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Not surprisingly, mine focus around the Michigan-Ohio State football rivalry.
In 1993, in my sophomore year of high school, my brother and I went to the game in Ann Arbor. OSU was undefeated and regarded as odds-on favorites for the national championship; the Wolverines were 7-3, and lightly regarded. Needless to say, we curbstomped the Buckeyes 28-0, and it was the proverbial "not even that close" game. Just a truly epic beatdown, and it was beautiful.
Two years later, I went with five high school buddies to the 1995 game. Once again, OSU was undefeated, and Michigan was middling. The student section featured not one, not two, but THREE separate Northwestern flags, because if the Wolverines won, the Wildcats would win the Big Ten and advance to the Rose Bowl for the first time since god only knows when. Michigan tailback (and Spelling Bee eliminator) Tshimanga Biakabutuka ran for 313 yards (!), and a relatively unheralded freshman cornerback named Charles Woodson had two second-half interceptions, including one on the Buckeyes' last desperation drive, and the Wolverines won 31-23. I still remember seeing Biakabutuka break tackle after tackle after tackle.
And then, two years after that, in my second year as a student at Michigan, it was our turn to be undefeated and #1; OSU carried one loss, and was ranked #4. Charles Woodson intercepted one pass in the endzone, and returned a punt for a TD, to ice his Heisman campaign. In fact, Michigan would score one TD a piece on offense, defense, and special teams, and would hold off the Buckeyes for a 20-14 win, sending the Wolverines to the Rose Bowl--and a split national championship. The student section rushed the field after the game; I still have the rose I brought to the game, my ticket, and a piece of sod from the goalline I took from the field. It was glorious.
How about you folks?
In 1993, in my sophomore year of high school, my brother and I went to the game in Ann Arbor. OSU was undefeated and regarded as odds-on favorites for the national championship; the Wolverines were 7-3, and lightly regarded. Needless to say, we curbstomped the Buckeyes 28-0, and it was the proverbial "not even that close" game. Just a truly epic beatdown, and it was beautiful.
Two years later, I went with five high school buddies to the 1995 game. Once again, OSU was undefeated, and Michigan was middling. The student section featured not one, not two, but THREE separate Northwestern flags, because if the Wolverines won, the Wildcats would win the Big Ten and advance to the Rose Bowl for the first time since god only knows when. Michigan tailback (and Spelling Bee eliminator) Tshimanga Biakabutuka ran for 313 yards (!), and a relatively unheralded freshman cornerback named Charles Woodson had two second-half interceptions, including one on the Buckeyes' last desperation drive, and the Wolverines won 31-23. I still remember seeing Biakabutuka break tackle after tackle after tackle.
And then, two years after that, in my second year as a student at Michigan, it was our turn to be undefeated and #1; OSU carried one loss, and was ranked #4. Charles Woodson intercepted one pass in the endzone, and returned a punt for a TD, to ice his Heisman campaign. In fact, Michigan would score one TD a piece on offense, defense, and special teams, and would hold off the Buckeyes for a 20-14 win, sending the Wolverines to the Rose Bowl--and a split national championship. The student section rushed the field after the game; I still have the rose I brought to the game, my ticket, and a piece of sod from the goalline I took from the field. It was glorious.
How about you folks?
Very sweet Catholic gal and we had a great time at the game. Of course in the hollywood movies I would end saying, but she's now my wife, but alas life doesn't work that way.
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