ANN ARBOR, Mich. | In 1897, none of the major professional sports clubs had yet been founded, but immense sporting rivalry was already emerging. This war between the American college football programs of the Ohio State Buckeyes and the Michigan Wolverines is still in full swing and one of the most anticipated chapters will be written on Saturday in front of more than 110,000 people. Welcome to the heart of this endless duel aptly named “The Game.”
• Also read: A Quebecer looking to make a name for himself in Michigan
• Also read: My day at the heart of a huge American sports tradition
• Also read: The “broken” party packers!
This rivalry is at the heart of the American sports landscape and Le Journal will be there in Ann Arbor to immerse you in the atmosphere as if you were there, from the atmosphere at the tailgate to the electric atmosphere that is Michigan Stadium largest stadium, will envelop stadium in the country and third largest in the world.
More than 110,000 spectators are expected to fill Michigan Stadium for the expected matchup between Michigan and Ohio State.
Since that first meeting in 1897, the two teams have met continuously every year since 1918, except in 2020 due to COVID-19. As a sign that there is no love between the two teams, the week leading up to the game is called “Hate Week.” That says it all!
In 2000, ESPN ranked this rivalry as the most important of all sports in North America.
“It’s ‘The Game’… The guys on both sides know it. It is the game that decides the rest of your season and cements your career,” says one of the few Quebecers who took part in this rivalry in the 1990s, former ball carrier Tshimanga Biakabutuka.
In the middle of the scandal
Michigan fans continue to support head coach Jim Harbaugh amid a signal-stealing controversy. AFP
This year there is an added layer of mutual contempt in the air. The University of Michigan Wolverines are under investigation for alleged illegal signal-stealing activities.
Head coach Jim Harbaugh has been stripped of the right to officiate the final three games of the regular season, and he believes the world is after his program after rattling off two straight wins in recent meetings against Ohio State. He even went so far as to proclaim that Michigan should be “America’s Team.” You have to do it!
Buckeyes fans counter that the scandal discredits their recent success and that a loss at Michigan would prove the team is a fraud.
The contempt is so great that a sign reading “Beat Michigan” is visible 365 days a year at Ohio State University. In the days leading up to the famous game, all letters M were removed from posters and writings in all their forms across campus.
Every year on the University of Michigan campus, a few days before the showdown, hundreds of people ceremoniously march to Forest Hill Cemetery, where immortal legends of the program rest in peace.
The statue of Bo Schembechler still stands near the team facilities, which still bear his name. AFP
On one side or another, we’re not kidding about The Game, and all of that enthusiasm has led to the average price of a ticket for Saturday’s duel rising to $1,262, according to TicketIQ.
“It’s a love-hate relationship because you have to respect it, but if you beat Ohio State, it stays with you for the rest of your life. Even if the team has a disappointing season, beating them will make up for it the rest of the year.
“When we meet former players, the question is always, ‘Did you beat Ohio State?’ It’s a game that every player on both teams has on their minds. It’s intense, there’s a lot of history,” explains Biakabutuka.
Forging the legend
The man who now works in the restaurant industry in Charlotte, where he ended his NFL career in 2001, knows what he’s talking about. His epic 37 runs in a 313-yard rushing game against opponents in 1995 catapulted him to immortality at Michigan.
His Wolverines were underdogs and won 31-23, and to date no one has managed that many rushing yards against Ohio State. Biakabutuka subsequently became the only player from Quebec selected in the first round of the NFL draft by the Panthers.
“There are a lot of people who go to the games who weren’t born when I played. When they hear my name, they know it for sure. If you do well, your name will remain. “Mine will remain linked to the history of this program,” mentions the one who was invited back earlier this season to discuss with Jim Harbaugh and his players.
Main problem
The rivalry between the Buckeyes and Wolverines often leads to spectacular moments. Getty Images via AFP
As if this rivalry wasn’t already hot enough, it must be added that this is only the fifth time that the two opponents with a perfect record have faced each other. This was also the case last year and in 1970, 1973 and 2006.
The two clubs with 11-0 records are not only competing for the Big 10 Conference championship, but are also in the running for the national championship on Jan. 8 in Houston.
The Buckeyes are currently ranked second nationally and the Wolverines are third. This makes this the 14th duel in the rivalry’s history in which both rivals are in the top five.
In the stadium nicknamed the Big House, tension promises to be at its maximum, in an environment where the slightest misstep can dash hopes. A loss in a scenario where only four clubs are invited to the playoffs can be fatal.
“If you’re a very emotional guy, you can lose control. You have to know how to channel energy well. Football is a sport of emotions, but controlled emotions,” warns Biakabutuka.
And now the big question: Should Michigan, Quebec’s alma mater, be considered a cheater given the scandal that has rocked the program in recent weeks?
“It doesn’t look good, that’s for sure… Personally, the way I look at it is you can get an idea of what’s coming based on the signals, but now you have to stop.” If Michigan beats Ohio State, they can’t tell , that it was because of the signals because they had time to make changes.
Ohio State fans entering the opposing stadium certainly won’t share that opinion. Make way for “The Game”!
On the University of Michigan campus, sweater dealers are having fun at the expense of rival Ohio State, but also laughing at the scandal that befalls them by proudly calling themselves sign stealers. Stephane Cadorette
Among Wolverines supporters, any means is good to denigrate Ohio State’s enemy. Stephane Cadorette
Rivalry at its finest
In 2011, 10-year-old Grant Reed was diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor. The Columbus, Ohio, teen and his parents made a name for themselves by refusing to talk about cancer. Instead, they renamed his illness after Michigan. Her reason was simple and caused a huge stir in the media. “Because Ohio State always beats Michigan!” the family launched, in a humorous snub to cancer and the enemy program.
Former Ohio State University head coach Woody Hayes is a legend in Columbus with five national championships and a 12-6 record against Michigan between 1951 and 1968. His Buckeyes defeated the Wolverines 50-14 last season and the last He won the offense from a touchdown to attempting a two-point conversion. After the game, journalists asked him why he should get two points when the game was largely in his pocket. “Because I wasn’t allowed to go with three,” the coach replied.
Former star linebacker Chris Spielman shone in the NFL with the Detroit Lions. Previously, the Ohio native had to choose between the two major rival programs in order to begin his college career. When he told his father that he planned to attend the University of Michigan, the celebration was short-lived. “Traitor! You can go there, but you will never set foot here again in your life,” the father said to the man who ended up playing at Ohio State for four years.
In 2019, Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh lost his fifth straight game to Ohio State, 56-27. A journalist then asked him to explain the gap between the two programs. “I will answer your questions, not your insults,” replied the pilot, who has now partially taken revenge with two victories.
In 1999, the tie remained at 17-17 when Michigan’s quarterback took matters into his own hands. He orchestrated a 77-yard drive until he threw the game-winning touchdown pass with five minutes left. This quarterback’s name? A certain Tom Brady…
To date, Michigan and Ohio State remain the two most successful programs in NCAA history. Michigan took 1,000 last weekend. win in its history, while Ohio State follows with 964 wins. Michigan has 11 national titles, the last of which came in 1997. Ohio State has won eight national championships, the last in 2014.