ANN ARBOR, Mich. — One thing that is important in rivalry games that perhaps doesn’t get spoken of as much as it should is experience winning in said rivalry. It can play a big difference, especially in a rivalry as big as The Game.
Think of the ebb and flow of the Michigan football vs. Ohio State rivalry. In the 1990s, lesser Michigan teams beat superior OSU teams. In the 2000s and 2010s, even in close contests, the Buckeyes would best the Wolverines. Winnable games such as in 2006, 2013, 2016, and even the surprising 2017 contest saw Michigan lose in dramatic fashion after having late leads or in striking distance.
The team that knows how to win in big moments often will pull it out.
So, with this 2023 iteration expected to be a close game, having a roster full of players who know how to win is a big edge. Because very few Buckeyes currently know what it’s like to beat the Wolverines, while most Wolverines know what it takes to beat the Buckeyes.
That said, senior defensive tackle Kris Jenkins knows that Michigan will get Ohio State’s best, which makes it more important for the maize and blue to play at their highest level on Saturday.
“Honestly, it makes things more interesting. Because, when it comes to that, each team’s gonna come prepared with that level of comfort, even more prepared to play for a different reason,” Jenkins said. “So whether it’s the winning team playing because the other team’s gonna come with 100% what they got and vice versa, like, it doesn’t really matter whether it’s a win or a loss because with this rivalry, each team is gonna give it everything they got.”
For senior linebacker Mike Barrett, it comes down to just a few things: who plays with the most heart and who’s the most prepared. Confidence is one thing, but playing with confidence through adversity requires both heart and preparedness.
“Honestly, just kind of going down to our preparation,” Barrett said. “When you get in those moments — I mean, you’ve got two great programs going head to head and when you get in those moments of who wants it more, and just how to have that heart you gotta have, you gotta be built into you, honestly.
“And I feel like over the past couple years, we just kind of been building that, stacking those pillars are stacking every day, and just kind of preparing that preparation kind of builds that confidence, which builds that heart, that courage, so I feel like that’s kind of what goes into it.”
Barrett knows more than most. He’s one of the few players on either team who’s experienced both wins and losses in this rivalry.
As a sixth-year player, he’s faced the Buckeyes four times and he’s 2-2. He’s hoping to end up on the winning side of the record once Saturday is in the books, but what makes him the happiest that Michigan went from hopeless against OSU to being the aggressor.
“It’s amazing man, just kind of seeing just being a part of the ups and downs being here for the lows and just watching the tide turn,” Barrett said. “It’s been a great experience to kind of just be a part of honestly just (the) experience. You see the ins and outs, the highs, the lows.
“I will just say that it’s good to be on top, honestly, but yeah, it’s been a learning experience to everything and go on but it feels good to finally turn that tide.”
Michigan and Ohio State will kick off at 12:17 p.m. EST on Saturday at The Big House.