Jeff Riger: Go Crazy Ann Arbor
On Sunday night the Michigan-Michigan State rivalry was taken to a new, unfamiliar level as the Wolverines gained a share of the Big Ten title because the Spartans lost at the Breslin Center and it was the Buckeyes that beat them. Of course the Wolverines took care of Penn State on the road as well. I know, right? Sounds ridiculous! You had Michigan people cheering for Ohio State all while the Green and White did something they never do at home; blow a 15 point lead to allow the Maize and Blue a chance to hang a banner next fall at the Crisler Center. Of course Ohio State also won a share of the title and was about as good as a team can be down the stretch to knock off MSU. It's all so strange and unsuspected! I still can't really wrap my brain around it.
I remember in the late 90's and 2000's wondering what it would take for Michigan to win a conference title and I was convinced that day never would come. Now that it has, Michigan State people seem to be very quick to tell Wolverine fans that what they have accomplished is not worthy of a celebration, and that to me is flat out dumb!
I get it! Michigan State has won a National title and has been to 6 Final Fours recently. I also understand that they have won their fair share of conference titles and even though they would have loved to win on Sunday to win the championship outright, they get to hang a banner as well adding to their storied basketball success. I'm not saying that Michigan has closed the preverbal gap with this latest title; it's just not possible, not yet at least. However a title means something special to Michigan basketball, shared or otherwise.
After William Buford hit that shot from the top of the key to sink Michigan State I keep hearing how the Wolverines only have won only a share of the title and that is nothing to go crazy about. Well those people are dead wrong. I don't think anybody with the exception of the players themselves couldn't have envisioned the Wolverines being Big Ten Champions. And why should they? The team's best guard bolted for the NBA after last season and many people thought Michigan would be a middle of the road Big Ten team at best. I have no clue what the odds were in Vegas for this to happen, but I assume if you threw cash on it you are a very, very, very happy person today.
Of course there is also the fact that Michigan has not won a title since 1986 and a banner of this caliber tells the world that the re-build is over and the Wolverines are back as a legitimate team in one of the country's best conferences. I understand that people say that Michigan backed into a title and that is nothing to be excited about, however look at how they did it? The Maize and Blue have won 4 road games in a row and have been victorious in 6 of their last 7. The team has seen Tim Hardaway Jr. step up for really the first team all season and Trey Burke has made everybody forgets about Darius Morris and has emerged as the freshman of the year.
If the Wolverines backed in to winning a share of the title than I guess it would be fair to say that MSU choked away an outright title? What's worse? I think the answer is obvious! The Spartans had to win one of two remaining games to have the title all to them and they came up short. Losing at Indiana and to a very good Buckeye team is nothing to feel awful about, however when that game is in East Lansing on Senior day of all dates then yes, it is hard to be happy about a shared title that more than likely should have belonged solely to MSU...
Michigan State fans are quick to forget about a 7 year stretch that was void of a Big Ten title. People would argue the validity of the program even though there were deep tournament runs because there was no conference championships. Then in 2009, it happened the Spartans won the Big Ten outright and then again in 2010, however that year they shared it. MSU also won 4 consecutive conference titles from 1998 to 2001, 3 of the championship were shared. So of the Big Ten titles that Tom Izzo has guided his team to, 4 of them are shared! But the Spartans still hung banners! They still call themselves champions and members of those teams still have the rings to wear on the day of their choosing. So if MSU celebrated a shared title, why shouldn't Michigan? Especially when it probably means more to the Wolverines because of where the program has been.
Of course Michigan and Ohio State had their chances of winning the conference title outright but the Wolverines lost on Senior day to Purdue while the Buckeyes lost in Columbus to Wisconsin.
Since the MSU loss, I have heard it all from State fans. People tell Michigan followers that it must feel awful to be given a championship by Ohio State? I have also heard the Sparty's of the land saying MSU doesn't get excited about shared championships because they have been such a successful program over the years, they have achieved much bigger things apparently? MSU fans are quick to command Michigan folks to act like they have been there before too! But the Wolverines haven't! When MSU won that conference title in '98, they celebrated because the program was heading in the right direction and things were obviously working. MSU followed up that title with 3 consecutive trips to the Final Four and a National Championship. Well 2012 is Michigan's 1998! People around the program hope the shared title is just the start of great things to happen in Ann Arbor. Ten years from now hopefully a shared championship won't mean as much, maybe it will even be a disappointment like some MSU fans feel theirs is. Of course if that is the case Wolverines everywhere will be happy to be bummed
Michigan will be the first to admit how brutal the last two decades have been and to have a Big Ten title, shared or outright doesn't matter. A banner is a banner and a championship is a championship and by the looks of the party that broke out in the bowels of Crisler Center from the players on the team after MSU lost, I highly doubt that Wolverine players feel their title means any less just because they have to share it with two other teams, Michigan's two biggest rivals!
Oh, as for Michigan State, sure ten years from now this title will be just another milestone in the brilliant career of Tom Izzo, However in the immediate aftermath of the loss to OSU, Izzo has got to find it hard to stomach the fact that his players and his program just handed their in state rivals their first championship in 26 years! Izzo knows how it used to be, he coached under Jud Heathcoat when Michigan was the king of the state as far as hoops goes. Since then, the Northern Michigan native has done a tremendous job of making the Spartans the premiere program not only in Michigan but the country. However to help give Michigan this latest title has got to leave an awful taste in the mouth of Izzo considering he knows the past and has to wonder if it will come back to haunt him?
The Michigan Wolverines are Big ten Champions! Man that sounds strange. I wonder what else they can achieve.
