Michigan football news: Bryce Underwood downplays Ohio State rivalry
NCAAF College Football News, Photos, Stats, Scores, Schedule & Videos...
Michigan football news: Bryce Underwood downplays Ohio State rivalry appeared first on ClutchPoints. Add ClutchPoints as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Someone may want to remind Bryce Underwood that playing Ohio State is never “just another game” at Michigan.
Underwood is entering his sophomore season as one of the biggest names in college football, but the Wolverines quarterback raised some eyebrows with his latest comments about arguably the sport’s greatest rivalry.
When asked about facing the Buckeyes, Underwood kept things incredibly simple.
Watch sports LIVE with fuboTV (free trial)
“It’s just another game. Just, with guys in a different color. That’s how I see it.”
Yeah, Michigan fans might not love that one.
Perhaps Underwood is simply attempting to keep the rivalry in perspective. Treating every opponent the same and avoiding the emotion surrounding a massive game can be a useful mentality for a quarterback.
But Ohio State-Michigan isn’t just another game. It hasn’t been for generations. The rivalry means far more than what happens during four quarters on the football field. There are many decades of history between the programs, and the result can define an entire season for both fan bases.
National championship and Big Ten aspirations are important, but beating Ohio State will always be one of the standards by which Michigan quarterbacks and coaches are judged. Underwood should already understand that after experiencing the rivalry during his freshman season. His mentality could actually benefit him when the teams meet again. A quarterback who isn’t overwhelmed by the magnitude of “The Game” has a better chance of remaining composed when everything around him becomes chaotic.
Still, saying it’s simply another opponent wearing “a different color” certainly downplays what the rivalry represents.
Michigan doesn’t spend 364 days waiting to play just another game. Neither does Ohio State.
Related: Bryce Underwood’s ‘savage’ Kyle Whittingham take will have Michigan fans hyped
Related: Isaiah Knowles officially named QB1 at Florida A&M
More at NCAAF College Football News, Photos, Stats, Scores, Schedule & Videos