Rich Rodriguez likes Michigan-Ohio State football game at end of season; Jim Tressel mum on potential changes
Rich Rodriguez thinks it'd be great if the Michigan football team and Ohio State continued playing their annual rivalry game on the final weekend of the regular season, but he's not banking on that happening.
Rodriguez acknowledged Tuesday an alternate plan may emerge as Big Ten officials hammer out details of future conference divisions and scheduling scenarios.
Ohio State coach Jim Tressel on moving the traditional end-of-season Michigan-Ohio State football game: "I'm not silly enough to think my feelings are the only ones important."
Associated Press
Asked about the future of the rivalry Tuesday during a conference call with reporters, Rodriguez's response walked a line of endorsing the current tradition while acknowledging conference officials will likely move the game.
Ohio State coach Jim Tressel, on the other hand, had no position on the potential changes to a game played the final week of the regular season every year since 1935.
"We've tried as hard as we can to not join that dialogue and discussion, with the fact in mind we've got a ballgame coming quickly," he said. "... In my lifetime, I've enjoyed being part of the game and observing them playing at the end of the season, but I'm not silly enough to think my feelings are the only ones important."
Pete Bigelow can be reached at (734) 623-2556 or emailed at petebigelow@annarbor.com. Follow him on Twitter @PeterCBigelow.
Comments
Lorain Steelmen
Wed, Sep 1, 2010 : 8:06 a.m.
As a UM grad, my first game here vs OSU was in 1965. (Bump Elliot was the UM coach then.) My younger brother went to OSU beginning in 1966. This year will be the 46th game between the two schools, and I think I actually was AT 31 or 32 of these. Lots of great memories! I am one of those fans that want to see the teams in OPPOSITE divisions so they can play in the title game. That is the way it should be...for all the marbles. Now it is up to each school to get there. If moving the 'protected' game to the middle of the season will accomodate that, so be it. Some one mentioned moving MSU to the last game, and keeping them in the same divsion. That sounds like a decent option to me. I think the change will be much harder on OSU fans, because they don't have any other rivals, and their very existence, and sense of self worth, is based on UM. Conversely, UM has many rivals, and does not need anyone to define their program.
PortageLkBlu
Wed, Sep 1, 2010 : 3:56 a.m.
I think some day Mr Tressel is going to run for office and he's setting the no comment precedence right now. RR at least had something to say, guys got gonads. Mr Tressel is always image conscious, well I guess he's earned the right. I'd rather see the game moved cause we almost automatically lose to Ohio State at least as of lately and I just hate to see our beat down after a bad season that goes back what 7-8 years? When RR gets us back rock en and rollen I don't care but for now. Isn't Jim Tressel a pretty coach boy oh boy, not only does ohio state whip our butts but their coach is prettier than ours.
David Briegel
Tue, Aug 31, 2010 : 9:37 p.m.
What rivalry? Tressel owns Mich! it will become equal to Mich-Ind or OSU-Ill. What's the dif? Woody made the rivalry in '68 when he went for two because he couldn't go for three when the 2 points made it 50! Then Canham hired Bo. Can we change those silly helmets?!!!
Akeem
Tue, Aug 31, 2010 : 8:46 p.m.
How interesting. AA's headline from the conference call: "Rich Rodriguez likes Michigan-Ohio State football game at end of season; Jim Tressel mum on potential changes" The Ozone's (http://theozone.net/) headline about the same conference call: "While teleconferencing with the national media today OSU Head Coach Jim Tressel at least hinted that he might prefer to keep the OSU vs. Michigan game as the final game of the season. Michigan Head Coach Rich Rodriguez? Not so much."
michboy40
Tue, Aug 31, 2010 : 8:33 p.m.
The only way to create an atmosphere similar to what we have now is to split them and hope they meet in the Championship game. That would be seriously intense and it would be the week after Thanksgiving, so we won't have such a huge layoff before the bowl game. I say move the game to Halloween weekend every year...that would be great, then move MSU to the end of our schedule. It's a feasable plan.
azwolverine
Tue, Aug 31, 2010 : 8:22 p.m.
While not an RR fan, I actually agree with him on keeping the rivalry at the end of the season. I disagree that it will remain the greatest rivalry in sports if it moves, though. It will eventually become just another game.
a2citizen
Tue, Aug 31, 2010 : 4:44 p.m.
The 1969 game created this rivalry. Ohio State arrived ranked number one and the winner would go to the Rose Bowl. Check out the yearly attendance figures for The Game in Ann Arbor. 1969 Game: 103,878 1967 Game: 64,144 1965 Game: 77,733 1963 Game: 36,424 1961 Game: 80,444 1959 Game: 88,204 If The Game is move, the intensity, over time, will subside. It will eventually be just another midseason contest. Before 1969 the intensity of the rivalry was not there. Don't ruin the greatest rivalry game in ALL sports. Put the schools in the same division.
Macabre Sunset
Tue, Aug 31, 2010 : 4:37 p.m.
Maybe this game would mean more to Rodriguez if his version of "change" didn't mean 3-13 in the Big Ten after 40 consecutive winning seasons.
Lokalisierung
Tue, Aug 31, 2010 : 3:41 p.m.
"Rich Rodriguez thinks it'd be great if the Michigan football team and Ohio State continued playing their annual rivalry game on the final weekend of the regular season,..." I'm sure he'd love to watch it at home that day in the recliner. Still in favor of them being in the same division. If they were I don't see why they couldn't play it at the end of the season.