THE game.
Once the clock hits noon today, the war begins in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Every Saturday after Thanksgiving, millions of Americans gather with their family and friends to watch The Ohio State University Buckeyes and the University of Michigan Wolverines play their last Big 10 game of the season. In 2023, THE game attracted 19.1 million viewers — about 17 million more than watched OSU play Grambling during the second week of the season this year. The Jurassic jump in views — between a normal game and THE game — proves how deep the rivalry runs.
For Wolverine and Buckeye fans, today is the best day of the year. That is, if your team wins. If your team loses, you’ll be sulking in the corner, eating leftover turkey. In my extended family, we are split between the teams. My mom went to Michigan, so she is a massive Wolverine fan, while my cousin attended OSU, and he is one of the Buckeyes’ biggest supporters.
That’s the problem. How can we enjoy Thanksgiving weekend as a family while fighting over who’s going to win the war? How can we express gratitude to family members who root for the team that you just can’t stand? Yes, that sounds dramatic, but in my family, it’s an issue. It is ironic that the most competitive game of the year takes place right after a holiday characterized by peace and togetherness.
Even people who aren’t fans of either team tune in because this rivalry is iconic — it’s one of the oldest and most prominent in college sports and began in politics. In 1835 a border dispute between Ohio and Michigan led to the Toledo War. The conflict concerned control of a strip of land that included the city of Toledo. Both sides sent militia to the area, but no fighting occurred. Eventually, the question was resolved by Congress, but the dispute lingered and carried over to football in 1897, when the first OSU-Michigan game was played.
Michigan has won the past four battles, leaving Ohio State desperate to end that winning streak. Ryan Day, coach of the Buckeyes, once said, “Nobody wants to win against [Michigan] more than we do, more than I do.”
Today, Ohio State calls Michigan the “team up north,” and students cross out every single “M” on campus in the week leading up to THE game. To me, that is true hatred; they even call this week “Hate Week.” The rivalry has gained even more attention since the rise of social media. Fans of both teams gather online, threaten each other, and make comments that can’t be published in The Shakerite.
That’s one way THE game is like the conflict in America today. Since the rise of social media and Donald Trump, Democrats and Republicans show disdain for each other on all platforms. America is a divided country, and the rivalry between political teams, which rarely agree with each other anymore, ruins friendships, relationships and families. One out of six Americans has ended or considered ending a relationship because of political differences.
Not all rivalries are about sports.
OSU and Michigan fans, and the whole country, need to realize that no matter what team or candidate you vote for or support, or what you believe in, we are all Americans and should have one another’s backs. We should put our differences aside and be thankful for the family and friends that we have, no matter if their opinions differ from ours.
