Some day ask Tiff how excited I was for Michigan’s game against Ohio the weekend following Thanksgiving of 2011. After a night out, with the bars closed and late-night pizza consumed, I was still bouncing off the walls of our small hotel room just across the street from my freshman dorm. Until well past 4 a.m. I paced around the room explaining to Tiff — who at some point fell asleep — how important this game was, often glancing out our window at the dimly lit Michigan Stadium in the distance. In watching a replay of the game in subsequent days I was struck by Chris Spielman’s cliched, but spot on description of The Game: It’s a season unto itself. I know lots of teams have lots of rivalries, but it really boils down to this as a fan of Michigan or Ohio: If you lose your final game in November — even if you won every other game that season — your season is a failure. You won’t find a fan of either school who will tell you otherwise, and if you do they’re just in denial. I worked myself into such a psychotic frenzy that Friday night, rambling for hours about the rivalry, that I felt as if I could have burst through that tunnel the next day. Turns out they didn’t need me.
Michigan 40, Ohio 34. This is the ugly face of pure joy. This was one of the great chapters in the 108-year history of The Game, and I am not a Michigan-Ohio novice. This was the 10th time I’ve seen the rivalry in person and the ninth time in Michigan Stadium. I’ve seen amazing plays from the likes of Desmond Howard, Charles Woodson, Tim Biakabutuka, Mercury Hayes, Chris Perry and Tom Brady. I’ve also seen Troy Smith and Terrelle Pryor. For seven straight years Michigan had lost to Ohio State. That’s seven consecutive failed seasons if you’re following along. And when your family treats Michigan football like family, seven straight years stings pretty good. In the grand scheme of life, it’s certainly not a huge deal. But I’d liken it to getting on an airplane and really having to go to the bathroom, but not being able to get out of your seat for seven hours. You can try to repress the pain or think about something else, but it’s always there in the back of your mind and the seat of your pants.
Saturday’s win was as much about celebration as it was about relief. Seven years of losing is over. Seven hours on the plane is relieved. I’ve heard people ask, “How could you rush the field after beating a team that finished 6-6?” I would have rushed the field if they were 0-12.
Some pics from the weekend, some courtesy of my brother and his telesopic lens:
Go Blue!
Tags: Ann Arbor, Chris Grandstaff, Chris Wilson, Elliot, Erin Grandstaff, Matthew Grandstaff, Michigan football, Michigan-Ohio, Michigan-Ohio State, Michigan-Ohio State 2011, Mike Kern, Mom, Ohio State football, T.J. Berka, Tiffany Grandstaff
