Re: The Rivalry
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Well if we're going to debate the "best rivalry" thing...
Obviously I'm picking UM-OSU but it's a total homer pick. The thing about ranking rivalries, aside from obviously being hugely subjective, is how opposite traits will be cited as reasons for why their rivalry is the greatest.
For example, some people say their rivalry is the best because it always has a big impact on the national title/conference title race. Other say that the teams don't have any national or other significance but they STILL have a fierce rivalry and that's why it's so great (think Army-Navy, Harvard-Yale, etc).
Or they'll say that they are fierce foes but have deep respect for each other. Or they hate each other so much that they won't speak and people will treat the opposing fans horribly.
It's funny that opposite propositions become arguments for the same point. No real comment on it, but it's mostly finding a way to justify the rivalry you care about as being the most important.
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This documentary should kick some serious ass. I'm not sure what a Michigan fan's experience is like, but as an Ohio State fan it plays out like a great story.
The entire football season is a preseason for this game. This is it. You win it, its a great season. You lose it, even with 10 wins before it, your season is a failure. As football season closes in, it comes down to "will we beat Michigan this year"? As the season starts, you will notice Buckeye fans will always be keeping a close eye on Michigan, cheering with nearly greater joy when they struggle than we do well. Season after season have been ruined in this game.
As the season starts, there is almost always a countdown to Michigan week. As it gets closer and closer, the current games begin to blur together as the focus heads towards the team up North. The Saturday before the big game, the entire city's attention turns to this game. Non-stop tv coverage, Beat Michigan rallies, concerts, blood drives. The city busses (not just the University ones) will display "BEAT MICHIGAN" instead of the route they are driving. By the end of the week, the students are jumping in Mirror Lake at night (sometimes in near-freezing temperatures) for good luck.
The RVs start rolling in and taking up the student parking. The Friday before the game is a calm before the storm that is about to erupt. Bars open before dawn for Kegs and Eggs with lines going out the door. A sea of scarlet sweeps the streets as 200,000 people take to the streets. Tailgates are packed full and anticipation is in the air. The game will start soon. The band warms up with Skull Session and begins to pump up the crowd. The team runs from St. John Arena to the stadium as everyone cheers. The game is starting soon.
The crowd slowly begins to fill the stadium as it turns from concrete to red with few patches of maize and blue. As the stadium fills, the band begins to take the field. The drums beat as they file out of the tunnel as they have for decades. As they assemble into carefully arranged rows, the Buckeye Battle Cry roars as the drum major leans back, touching his hat to the ground and the main fanfare starts. The finale is the famous Script Ohio. The crowd remains standing, cheering as loud as they do for a Buckeye Touchdown.
At the end of the pregame show, the band aligns with the entrance from the stadium. The players start to head down the tunnel into the stadium, but remain hidden by the red cover. As they charge the field, the crowd erupts into a symphony of 100,000 voices. The game has begun.
As the game progresses, it is always closer than it should be. Teams that are unbeatable and invincible are given scares by much inferior teams. Tension is in the air and the stress levels of watching this game surely add to reduced years on some fans' lives.
The game ends in one of two ways. Victory brings a sigh of relief. The season is a success. The party has begun. Failure brings embarrassment and depression. We now have to wait another year before we get another crack at them. But either way, the countdown begins until the two foes meet again.
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