Renovating a Rivalry

It certainly is fashionable to pile on the Michigan Wolverines these days. Buckeye Commentary could follow suit but it seems cheap to do so. We could go on and on about their new, prized coach – offensive genius is the phrase I hear thrown around – hurdling toward a trial versus his former employee, West Virginia University.

We may feel tempted to recount the alleged misdeeds of players and faculty alike, as alleged by the Ann Arbor News, where grades were essentially handled to players by a “supportive” professor. But then again, you have probably already read parts one, two, three, and four so there is no need to go over the gory details.

With all the media coverage of the Terrelle Pryor saga, we will not waste any more print describing how or why Rich Rodriguez failed to secure the commitment of a quarterback better suited for his offense than any other in the nation, letting that recruit head to his archrival. You followed right along with that one.

The Michigan community tried to play off Justin Boren as a small, insignificant incident. Besides, it is commonplace in Ann Arbor these days with players leaving the program with relative frequency. Besides, Boren is not even the original, as Ryan Mallett was the first starter to bolt the program weeks prior.

All sarcasm aside, there is no better metaphor for the Michigan program right now than the Michigan Stadium renovation. Ivan Maisel mentioned it in his March 14th piece, if only barely.

Once the renovation is complete, the Ohio State v. Michigan rivalry will own the two best stadiums in the country, if they do not already (the Horseshoe being the clear winner in my mind). I have attended games all over the country and I feel confident saying Ohio Stadium is the nicest college football stadium I have seen. Forget for a moment, the classic shape and copious history, the actual amenities and accessibility are as good as they get in college football. Not to mention it is on the National Register of Historic Places.

Hey, if Michigan is going to continue struggling under Rodriguez for at least a couple of years (see Maisel’s article) the least they can do is provide visiting Ohio State fans with a nicer environment to enjoy Tressel’s dominance.

In all seriousness, many things contribute to the greatest rivalry in sports: the games, the legendary coaches, the helmets, the fight songs, the bands, and the stadiums. Just like when the university renovated Ohio Stadium at the beginning of this decade, this renovation will help the players, fans, and staff of both teams. It will be a tremendous service to The Game.

The rivalry will forever intertwine Ohio State and Michigan in college football lore. As a result, we want Michigan to put the best possible product on the field every season. We want them to keep their funny helmets, goofy band, and smug attitude. Those are all elements that make the rivalry great. A world-class stadium is part of that product.

The ability to play college football’s greatest rivalry in the sport’s greatest venues every year is a privilege no other game enjoys. It makes the games more meaningful and the victories sweeter. Hopefully, we will taste that new sweetness on November 21, 2009.