Wolverines’ decline affects entire Big Ten Conference

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By Marc Pendleton, Staff Writer 10:07 PM Thursday, November 19, 2009

Healthy rivalries are a good thing.

When Walgreens under-prices CVS, we all win. Pick your dollar menu from McDonald’s, Burger King or Wendy’s. Again, we all win.

The user-friendly leap to sports rivalries is easy. How, then, to explain the sudden demise of the University of Michigan football program?

Unless the Wolverines undergo a big shot of competitiveness prior to a Saturday, Nov. 21, noon kickoff with visiting Ohio State, what once was one of the nation’s best college football rivalries is threatening to unravel. And that’s not a good thing.

Many Buckeyes Believers wouldn’t mind if that school up north faded into the Big Ten abyss. All you have to do is think back to the 1967 season when the Wolverines were a not-so-competitive 4-6. They lost 50-14 at OSU the next season.

And who among us doesn’t recall the 1969 season’s OSU-Michigan game? All that did was bookmark the resurgence of Wolverines football and, ironically, stamp the decline of that state’s previous college power, Michigan State.

We all know that history repeats itself. There’s no reason to think the Buckeyes will lay an embarrassing egg at Ann Arbor. But it has happened. At some point Michigan football will right itself. That would make an already competitive league that much better.

Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2381 or mpendleton@DaytonDailyNews.com.

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I don't give a ratsass about the rest of the big ten, I only care what the Buckeyes do, and as far as that team up north is concerned, I hope they continue their downward spiral into the abyss.

Silverback
10:05 AM, 11/23/2009

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I'm a Mich fan and I will be the first to admit that the big ten is terrible right now. wow, 4 teams in the top 25? who cares when those 4 will prob be a combined 1-3 in Bowl games. Over the past 7 years the Little Tens record in Bowl games has been horrible! The Big Ten needs Mich to be good again.

Jeff
1:19 AM, 11/21/2009

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marc p, do you know the history of Michigan vs. Ohio State? Do you realize that o-state is on the LOSING end of this rivalry? You guys may have a winning record in the past decade but how about all the prior decades? If one decade decided the rivalry or conference o-state would have brought the Big Ten down a loooong time ago. Look at my name again.

Winningest Team EVER
12:07 AM, 11/21/2009

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hey jon, how many times does THE ohio state have to loose in a major bowl game for you to accept the fact that the big ten is an average conference at best. THE ohio state wins the mighty big ten year in and year out whoopy cause they get whipped every year by an SEC school (0-8) in bowls vs SEC

sec
3:17 PM, 11/20/2009

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Hey ... The Big X is still doing well ... ( 4 ) teams in the top 15 in the Country . Ohio St probably will finish at 10 - 2 + The Rose Bowl and Wisconsin will finish at 10 - 2 + Penn State Nittany Lions finish at 10 - 2 and the Iowa Hawkeyes will finish at 10- 2 .... Go Big Ten ! The Bowl Games will be exciting .... I see ( 4 ) Big X teams kicking -butt ... Go Buckeyes beat Michigan !

Jon
2:52 PM, 11/20/2009

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