Michigan vs. Ohio State: Caught Between the Best of the Best Rivalries

By Jenny Barkan on February 26, 2014

I grew up in Columbus, Ohio—a city that eats, sleeps, and breathes Buckeye sports all year long. Once, I dressed as an Ohio State cheerleader for Halloween in first grade. I trudged through the unpleasantly cold October weather to watch Ohio State football games in the horseshoe nearly every year of my childhood. Over every Thanksgiving weekend for as long as I can remember, when the biggest annual rivalry game in college football would air on television, I munched on chocolate buckeyes and declared how much I hated The University of Michigan.

So, how did a Buckeye-bred girl like me end up spending her four years of college in a territory dominated by maize and blue T-shirts and a giant block “M” staring up at me as I walked to class everyday? It would be a lie to say I didn’t partially make my college choice based on my preconceived belief that Michigan was academically more challenging than Ohio State. And I would be avoiding the truth if I were to deny the fact that I wanted to “get away from home” after I graduated high school.

photo from scrapbookattic.net

When I first arrived in Ann Arbor for my freshman year, I found myself bitter whenever I’d encounter the ever-present hate for Ohio. Whether it was “Buck the Fuckeyes” shirts or “LeBron Hates Ohio” bumper stickers, I’d seen and heard it all. Hey, that’s my home, I’d think, secretly taking the messages to heart.

But then I’d return to Columbus for Fall Break to visit my friends on campus and I’d see the classic “Ann Arbor is a Whore” apparel strutting into Chipotle and then across the street to the bookstore. “Then why didn’t you get it?” I’d chuckle to myself. Suddenly, I realized I was becoming a little possessive over Michigan, too.

I spent the majority of my undergraduate experience feeling utterly conflicted.  Whenever I was in Ann Arbor—spending my time taking interesting classes and hanging out with my amazing, like-minded friends—I was totally engulfed in Wolverine mode. But when I returned home for the holidays or a summer vacation, my innate Buckeye pride always managed to seep back into my veins.

I stressed over who to support in the big games. Do I dare wear anything Ohio State-oriented inside of Michigan’s massive Big House? Am I a traitor to my hometown? Or worse, am I a traitor to my soon-to-be alma mater?

photo by Jenny Barkan

I got offended whenever my Ohio friends would post snarky tweets about Michigan embarrassing themselves in the latest basketball game. I was upset when my family members asked me how “that school up north” was treating me. What, you’re too cool to say the word Michigan out loud? It is a state after all. . . in the same country that you live in. I was exhausting myself over something so trivial. I was turning something that was merely a fun and exciting rivalry into a cold-hearted mental battle.

But this year, as I sat in Michigan stadium to watch my final Ohio State vs. Michigan football game as a student, I looked around and saw all the dedicated fans who wildly cheered on their team of preference down to the very last seconds on the clock. I sat between my family and friends from Ohio and I sat with my best friends who I would have never met if it weren’t for my decision to attend Michigan. I loved being surrounded by all the people I cared about, no matter where they were from or what team they liked the most. We were a little pool sprinkled with scarlet and grey among the overwhelming sea of maize and blue that occupied Michigan Stadium. And we were having a great time watching the talented athletes from both our universities battle it out on the football field.

While it appears that in recent history Ohio State has been home to the superior athletic teams, Michigan has seemed to claim the title of possessing the brains and having the highest achieving scholars. But who’s to say these statements are valid? Does one football game speak for all of the hardworking student athletes across both universities? Does a grade point average indicate how much time a student spent studying for his or her exam? I certainly don’t think so.

So after attending four years of school in so-called “enemy territory,” here’s what I’ve learned: 109,901 people can fit inside Michigan Stadium, and 102,329 people can fit inside Ohio Stadium, but only a measly 189 miles of cornfield-lined highways separate Columbus, Ohio from Ann Arbor, Michigan.

Two states that border each other; two amazing universities with top research hospitals, brilliant students and staff, and exceptional athletes—as cliché as it sounds, it seems that all the hate has only taught me to appreciate. It may have taken an intense internal battle of the hometown versus the college town to help me see how great each institution really is, but now I understand that if you’re fortunate enough to have the opportunity to attend either one of these universities, then you really do have the best four years of your life ahead of you. And that, my friends, is why Ohio State and Michigan are the best rivals in college history.

photo from ign.com

 

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