There remains a lot of bad blood between the Wolverines and Cornhuskers, after many felt that Michigan should have had a sole national title in 1997, after Nebraska's "soccer play" in the end zone that should have cost them the game against Missouri, and a sense that the co-championship was a retirement gift to their coach.

Well, tonight, the issue as to who's the best will definitely be resolved, at least this year, though of course it will tell us nothing about what would have happened in a matchup between the 1997 teams.

[Update after the game]

Geez...

Did they just beat the record for the number of laterals in a single play? As my (semi(?)-lapsed Catholic) sister-in-law said, "That wasn't just a Hail Mary--it was the whole damn rosary."

Who did Michigan beat in the Rose Bowl in 98? And what was the final score?

Nebraska destroyed the 3rd ranked team in the country (Peyton Manning was the Vols QB) in the Orange Bowl. Final.. 42 - 17.

Michigan is a great program with lots of tradition. But if you look at Nebraska and Michigan, that season, and how their bowl games went down... we know who deserved to be number one. And they weren't wearing maize and blue.

So? Either Tennessee was vastly overrated, or they had a bad night. Who was it that almost beat Nebraska again...? And who was it that completely dismantled Penn State?

Nebraska had a bad day at Mizzou. And still won. PSU ended up #16 in 1997. And Wazzo ended up #9.

Well... that was an interesting game.

32 - 28

Go Big Red.

It was indeed an interesting game, at least at the end. Up to that point, it was simply a microcosm of the Michigan season. Actually even at the end it was, albeit a more unique ending, and one that will probably be shown on classic football sequences for decades. Had they actually won on that play, it would have been in the top five plays of history, if not number one.

Agreed. Not a very good job by the refs. Michigan got the short end of the stick on the calls tonight.

Since my money and daughter will be going to Michigan State next year, I don't suppose I'm supposed to feel bad about the outcome of this game. :)

Don't forget the old saw that,"Any team, can beat any other team, on any Sunday." or whatever day the game gets played for that matter.

Since my money and daughter will be going to Michigan State...

Ah, yes. Moo U. ;-)

I should add, though, Paul, that if you're going to be a fan of a Big 10 school, you should always cheer for any Big 10 team in a bowl game (unless they're ranked higher than yours and their losing will improve your own ranking), because having a stronger conference will help in the polls next year.

Ah, yes. Moo U. ;-)

She's going into a pre-vet program, most likely, so yeah. :)

Rand said:
"I should add, though, Paul, that if you're going to be a fan of a Big 10 school, you should always cheer for any Big 10 team in a bowl game"

Ahh. The difference between 'should' and 'will'.

As a Buckeye fan who knows many other Buckeye fans, I think I can accurately say that almost *none* of them think this. Okay, rooting for Wisconsin or Iowa might be tolerable, but Michigan? I don't think so.

The choice between Michigan losing a bowl game on National TV and the Big Ten gaining a few hundredths of a point in some arbitrary strength poll for next year's season is not much of a choice after all.

The few Michigan fans I know think the same way, judging by the emails I've received regarding the upcoming Notre Dame-OSU game. Of course, the emails weren't very understandable, so who knows what the heck those guys were really trying to say. Possibly tears from their weeping were causing computer problems, or something. heh.

-S

PS - I'm talking about the tears from November 19th.

The few Michigan fans I know think the same way, judging by the emails I've received regarding the upcoming Notre Dame-OSU game.

I don't really have that much animus toward tOSU. I generally want them to win every game except the last one in November. You may have a warped sample there. Michigan people don't obsess (or even think that much) about Ohio except during game week, compared to the way that Columbians have such a visceral hatred of "that team up north."

And as for Notre Dame, I always want them to lose, except when they play USC, in which case I want both teams to lose. So I'll be rooting for the Buckeyes for sure.

"Michigan people don't obsess (or even think that much) about Ohio except during game week, compared to the way that Columbians have such a visceral hatred of "that team up north."

I think you may be right about that one. Remember when Tressel was hired and he made a comment about being proud of the team in 310 days (or something) which was the time until the Michigan game? Geez.

Of course, he *did* win that game.

-S

Well Congrats to Nebraska, sorry to Michigan, and War Eagle in the Captial One Bowl Monday. Does anybody know how good Wisconsin is? I don't know a lot about Big 10 football.

As to rooting for your conference, I always root for everyone except Florida. But since Steve Spurious went to South Carolina, I guess I stop rooting for them now :)

Wisconsin is pretty good. They beat Michigan (though four other teams did as well).

Stephen, Tressel got his job for the sole reason that despite an excellent win-loss record that most other schools would kill for, Cooper wasn unable to beat Michigan. On the other hand, while M fans are currently frustrated with Lloyd Carr, it's not because he's lost four out of his last five Ohio State games (or at least, that's only one reason, and hardly the biggest one). For Michigan fans, the highest goal is conference championship. The Ohio State game often determines that, but given a choice between the championship and beating tOSU, most Michigan fans would vastly prefer the former, whereas I suspect that most Buckeyes would rather beat Michigan.

It's weird.