Enough about an overrated rivalry

You know, I was originally going to write about Joe Ganz's initial two games as NU's starter, but after hearing the non-stop hype about OSU/Michigan, I felt compelled to write about just how unbelievably fucking stupid the pundits at Bristol are.

First off, let me make it clear that I do respect the tradition of the rivalry between OSU and Michigan. I know they've met 103 times, I know about the "10 Year War" between Bo and Woody, and I understand that it is the Big 10 equivalent of what used to be the annual battle between Oklahoma and the Huskers. So don't get me wrong, I realize the importance of the game to the fanbases involved and those in Big 10 country.

With that being said, can we please end the ongoing charade that this is a battle between elite teams? This year, we have to hear about an OSU team who's most impressive victory was against then-#20 Purdue and about a Michigan team who, in the words of ESPN's own Pat Forde, is "nothing special."Last year, it came to a head when the two steamrolled through the Big 10 like it was made up of high school teams, leading up to an over-hyped matchup that was pronounced by many as "The Game of the Century". Forget for a minute that that century was only seven years old at the time, and think back to that game. Yes, they were #1 and #2. But the game was never really in doubt. Every time Michigan would score to cut the lead to one score, Ohio State would answer on the next series. Sure, they only ended up winning by 3 points, but the fact of the matter is that it was a 2 score game for the majority of the game, and any educated college football fan who watched the game knew early on that OSU would (and did) answer every challenge Michigan presented. For a conference that prides itself on it's supposed toughness, the defenses gave up stat lines that the 2007 Husker squad would be proud of: Troy Smith and Chad Henne combined for 583 yards and 6 touchdowns.

What stands out most to me is how these supposed powerhouses from the Big 10 went on to perform in their bowl games. We all know that the Buckeyes were subject to a massacre of Biblical proportions at the hands of the Gators in the National title game, and the Wolverines were raped up and down the field by USC in the Rose Bowl.

Just how full of themselves are these two schools and their fans? In 2004, Michigan and Ohio State announced a deal with SBC communications to sponsor their football game for the next two years for $1.06 million, to be split between the universities. The game would be dubbed the "SBC Michigan-Ohio State Classic" that year and the order of the school names would be switched the next. Fortunately, the fans were smart enough to protest the move until it was canceled. In honor of the 100th meeting between the schools in 2003, US Representative Stephanie Jones of Ohio proposed a resolution in the House to recognize Michigan and Ohio State as the "greatest sports rivalry in history." Really? The greatest in not just college football history, but SPORTS HISTORY? Even HBO is getting into the act, producing a special feature, "The Rivalry", that chronicles the history of the matchup.

All of this makes the struggles of the Big 2 and Little 9, er, the Big 10 even better. This year, both Michigan and OSU stumble into the game with losses the previous week. Yet despite most of the nation having a hangover from having horrendous Big 10 football jammed down our throats, here comes east-coast ESPN again, hyping the game again. I don't know, maybe I'm still pissed about Michigan being voted #1 in 1997 by the media despite their struggles with an overrated Washington State team while the Huskers demolished #3, Peyton-Manning-led Tennessee. Or maybe, just maybe, I'm sick of a horrible conference taking precedence in a year when the Big 12 has a resurgence and three teams ranked in the top 6.

So I hope every one has fun watching college game day on Saturday. They'll spend one half of the two-hour program watching highlights of Mike Hart bowl his way for 4 yards. All the while, Herbstreit and Co. talk breathlessly about how important the game is despite the fact that neither of these teams have a shot at a national title. Instead of focusing on that, they'll do what we Husker fans tend to do: talk about a period when we were national powerhouses, a time that has, at least for the time being, passed these programs by. What will be even more fun is watching them get their ass kicked in January bowl games yet again.

Big 10 football, feel the excitement! I think I'll take a f*cking nap.