Living in West Michigan for nearly a decade now, I’ve come to learn that the Michigan-Mich State game is always just about the biggest football game of the year. Unless the Lions somehow make the playoffs. Ha!
My daughters didn’t have to wear their school uniforms today if they wore green and white or maize and blue colors, so they’re pretty excited, even though they don’t care that much about football. My wife’s wearing navy blue scrubs and a UofM hair ribbon to the hospital this week even though the hospital has an MSU affiliation. Grocery stores are loaded with party and tailgate specials. And when I was at Target last night, cheers of “Go Green, Go White” broke out among some shoppers, only to be interrupted by counter cheers of “Can’t read, can’t write” from the opposition’s diehard contingent. The fact that both schools are undefeated and ranked in the top 10 this season seems to be sending everyone into an even bigger frenzy than normal.
To be honest, until moving here, I’d never experienced this level of fandom before. I grew up in the Toledo region where sentiments were somewhat similar over the annual Michigan-Ohio St game, but still, that was nothing compared to this. At my high school, St. John’s, we really went all out during the week leading up to our big rivalry game with St. Francis that always took place at the neutral Glass Bowl. Those were some of the most passionate football games that I can remember. But still, seeing the displays of football passion everywhere I go around the state is unique, and honestly, pretty cool.
But meanwhile, no one around here seems to care about what’s really important this week, the fact that our beloved Miami Redhawks are preparing to pummel Ohio this coming Tuesday night. What gives, Michiganders?! Ha!
Heading to Palo Alto today to visit my son and watch my grad school Dawgs at Stanford. Caught Miami at Minnesota in early September and Cal at Washington on Sept 25 while I was in Seattle to deliver a eulogy for a very good friend. Jimmy Lake’s Huskies have truly under-performed this season and the seat is getting quite warm in Seattle during his second year after replacing Chris Peterson. Huskies fans have little patience for underperformance. He desperately needs a win at Stanford with Oregon and Arizona State on the horizon the next two weeks. Can’t stand the Leland Stanford Junior University Marching Band and the stupid tree. I can’t believe a prestigious university like Stanford allows them to officially represent their institution. Hope to see some of you from the Miami board at our bowl game, which I hope is in Myrtle Beach. Beat Ohio! Bow Down! And Love and Honor!
Twitter informs me it’s possible for the B1G West to finish in a 7-way tie (all teams 4-5 in conference) with Nebraska winning the division. This is the sort of glorious chaos I’m after.
I grew up in VA as a son of two Michigan Alums (circa 1960). I remember once saying something about OSU being UM’s biggest rival and my parents looked at me like I had six heads. I was firmly and unambiguously corrected.
Well, I don’t know how it was in 1960, but nowadays I think UofM considers Ohio St to be their biggest rival. It’s just that in the state of Michigan, nobody cares about Ohio St, and everyone either roots for Mich or Mich St year round, so that game is a very big deal here. I imagine it’s similar for Alabama-Auburn, Miss-Miss St, Illinois-Northwestern, et cetera. When the two biggest in-state programs play, the natives get riled up. Haha
For what it’s worth, during the 50s/60s. Michigan was experiencing lean years, and Mich St was very successful and even won a national title under Duffy Daugherty during that era.
BG just answered a UB td with a long run. The Buffalo td was scored on a drive that included an interception by BG but a roughing the passer (weak) gave UB the ball back which then led to the score.
PAC12 After Dark - Well, last night’s Washington at Stanford game - the one I attended - might have been one of the most exciting endings of the day that nobody on the East Coast saw. . It was an all FG game at halftime. The Dancing Trees scored a touchdown early in the fourth quarter after the Huskies got called for offsides on a Stanford 4the and 4. The Cardinal kicked a FG with 7 minutes left to take a 13-12 lead and then thwarted a Husky drive. Washington then forced a three and out and got the ball back at their own 35 with 2:57 left. Nothing in what had happened to that point in the game would have indicated Washington would put together a sustained touchdown drive but they drove the ball to the Stanford 35 after using their last TO. Everything they did looked like they were trying to get into position to kick their fifth and winning FG. Then on 3rd and 4 they unexpectedly threw a fade to a wide open receiver in the right corner of the end zone. TD Huskies! At 18-13, the Dawgs went for two and got it. Final score Washington 20-Stanford 13. I think it’s the only game I ever saw where a team scored its first and only TD in the final minute of play and won.
Weird having a Saturday and no MAC football to follow or watch. Our loss to OU has caused me to take a sabbatical from all college football watching as I am still in mourning.