They are two of most storied football programs.  They both have won multiple national championships. They have produced Heisman Trophy winners.  They have multiple legendary coaches that roamed the sidelines.  They wear the most recognizable helmets in the college game.  One school copied the others Stadium design and used it as their own. They both have produced some of the greatest talent to ever play in the NFL. You could argue that each produced the greatest QBs to ever play in the NFL.  By now you realize that the USC/tOSU is not the game of the week….

Michigan at Notre Dame

I speak as an authority on both teams.  Why?  Because we own Notre Dame right now, and Michigan owns us.  Because I have a deep hatred of each school.  Because I am friends with so many of the obnoxious fans of these schools.  Patphish is one of my closest friends, I had one of my brothers and my sister graduate from Ann Arbor.  Battle lines are drawn each and every year.  I hate it that games cannot end in ties anymore, because I would like nothing more than a 0-0 tie between these two schools.

I was being torn in different directions when I was young.  I had not formed an allegiance to any college at the age of 11.  It was between MSU, ND, and UofM.  Notre Dame receives what could be considered local coverage in Metro-Detroit.  When I started paying attention to college football in the Hand, MSU was just coming off their Rose Bowl win, Notre Dame was clinching their last National Title, and Michigan had Jamie Morris(brother of Giants running back, Joe Morris).  Seriously, just because he was Joe Morris’ kid brother, I almost became a Michigan fan.  So what made me a Michigan State fan?  When Desmond Howard couldn’t convert a 2pt conversion in 1990.  Michigan was number 1 in the country, and the in-state rival went into the Big House and stole a chance at the National Title right from under them.  I immediately became a fan of the underdog program.  The rest is painful college football history.

Even though I became a Spartan-lifer, that did not deter me from watching this game growing up.  I would even go as far as saying that it was as important in the state of Michigan as the tOSU/Michigan game way back then.  Tony Rice and Greg McMurtry , Elvis Grbac and Rick Mirer, Howard and Ismail, Bettis/Brooks and Vaughn/Powers, Watters and Bunch, Holtz and Bo/Moeller. (BTW, the most overrated head coach in the history of college football is Bo Schembechler, please tell me what he won?). The favorite highlight from childhood is not even a Michigan State highlight (I had a really hard time finding the Keith Jackson call of this play.  Keith Jackson’s call is what makes it so good.  Fast forward to about the 2:35 and enjoy)

Now as much as I hate him and Michigan, I need to give Michigan and Desmond Howard their equal time with this sick play…

These were top 5 teams whenever they met.  When these teams played, they were playing for a shot at the National Title.  They ruined one another’s seasons. They left lasting memories in our minds.  People who cared less for the schools even paid attention.  This was the BCS championship in September.  It was always an intense rivalry.  It is not a long time rivalry, but still heated.  But in 1995 and 1996 they didn’t play one another.  They started it back up in 1997, the year that Michigan one their 1/2 title.  By then, the game had lost its thunder. They are an afterthought now.  Michigan gets their asses handed to them every year by tOSU, and has even lost their season opener the last two years in row in the Big House to non-BCS schools.  Notre Dame won 3 games all of last season.  Like I said earlier, we own them right now.  We planted our flag in the middle of their friggin field!

Both teams have flirted with the national spotlight, but not really.  Michigan can no longer beat tOSU, and Notre Dame has not won a bowl in well over a decade. When people talk about the premier programs in college, they speak about Florida, USC, LSU, Oklahoma, and tOSU.  These two old stalwarts do not strike fear into anyone when their names are heard. But their fans think differently, just ask.

While everyone is getting all jacked up and excited about USC vs tOSU this weekend, I will be anticipating Charlie Chins Weis and Dick-Rod get their teams ready for what commenter Geoff called a “cripple fight.”

As for a prediction?  Michigan 13 Notre Dame 6.  We will clean up the Irish mess at Spartan Stadium next week.

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