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November 19, 2009
Sometimes you can hear a story about a future event that’s a couple years away and you can forget about it until the time draws near. That’s the case with this story. It was a few years back when the Big Ten first started kicking around the idea of adding a mid-season bye week for every team in the Big Ten, thus extending the season from 12 weeks to 13 weeks.
There are several reasons for doing this, not the least of which is that it theoretically will help the elite teams in the conference avoid a mid-season letdown game and stay undefeated, thus giving the conference a better shot of getting a team into the BCS Title Game. Furthermore, the idea is that it will help recruiting by being able to ensure kids a week off in the middle of the season.
As a person who loves tradition, though, this saddens me greatly. Growing up in Ohio, you could count on this time of year, when the air begins to chill, the leaves have fallen, Thanksgiving is around the corner, and OSU-Michigan will partake in The Game every year on the Saturday before Thanksgiving.
That ends this year, unfortunately. Bucknuts recently covered the mid-week pressers and this what they had to say about it, including quotes from Jim Tressel:
The Big Ten will be moving to a new schedule in 2010 which will add a bye week to the middle of the season but will push the Ohio State-Michigan game to the Saturday after Thanksgiving. Tressel does not necessarily like the move.
“I’m kind of an old timer,” Tressel said. “I’ve always thought that the Big Ten had a great advantage in the fact that their kids could go home for an extended Thanksgiving weekend. Kids work out all year round. They train and so forth and play tough schedules, and to have a chance to be with your family over Thanksgiving I’ve always felt was a real positive thing for our kids . The decision was made to move it back; I’m not sure that I was a proponent of that, but on the other hand, when they schedule the games you go play them.”
I already am not a fan of the fact OSU was forced to wear alternate jerseys in The Game, as the tradition of those 2 uniforms meeting on the football field was sacred to me (I don’t care if OSU wants to wear those uniforms against someone else, but not against Michigan). Well, now, I can’t even count on enjoying Thanksgiving Dinner while discussing the latest installment of sports’ greatest rivalry with my family.
I realize at the end of the day this isn’t a big deal. It’s just a different date. It’s just different uniforms. Perhaps I lament it solely based on nostalgia, as I come to the realization that every tradition that dies in my life is simply an indicator of my growing age. After all, nothing stays the same forever. Perhaps it’s just my conservative nature, and the fact that being able to count on certain routines is meaningful to me. Regardless, it would be nice if some traditions could be honored, respected, and revered. Watch out Christmas, you might be next. Whoever said December 25th was set in stone?
28 Comments
Well said, Rock. Couldn’t agree more.
Jeez Rock, sounds like you got one foot in the grave already.
If memory serves, hasn’t the game been the weekend after Thanksgiving before? I seem to recall the last year the Bucks won against Michigan with Cooper at the helm that it was that weekend. It may have been one year under Tressel as well. Though these instances were probably a function of the season starting later rather than adding the bye week.
In any event, I completely agree with this move. In fact, I’d be in favor of the Big Ten building in TWO bye weeks – anything they can do to back up the schedule I would be in favor of. The last two times in the National title game, the Bucks were at a decided disadvantage due to this “tradition.”
I agree with you Rock about the “throwback” uniforms too. They look ok, but I don’t see why this is being done for the Michigan game. Also, is Michigan wearing throwbacks?
I’m a creature of habit and can only handle so much change. I can tolerate the jersey change for this year, but moving the date of the OSU/Michigan back is too much change for me.
The only bright spot I can think of is that they’re won’t be as large of a break b/w the last game and the bowl games. I know a major complaint was that we had too much time off between the two games.
#3… it has been played after thanksgiving before…
“With Ohio State-Michigan returning to Thanksgiving weekend a year from now, as has been the case just 16 times in the previous 68…”
http://www.elevenwarriors.com/2009/11/wither-mirror-lake.html
Welcome to the 21st century, Big Eleven.
89 and 95 UM/OSU was after T’giving…maybe others
I can’t believe I forgot to include this, but the Mirror Lake jump will be on Thanksgiving now. Awesome.
along the lines of shortening the time off between the last game and the bowl games, i’d be willing to bet that another reason for this decision is to move our last game closer to the last game of the other conferences. the big ten champ tends to lose a few points in the voters minds solely based on the fact that we aren’t playing while everyone else still is
You’re right Rock, that’s exactly what I was thinking while reading this! This is not just messing with the game date, it’s messing with the entire rivalry. I don’t agree with calling these uniforms “throwback” when Nike had arrangements with 9 other schools to have them wear strikingly similar (Oklahoma) uniforms. I think OSU is just trying to mask the fact that they are wearing alternates for the biggest game of the football season..,
Keep the date of the game the 3rd week of November…add another team and a Championship game!
Somewhat related to the OSU traditions. Nice little article by the Dispatch about the “cleanliness” of the water during the Mirror Lake jump.
http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2009/11/18/mirror-lake-jump-urine.html?sid=101
2001 was after Thanksgiving, because I remember being at my parents’ house… in the second half I ate a slice of my mom’s pumpkin pie, and each time I did Michigan scored to bring the score closer. Alas, she ran out of pie with Michigan still behind and Tressel got his first win.
the only upside i see to this which maybe a big one is there will now be one week less of a layoff in between the end of the big 10 season and bowl games.
no doubt the big ten has a disadvantage when it rolls into the 80 degree bowl season weather after last playing a month ago in 40-50 degree climate.
screw the BCS and their “perfect conditions” ……around here that means 40 with a chance of flurries!
This is not just messing with the game date, it’s messing with the entire rivalry.
…
Keep the date of the game the 3rd week of November…add another team and a Championship game!
Those two statements don’t jibe with each other. What made the rivalry great was how many times it was for the whole Big 10 Ball of Wax. If you add a championship game, it ruins that. Plus, if you put OSU and UM in opposite “divisions” of a 12-team conference, you might end up (not likely in the immediate, but someday darn it!) with OSU and UM playing each other twice in a row.
i don’t think anything could ruin the rivalry now.
its already built up into what it is because of the past games.
Changing the game to a later week or adding a championship game isn’t going to make me hate Michigan less.
2 michigan-osu games in a row?!? what more could we ask for!
I have no problem with it. Actually makes Thanksgiving weekend that much more exciting now. Turkey day, coma day, OSU-MICHIGAN FOOTBALL DAY… whats to complain about?
this is great news for me. as an OSU fan that no longer lives in ohio, i always travel back that weekend for thanksgiving, so now i will be able to watch the game every year with my family, and with other local OSU fans.
WIN.
I’m fine with the date change. My big fear was OSU vs. that team up north wouldn’t be played as the last game of the year. My fears have been put to rest, thank you Rock.
GO BUCKS!!!
I’m very much in favor of this and somewhat opposed. The big ten needs to sty relevant in December, and moving this game back is a start to that. Also, big ten teams get rusty and, honestly, bored waiting to play in their respective bowls. And if that bowl Is the championship game, it is basically six weeks off. That’s a whole new season, not the end of the current one.
One thing I must lament: I enjoy beating the traffic. I mean, I drive in for thanksgiving and I like to leave for home on Saturday instead of Sunday so that I don’t have to sit in the Holland Tunnel for 3 hours, waiting for the right to sit on the Brooklyn Bridge for another hour. This game will definitely throw a wrench in those plans. But overall, it is undoubtedly a good move for Ohio state, Michigan, and the big ten.
I’m more upset they are wearing one off unis in the greatest rivalry in all of sports because Nike wants them to be worn against non- Nike schools than them moving the game.
I’ll be even more upset when the Big 10 gets a conf championship game and it screws with the game. (either putting the 2 teams in separate conferences and making them possibly play twice a season or making it a stumbling block so one of the teams will play another game for the championship)
The date change is a bummer. I loved eating Thanksgiving dinner while knowing that the Buckeyes had beaten the Wolverines. If they lost, well then dinner cheered me up.
That being said, this is a function of the rest of college football. No other conference ends as early as the Big 10 and it is a disadvantage as far as bowls go.
I wish the other conferences hadn’t stretched their games out or would move them back. But, that’s not going to happen. The Big 10 needed to do this to keep pace.
love it.
The four-day Thanksgiving weekend has always meant non-stop but food and football, and this will make it that much better.
I just think it sucks for the OSU students who have to decide between going home for Thanksgiving and staying for The Game and the traditions. There are going to be a lot of unhappy mothers in Ohio on Thanksgiving weekend from now on.
I don’t think it’s really much of a decision.
Sorry, Mom.
Agreed. I’m sure I’ll just go home for Thanksgiving and come back Friday night. Problem solved.
Granted, I only live about 1.5 hours away, so it won’t be too big of a deal for me. I do feel for those that live out of state and only see their families once or twice a year. Still, simple decision. And you’ll be home for Christmas.
And regarding the Dispatch article from #11: There are much, MUCH worse things than a little bit of pee. Good thing I won’t remember…
WON’T ANYONE THINK ABOUT THE KIDS!!
/not entirely sarcastic