What Becomes of The Game? Michigan AD Dave Brandon Hints at the Big Ten Moving the Michigan Ohio State Rivalry
by Maize n Brew Dave on Aug 20, 2010 3:32 PM CDT
in Michigan Football
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PrintSince Big Ten expansion became a reality, one of the biggest things facing Michigan and Ohio State fans is the issue of "what is going to happen to Michigan Ohio State Game?" Up to this point, we've been fortunate. For the most part fans, players, alumni, etc... have all been able to tell themselves that in spite of all the change around them, The Game is the one tradition that won't be touched. People have evaluated every rivalry on it's merit, and even the most disinterested SEC homer would tell you that The Game shouldn't be touched.
But with expansion there were a lot of issues that needed to be resolved in order to preserve The Game in its natural state. Divisions had to be created. Schedules had to be worked out. Competitive divisions had to be devised. And the more we got into the nitty gritty of how this would work out, the more absurd the reality became. Do you ship Penn State to the west division. Will it be North South? Who's going where? How do we keep tradition alive!?
Well, the answer seems to be "you don't."
During today's WTKA Michigan Insider, Sam Webb had the chance to interview Michigan Athletic Director Dave Brandon and asked him point blank about his feelings on the Division scenario and the future status of The Game.
SAM WEBB: Let's say that you're making the call on Big Ten Divisions, you are making the decision, are Michigan and Ohio State in the same division?
DAVID BRANDON: No.
SAM WEBB: And why?
DAVID BRANDON: Because we're in a situation where one of the best things that could happen, in my opinion in a given season, would be the opportunity to play Ohio State twice. Once in the regular season and once for in the championship for the Big Ten.
It didn't stop there.
SAM WEBB: Would it be still be the tradition to keep that game [The Game] the last game of the season?
DAVID BRANDON: I think there's a distinct possibility that game will be a later game in the season, but not necessarily the last game of the season. And simply that's because... I don't think the coaches, or the players, or fans, networks or anyone would appreciate that match up to happen twice within a 7 day period. So however the division alignments occur... What you're really going to want is for that last game of the season to determine who's going to be the champion of that division and who is going to play for the Championship... Although I love playing OSU the last game of the year, I don't thinks it's necessarily a slam dunk.
That's pretty explicit. While Brandon made sure to caveat his words with "my opinion," you have to think he's operating this call with some inside information as to what is going to go down. Face it Michigan and Ohio State fans, The Game is getting moved.
/let it soak in/
There you go. Now that you've had a second to think about this, you're probably in one of three different camps on this issue:
1. The "I Really Just Don't Care" Camp: If you're showing up in this camp you're probably a little more pragmatic about college football and/or don't think this is the end of the world. You think that at this point Big Ten Expansion made changes to The Game inevitable. You love the Michigan Ohio State game, but it's just another rivalry game on the schedule regardless of when it's played. Frankly, it'd be kind of nice to watch a game you care about (like, The Game) in something other than freezing rain. The thought of an October kick off isn't really that big a deal to you, and in some ways is kind of preferable because it means you don't have to freeze your ass off in Ann Arbor the weekend after Thanksgiving. "Let's face it," you think, "we've expanded the conference, expanded the schedule, we're playing D1-AA teams, there are luxury boxes on the stadium, the guy in the head set is from West Virginia, we're running the spread, and now we're going to put our foot down about tradition?" As long as they play one another, You're fine with it.
2. "OH MY GOD NO! YOU'RE KILLING YOUR FATHER LARRY!" Camp: I think it's fair to say that if you fall into this camp David Brandon's comments just ruined your weekend. Other than someone accusing your mother of being passed around the backstage area of Woodstock like a bong, this is the greatest insult you've ever encountered to all you hold dear in your life. How can you move it!? IT'S TRADITION! This has no benefit to Michigan. This has no benefit to Ohio State. This is basically capitulating to teams in this conference that wouldn't be here unless we'd built this conference with our blood, sweat, tears, and scores of Irish and Chinese railroad workers. This is the final straw. I've had it. The world is ending and I'm taking everyone down with me. /loads rifle, climbs to top of bell tower/
In all seriousness, this is something that galls you. The Game is as much a part of the Big Ten as it's members. In many ways, the Big Ten is the Big Ten because of The Game. It has meaning. It has tradition. It's the one thing that simply shouldn't be screwed with despite all change going on around it. If we're changing The Game, why don't we make the field longer, put more players on the field and start playing like the CFL? This crap has to stop somewhere, right?
3. "This is good" Camp: If you fall into this camp, you're probably in the minority right now. But when you think about it you come to the "I think is okay" conclusion. When Michigan returns to it's rightful place in the college football world, you really don't want to have a back to back game against OSU (conversely you're a Buckeye and want to keep it winner take all). That's just insane. By spacing it out we're still getting the game, but we're also preserving the integrity of the championship game from a UM and OSU perspective. Further, if the teams aren't going to be in the same division, they actually get to the championship game for this to even be a problem. This way Michigan and Ohio State play once a year and it'll be meaningful. If they're playing the last game of the year in the same division it'll kill the rivalry because it won't be as important as the championship. If they both win their divisions, then we get a grudge match late in the year for all the marbles. It works!
What it comes down to is "what's best for Michigan?" If moving the game makes Michigan more money and makes it more likely that Michigan will play in BCS bowls, then you're down with the split. The other thing is you've seen what happens to good rivalries when they're kept in the same division. Alabama and Auburn is nothing compared to what it used to be. The divisional match up between Texas and OU was the defacto Big XII championship game and keeping all the heavy rivalries in one division basically killed the Big XII. Michigan and OSU will play every year. It'll be a great TV day. I'll be able to see the game in person without wearing a waterproof down jacket. And, hell, there's the prospect of the teams meeting again in the Championship! This is good!
So that's where we are.
Personally, I teeter between Group One and Group Three. As long as Michigan and Ohio State play one another every year, I'm good. Frankly, there's a part of me that *gasp* likes what David Brandon said. Even more, I don't think Jim Delany is holding a gun to his head when he said it. David Brandon's been a straight shooter from day one on the job and has been as hands on an Athletic Director as I can remember. He didn't have to say what he said. If he disagreed with the Big Ten's stance he could either keep his mouth shut or blame the BT in a couple of months for ruining the Rivalry. You know Delany would cut him some slack for a little bit of "public outcry." As the commissioner you have to let your AD's save some face. But Brandon said what was on his mind and I think he's dead on.
The toughest thing we as Michigan fans and fans of the Big Ten have to realize is that Tradition as we know it is constantly evolving. There were outcries when the league went to 11 teams, but I think that's worked out great for everyone. There were people who opposed expansion and a championship game (yours truly, in fact) before it happened. But it did. The whole definition of our conference and how football will be played in our stadiums for the next generation are constantly being revised. If you're looking for the overarching tradition here it's change itself.
We can't expect the college football world to change around us as we stay stuck in the past. If The Game is to remain relevant to college football as a whole, it too will have to change somewhat. There's really nothing we can do to stop it. You can stand there in Bigtenimen Square and try to stare down the tanks, but trust me on this, Jim Delany is driving and he ain't going to stop because you're standing there. So let's embrace the change that's coming and find a way to preserve the most important elements of The Game.
And perhaps the most important thing about this from a Michigan or Ohio State perspective is this: if both teams are winning, Michigan and Ohio State will get back to determining the Big Ten champion the old fashioned way.
In the last game of the Big Ten season.
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Well Put
Dave, I think you hit the nail on the head. I was going to write a “wait…this isn’t a big deal” kind of post, but you’re right. To a certain segment, this is going to be a big deal.
I’m 100% with this:
“we’ve expanded the conference, expanded the schedule, we’re playing D1-AA teams, there are luxury boxes on the stadium, the guy in the head set is from West Virginia, we’re running the spread, and now we’re going to put our foot down about tradition?”
I’d even take it a step further to say that the BCS has made things such that the way this sport defines its champion is so vastly different that really having Ohio State as the “championship game” at the end of the season isn’t really THAT important of a measuring stick. Plenty of teams face their primary rival in October or early November, and I certainly don’t see it as taking anything away from it. Between the Hedges, Cocktail Party, Texas vs. Oklahoma…these are all mid-season games. The great thing is that now we’ll get a conference championship game and hey – that game might feature OSU vs. UM again.
To me, this is not a big deal. So much has changed that really, it just…is. The rivalry is still going to be special, it’s still going to be the best, and if it allows the option of perhaps meeting again in a conference championship game (while NOT playing back-to-back) then all the better.
http://maizenbrew.com
Get it?
grrrrr
Between the Hedges isn’t a game…it’s the stadium that cocktail party is sometimes played in…you get my point though.
http://maizenbrew.com
Get it?
Just to clarify:
The Georgia Bulldogs play their home games “between the hedges” in Sanford Stadium. Their annual neutral-site showdown with the Florida Gators is played in Jacksonville, Fla., and the game is referred to (except by university administrators, of course) as “The World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party.”
But, yeah, I get your point.
Go 'Dawgs!
Sorry, this is garbage
THE GAME is played at the end of the year, period, done, end of story.
GO BLUE! http://www.maizenbrew.com/
Agree to disagree my friend
Can’t wait to see your post in response.
Maize n Brew
Because Football is Better with Beer
by Maize n Brew Dave on Aug 20, 2010 6:12 PM CDT up reply actions
I like you, Dave, but this is the dumbest fucking thing I’ve ever seen a Michigan fan write.
by Brian @ MGoBlog on Aug 20, 2010 7:25 PM CDT reply actions
Michigan made their stand back in December 1989.
When Penn State was considered for the Big Ten.
U-M, of course, was one of the schools opposed. Not because then-President Duderstadt was anti-Penn State. Partially because expansion threatened long-time tradition, and added a school outside the footprint that could cause logistical problems.
But, MOST IMPORTANTLY, because he saw expansion as a step towards the further “professionalization” of the collegiate game, at the expense of his more pure vision of the TRUE student-athlete.
(he covers this all in a book of his)
The vote went 7-3. By one vote, PSU was in.
And in the years that followed ………. SEC expansion, the first SEC championship game in the early 90s, breakups of the traditional SWC and Big Eight, more conferences joining the championship game bandwagon, the start of the BCS, Rose Bowls without Big Ten or Pac-10 teams, the addition of a 12th game in a clear money grab, the ACC trying to destroy the Big East, USC’s morally corrupt powerhouse program in the 2000s, the new oversigning craze, ESPN reaching the point where it’s the most powerful force in college football, Texas’ rampage this summer altering the conference landscape, the MWC and WAC engaging in a war to the death this very week.
The expansion vote this time was 11-0. No principled opposition this time.
In this light, an eventual end result of U-M/OSU being bastardized to mid-October, and the Big Ten title being decided in some corporate-named dome in Indianapolis ……….. was inevitable.
It’s an f’in damn business. We may love the sport, but it’s a damn business, and the stand Duderstadt made in 1989 (against overt “professionalism” of the sport) has been lost.
Really Brian?
Did you read the garbage you put up after Woolfolk went down? Or perhaps your posting a rumor by a bikini clad pseudo-reporter?
I post you disagree with and this is your reaction to it? Nice.
You stay classy, Brian.
Maize n Brew
Because Football is Better with Beer
by Maize n Brew Dave on Aug 21, 2010 11:55 PM CDT up reply actions 1 recs
Third Party Opinion
Brian, you run a business, don’t let your emotions get the best of you.
Dave, Brian’s Woolfolk post was hilarious and the epitome of why people love his writing. I cracked up reading it and I needed that laugh.
Now, as for Dave’s post, I can’t disagree more. You can’t say
So let’s embrace the change that’s coming and find a way to preserve the most important elements of The Game.when the most important elements of The Game are based on being played at year end.
It’s either winner gets the title, or one school can wreck the others B10/National Title hopes. But go ahead Dave, and list what important elements of The Game we should focus on preserving now. If you can show they don’t depend on the current timing, I’ll be happy to change my opinion.
the game
I am really having a hard time with this. I do not want to see this game moved. I have heard rumors that if this happens the final game of the regular season will be against msu. I don’t think that is a good idea. I agree with Doug Karsch, put Michigan and osu in seperate divisions and keep the game where it is. How often will they play back to bac?
This is a preposterous article
Change in and of itself isn’t positive, and this change is overwhelmingly bad for Michigan.
First of all, the Iron Bowl has been diminished at all, precisely because the teams remained in the same division and the game continues to be at the end of the season. That’s one of the most important things about the Game and the Iron Bowl; its the final note; no way to really come back from a loss. Moving it to October (which frequently has bad whether in Michigan) is going to completely destroy that aspect of it.
Now, a rematch isn’t ideal either, so its blatantly obvious to 95% of the fanbase that Michigan and OSU should be in the same division, and the Game should be a regular season ending, de-facto conference semi final. You talk a lot about the changing landscape of college football, but you fail to draw the correct inference from it. Many of Michigan’s competitive advantages are gone; the best thing that Michigan’s football program has to sell is its tradition, and killing a major piece of that tradition isn’t in Michigan’s interest. The other conference programs will benefit from this at Michigan’s expense, have no doubt.
Adding Nebraska and creating a BTCG destroyed 2% of the importance of the game; putting Michigan and OSU in different divisions and moving the date of the game up destroyed about 40%.
by Nationalchumpion on Aug 20, 2010 10:15 PM CDT reply actions
Agreeing with a Critique of a Prposterous Article
I agree with every word Nationalchumpion said with this caveat: The Game certainly is our major claim to prestige (and our tradition is the major reason why I fell so head-over-heels in love with my Ann Arbor team), but having such a big game at the end of the regularly scheduled season every year certainly has its drawbacks from a rankings point of view, namely that it makes it impossible to come back from a loss.
This change destroys all but The Game. The Game gained its rivalry standing only partially from the natural rivalry between Michigan and Ohio — a rivalry which would have not been of national importance but for The Game — but mostly from the fact that this was a season-ending un-recoverable, sudden-death game between two storied natural rivals.
You take the “last game” aspect of it, not only do you change what so many people (including myself) love, but you yank out of the foundation of the rivalry. From the point of view of schedule, this game will become, apart from “what once was” hardly more important than any other game. It WILL NOT determine in any way shape or form who moves on toward a big ten title.
Furthermore, the chance of meeting again in a title game weakens this game and cheaps the rivalry even more. Certainly one can make a lot of money from a rematch, yet the scarcity and excitement of what has been thus-far called The Game is the major part of its excitement. To have the possibility of a championship rematch would marginalize it. It would cease to be The Game. And without The Game, the rivalry becomes of national importance only because of history.
Perhaps the rivalry would continue in some way shape or form, but it will not be the same rivalry.
Yet it may increase the chances of Michigan recovering in the polls from a loss to OSU, especially in a year where OSU does not win their division. In my opinion, this is not enough. What is lost is much greater than what is gained, because College Football is so much more than the game of football or even winning and loosing, it is about institutions that represent people and places and have traditions and identities. Take the story-aspect of college football away, or make it merely manufactured by ESPN, and you have taken away the most unique and irreplaceable part of college football.
And yet, what does it matter? Dave Brandon has shown that he is forward thinking and progressive. We must bring Michigan into the modern era of football. Money and BCS wins protect the brand and build the franchise. Is we have to sacrifice tradition, that is no more than we have been doing for the past few years.
In my view the Michigan I have loved from my childhood has been dying for years at the hands of a utilitarian approach to tradition and team identity. I don’t think it a process that can be reversed, and I don’t think the fans really want it reversed. Let tradition die. Let the marketplace make new traditions. Let them tell us what the new Michigan is. The fans will fall in love with the new old, and no one will complain in the long run. But I think part of my heart will die.
by Kalé Una Magna Appetiva on Aug 21, 2010 12:25 AM CDT reply actions
Argh. Need a new idea:
Yes, OSU has won 6 in a row… just like Michigan did in ‘88-’93. It will come around again, it’s what’s great about college football. And to move it out of November just to avoid the rematch is silly. Making the rematch a few more weeks apart doesn’t make it any better. It just means that one team might be playing with more injuries in the game that matters more. That’s not more fair or more enjoyable, it’s just dumb. Just like it’s dumb when a team that gets trounced by 14+ points in the first game goes on to the championship because they won the second game by 2 points in overtime, thanks to bad calls/injuries/whatever. That stinks.
There’s nothing wrong with having a rematch. The problem is having the second of 2 games matter so much more. I say if you’re going to have a rematch, have them right in a row. You could even just extend the first game, like they do in some other sports. Or give the winner of the first game 6 points to start the 2nd. So that it’s like watching one huge game. I don’t want to see a Michigan-OSU rematch. But extend the Game to 8 quarters? Count me in!
Embrace change
The fact that the MIchigan-OSU game is considered a unique rivalry merely points out that is an anachronism, like the Army-Navy game.
Interesting...
I haven’t seen much of this attitude posted around, but I fall into category one of ‘I don’t care that much’ for one reason and ‘change is good’ for a somewhat similar reason.
Number 1 – The game has already been moved. My stand was already made against moving the game from the third weekend in November. I get why it was done. I see the positives in moving it. BUT once it was decided the game was moved to THE SATURDAY AFTER THANKSGIVING, I stopped caring when it happens. This is because, as a Michigan alumnus (’08), I feel terrible for the students of the University of Michigan. Thank god the game was still before the break when I attended.
The game is played by college students for their university and fellow students first, in my opinion. Not because you get better TV ratings on Thanksgiving weekend or because it allows you to add a bye/another game. Listen, I was an Econ major and work at a bank. I’m not some crazy tree-hugger, but if we’re going to draw the line, it should’ve already been drawn, as Dave points out with other examples.
Moving The Game to a weekend where a large percentage of students come from out-of-state (I believe it’s almost 40% including int’l students but correct me if I’m way off, it’s still significant compared to most public schools in America) and are home visiting their family over the Thanksgiving weekend is a travesty. Not to mention the students from places like Grand Rapids, Traverse City, Sault Ste. Marie, Marquette, etc. that have to make a 2, 5, or 10:16 (Ironwood, MI) hour drives to see the biggest game of the year and their most hated rival.
I don’t have a problem with playing games later in the season to allow for a bye or add a conference championship, I get that. Which leads me to my reason for feeling a little bit of number three….
Number 3 – Since The Game has already been changed from its original form into something that I think is HORRIBLE (I can’t stress this enough and it is the entire basis for my feelings), I am open to the attitude that this change could be good. I love Michigan tradition as much as any of the diehards on here. I love the Maize and Blue. But sometimes I feel like, as Michigan fans, we get this instantly negative guttural reaction, our anger blinding us to certain opportunities.
A case in point is the 2011 night game versus Notre Dame. While not containing nearly the level of controversy as changing The Game, there was a large segment of Michigan fans that reacted to the news of a night game at The Big House by spewing vulgar overreactions on messages boards and generally freaking out. But there was also a decent amount of fans that said ‘Hey, I’d love to play an historic rival on an historic night. The Michigan-OSU baseball game was pretty sick when they first put in the lights at the Fish. Plus, it’s not like they’re adding lights to the stadium, just doing what they do for 3:30 games by bringing light trucks in and playing the game a few hours later.’
Back to The Game, I commend the Wolverine fans that have at least taken a thoughtful approach to this. We may not agree and you still feel like this is completely ridiculous and is a cardinal rule of the Big Ten, but I appreciate you didn’t just go nuts like numerous people have (as seen above by several prominent posters). The positives, in my mind, for this move are fairly straightforward to me:
1. It won’t be Thanksgiving weekend. That’s enough of a reason to give thanks this year.
2. The ability to get back into BCS or national title contention. Listen, I understand this is a negative for some people. But it’s not like the Big Ten only sends one team to The Rose Bowl anymore. We have 8 bowl tie-in contracts and will probably pick up another with the addition of Nebraska. There IS going to be a Big Ten championship game. College football blue bloods PSU and Nebraska are in the Big Ten. These factors have all diminished the ‘winner take all’ feel that so many people hold dear from seasons past, especially the ten-year war (and I admit I’m not old enough to have grown up when some of these things were going on). The biggest part of keeping the game important is to keep playing high-level football and building even more and better tradition than we already have now.
3. The saying is the ultimate cliche, but is still literally true: This is history in the making. There is potential for embracing something you may look back upon fondly in 10, 20, 30 years and tell your kids how cool it was to be in attendance at the 2013 Big Ten Championship game at Soldier Field (I still like Big Ten-style weather and football outdoors in a true Big Ten town!) when Devin Gardner lead the Wolverines on a 17-point comeback in the 4th quarter against the Buckeyes, culminating in a Vince Young-esque scamper into the endzone in the final minute to send Michigan to the national title game. That wouldn’t be too bad of a future if you ask me.
4. Screaming bloody murder isn’t going to change it. Other than a straight-up revolt by the masses and as well as important boosters of both Michigan and OSU, the outcry by a smaller than I expected group of fans isn’t going to change it. I think a large percentage of fans were prepared to deal with some changes like this and have come to terms that certain things may be different. Not to mention the situation may change in only a few years due to further expansion (I hate that I thought of Jersey Shore when I typed that). Plus, if you are one of those people screaming bloody murder, now you are starting to feel like a Notre Dame fan when propositioned with joining the Big Ten. Don’t many of you who are calling this blasphemy ask them what’s the big deal and proceed to tell them change is good? You may say you like ND independent in defense of your stance, but there are very few people that can tell me that and I’ll believe them.
All in all, sorry for the long post, but cynicism or negativity without consideration of something is one of my pet peeves. I think this is happening whether we are unanimously in favor or somewhat opposed. Take an opportunity to look at what is being and can be built versus what is being destroyed.
by Good Ol' Oakley on Aug 22, 2010 3:54 PM CDT reply actions 1 recs
clarification
The Game hasn’t been moved – it has happened the Saturday after Thanksgiving before – 14 times since 1950, most recently in 2001. It happens periodically, and its never been a problem before. There’s no reason to believe that that part is a permanent change, and it shouldn’t have any bearing on consideration of other “change” within the program.
And now...
after reading Hoover Street Rag, I am thoroughly confused on what will happen…
by Good Ol' Oakley on Aug 22, 2010 5:17 PM CDT reply actions
The Game
I guess it depends on how you feel about “The Game”. If you move it to October, then “The Game” will not be played for a conference title, nor a division title. In mid-October, you can’t even spoil the opposing teams year or knock them out of the national championship game. Don’t bank on too many Big 10 title games paring up OSU and UM. It will happen from time to time, but not as often as you might think or hope.
To put this in perspective. The following is a list of how may times each pair of teams has met in their respective conference title game (minimum of meeting twice.)
Big XII has played 14 championship games.
Nebraska-Texas: 2
Kansas State-Oklahoma:2
Colorado-Texas:2
Colorado-Oklahoma:2
Missouri-Oklahoma:2
where Nebraska has met Texas twice, Kansas State has met Oklahoma twice, etc.
In the SEC, they have played 18 times.
Florida-Alabama: 7
Florida-Arkansas: 2
Tennessee-Auburn: 2
Tennessee-LSU: 2
Georgia-LSU: 2
Florida and Alabama have met 7 times.
You cannot count on a re-match between OSU and UM. If you are lucky, you might get it 1/3 of the time. Played in October, “The Game” may end up being renamed to “The Meaningless Game”, because it won’t be played for anything important besides bragging rights. If in the same division, then they could directly affect each others chances at their division title almost every year. What’s more important, a chance at a rematch for all the marbles or an important match-up yearly for some of the marbles. That’s for each person to decide.
The Game
Two things will be assured by this.
1) The thing that makes it the greatest rivalry is gone. Most years it will not be the last game of the season with the championship on the line, one way or another.
2) Michigan and OSU will never meet for the championship with both teams undefeated.
This doesn’t change the tradition, it ends it. M OSU will not mean anything more to the rest of the country than M MSU means today. Nebraska Oklahoma used to be a big traditional game. Now, who cares.
Tradition
You and Spencer both knocked “tradition.”
Why does MLB use wood bats when metal is safer and more exciting? Why do they build their new stadiums with the same odd outfield angles that streets once forced upon early 20th century ballparks? Why does Michigan put wings on its helmet, even though the leather padding that created its outline is as dead as leather caps?
Another word for “tradition” is “aesthetic.”
Entertainment — and college football is essentially entertainment — is the exact place where tradition should be allowed to thrive. Entertainment is the Garden in the Machine, an escape from a world that in some way or another will modernize too fast for everyone.
The meaning of Michigan-Ohio State is wrapped in tradition. For those of us in Michigan and Ohio, it’s an annual holiday. I don’t have kids yet — when I do get kids, I want to bundle them in poofy navy blue jackets and little maize, woolen hats that Misopogal and I have already purchased, and take them to Michigan-Ohio State. This cute; as adorable as tradition. And that’s the fucking point.
The corners of life that are not subject to The Machine — where you pray, where you cheer, where you appreciate — these are meant to be a little corny, to not make sense to those not invited, to have meaning only as symbolic. Football fandom itself is just a tradition — or do you really believe that a Michigan fan is by nature a different creature than an Ohio State fan?
There is great meaning in sentimentality. Fucking with it for a dollar brings ire. But this isn’t even getting a dollar — it’s about that chance once in a blue moon of a championship game being held a week after The Game.
Follow me here: There is NOTHING to gain from changing the date of the The Game, even if Michigan and Ohio State are in separate divisions. Most years, it won’t be both teams in Indianapolis (or wherevs), so we would just play The Game in the middle of the year for nothing. So the only value gained would be the difference once a decade in whether it’s a rematch after one week, or three or four weeks. Really?
We’ve got mittens too — one pair is blue with Maize block Ms and the other is maize with blue block M’s. They’re unisex ‘cause you can’t tell gender from eye-twinkles.
In my own divisional proposal, I put Michigan and Ohio State on separate sides, figuring The Game getting a potential replay was a necessary evil toward balancing the whole thing out, and that it would happen so infrequently that I could live with it. But I was probably wrong on that. I’m coming around on it because others whose opinions I respect have been making sense on it. The Game means more than perfect alignments.
I do disagree with Brian — I have seen Michigan fans write dumber things many, many times. But I don’t remember ever being this disappointed in discovering such a badly thought-out argument presented by a writer I normally hold in very high regard. Your argument sucks, and though you won’t see it because they will be wearing cute little maize and blue mittens, my kids will one day sit at a late-November Michigan-Ohio State game and raise their cute little middle fingers at every unimaginable bastard who tried to make a world where they didn’t get to experience the pinnacle of Big Ten football: a cold, season-ending, tightened chinstrap war by proxy between the people of Michigan and the people of Ohio.
L'Équipe! L'Équipe! L'Équipe!
Twice a Year?
Not everyone thinks playing tOSU twice a year would be “one of the best things that could happen.”
How would it feel to win the first game and lose the second? Winning twice would be nice but would probably take some of the luster off of both. Losing twice would obviously be the worst…there’s a reason it’s only played once, winner take all.
Mr. Brandon, I respectfully disagree
weird
i would expect the juvenile, derogatory personal attacks on intelligence from someone like …. well … myself …. but i didn’t think the mgoliterati would be so fuckin’ middle school girly to someone who has been writing, and writing well, about MICH for quite some time.
i don’t think you’re stupid, dave.
http://www.wolverineliberationarmy.com
thanks dex
Maize n Brew
Because Football is Better with Beer
by Maize n Brew Dave on Aug 29, 2010 10:39 AM CDT up reply actions
they've got it backwards
Mr. Brandon: please go back to Domino’s immediately. You are simply wrong- wrong and greedy.
Rematches in football are ugly things that cheapen the regular season. Rearranging the schedules for the purpose of manipulating higher $$ rematches is unseemly at best. I don’t think they have though it through either.
Does Michigan really expect to fill the stands on crappy weather day at the end of November with a 5-6 record, against the likes of Indiana? Or would what about teams who have clinched a division title, resting starters in their final regular season game?
Here’s my suggestion:
The Big Ten ought to take a stand.
Big Rivalry games at the end of the season. Fine, put permanent paired rivals in opposite divisions.
In any event, losing the rivalry game should DISQUALIFY you from the championship game, if your rival is in it. (Even better- make your final regular season game a semi-final- i.e. losing your final regular season game disqualifies you from the championship game, no matter what). Pecking order for bowl slots should also be affected by this game, Extra value to the final game, as well as the playoff to follow.
pods
BTW here’s my Big Ten football scheduling proposal, including the Pods concept. A 3-team pod ensures at least 2 permanent rivals:
MOM (Michigan, Ohio State, MSU)
NIM (Nebraska, Iowa, Minnesota)
PIP (Purdue, Indiana, Penn State)
WIN (Wisconsin, Illinois, Northwestern)
Pods are matched with other pods in (1 or 2) year cycles, with 2 pods per division. In addition, each pod plays one inter-division pod, and has one pod off. So M, MSU and tOSU all have common opponents. To be eligible to win your division, you must win your pod.
For example:
Divisions: Lakes & Plains (or E & W, NE & SW or whatever)
cycle A1 : Lakes: MOM + PIP. (interdivision: MOM-NIM; PIP-WIN)
Plains:MIN + MIN
cycle A2 MOM+PIP; WIN+MIN (interdivsion: MOM- WIN; NIM-PIP)
cycle B1: Lakes MOM + WIN (interdivision: MOM- NIM; WIN-PIP)
Plains: MIN + PIP
B2: Lakes MOM + WIN; (interdivison: MOM-PIP; WIN-NIM)
Plains: MIN + PIP
cycle C1: Lakes: WIN + PIP;
Plains: MOM + NIM (interdivision: MOM-PIP; NIM-WIN)
C2: Lakes
Tie breakers (order may be rearranged):
1. Head to Head (minimize rematches)
2. In-Pod record
3. In Division record
4. Common in-conference opponent records
5. Overall Conference record
6. Conference Road record
7. Wins versus non-conference BCS opponents
8. Wins versus ranked non-conference opponents
9. lastly, minimize repeats, rematches from previous year in Title Game
alternative:
rather than distinct divisions, merely take the top two teams in total standings- who are not from the same pod- who meet in the championship play-off game, using tie-breaking criteria as above.
editing...
argh! posted before i had finished or cleaned it up. can’t find how to edit posts. anyhow, hope you get the idea…
i meant...
cycle A1 should have read:
Plains: NIM + WIN
cycle A2 MOM+PIP; WIN+NIM (interdivsion: MOM- WIN; NIM-PIP)
and
cycle C2 Lakes: WIN + PIP (interdivision MOM + PIP; NIM + WIN)
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