Why It's Frustrating for Me to Watch Michigan Football Games

The torture a Buckeye fan goes through watching Michigan play.

Let’s get one thing clear. As an Ohio State fan, I don’t give a damn for the whole state of Michigan. I feed off of seeing them lose, make fluke accidents, or flat out suck in a game. It gives me a reason to make fun of them and tease their fanbase. But even though I say, “YES!!!” when other teams make big plays against them, I still want them to win every game… until they face Ohio State.

But, as I tend to find myself do from time to time, Saturday afternoon I found myself rooting against Michigan as I was watching them play Michigan State. Yes, the Spartans lost by a nine points, but the game was a lot closer than it looked. If not for a couple of failed fourth down conversions near the Wolverines’ goal line, the Spartans would be right in the ball game.

But while watching the game, I caught myself yelling in frustration while Michigan made big plays, and while refs missed pass interference and holding calls. It wasn’t until my fiance heard me and said, “I thought you wanted Michigan to win?” until I realized that I had conflicting viewpoints.

You see, one of the things that makes the Ohio State-Michigan rivalry great is that both teams are historically powerhouse programs, and since their rivalry is the greatest in college football, Michigan is part of what makes Ohio State great. And vice versa.

Why do I want the Womanrines… oh, I mean Wolverines to win every game before they play Ohio State? Well first of all, I want them to be good when we beat them. I like the thought of us spoiling their season. And second, it’s good for the rivalry.

But it’s SOOOO hard to root for them if you are watching them play, when you have so much hatred toward the program. Again, that’s another thing that makes the rivalry so great. Yes, there’s hatred, but there’s also a mutual respect within it that makes it indescribable to those that aren’t a part of it.