It’s Rivalry Week in college football, and for a moment, that feels like everything. While that hatred may burn eternally, the game is fleeting. Championships are forever.
That’s a simple calculus for college football coaches, players, and fans, one that confronted Nick Saban in 2017 when his team lost the Iron Bowl, then went on to win the national championship. That’s the path that Ohio State took last season, falling to Michigan in The Game for the fourth straight season before ripping off four straight wins in the College Football Playoff to hang a banner.
In this moment of hatred in Ann Arbor, the question was posed to Michigan legend Desmond Howard on the ESPN College GameDay set: Would you rather win the CFP or win The Game?