“The Game” Kicks Off Saturday at Ohio Stadium
Columbus — Next Saturday, coaches, players, and fans will come together at Ohio Stadium to take part in "The Game," as the Ohio State Buckeyes and the Michigan Wolverines will face off in a game that is widely regarded as the biggest rivalry in college football. On Thanksgiving weekend, the two sides will square off for the 118th time when the match begins at noon. The least costly tickets seem to cost over $500, while the most expensive ones seem to cost more than $10,000. Prices are available here.
"The game is way beyond that of a rivalry. These two teams have despised each other way before I was even born," said Patti Evans, 64, an Ohio native who will be watching the football game at home with her family. Evans' calculation is correct, as she was born 61 years after the first Ohio-Michigan game. When asked why she loves this game, she stated, "It brings the community together, especially when we win, I even remember a time when we won, and victory riots took place over the majority of Columbus." In the eyes of coaches, players, and fans, "the game" means a lot to Ohioans and is much more than just a football game. At the conclusion of the interview, Ms. Evans shared a picture of an Ohio State blanket that she had crocheted for one of her grandkids.
Ohio State Buckey Blanket Crocheted by Patti Evans
At Ohio State University, it has been well documented that the fans hate the Wolverines so much that they refuse to use the letter "m" on rivalry week and refer to Michigan as "TTUN," which means that team up north. The rivalry began with the two states arguing over the rights to Toledo, and ever since it has grown to be about the two universities competing against each other.
Ohio native Jason Roth, 42, is a diehard fan of the Buckeyes. He expressed his hatred for the Wolverines and said that he has a "burning passion" towards the team. When asked why, he cited his distaste for the fans and mentioned one incident in which he said he refused to speak to a friend for more than a month after the individual tormented him after the Buckeyes' defeat against the Wolverines the previous season. "Last year's loss made me sick, and I hope that OSU can redeem themselves this year," he concluded.
An Older Photo of Jason Roth Watching "the game" With His Daughter.
There are always two sides to a story, and this is certainly true in the rivalry between Ohio State and Michigan. The 46-year-old Michigan native Kevin Reed emphasized how much he loves the Michigan Wolverines. He recalled watching the Wolverines defeat the Buckeyes in the past, but he also noted that the rivalry had been one-sided for quite some time. He said, "The Buckeyes have had our number for almost a decade, so we were lucky to beat them last year. I'm hoping we can win twice in a row."
On November 26, Ohio State and Michigan, two of the top four teams in the nation, will face off in a game that will eventually determine the college football playoff and decide which of these big ten teams will move one step closer to contending for a national championship.
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