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About that OSU/Michigan Rivalry. What I know now.

Flood

By Flood,
in The Big Ten

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Flood Four-Star Recruit

Flood

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I have heard how serious this rivalry is seemingly forever. It was hard to imagine the hatred that attends the hyperbole I have seen online. I always figured, "Well, just the worst fans, anonymous, from each team, spouting utter nonsense and putrid insults at one another." No big deal, move on and proceed with life.

 

Two weeks ago, I discovered that it is every bit as, err, "spirited", as it seems to an outsider.

 

I was camping down near the Everglades here in Florida. Our cabins all had satellite TV . . . which was not hooked up.

 

So, when game day for NU against Michigan arrived, I went into the nearest small suburban area and found a sports bar. They had all the major games and assured me the food was good, and that the NU game would be on. In fact, they tuned the biggest screen at the bar to that channel. I suggested other people might want to see some SEC games or ACC games on the largest screen in the place. He said, "No worries. They like to gather in small groups at smaller screens. They all know each other and like to chill together."

 

I sat on a barstool next to a lanky blonde man who was mumbling under his breath, a constant stream of barely audible syllables. After ten minutes I realized he was glued to the Iowa State game. I introduced myself and told him I was from Nebraska, originally. We chatted for a bit. He is a scientist fighting root disease in citrus crops here in Florida. Nice fellow. His team lost. He mumbled his way out of the bar, and I settled in for the Nebraska/Michigan game.

 

I don't recall how exactly it occurred, but I was cheering on a good play when I realized the bar was probably 60% full now, with over half of them also watching the Nebraska/Michigan game. And cheering for Nebraska. I saw TONS of red. Everywhere. I introduced myself to a few. There must have been 20-25 that were in this group that seemingly appeared from nowhere.

 

After a few more cheers, I started to inquire among them. "You from Nebraska?" A cute blonde lady answered first, "No. Ohio." She turned so I could see the rest of her red shirt and it had a giant OSU logo on it. I looked more closely at everyone around me. Of the 25 or so, about 20 were wearing OSU gear. The rest were Husker fans.

 

As halftime neared, I spoke a little more to some of them. It turned out that only 3 people actually knew each other and they all lived nearby. The rest came to root "AGAINST" Michigan. Just because they WERE Michigan. OSU was in bye week, I believe, but all these OSU fans turned out to cheer on Nebraska to beat OSU's hated rival. In chatting further, I discovered that two were OTR truckers, another was a lady who was in the middle of a drive from the Florida Keys to Atlanta for business. Others were travelers just passing through.

 

None of this, aside from the three locals, was planned, as near as I could tell. No one else made great efforts at finding out much about each other. Maybe some met through some message board or forum, or set it up that way. I have no idea. But it was amazing to sit in a small crowd like that and all cheer for Nebraska to win. Or Michigan to lose, I guess, for the OSU fans. Some of them knew very little about Nebraska. One even asked me if we had come to the B1G from the Big EAST.

 

But they all turned out in hopes of watching Michigan LOSE. No other reason that I could see. I spoke with the blonde again and she explained, "I have no clue whether Michigan losing helps The Buckeyes. I just like to watch Michigan lose."

 

That pretty much covers it. It was a great time!

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AgMarauder04 Scout Team

AgMarauder04

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I can't really say that they feel the same way since I don't live up north but I can't imagine at least the OSU half of the rivalry being topped by anyone. Alabama, Auburn, no one. Its just different in Ohio, and beating them means the world. Whether they are good or bad.

 

1. Your story is interesting, and that is the sign of a heated rivalry.

 

2. Check out Roll Tide/ War Eagle. I don't know if a rivalry anywhere, or at least college, that can surpass that one.

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WoodyHayes1951 Travel Squad

WoodyHayes1951

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I can't really say that they feel the same way since I don't live up north but I can't imagine at least the OSU half of the rivalry being topped by anyone. Alabama, Auburn, no one. Its just different in Ohio, and beating them means the world. Whether they are good or bad.

 

1. Your story is interesting, and that is the sign of a heated rivalry.

 

2. Check out Roll Tide/ War Eagle. I don't know if a rivalry anywhere, or at least college, that can surpass that one.

 

 

 

HBO preferred to do ours over that one. I think that says a lot.

 

I've seen it, anyway. like I said. I don't know if It matters as much to those people as it does to us.

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Michiganball Five-Star Recruit

Michiganball

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I'm not sure if any other rivalry had so many whacky things happen as the Mich/OSU one did(read the wiki article on it for some detailshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michigan%E2%80%93Ohio_State_football_rivalry). For me though it's something from the past, it's more of a Bo/Woody thing from the 70's 80's, it was a back and forth fought affair. After the late 80's and 90's as Michigan had their way with OSU virtually every year it lost some charm for me, now it's OSU doing the same for the last decade. Maybe both teams will get some simultaneous parity again like in 2006 and I can get a bit more hyped.

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Michiganball Five-Star Recruit

Michiganball

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According the History Channel "How the states got their shapes" the states of Ohio and Michigan went to war over, wait for it, wait for it - TOLEDO! It went down hill from there

 

You misunderstood. We were fighting to give the other side Toledo. Unfortunately, Michigan won.

 

Hey whats wrong with Toledo? After the dust settled Michigan got the upper peninsula as compensation, really they should have just asked for that in the first place. It's sort like going to Wisconsin up there though.

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