Blue White Illustrated

of any good rivalry is competitive balance, and Ohio State-Michigan has that, too. Heading into their upcoming game in Ann Arbor, the Wolverines have won 58, the Buckeyes 44. There have been six ties. That's not bad for a series that predates the forward pass. And if you subtract the first two decades of its existence, during which Michigan outscored Ohio State by a cumulative margin of 371-21, the disparity between the two programs nearly disappears. Since 1919, the Wolverines lead by only one game, 45-44-4. The Nittany Lions don't have as much Big Ten history to draw upon as those two teams, and there's probably no amount of blue-and-white success that would cause Michigan and Ohio State fans to hate Penn State more than they hate each other. As Onward State's Kevin Horne wrote after watching the Lions fall to the Buckeyes at Ohio Stadium, the relentless Michiganbashing in the stands and parking lots that night was "vicious. And beautiful. " "I wish we had that, Horne wrote, "just " a team that we collectively hate more than we've ever hated anything. " It's not for lack of trying. Penn State tried to work up a rivalry with Michigan State, but it just didn't take. Their annual game was the brainchild of former Spartans coach George Perles, who wanted a piece of the season-ending magic that Michigan and Ohio State had managed to conjure up every year. Eager to settle into its new conference, Penn State bought in wholeheartedly. The first game took place in 1993, and it was a barnburner, a 38-37 comeback victory by the visiting Nittany Lions that outshone Michigan's 28-0 romp over Ohio State that same day in Ann Arbor. The prize for which the teams played – the Land Grant Trophy – looked as though it had been found at a yard sale, but that didn't matter much because the game itself had been thoroughly entertaining. And besides, Michigan and Ohio State didn't even have a trophy. Penn State and Michigan State went on to play a number of classics, with five of the first nine games in their Big Ten rivalry decided by a touchdown or less. But fans never really embraced the game, perhaps because the schools' shared status as land- WE B SU RV E Y IN A PERFECT WORLD, WHAT TEAM WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE PENN STATE PLAY AS ITS SEASON-ENDING RIVAL? Pittsburgh would be, hands down, the best endof-season matchup. It pits two in-state rivals against one another in a battle for football supremacy in Pennsylvania. The best measure of a rivalry game is how the game would be attended if one or both schools were having a down year. And I can tell you that no matter what records PSU or Pitt have, that game would matter to the fans. There would be a lot of guys on each team who had played against or with one another in high school. Not to mention the recruiting battles. psbc1 Ohio State, but we all know that will never happen because they have been the best team in the Big Ten, overall, since we joined and they want to play the best. That would also mean that we are no longer relegated to second-class citizenship status in the Big Ten. j30329 Nebraska. They don't really have a rival in this conference either, and we have a history with them. Pitt is irrelevant. Penn State Pat Maryland or Rutgers. Most of our recruiting outside of Pennsylvania happens in New Jersey or Maryland. broey I think it would be neat to play a team like Notre Dame to end the season. Nebraska is right up there, too. Ctel12592 As much as I hate Michigan, Pitt is the team we should end every season against. At one time it was a great rivalry. TooLongBlue Maryland. For recruiting and because I live 20 minutes from College Park and most of my neighbors are Maryland graduates. dswartz The last bunch I ever want to play again is Pitt. There's no benefit whatsoever to us, and endless benefit to them. The amount of animosity we are going to have to put up with out there will make a trip to Ohio State look like a walk in the park. Why we are giving them sellouts is beyond me. Let them stick to Old Dominion. Fox Chapel Lion II Maryland or Rutgers, because of proximity and a history of playing each other. Both present the possibility of developing into heated rivalries in all sports. AJ65 Pitt would be a great way to end the season. With time, I feel this could become a great rivalry again. Also, the last game is usually well-attended by recruits since most of their seasons are finished by then. Seeing this rivalry game would serve as a great tool, especially for in-state recruits. cmjumper In a perfect world? Pitt, Alabama or Notre Dame. In the current or near future? Nebraska. IllinoisLion Nebraska or Notre Dame. Alabama has Auburn or they would also be acceptable. bmw199 Rutgers. You always want to end the regular season with a win. fairgambit Should be Nebraska. That game is always a "national interest" game regardless how either team is doing. It could be held on Friday after Thanksgiving so it doesn't encroach upon the obligatory season-ending Ohio State-Michigan game. Realistically, with the new divisional alignments, Michigan State, Maryland and Rutgers are the only good options. Land Grant trophy, anyone? 84Lion There are two larger-than-life reasons to play Pitt last: 1.) You are able to apply so many juvenile rhymes to their name when designing gameday buttons, and 2.) They stick out as the historically logical team way before I became a freshman in 1971. Nitneelyin Pitt, in-state and the most disliked. All others we do not dislike as much as Pitt. I only wish it was in-conference. Ohio State has Michigan as its rival. Michigan State has Michigan as its rival. Maryland's rival used to be Virginia. Rutgers has none. UNCPSUFAN

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