ESPN Hot button topic (edit) "The Ten Year War II"

Submitted by CHI_BLU on

Good write up on how both Michigan and Ohio and how Hoke and Urban will not be able to recreate what Bo and Woody did.

"Not that Hoke and Meyer can't ascend to approximately their level at their respective schools, but rather that the allure of Woody and Bo came in their intertwined history before Schembechler even reached Ann Arbor. Schembechler played for Hayes at Miami (Ohio) and coached under him at Ohio State."

LINK

WolvinLA2

August 20th, 2012 at 8:44 PM ^

But it doesn't stop there.  Meyer coached at Florida, where Tim Tebow was the QB.  Tebow considered committing to Michigan.  Also, Urban's last name is "Meyer" and Meijer" is a multi-state super-store based in Walker, Michigan (but originally Greenville).  Lastly, Hoke and Meyer are both from Ohio, which is the state where OSU is located.

NOLA Wolverine

August 20th, 2012 at 7:20 PM ^

All they need to do is string together 2 or 3 very competitive games and ESPN will play it up to levels far beyond the ten year war. Down the road people may look at it and think "hmmmm, there's not much to make a documentary on here besides the fact that they were good football games," but we can have fun in the mean time. 

Maizenblueball

August 20th, 2012 at 9:45 PM ^

After having spent the last 5 years living in LA, and hearing the local slappies slurp up USC, the Lakers, the Dodgers, etc...I was glad to finally move away so I wouldn't have to listen to those clowns anymore. 

I once was listening to the Mason and Ireland show talking about college football, and a recruit that USC and Michigan were both chasing, and one of them made a comment that Michigan isn't even known for good football, so why would he want to go there.  I almost swerved off the road, I was so shocked!  I couldn't believe that somebody who works in SPORTS for a LIVING, and in a major market, could say something so stupid.  I couldn't tell which one of them said it, but luckily the other immediately corrected the fool, saying that Michigan is the winningest football program, etc.  So, at least one of them isn't a total buffoon, but the other is a complete jackass, who knows nothing outside of his LA bubble.

y2mh

August 20th, 2012 at 10:40 PM ^

 I guess that is understandable, WiLA. They just don't get into sports here on the west coast. Same holds true up here in the Bay area for everything but 49er's. Only good sports radio I have ever experienced is East of the Mississippi. (Maybe Texas also, but haven't been there for too long.

justingoblue

August 20th, 2012 at 7:27 PM ^

Hoke is 54, Meyer is 48 with a history of health issues. I'm thinking Hoke has somewhere between ten years (the earliest he'd retire) and fifteen or sixteen (getting too old to be effective), while I could see Meyer retiring or getting sacked in anywhere from like five years to twenty.

justingoblue

August 20th, 2012 at 8:11 PM ^

He seems like a high ceiling, low floor guy in terms of longevity. He's young, and could theoretically coach for a long time, but he's had health problems and seems like he'd struggle to motivate himself if he wins big. Sadly, I think he'll leave them in good shape. I know Florida was in shambles, but I think he'll leave a better program behind in Columbus.

justingoblue

August 20th, 2012 at 11:49 PM ^

The history is definitely behind him leaving...not of his own volation. OTOH he's going to have some success with Tressel's roster, at the least, and might be able to keep a coordinator or two at Ohio to hand the reigns over to when he abruptly retires or is cought sending emails ending in Happy Easter !! Go Bucks !!

BlueDragon

August 20th, 2012 at 7:35 PM ^

The Ten Year War was a product of the media. If the two schools have high-end rosters and produce quality football games, then we will get all the hype and all the attention again.

Needs

August 20th, 2012 at 7:50 PM ^

It wasn't just a product of the media, it was also a product of OSU and Michigan being by far the two dominant teams in the conference, winning every conference championship from 1968 to 1980. Check out the scores of other Big 10 games during that era, it was rare for either team to win conference games by fewer than 10 points.

Edit: I just did a rough count, and during the years from 1968 to 1980, OSU and Michigan lost a total of 8 games to other conference teams. 

Edit 2: Michigan State did win a share of the Big 10 championship in 1978.

BlueDragon

August 20th, 2012 at 8:03 PM ^

I don't know about only losing eight conference games between the two schools over the next twelve years, but they could conceivably sew up their respective divisions year in and year out. Maybe if we play Ohio twice a few years The Game will hog headlines again.

OverDey

August 20th, 2012 at 10:09 PM ^

wish it would but it won't happen again. scholarship limits have changed. no more 100+ person benches, and being able to lock up every top flight recruit. media exposure has changed also, more exposure equals diluting talent. plus, we have stronger teams in b1g with nebraska, and maybe someday psu again.

Mr. Yost

August 20th, 2012 at 7:41 PM ^

I said when Meyer was hired that this was going to be the Ten Year War II. I also said that Michigan and Ohio would DOMINATE the conference and be top 10 teams year after year again.

I'm excited for the upcoming years...watching Dantonio slide into mediocrity will be just as amusing.

Lionsfan

August 20th, 2012 at 8:10 PM ^

What is with some posters lately. It seems like every time someone posts a semi-positive comment about MSU there's always a post right underneath, "Yeah sure whatever Sparty Troll! You Suck!"

Just a PSA for everyone, there's really only one MSU troll here, and that's Beachbum69. There's a few app trolls too, but they're really obvious about it

Wolverine Devotee

August 20th, 2012 at 7:56 PM ^

There will NEVER be another 10 year war where it's just those two teams mattering in the conference. The whole core of the Ten Year War was not only having Bo vs Woody but those two teams being THE powers in the Big Ten. Nobody else was worth a shit.

Plus, it always had a grand finale feel. Now, if the teams are good enough and win their divisions, that regular season meeting won't mean as much as getting the win in the B1G Championship game. That's why I think the B1G has ruined the traditional setting of the rivalry. But times change and it's nice to have a conference title game.

I hate when people make comparisons to that era. Nothing will top that. Ever.

maizenblue87

August 20th, 2012 at 8:09 PM ^

Agree. That will always be the golden age of Michigan football for me. I watched my first UM-OSU game in 1974 when I was nine, and being from Flint really became hooked when Rick Leach started the following year. Our victories over OSU 1976-1978 were special indeed.

Purkinje

August 20th, 2012 at 8:43 PM ^

Those of us too young to have lived through that will have our own golden age memories, though. Hoke vs Meyer may well be as important to us as Bo vs Woody was to you, despite the differences in college football as a whole.

San Diego Mick

August 20th, 2012 at 9:10 PM ^

Is the fact of 85 schollies, back then you didn't have that restriction and it made it easier for U-M and ohio to stock pile talent.

Also, now you have so many teams on TV that the other schools were helped in evening out the playing field, sort of speak.  So kids can get exposure everywhere as opposed to a hand full of teams.