For whom to root?
OSU or Texas? This has been a popular message board topic this week, and I’m still unsure of my answer. Do “we” want some more respect for the Big Ten, even if it potentially results in an OSU National Championship? Do “we” care that much about Michigan’s Strength of Schedule, even if Michigan probably isn’t making a BCS Title run this year?
Part of my reluctance to root for OSU is a result of the 2002 season. I rooted for them against Miami in the Fiesta Bowl, being all “go Big Ten” and whatnot, and I will never be able to forgive myself. The whole “Mo C rulez! Tressel is God! I made a poster of the Pass Interference call!” fiasco that resulted, and still continues to this day, was the definition of pain. Since OSU hadn’t really done much against Michigan in recent years, and since OSU hadn’t really won anything of significance in my lifetime, I didn’t realize the ridiculousness that is “typical OSU fan.” To see them deify Maurice Clarett and then turn their backs on him is a decent representation of their mindset. The ends justify the means. Just win, baby! I wouldn’t expect much from people that are enamored with a coach that a certain law school professor of mine (who presided over this beauty from Sweater Vest’s days in Division 1-AA) described to me as “very smart, very dirty.” Now, I’m not gonna pretend that every college program is perfect. Any time you get 100 college guys together, somebody’s gonna get drunk. But I’ll put OSU’s rap sheet under Tressel up against any other team. Looks like they beat Miami off of the field, too, huh?
So can I root for a team that I have always disliked but have grown to despise over the past few years? I don’t think so. Some might say it is sour grapes (Michigan is just 1-4 against Tressel’s OSU teams), and I’ll admit that it might be easier to root for OSU if Michigan was continuing its Cooper-era dominance. But after seeing some class from Texas fans after a heartbreaking 2005 Rose Bowl game, could I possibly align my interests with fans that act like this?
Part of my reluctance to root for OSU is a result of the 2002 season. I rooted for them against Miami in the Fiesta Bowl, being all “go Big Ten” and whatnot, and I will never be able to forgive myself. The whole “Mo C rulez! Tressel is God! I made a poster of the Pass Interference call!” fiasco that resulted, and still continues to this day, was the definition of pain. Since OSU hadn’t really done much against Michigan in recent years, and since OSU hadn’t really won anything of significance in my lifetime, I didn’t realize the ridiculousness that is “typical OSU fan.” To see them deify Maurice Clarett and then turn their backs on him is a decent representation of their mindset. The ends justify the means. Just win, baby! I wouldn’t expect much from people that are enamored with a coach that a certain law school professor of mine (who presided over this beauty from Sweater Vest’s days in Division 1-AA) described to me as “very smart, very dirty.” Now, I’m not gonna pretend that every college program is perfect. Any time you get 100 college guys together, somebody’s gonna get drunk. But I’ll put OSU’s rap sheet under Tressel up against any other team. Looks like they beat Miami off of the field, too, huh?
So can I root for a team that I have always disliked but have grown to despise over the past few years? I don’t think so. Some might say it is sour grapes (Michigan is just 1-4 against Tressel’s OSU teams), and I’ll admit that it might be easier to root for OSU if Michigan was continuing its Cooper-era dominance. But after seeing some class from Texas fans after a heartbreaking 2005 Rose Bowl game, could I possibly align my interests with fans that act like this?
Permanent Link Here - posted by Nick at 12:05 PM
1 Comments:
My thought is that Michigan has a say in whether OSU loses this season, but no say in Texas. Logically then we should want OSU to beat Texas, handing them a loss, and then we can beat OSU and so they both will have a loss. Otherwise, sending OSU to a second loss wouldnt be as valuable if Texas remains undefeated, and thus probably ahead of us in the rankings.
Of course, emotionally I want OSU to lose every game
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