... here are some highlights, on ...
• The pre-game "shenanigans": "To me, it shows a lack of class, and a little bit of lack of leadership. I didn't see the itinerary, but I know they do that walk before every game. But you don't need everybody with their helmets on, so you might have been expecting a fight. Why did everybody have their helmets on for that walk?
"Not only that, but they were delayed. They waited for Michigan football players to get out there so they could test them, and see what would happen if we walk arm-in-arm. What are they going to do?Are they going to get out of the way, or whatever.
"You're supposed to be setting an example. That's bullying. That's really what that is. You're trying to see if you can get a rile out of somebody before the game, and for what reason? You don't have enough invested in this game already? There's not enough emotion in your locker room? You need to stir the pot more?
"To me, it's a low move to try and do something like that, pregame. It's a psych job, or an attempt at a psych job. I'm just glad no one lost their composure. I've got to be honest. If I was on the field, and I was warming up, and someone made contact with me, that seems aggressive, and hostile. For guys to control themselves, and not get into more of a physical altercation than what happened, everyone should feel lucky that happened.
"Everybody would have been within their rights to defend where they were warming up, at any cost. There probably would have been suspensions handed out. I'm glad it didn't escalate to that. Good on Michigan, for not allowing it to go there. It's a low move by Michigan State."
• Provoking Michigan before being out-manned once the real fight began: "The most yards they gained were before the clocks were ever set and started in the first quarter. You poked the bear. We were favored in this game, and we didn't need another reason to get upset and get excited to come out in the first quarter and get after you.
"If you did your homework, you realized if we have struggled this season, it's because of a poor first quarter. So let us come out sleepy in a noon game at your place, and see if you can't get out in front of us. That move may have impacted the game negatively for them. But I don't know that it would have changed the outcome, whether they did or didn't do it.
"We were in control of that game, and as long as we didn't give it to them, via turnover or whatever, they weren't going to win that game. You play that game 10 more times and we're going to win all 10, with the rosters the way they are now."
• The post-game celebration: "It's all in good spirit, good competition. I don't think you're going to see that stop. We've got a little too much tunnel vision that's starting to happen for this Michigan-Michigan State rivalry. We forget who the real enemy is. That's the team down south.
"Ohio State doesn't have the same situation as Michigan-Michigan State, where there's a good game between us every year, and the winner of that challenges for the opportunity to represent the Big Ten East in the conference championship. Neither one of these teams — Michigan or Michigan State — has been able to get Ohio State consistently, anyway.
"I love that we're putting emphasis on the game, don't get me wrong. I want to keep the rivalry heated. But at the end of the day, Ohio State is the team that needs to be beaten by both of us, if either one of us wants the chance to coming [to win] the Big Ten East championship and representing our side.
"I do like that we get so hyped up for this game. There's a little part of me that thinks, hey, we've got to hold some back. This is not the season. This is not a championship of any sort. This is just another game on the way to where we need to get to. There's another big team in the way.
"I do like the intensity, and celebrating the win, for sure. That's a big deal. But don't get so excited about winning this game that you forget that this is just a little past halfway from where we really need to be, and what the end goal is."
Here's the full podcast: https://michigan.rivals.com/news/mi...ll-podcast-ryan-van-bergen-with-john-borton-6
• The pre-game "shenanigans": "To me, it shows a lack of class, and a little bit of lack of leadership. I didn't see the itinerary, but I know they do that walk before every game. But you don't need everybody with their helmets on, so you might have been expecting a fight. Why did everybody have their helmets on for that walk?
"Not only that, but they were delayed. They waited for Michigan football players to get out there so they could test them, and see what would happen if we walk arm-in-arm. What are they going to do?Are they going to get out of the way, or whatever.
"You're supposed to be setting an example. That's bullying. That's really what that is. You're trying to see if you can get a rile out of somebody before the game, and for what reason? You don't have enough invested in this game already? There's not enough emotion in your locker room? You need to stir the pot more?
"To me, it's a low move to try and do something like that, pregame. It's a psych job, or an attempt at a psych job. I'm just glad no one lost their composure. I've got to be honest. If I was on the field, and I was warming up, and someone made contact with me, that seems aggressive, and hostile. For guys to control themselves, and not get into more of a physical altercation than what happened, everyone should feel lucky that happened.
"Everybody would have been within their rights to defend where they were warming up, at any cost. There probably would have been suspensions handed out. I'm glad it didn't escalate to that. Good on Michigan, for not allowing it to go there. It's a low move by Michigan State."
• Provoking Michigan before being out-manned once the real fight began: "The most yards they gained were before the clocks were ever set and started in the first quarter. You poked the bear. We were favored in this game, and we didn't need another reason to get upset and get excited to come out in the first quarter and get after you.
"If you did your homework, you realized if we have struggled this season, it's because of a poor first quarter. So let us come out sleepy in a noon game at your place, and see if you can't get out in front of us. That move may have impacted the game negatively for them. But I don't know that it would have changed the outcome, whether they did or didn't do it.
"We were in control of that game, and as long as we didn't give it to them, via turnover or whatever, they weren't going to win that game. You play that game 10 more times and we're going to win all 10, with the rosters the way they are now."
• The post-game celebration: "It's all in good spirit, good competition. I don't think you're going to see that stop. We've got a little too much tunnel vision that's starting to happen for this Michigan-Michigan State rivalry. We forget who the real enemy is. That's the team down south.
"Ohio State doesn't have the same situation as Michigan-Michigan State, where there's a good game between us every year, and the winner of that challenges for the opportunity to represent the Big Ten East in the conference championship. Neither one of these teams — Michigan or Michigan State — has been able to get Ohio State consistently, anyway.
"I love that we're putting emphasis on the game, don't get me wrong. I want to keep the rivalry heated. But at the end of the day, Ohio State is the team that needs to be beaten by both of us, if either one of us wants the chance to coming [to win] the Big Ten East championship and representing our side.
"I do like that we get so hyped up for this game. There's a little part of me that thinks, hey, we've got to hold some back. This is not the season. This is not a championship of any sort. This is just another game on the way to where we need to get to. There's another big team in the way.
"I do like the intensity, and celebrating the win, for sure. That's a big deal. But don't get so excited about winning this game that you forget that this is just a little past halfway from where we really need to be, and what the end goal is."
Here's the full podcast: https://michigan.rivals.com/news/mi...ll-podcast-ryan-van-bergen-with-john-borton-6
