Done deal: Ohio State Buckeyes sign Michigan Wolverines star player…
Is the rivalry between Michigan and Ohio State becoming too great? Why Jim Harbaugh
might be right
Traditionalists have lamented that the Michigan-Ohio State game this year may have been the final one of its kind, with a twinge of nostalgia.
There has never been a rivalry in college football with greater stakes since the 1970s. This game often decides the Big Ten race, sets coaching careers in motion, and leaves a lasting legacy. The stars came together this season for one of the greatest Michigan-Ohio State games ever, a 30-24 Michigan win that put the Wolverines on course for a third straight College Football Playoff appearance and left Ohio State looking in.
A rematch between Michigan and Ohio State in the conference title game may happen if the Big Ten does away with its division structure and grows to include 18 teams for the upcoming season. Both teams will have room in the 12-team College Football Playoff, which lessens the significance of the regular-season matchup. It’s difficult to imagine a Michigan-Ohio State game mattering as much as this one did in that new world.
When questioned on Monday about the commotion surrounding the rivalry, Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh basically stated that he felt it had gotten out of control. According to Harbaugh, the rivalry itself is not the issue; rather, it’s everything surrounding it, including the constant pressure, media attention, vitriol, and hype.
According to Harbaugh, “I think that is very manufactured for the TV show that people want to watch and see.” “Trying to put that much pressure on someone and having them believe it’s literally life or death is not good for the student-athletes on either side.”
The fact that Harbaugh had to watch the game at home on his couch added to the tension of this year’s contest. A growing rivalry between the two teams, heightened by a constant barrage of media attention, culminated in a three-game suspension handed down by the Big Ten to Jim Harbaugh for Michigan’s scouting and sign-stealing incident.
The drama that surrounded both programs in the run-up to the game doesn’t need to be repeated. It should be apparent to anyone who has taken the time to peruse the message boards and comment sections. This season featured explosive storylines, absurdly high stakes, and moral outrage from all sides. It is difficult to advise fans to maintain a realistic perspective on the game when the daily focus of both shows is on defeating the other.
Ohio State and Michigan play rivalry every day of the year, and they don’t hide it from one another. Anything that occurs at either school becomes fodder for the rivalry when it is that intense. There isn’t much opportunity for de-escalation because of the mutual obsession—only constant gamesmanship.
At Big Ten media days, no player or coach would ever consider saying, “This year I plan to take the rivalry a bit less seriously.” In contrast, Harbaugh declared in 2021 that he would either win the Big Ten or fail trying. I believe he was using a metaphor, but his players understood what he was saying. The “Beat Ohio” drill and other daily reminders, along with Michigan’s renewed emphasis on Ohio State, were major themes that season. Michigan’s first victory over Ohio State since 2011 proved that it was worthwhile.
Whether you love him or not, Urban Meyer was insane in his preparation for the Buckeyes’ victory over Michigan. Ryan Day, the Ohio State coach, was pushed to the edge by him, and now Harbaugh has done the same to him. Day’s expression following Michigan’s third straight defeat demonstrated the toll that this rivalry has on the losing team.
In order to handle that pressure, coaches are compensated handsomely. The athletes don’t. In actuality, NFL players earn millions of dollars to play in games that hold less significance for their supporters than for Michigan and Ohio State supporters on Saturday.
While name, image, and likeness deals can be profitable for players, they don’t provide the same financial stability as an NFL contract guarantee. The brutal reminder of the risks players take to maintain these rivalries came when Michigan offensive lineman Zach Zinter was carted off the field with a broken leg.
It was no accident that Harbaugh repeated his demand for revenue sharing with players during his subsequent media appearance. Like everyone else, he watched the game at home and endured the endless commercial breaks. The drama and intrigue surrounding the rivalry played a significant role in the game’s enormous viewership.
According to Harbaugh, “a lot of that seems really built up from outside of the two programs.” “I won’t say it’s contrived, but it’s been overdone to the extreme.”
To put things in perspective, the two main rivalries in Michigan are generally regarded as being more respectful and civil during the Ohio State game. The Michigan State rivalry has a reputation for being nasty, and in recent years, it has definitely lived up to that image.A recurring theme is that the rivalry stokes controversy whenever something contentious occurs, such as the sign-stealing scandal or the Michigan State incident in the stadium tunnel last year.
Undoubtedly, media coverage plays a role in that. Back when Bo Schembechler and Woody Hayes were in charge, the morning paper and the evening news both covered scandals. These days, fans are drawn further into the drama with every update as they unfold on social media, minute by minute.
Some athletes, such as Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy, completely shunned social media. I’m sure some others had a look. It’s difficult to think any player on either side could have been blind to the growing hostility on both sides.
Over the years, both teams have made contributions to that. Although it’s probably not in the top 500 comments made about Day, Harbaugh’s remark about “standing on third base” following Michigan’s 2021 victory wasn’t exactly polite. Day’s nonsensical remark about Michigan scoring 100 points didn’t improve the rivalry either.
When asked last week about the degree of respect between the two coaching staffs, neither coach had much to say. Though players on both teams at least acknowledged their respect for the players wearing the opposing uniform, nobody needs a bunch of meaningless platitudes.
Even with all of the controversy and drama surrounding the rivalry, The Game is still a really good one. Millions of fans who watched the game on TV at home, including one TV watcher in particular, and the 110,000 fans who were present on Saturday will remember it for the rest of their lives.
“I recognize the focus,” Harbaugh remarked. It was significant that I wasn’t present. I want to take some time to acknowledge the work that our team actually completed a few days ago. Perhaps they will receive the proper recognition.
The past month has seen a lot thrown at Michigan players. Maybe too much. It was an amazing accomplishment to win one of the biggest games in the program’s history despite all of that.
Traditionalists are right to be concerned that the matchup may not have the same appeal next year because part of what made Saturday’s game so special was the high stakes. If the Michigan Wolverines were gearing up for a rematch with Ohio State instead of Iowa in the conference championship game, Saturday’s victory wouldn’t feel nearly as significant.
I doubt that Day or anyone else at Ohio State would find comfort in contemplating the Big Ten East’s demise or the expanded CFP. It always matters that there is rivalry between the parties involved. The Game may begin to feel less like a life-or-death situation and more like a game in the upcoming season.
Perhaps that isn’t entirely a bad thing.
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