HAS THE MICHIGAN OHIO STATE RIVALRY GONE TOO FAR??

ONE OF THE BIGGEST GAMES IN COLLEGE FOOTBALL AND IN ALL OF SPORTS EVERY YEAR: OHIO STATE VS. MICHIGAN. THIS SATURDAY OHIO STATE HEADS UP TO ANN ARBOR TO TAKE ON THE WOLVERINES, WHO HAVE WON EACH YEAR SINCE 2019.

ESPN'S DAN WETZEL HAS A WILD TAKE ON THE OHIO STATE-MICHIGAN RIVALRY, SAYING THAT "LAST YEAR, THEY TOOK THIS THING TOO SERIOUSLY. IF YOU WALK AROUND OHIO STATE’S CAMPUS THE WEEK OF THE MICHIGAN GAME, IT IS CRAZY … RYAN DAY LAST YEAR SAID LOSING TO MICHIGAN WAS, YOU KNOW, AS PAINFUL AS THE DEATH OF HIS FATHER, LIKE THIS THING NEEDED TO BE RELAXED."

OTHER EXAMPLES OF THE RIVALRY GOING TO EXTREME MEASURES INCLUDE:

1. PEOPLE LITERALLY WON’T SAY THE LETTER “M”

2. URBAN MEYER ONCE BANNED THE COLOR BLUE

3. A MICHIGAN FAN TRIED TO POISON A 120-YEAR-OLD TREE

4. OHIO STATE FANS HAVE ATTACKED MICHIGAN CARS

5. A CONGRESSMAN GOT INVOLVED IN THE RIVALRY ON THE U.S. HOUSE FLOOR

BUT AS WE KNOW, THE RIVALRY HAS A DEEP HISTORY THAT IS THE BIGGEST AMERICAN SPORTS RIVALRY. IT’S WOVEN INTO IDENTITY, GEOGRAPHY, FAMILY HISTORY, AND GENERATIONS OF PRIDE. FOR MORE THAN A CENTURY, THIS MATCHUP HAS SHAPED SEASONS, CROWNED CHAMPIONS, AND DEFINED LEGACIES, BUT ITS REAL WEIGHT COMES FROM HOW DEEPLY IT RUNS OFF THE FIELD.

KIDS IN BOTH STATES GROW UP CHOOSING A SIDE BEFORE THEY CHOOSE A MAJOR, WEDDINGS ARGUE OVER COLORS, BUSINESSES DISPLAY ALLEGIANCE, AND ENTIRE COMMUNITIES PAUSE ON RIVALRY WEEK. EVERY GAME CARRIES DECADES OF GRUDGES, HEARTBREAKS, REVENGE WINS, LEGENDARY COACHES, CULTURAL BATTLES, AND UNFORGETTABLE MOMENTS THAT STILL GET ARGUED ABOUT LIKE THEY HAPPENED YESTERDAY. IT’S AN ANNUAL COLLISION OF TWO CULTURES, TWO STATES, AND TWO WORLDVIEWS, PLAYED OUT ON THE BIGGEST STAGE COLLEGE FOOTBALL KNOWS.