New Thanksgiving Traditions: Michigan-OSU
With the Big Ten going to a permanent bye week, next year’s Michigan-Ohio State game will be played the Saturday after Thanksgiving.
We all have Thanksgiving traditions: food, family, backyard football, lions, cowboys, etc. For myself, growing up in Nebraska afforded me an opportunity to look forward to the Nebraska/Colorado game the Friday after Thanksgiving each year. However, I am still undecided about how I feel about the new date for the Michigan-OSU game... What does everyone think?
Other thoughts:
-Big props to Chuck Woodson for his great game today and his generous donation.
-Nice work by Manny Fresh to lead through OT
-After a frustrating football season, Michigan football could use a feel good story. Who does PR for this team anyways? Take a look at the great work being done Bo Pelini at Nebraska: as 75 Husker players visited three local hospitals (good article - link below).
http://www.huskers.com/ViewArticle.dbml?&ATCLID=204840285&DB_OEM_ID=100
November 26th, 2009 at 4:11 PM ^
I think it's about time the Big Ten caught up with the times. Every team needs a bye week. Now maybe we can add a 12th team and get a championship game.
November 26th, 2009 at 7:46 PM ^
but I'd rather see a return to M-OSU playing for the Big Ten Championship every year.
November 26th, 2009 at 8:40 PM ^
There was a thread earlier this year on how the lack of a bye week hurt recruiting. I mean I'm not expecting HUGE noticeable changes, but this has to help recruiting right?
November 27th, 2009 at 3:26 PM ^
That rarely happens. We play for a share of the title fairly often, but the outright title is almost never on the line.
With a championship game, we could play for a division title every single year.
November 26th, 2009 at 4:38 PM ^
I would like to see Michigan and OSU to play the game on Thanksgiving day beginning at noon on ABC. Make it a new tradition and I would love sitting eating turkey and watching the big blue!
November 26th, 2009 at 5:41 PM ^
Yeah, I like watching the Giants too.
November 26th, 2009 at 7:22 PM ^
I don't think I've ever seen a profile pic come anywhere near the awesome level of yours. What do you google to get something like that to pop up?
November 26th, 2009 at 10:03 PM ^
If you really want to know what Google search would produce images of violence towards small animals, I suggest asking the folks at Bucknuts. Hell, they probably have a dedicated forum.
No sugarcoat; It's a famous magazine cover from National Lampoon.
November 26th, 2009 at 4:41 PM ^
With 12 games, not having a bye week is tough on the kids. A positive may be Big 11 exposure for one additional week. I like going to the HS State finals at Ford Field so I guess that is out on Sat. every other year.
November 26th, 2009 at 5:09 PM ^
played post thanksgiving. It has happened at least 3 teams if not more in the last 20 meetings. But yes, if this stays annually it will certainly change a lot of peoples plans. My problem is the difficulty it causes for out of town students.
November 26th, 2009 at 5:33 PM ^
with T-day, state football championships and M/OSU
To be honest the M/OSU game has always been somewhat of a family get together with friends anyway without all the cooking.
We've often skipped the big T-day get together in favor of the M-OSU weekend anyway. So for me not a big change.
Just not looking forward to the first really cold, really snowy game after Thanksgiving.
November 26th, 2009 at 9:34 PM ^
Penn State will be playing Sparty in East Lansing that weekend, too. Of course, the Lions are always home for Thanksgiving. There will be a lot of football in the state of Michigan for the holiday weekend every other year.
November 26th, 2009 at 5:33 PM ^
this is really mediocre in terms of planning for kids who are either in the upper peninsula like myself or out of state...
I am going to be leaving black friday my junior year...
November 26th, 2009 at 6:22 PM ^
you'll have to do your shopping down in a2, oh no!
November 26th, 2009 at 5:46 PM ^
It might screw my usual plans in alternate years since the relatives I usually visit are season ticket holders, but otherwise not a huge deal to me.
November 26th, 2009 at 5:54 PM ^
Closer to bowl season, provides for a bye week, and a great T-day weekend tradition with Lions and UM every year. At least until they pull the T-day game from the Lions.
November 26th, 2009 at 6:54 PM ^
Under the current system, it's really just one more chance to lose and blow a spot in the National Championship game. As it is now, any Big Ten team with one good non-conference game that goes undefeated gets a spot in the title game. Why ruin a really nice advantage? When a real playoff comes, with the Big Ten Champion guaranteed a spot, then I would probably agree.
But now, I just want to see UM take advantage of the system and get to a few of those NC games like OSU did under the same system. The only exception is that I would like to see UM do a lot better than OSU once they get there.
November 26th, 2009 at 7:51 PM ^
I think moving the game back a week is a good idea in principle. Howver it is kind of a nightmare for students like me who used to drive home 9 hours on the Wednesday before turkey day. I mean there is no doubt I would be driving back on Friday if I was still in school. But it wouldn't be ideal, and I know a lot of people who were less hardcore and would sell their tickets in this situation. God forbid trying to fly on that Friday.
Those of you like myself who were upset by the osu presence in the big house this year might have to get used to it because a lot of students who live far away would be selling.
Personally I think they should move it back an additional week, putting us on a schedule very similar to the PAC 10, big twelve, sec, etc. I know December is getting late but it seems like the best option overall IMHO.
November 26th, 2009 at 8:15 PM ^
They need the bye week and to play later like SEC and Pac 10. Less time between last game and a bowl will help in the future. Playing in the cold and even possibly snow shouldn't be a big deal other than maybe scaring away the FL and CA recruits!
November 26th, 2009 at 8:38 PM ^
This definitely sucks for the out-of-state students (and perhaps, players, who won't be able to go home for Thanksgiving anymore). Having said that, the Big Ten could definitely use a bye during the season. Playing on 12 consecutive Saturdays is grueling.
November 26th, 2009 at 9:04 PM ^
As I recall, the classic 1973 game was played over Thanksgiving weekend...I was a junior and my parents and aunt and uncle spent a night or two sleeping on beds and couches in my apartment.
Fun times...good old days when there were seemingly unlimited scholarships and the Big Ten was truly the Big Two, Little Eight.
My problem (apart from living in Florida) will be the conflict with the UF-FSU game--having married into the Gator Nation (with season tickets and an incredibly obsessive but typical SEC type Gator spouse) I sense all kinds of juggling in my future--especially since the Gators will be hosting FSU every year we host OSU. However, I like the move as (a) it does help the Big Ten maintain visibility with the BCS voters and (b) the bye week will allow our team to take a bit of a break from the grinding schedule...and I will so enjoy sitting in the Horseshoe when we take down the Buckeyes--which will be sooner rather than later!
November 26th, 2009 at 10:49 PM ^
it would really be awesome if the bball team played a game every thanksgiving. it was incredible to have an alternative to the lions for once at my house.
November 26th, 2009 at 11:34 PM ^
...as this is a school that can't even bring itself to schedule a night game, but a Thanksgiving day game between Michigan and Ohio State might be a nice alternative if the NFL were to rip the game from the Lions.
November 27th, 2009 at 3:31 PM ^
Michigan has played on Thanksgiving before, it used to be the day we played our major rival (Chicago) and we often hosted the game in Detroit.
The NFL will never rip the Lions from the game without also ditching the Cowboys. The owners like that Thanksgiving provides the league at least one long standing tradition now that they've sold out almost everything else.