By Michael Germanese
The thing that made college football different from any other sport was the fact every game
mattered. One loss could end any chance of accomplishing the goals you had to start the
season. It’s that reason that made “The Game” so special, no matter how down a team was, there was always a chance to ruin your rival’s season. The 12-team playoff now has the
meaning of The Game on life support, and with one more Ohio State win, it would be gone.
In life, they say time heals all wounds that wasn’t the case in the Ohio State-Michigan rivalry.
Losing the game was a pain felt by coaches, students, and fans until you finally beat them.
Friends, family, and coworkers made it their mission to point out the game if your team was on
the losing side. It’s not just a game to many it’s a way of life, a rivalry built on hatred and
disrespect. From the minute players arrive on campus the amount the game means is
engrained into them but is that about to change?
As long as anyone can remember Ohio State against Michigan has been the biggest game of
the year. It’s a rivalry where a season of 7-5 is successful, and 11-1 is a failure all because of a
loss. A loss in the game has taken away Big Ten Conference Championships, trips to Rose
Bowls and College football playoff appearances. It’s a game that despite a down year you at
least had a chance to ruin the other season. But now this new era of college football has put
that meaning of the rivalry on the brink of extinction.
Just 41 days ago Michigan went into Columbus and beat Ohio State as more than a 20-point
underdog. What should have been a layup win for Ohio State ended up being the fourth straight
win for the Wolverines. If this loss happened under the four-team playoff format Day be out of the playoff and possibly a job. Instead, he was given a second chance thanks to the new 12-team playoff format to
achieve at least one of the goals this season.
After the loss, Michigan fans poked and pointed and enjoyed the misery of the OSU mental
breakdown. Calls for Day’s job echoed out of the Horseshoe and on social media, but Day just
tuned it out knowing Ohio State still had games to play to save the season and his job.
For fans, the season was a complete failure, and nothing could change that, beating Michigan
was the only thing that mattered. Some fans claimed they would rather defeat the Wolverines
than win a national championship. With one more Ohio State win they’re going to find out if
those statements are true. And for Michigan fans, the enjoyment of a win that usually lasted 365
days will be gone in 51 instead.
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Bragging rights and the enjoyment of listing as your rival tries to reason why they lost will all be
gone with one more OSU win. You can’t boast about a win when the team you beat is lifting the
national championship trophy. And the collateral damage on rivalries with an Ohio State win will
be felt around college football. That’s because If “The Game” a war between Michigan and Ohio
State can lose its meaning any game can and will.
On Jan. 20 an Ohio State win in Mercedes-Benz Stadium makes the Michigan win means
nothing in the grand scheme of things. For fans, the reality is that the rivalry will never be the
same moving forward. What was a game that could make or break a season is now nothing
more than just another regular season game. For the most part regardless of the outcome, your
ability to accomplish the biggest goal could still be right in front of you.
