M-OSU, Oct. vs. Nov.
Would you rather Michigan-Ohio State play the Saturday after Thanksgiving... or late October?
Obviously, we haven't had a M/OSU game after Thanksgiving for as long as I remember. Has it ever happened? What would the student section look like Thanksgiving weekend? Since the game won't be the weekend before Thanksgiving anymore... and since there are more family things going on the Saturday after Thanksgiving, will you be happier with The Game in October as opposed to the Saturday after Thanksgiving? Once the shock of playing someone else last sets in, of course.
August 20th, 2010 at 4:02 PM ^
wait, wait, wait, wait....when did Thanksgiving get moved to November? Did I miss a petition?
August 20th, 2010 at 4:04 PM ^
The OSU game was after Thanksgiving in 2001 as I recall. I am against it being in October. Part of what makes it special is that it is the last game of the year. Everything builds up to it. Since I don't live in MI having it the weekend after Thanksgiving is actually better. I can make it to the game more often.
August 20th, 2010 at 4:11 PM ^
1989 and 1990 too.
If you want to check more-
http://www.altiusdirectory.com/Society/thanksgiving-day-dates.html
Not that rare at all.
August 20th, 2010 at 4:07 PM ^
And not the Weekend after Thanksgiving week, then sure, it's been played that weekend, a number of times. I'd have to look back historically more closely, but I know for a fact in 1995 it was after Thanksgiving. So you come back a day early. No big problem. Just makes the Friday night before the game a pain, if it's in town.
That's WAY better than in October.
And it's a moot point anyway, because SOME game will be after Thanksgiving. It's just whether it will be OSU, or some other "big" game.
August 20th, 2010 at 4:09 PM ^
having it in October would be awesome in my opinion. My birthday is October 20th so seeing a Michigan win against tOSU in the month that I was born in would be the best gift of all. I'm not quite sure why it's being placed on Thanksgiving weekend though? Almost everyone will be traveling and visting friends and family but since it is The Game after all there would still be a sold out crowd.
August 20th, 2010 at 4:11 PM ^
For those who think it's no big deal to move the Game to October, ask any Nebraska or Oklahoma fan about what happened to their rivalry. That was the game of the Big 8 season, rivaling UM-OSU in importance. The Big 12 split the two teams up, moved that game to the middle of the season, and lamely tried to substitute Colorado and Oklahoma State, respectively, as season-ending rivals for NU and OU. Nebraska-Oklahoma has become so massively diminished in importance that they've stopped even having it as a protected rivalry, and may not keep it going after NU leaves.
I'm not saying that we'll stop playing OSU - the Big Ten isn't as dumb as the Big 12 - but it will never be the same. The month of November will feel very hollow as we gear up for an annual game against a .500 opponent (MSU) that draws little interest outside the state.
August 20th, 2010 at 4:25 PM ^
Part of the attraction of "The Game", is the Big Ten Championship and Rose Bowl hanging in the balance, that will be gone, the winner will now go on to play a bigger game for the conference championship.
I would rather see M and OSU have a chance to meet in the championship game at the end of the season, than continue as is and water down the meaning of the game.
With a conference championship game looming, the Michigan, OSU game is going to lose some of its luster, no matter how it is formatted
A Big Ten football championship game that does not include the possibility of a Michigan vs OSU is ludicrous IMHO
August 20th, 2010 at 4:46 PM ^
If we're in the same division, playing OSU at the end of the season almost certainly will have immediate conference-title implications: it will frequently decide the division winner. There is no more meaningful location for the game on the schedule.
If we're playing OSU in the middle of the season, it will never have immediate implications, for the simple fact that both teams will still have a bunch of games left afterwards. And if you think that playing them in a domed stadium in Indianapolis will be anything like what we have now, you're crazy. (Not to mention that such a hypothetical matchup would probably only happen a couple times a decade, tops.)
August 20th, 2010 at 4:56 PM ^
Your arguments are strong and I probably would have preferred not adding a 12th team, but now that it is done, things are different.
Yes, I think M vs OSU anywhere for the Big Ten Title and possible shot at a NC, will be HUGE, so I guess I am crazy. Get out of the 20th Century son, it's time to move on.
August 20th, 2010 at 4:25 PM ^
Haven't there been four threads and a front page post about this today?
August 20th, 2010 at 4:26 PM ^
Keep it that way. It would be nice to shift the schedule and make it not Thanksgiving though. That makes it kind of annoying, although it is not going to stop me from attending The Game whenever and wherever I can.
August 20th, 2010 at 4:27 PM ^
I don't care if it's March, if that's when the last game of the season is played.
August 20th, 2010 at 5:36 PM ^
Honestly, I think that moving it from the last game of the season takes away a lot of the significance of it. Part of the rivalry is that The Game is always looming at the end. However, with the new divisions and everything, I don't think it will be as bad as some people think if we play them in October or something. But, I much prefer The Game to remain The Final Game.
August 20th, 2010 at 5:42 PM ^
November please.
August 20th, 2010 at 6:01 PM ^
Is there any reason other than the SLIM chance of a rematch to put it in November?
It would be nice to have a second shot at them... after last year, I thought: "Now I have to wait another year for a chance to see Michigan beat OSU as a Michigan fan..."
It would be nice to not have to wait another year, but how often are they actually going to have the rematch?
August 20th, 2010 at 6:10 PM ^
The game was in October, as always, the sun was out and summer still hung in the air. Not a great time for a cold weather showdown of two college football titans. Texas won and looked quite good doing it. Fast forward to November. Texas has recently lost one game and is now tied with OU. The last game of the season means everything, and they are not playing eachother, no. Both win, and OU ends up in the conference championship game by a ludicrous tiebreaker.
If that October game was played last and the outcome the same, there is absolutely no doubt the championship game participant would have been Texas, not OU. Therefore, the timing of the game is critical and the outcome of the game is only critical if it is played last. Our biggest game should be the last one, for as many marbles as possible. Its simply undeniable.
August 20th, 2010 at 7:31 PM ^
Playing the Game midseason would be awful. While it's true that playing the Game earlier will not destroy the rivalry, it sure as hell will tarnish it. This game is magical because it is played at the end of the season between two teams vying for a championship and BCS consideration. I don't care if they're in separate divisions and end up playing back-to-back games, this game MUST be played as the last game of the regular season. I see no positives to destroying this tradition whatsoever. If there are any (besides money) please list them.