Bitter Rivalry at its Finest

Michigan State basketball, trailing by one, timeout Michigan.  With 15 seconds left in the game, this one play will determine the fate between these two in-state, bitter rivals.  With a Michigan State bucket, the Spartans complete an amazing comeback win in a very hostile Crisler Arena.  The Wolverines need one stop to secure a well-deserved victory against a top-ten ranked opponent. Being in the stands was purely an emotional rollercoaster.

Throughout the entire game, the crowd’s volume could not have been more impactful. With every powerful dunk and smooth long-range jumper, the student section, completely covered head to toe in maize and blue, erupted. We taunted and distracted the Spartan players in any way possible to try and give the Wolverines as much of a home court advantage as we could, because to everyone inside the arena, this was much more than a game.

           

For the past two years, the both of us have attended a majority of Michigan home basketball games, and while we have witnessed some amazing comebacks and victories, the Crisler Arena has never been as loud and stifling as it was against State. When Stephen Garcia came to lecture our class, he discussed the psychology of competition and essentially concluded that the closer you are with someone, the more competitive you act towards them. This competition leads to pushing yourself to do as much as you are capable of because the competition has become personal. This certainly explains what was going on in the Crisler Arena. Every player on the court gave as much energy and effort to every play on both sides of the ball. With two schools separated by only a few miles, with decades of intense combat in their past, the competitive drive of not only the players, but everyone associated with the rivalry is at its highest level.  

           

One of the greatest aspects of the athletic program at the University of Michigan is that the games that these incredible athletes play brings together one of the largest student bodies in the country, as every student bleeds Maize and Blue. As huge sports fans, we constantly try and help energize the crowd but during this game, no help was needed. The emotional ride that these players gave to the fans was something that can only be explained to someone emotionally invested in arguably the greatest rivalry in college sports. The building was loud from the opening tip-off and while the game was completely sold out, not one chair was filled. Every person in the stands remained on their feet rooting hard and the atmosphere was absolutely incredible.

          

Inside the huddle, Coach Beilein mastered without even knowing it. With just a few seconds left on the clock, Beilein knew that the Spartans would go to their top scorer Draymond Green around the free throw line. With this knowledge of what the Spartans would do, Beilein was able to select the best matchup for Green, our savvy senior Zack Novak, and he also inserted our biggest man, Jordan Morgan, into the game for a double team at the free throw line. Michigan was able to produce an extremely successful double team and forced Green into a bad shot, clinching Michigan’s biggest win of the season in Ann Arbor.

           

The crowd went absolutely wild as all negative emotions from Michigan’s near loss of the lead were released and turned into frantic celebration. The players jumped around on the court and the entire arena joined in a very spirited and harmonious “Hail to the Victors!” as the Michigan State players exited the court, heartbroken from what could have been. While this may have seemed like this was just a game to the average viewer, to the students of the University of Michigan and all of its great followers, this was part of life. We, as the students of this University, have become emotionally invested in these teams and players because they are our best representation of what we stand for as the Michigan Wolverines. This is especially apparent against big time rivalries like Michigan State because it means more to beat the best competition there is. This Michigan victory proved to the college basketball world that the Wolverines are a true threat for the Big Ten Championship and beyond into March.

           

In a post-game interview, Coach Beilein said to his players, “There are tremendous amounts of people in maize and blue who live for this game each year. You made them all very, very happy today.” As an in-state rival, this game had added significance. Jockeying for the rights to be called the best team in the state of Michigan, the players, fans, and coaches all knew what was at stake. The win meant more than just a victory in a Big Ten game; it meant bragging rights between bitter rivals who battle each year at the highest level of competition. Being a part of this crazy rivalry, being in the stands feeling the emotions of the players, and watching an incredible finish was an amazing experience that we both hope to have many more of for the next few years and beyond our graduation. 

Alex Mandel and Zach Amateau