the game statistically, the Big Ten athletic directors voted to send Ohio State to the Rose Bowl. That decision rankled Bo Schembechler for the rest of his life.

Woody and Bo remain, to this day, the embodiment of their schools' programs. Woody was fierce and passionate, almost to the point of paranoia; he pushed his players like Patton pushing his troops. Bo was a disciplinarian who demanded personal integrity as well as physical dominance from his players.

This year's game does not have the titanic implications of last year's #1-versus-#2 matchup. But it still holds importance for us fans; it's still The Game, the reason for the season, and the Big Ten championship matchup. And sub-plots abound: Will Ohio State fold, now that they've been exposed as undeserving of their former #1 ranking? Will Michigan bookend its two-loss regular season start with a two-loss regular season finish? Is this Lloyd Carr's last home game? Will the Michigan seniors be able to get a win after three consecutive losses to Ohio State? Will Michigan's injured stars Chad Henne and Mike Hart be able to play?

As for my personal feelings on this game: there's nothing I'd like more than to wipe that smug grin off Jim "Sweatervest" Tressel's face. Actually, it's not so much Tressel himself as much as the OSU fans who think Tressel is God's gift to coaching for having beaten Michigan five of the last six years. (By that logic, Lloyd Carr should be considered just as much a genius for his run from 1995-2000.) Really, it's the OSU fans that I can't stand. And to show that it's not just me, read this Texas fan's take on the Michigan Ohio-State rivalry. His view of OSU fans: "...jort-sporting jackanapes, parking lots full of angry white trash hooping it up like it was Talladega (and Texas is Jeff Gordon), beer and bottles thrown at kids, families, old people." (Also, best description ever of Woody Hayes: "a certifiably insane gridiron version of Larry Bud Melman".) His view of Michigan fans: "... as Michigan iced Mangum for the game winning field goal attempt, all of the Texas & Michigan fans shook hands and wished each other luck, no matter the result. I've never seen less tension between two fan bases at a closely contested game in my life."

There are a lot of teams whose fans I respect. Penn State. Texas. Clemson. Cal. Even USC and Michigan State. But Ohio State? Perhaps I'm generalizing, but if you look in the dictionary under "obnoxious", you'd find a picture of a drunk Buckeye fan engaging in a riot. Imagine the worst Yankees (or Red Sox) fans you know, take away any semblance of class, and there's your typical OSU fan. It's a disgrace.

Ah, and now I'm all riled up.

Go Blue.

Permalink 4 Comment

Posted by Ken in: sports

Comments

Comment #1 from Ohbejuan (Guest)
2007 Nov 14 - 10:05 pm : #

you forgot the best part of the two point conversion story... When one of the Michigan players (I think it was Calvin O'Neil) was told that Woody had said, "Because we couldn't go for three", he replied by shaking his head and saying "oh, it is on".

At least, that is what i think happened.

Also, my favorite call from Bob Ufer. When OSU once kicked a game winning field goal, and the OSU crowd went wild (in columbus), he said "5,000 alumni, and 80,000 truckers go wild!" Best. line. ever.

Comment #2 from Noelle (Guest)
2007 Nov 16 - 2:01 pm : #

So last night on our public TV station there was a fascinating documentary on the history of the Michigan/Ohio State rivalry. Was it broadcast any where else? I didn't know Bo Shembechler (sp?) died.

Comment #3 from Ken (realkato)
2007 Nov 16 - 3:42 pm : #

There's a pretty good documentary being shown on HBO about M-OSU this week. I don't know if it's the same one.

Comment #4 from MonoCerdo (Guest)
2007 Nov 17 - 4:12 pm : #

Ha ha. Coming from Ohio with two parents who went to Ohio State, I grew up with a rather different take on the rivalry. Sorry about your loss there, pal.

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