THE SITUATIONAL: AMBUSH
The 2018 Ohio State game was scheduled to serve as the grand finale of Michigan's Revenge Tour.
It was supposed to avenge their 2017 loss, which had been positioned as payback for the 2016 game. That meeting was built up as retribution for the 29-point setback the Wolverines took on their home field in 2015.
Jim Harbaugh's glorious debut season drew a beautiful parallel to Bo Schembechler's first crack at his former employer, which would spawn the fabled Ten Year War. That 2015 game was supposed to be the capstone uniting the ghost of the Ohioan who coined the
Michigan Man monicker with his star pupil who embodies it today.
Fifty years later, it's still 1969 in Ann Arbor.
Harbaugh's first four appointments with Ohio State have been scheduled celebrations, and each of them has been canceled. The most points Michigan has allowed at home under Harbaugh were scored by Ohio State. The second-most points Michigan has allowed at home under Harbaugh were scored by Ohio State. The most points
ever allowed by Michigan in regulation were scored last season by Ohio State.
The quest to reanimate 1969 occurs every odd-numbered November, and the Wolverines are not going to take the field on Saturday intent on deploying a garden variety rivalry game strategy. That hasn't worked in decades.
The Wolverines will be unconventional on Saturday because being conventional will produce another loss. They brought an overconfident conventional approach to Columbus a year ago and Ohio State made history out of it. Saturday will reveal new elements that have been prepared, practiced and saved for months, similar to what Harbaugh's mentor brought each November when facing his own mentor in this game.
Unconventional choreography, 2013.
Unconventional would be finding something resembling a vulnerability and committing to hammering it until it bleeds. Unconventional would be inflicting a psychological pathogen on the favored and undefeated visitors, like getting two of their starters to eject themselves early in the game while sacrificing a couple of expendable special teamers in the process.
It's happened before. It was brilliant strategy. Michigan should try something like that again.
From Ohio State's perspective,
unconventional would be allowing the Wolverines to win, which is the only way the Buckeyes can lose on Saturday - their consent, whether intentional or by accident. Accidents happen. They're why Michigan fans still revere the Cooper era, and it's the reason why the forecast has been '69 and nice in Ann Arbor for the past 50 years.
It's the most important game of the season, every season, forever. Let's get Situational.
THE KING'S SPEECH
Johnnie Dixon and Terry McLaurin address the 2019 Buckeyes shortly before the 2018 Gold Pants presentation in April.
Urban Meyer's final Gold Pants speech to this year's Ohio State team went viral earlier this summer. In case you missed it, here's the summary (SEE ARTICLE BELOW):
How do you respect a rivalry? You work it every day. You don’t shoot your mouth off...You work it every [expletive] day. Not by tee shirts. Not by bullshit.
A graduating player is customarily chosen to speak on behalf of the previous year's team during the ceremony (you'll be shocked to learn it was J.T. Barrett the previous year).
This past April, two graduating seniors were picked to follow Meyer and address a team they would not be a part of, so that they could impart their wisdom and direction for how to respect a rivalry that produces coveted jewelry for every player that manages it properly.
First, Johnnie Dixon:
Coming in from Florida you don’t really know about the rivalry. You don’t know what it stands for or how it goes. But you come in here and you find out. This rivalry has meant everything, not just to me but my brother here, and Parris (Campbell). We just prepared so hard, since freshman year.
While I was training in Jacksonville (for the NFL draft) I was asked “what do you think the difference is?” I think it’s that those guys fear us. That’s the biggest thing. You can’t lose that.
You can't lose that. Every year. Keep kicking that ass.
Then, Terry McLaurin:
Echoing what (Dixon) said. I actually ran into Chase Winovich at (a pre-draft NFL team) visit last week. And they still treat it like any other game. I was laughing when I was talking to him and he asked why I was laughing and I said, “y’all just don’t get it. We drive every day, that’s our life.
I remember. telling (Ohio State QC coach Keenan Bailey) the day before The Game, I don’t care if I don’t catch a pass, as long as we win this. That mentality to beat them down, every single play, every single snap.
That’s what you’re going to remember. Keep that in the forefront of your mind. The Big Ten championship is always going to come down to that game, whether you like it or not.
Well, Indy's already in the cards -
but still. Keep kicking that ass. Win November.
Entire article:
https://www.elevenwarriors.com/ohio-state-football/the-situational/2019/11/109362/ambush
"HOW DO YOU RESPECT A RIVALRY?": URBAN MEYER'S FINAL GOLD PANTS SPEECH TO THE OHIO STATE BUCKEYES
July 3, 2019
Entire article:
https://www.elevenwarriors.com/ohio...a-rivalry-urban-meyer-final-gold-pants-speech
