There's a robust debate as to the best rivalry in college football. There are dozens of great ones, but most arguments center around these four: the Iron Bowl between Auburn and Alabama, the Red River rivalry between Texas and Oklahoma, Army-Navy, and The Game between Michigan and Ohio State.
Michigan-Ohio State usually draws the highest TV ratings, and The Game leads all college football series for most meetings between top-5 teams at 13 all-time meetings. That list includes each of the three previous seasons, all of which Michigan won.
And while the other three game can make various points in their favor, coaches in other rivalry games simply don't talk like this.
"We've felt what it's like to not win this game, and it is bad. It's one of the worst things that's happened to me in my life, quite honestly, other than losing my father and a few other things. Quite honestly for my family, that's the worst thing that's happened. So we can never have that happen again. Ever."
Holy smokes. We are talking about a football game here, right?
That quote is from Ryan Day in an interview with local TV station WBNS in Columbus. Other quotes from the interview.
"We live it every day."
"Everything that you do, and the decisions that you make, is leading up to this game."
"It's our life."
"There's a lot of people counting on this game."
"This is our identity. It's who we are. We don't have anything else."
"The last couple years, when it doesn't get done, it just eats at your core."
"Nothing that's happened up until this point matters other than what we do in this game."
Other than Army-Navy, no rivals talk as openly about elevating at the expense of the 11 others.
Switch the results of those three games and Day is something like 72-6 with five Big Ten championships and five College Football Playoff appearances, and that's assuming Ohio State doesn't go on to win the 2023 national title like Michigan did.
In real life, he's 66-9 equating losing to Michigan with the death of his father.
This year's game does not carry the same stakes as the three prior, at least not externally. Michigan's 6-5 record will not dampen the importance on the Ohio Stadium turf, primarily because the consequences of losing to this Wolverines team would be catastrophic for Ohio State football, for its head coach, and for its head coach's family. Day said so himself; Ohio State will take no solace in its 10-2 finish and certain CFP at-large berth if they lose to Michigan as 3-touchdown favorites.
Anyway, this friendly contest of college students kicks off at noon ET on Saturday. The stakes for this game and every other rivalry weekend game can be found here.