Football
17y

Re-ranking the rivalry

Upon further review, I think I need to revise that list about top rivalries and bump Michigan-Ohio State to the top spot. This was the most charged game-day atmosphere I've ever seen. It was like 10 straight hours of a goal-line stand vibe.

Thanks to Todd Jones, a columnist with the Columbus Dispatch, I got an up-close look at some of the pre-game traditions of Ohio State football, ranging from the fans serenading their beloved Bucks at the team hotel to the skull session, a pep rally inside a jammed old stacked-to-the-rafters basketball arena. (Here is Todd's story about the day.)

For someone raised as a Buckeye fan in upstate New York, it was a much cooler experience than I expected. Anyhow. Before kickoff, one of the end-zones was overrun with OSU recruits, who were soaking up the scene with former Buckeye great Cris Carter. A few feet away Ohio State basketball coach Thad Matta was with some of his players marveling at the spectacle, too. Then, there was OSU Heisman winner Eddie George running off the field waving a towel above his head to chants of "Eddie! Eddie!" just a few minutes before Michigan native Derek Jeter made his appearance on the Wolverine sideline.

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