For almost 20 years Ohio State’s reign of terror cast a somber shadow on Schembechler Hall and the streets of Ann Arbor. The Buckeyes trounced Michigan year in and year out, shattering title dreams and breaking hearts along the way.
Recently, the Wolverines have stood up to their long time superiors. Clawing their way out of the ashes of over a dozen embarrassing losses, Michigan has handed their southern rivals two straight upset defeats. The bath of glory and success was short-lived, however. Accusations of cheating have tainted the once unquestioned image of triumph and victory that had cast a powerful light on the Jim Harbaugh era at Michigan. Michigan is looking to defend it’s honor this weekend.
Saturday in Ann Arbor feels like the final act.
Michigan and Ohio State have been going back and forth for over a hundred years, but this matchup feels different. The Buckeyes are still licking their wounded egos from the last two years of humiliating defeats, even after Ryan Day exclaimed “Michigan better hope for a mercy rule this year because we’re going to hang 100 on them.” Of course, the Buckeyes have averaged just 25 points per game against Michigan since that quote, with the Wolverines scoring 43 and 45 respectively.
The high school-esque drama with scandals and accusations flying both ways doesn’t make this game any less tense. The Wolverines are under the microscope for cheating and have pointed the finger at Ohio State for not only blowing the whistle, but being guilty of similar offenses.
Should Michigan lose on Saturday, the validity of their last two wins would be called into question given the magnitude of the scandal.
The Game is filled with raw, unfiltered hate. Every year there are scuffles, dust ups, and plenty of extracurricular activities that leave enough bad blood to paint the field red.
The Buckeyes roster is mostly foreign to beating Michigan. Only a Buckeye player in at least his fifth year of college has scored a win over Michigan while at Ohio State. That leaves very few on the roster who have experienced triumph in The Game.
Michigan, on the other hand, has felt the glorious highs of victory frequently. The Wolverines boast over a dozen starters that have not only won the game, but made their fair share of important plays in such contests. This is just not a Wolverine team that understands backing down from its Southern rivals.
Plenty is on the line in the short-term future as well. Michigan is looking for its third straight Big Ten title and College Football Playoff berth. Ohio State is looking to regain the championship belt and get out from under the shadow of a team it laughed at and dominated for the better part of two decades.
Both sides are simply angry. Hot-tempered rage that has spent a year boiling until Saturday, when the pot inevitably boils over and one team is left burned. There is honor on the line. There are playoff dreams on the line. There are possibly jobs on the line. And there is the glorious feeling of sweet, sweet victory on the line.
Tighten your chin strap, lace up your cleats and have your final meal, because the Wolverines and Buckeyes are ready to fight to the death in an arena of grass, paint and hatred.