It's the first day of Beat Michigan Week.
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None of that matters -- this is Ohio State-Michigan. This is The Game.
While the Buckeyes enter The Game 9-2 and ranked #10, the Wolverines will drag themselves into The 'Shoe next Saturday with a 3-8 record -- in over a century of playing football, the University of Michigan has never lost as many games in a season. Under new head coach Rich Rodriguez, Michigan won't be playing in a bowl game for the first time in over three decades.
None of that matters. This is Ohio State-Michigan. This is The Game.
For those of us who have loved and lived The Game since childhood, every edition of OSU-Michigan is memorable. We understand why it's considered the greatest rivalry in all of sports -- but distinction matters less than tradition.
From Columbus to Ann Arbor, and in countless communities in between, these are the high holy days of our gridiron religion. We tolerate the rest of the season -- in fact, we suffer the rest of the year -- only because each passing day brings us closer to November's most sacred liturgy.
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Here in the Heartland, the tougher the times, the more cherished our traditions. The tighter you squeeze us, the louder we'll cheer for the Scarlet and Gray, the Maize and Blue.
Sure, these are hard days. But for one week, for four hours on a cold November afternoon, none of that matters. This is Ohio State-Michigan. This is The Game.