The Game

Most sports enthusiasts call it the greatest sports rivalry of all time. For people who are not either huge college football fans or from Ohio or Michigan, it is a hard thing to understand. There is a reason it is known as The Game (yes – in caps). For those of you who view Alabama-Auburn, Florida-Florida State, or the Ole Miss-Mississippi State games as a “real rivalry,” I pity you. When the whistle blew on Ohio State’s 54-10 romp of Northwestern on Saturday, everyone’s, and I mean everyone’s, mind in both Ohio and Michigan turned to the moment we have been awaiting since the end of the 2005 college football season: Ohio State vs. Michigan. A coach can go undefeated all season, but if they lose The Game – there will be talk of their removal (Michigan’s coach has lost 4 of the last 5 games against Ohio State, and despite the Number 2 ranking this season, there is talk of his removal if they lose again this year). If you ask a player, which one they would rather win, The Game or the National Title, they would (and have) say The Game without hesitation. Monday’s front page of the Columbus Dispatch featured a history of The Game and comments about what to expect this Saturday, leaving stories about Democratic control of Congress, Donald Rumsfeld’s exit, and a possible cure for cancer for page two (okay – the last one was a joke; but had a cure for cancer been found – it would have been on page two). Billboards across Ohio are wishing our team good luck against “that team from up North.” Women are scheduled (once again) to have their doctors induce labor several days early so as to not miss The Game. Most popular baby name in Ohio: Jim (after Ohio State coach Jim Tressel); Most popular baby name in Michigan: Lloyd (after Michigan coach Lloyd Carr). And we are talking about boys and girls names. Don’t try to buy gas on Saturday afternoon as numerous businesses will be closed at 2pm all over both states. This treatment is normal. What is not normal is this year, more or less, is the National Championship game. Why does The Game hold such awe in our eyes, especially this year? Here are a few stats which, hopefully, will help you understand:

29:34 – Time, out of 660.0 game minutes, that Ohio State has been behind this season.
17:15 – Time that Michigan has been behind.
329 – Rushing yards allowed all season by the Michigan defense.
21 – Passes intercepted this season by Ohio State.
104-13 – Ohio State’s first quarter combined score in 11 games.
86-23 – Michigan’s combined score.
24-24-2 – Michigan vs. Ohio State series stats in the last 50 years.
9 – Unbeaten seasons ruined in past Michigan-Ohio state games (The Game is always the last of the season). It will be 10 at the end of this year.
5-8 –Record of team coming in with the higher AP ranking in this series since 1993.
0 – Previous Michigan-Ohio State games to feature No.1 vs. No.2.
1 – Games in the last 40 years in which both Michigan and Ohio State came into the game unranked (1987).
October 8, 2005 – Last time Ohio State lost a football game.
November 19, 2005 – Last time Michigan lost a football game (this was last season against Ohio State – where Ohio State won 25-21 by driving the length of the field and scoring a touchdown with only 24 seconds left. I am not ashamed that I, like many others I know, wet myself).
386 – Number of yards Troy Smith put up last year against Michigan.
2,191 and 1,932 – Passing yardage this season for Ohio State quarterback Troy Smith and Michigan quarterback Chad Henne, respectively.
6 – Losses Michigan had to Ohio State and Ohio State had to Michigan in the 13 seasons between 1968 – 1980.
5 – Combined losses Michigan and Ohio State had to the rest of the Big Ten in those 13 seasons.
1967 – Last year the game was not a sellout.
$2,800 – average cost a ticket is going for on eBay.
103 – number of times The Game has been played.
0 – Combined losses of Michigan and Ohio State for the season.
22 – Combined wins of Michigan and Ohio State for the season.
2003 – The year Congress proposed passing a resolution calling The Game the greatest sports rivalry in history.

So what does this mean? It means despite your background: clear your schedule this Saturday, sit down at 3:30pm EST, turn your TV to ABC, and watch history take place. I promise by the time The Game is over, you will understand why it is known as The Game.