OSU fan now supports all Big Ten teams, even Michigan

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By Greg Billing, Staff Writer 9:56 PM Monday, September 14, 2009

I’ve come to a decision that only last year would have seemed inconceivable as an Ohio State football fan. Yes, I’m rooting for Michigan.

I know, I know. Just hear me out.

Like any good fan, no OSU win on Saturday was complete without a Michigan loss. I laughed as Appalachian State stunned Michigan in 2007 and shook my head at the fumbling program of Rich Rodriguez. No more.

The Big Ten is college football’s punching bag. It’s Taylor Swift to Kanye West’s MTV antics — a deer-in-the-headlight stare on the big stage when a bully (usually the SEC) steals the spotlight.

Enough. To restore the Big Ten to respectability it’ll take Michigan’s return to prominence, Ohio State’s ability to win a big game and the other programs to beat their Mid-American Conference foes soundly. And that’s just for starters.

It’ll take better game management (I’ve seen high school programs with more imaginative play-calling than the Big Ten) and better execution.

To do my part I will no longer snicker at Michigan State losing to Central Michigan. I will no longer ridicule Iowa for needing to block a pair of field goals in the closing seconds to beat Northern Iowa or other efforts — like a 1-6 bowl record in 2008 — that drag the conference down.

The Big Ten teams now have my full support, even Michigan.

A few years ago that would have seemed unbelievable ... just like the Big Ten’s performance of late.

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