This past week’s actions by a sad MSU head coach and the OSU game right around the corner got me thinking about football rivalries. Each year Michigan plays 3 rivalry games with Notre Dame, MSU, and Ohio State. That seems like a lot each year. So I compared it to some of other top programs across the nation.
ND: Michigan and USC
OSU: Michigan
MSU: Michigan
USC: ND and UCLA
Oklahoma: Texas and OK State
Alabama: Auburn
FSU: Miami and Florida
Texas: Oklahoma and Texas AM
Florida: Tennessee, Georgia, FSU
I'm sure the case can be made for any SEC team vs that week’s SEC opponent. But what I'm really talking about is a yearly rivalry match-up that spans generations. I'm not too concerned about Harvard - Yale, Washington - Washington State or Army- Navy.
With that said it seems Michigan plays more rivalry games per year then most teams outside the SEC. Ohio State doesn't have an instate rival and you really can't count PSU since that would be a push with Michigan, so OSU is left with one meaningful grudge match a year. Texas and Florida seem to have plenty of rivals each year with Florida having 3.
So I propose the question. Does playing 3 rivalry games per year, help a team focus or drain the team's resources?
As we know during rivalry week; practice is a little tougher, focus is a little stronger, and the media is a little hungrier. During the games; we know the hitting is a little harder, collars get a little tighter, winning a little sweeter, and losing stays with you for a very long year. Ask the new MSU coach how losing to Michigan tastes?
I know Bo wanted to drop ND from the schedule after PSU joined the Big Ten. ND in their new contract with Michigan didn't want to play both Michigan and USC on the road in the same years.
Do Ohio State and Michigan Sate have an advantage of just having one rival? It's hard to say, but it makes you think. I would challenge the OSU program to continue to try to build another rival. Having an ND and/or Texas on the schedule every year would take away all those doubters that say: "has this team played anyone this year?" (I know ND isn't very good this year but you know they will be back and will be a quality team most years. What 1-7 team do you know that gets so much SportsCenter time?)
Maybe having one rival per year is too much pressure on your head coach and players? I wonder what John Cooper would say.........................
2 comments:
So....I was really enjoying this post. Right up until you "Challenge the OSU program to continue to try to build another rival." Why? We add Texas for a home and home. USC. Notre Dame every now and then. I think these games are made bigger by the fact that they aren't played every year. The schedule is....what it is. This year we get Akron, Kent St, Washington and Youngstown St. Next year we add USC. We took care of business this year. How about you.......?
Michigan for sure didn't take care of any business the first two weeks of the year.
Playing good teams in two year contracts does not a rivalry make. Keep Texas or USC on the schedule every year and then your in business. Heck even, Cincinnati every year would work.
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