In Ann Arbor, football is all. Surreally so.

The Wolverine’s greatest and long standing rivals are the Ohio State Buckeyes. There is a Columbus based punk-band dedicated solely to trashing Ann Arbor, so I assume the feeling is mutual. This year, Ohio is number one in the league, 16 wins and 0 losses. Number 2 is U Mich, at 11 and 0 (or something, I don’t really follow this stuff, beyond the fact that you have to wrap your head in cotton batting to not follow football in Ann Arbor).

Tomorrow Michigan plays Ohio, in Ohio, in what I believe is the last game of the regular season, and possibly determines who advances (?). This is being billed as the biggest game of our lives.

An email was sent by to all U Michigan students from “Sue Eklund, Associate Vice President and Dean of Students, Steve Grafton, President, Alumni Association, Nicole Stallings, MSA President”. It begins with an innocuous invitation to an official tail gate party for Michigan fans in Columbus, then continues:

We know that it can be uncomfortable being in an opposing team’s environment, especially when the stakes are so high. We would like to offer a few suggestions in order to help you stay safe and have a positive experience this weekend:

–Try carpooling to the game; if possible, drive a car with non- Michigan license plates.
–Keep your Michigan gear to a minimum, or wait until you are inside the stadium to display it.
–Stay with a group.
–Know and obey the laws regarding alcohol use.
–If you are of legal age to drink, use alcohol in moderation. Stay in the blue.
–Stay low-key; don’t draw unnecessary attention to yourself.
–If verbally harrassed by opposing fans, don’t take the bait.
–Avoid High Street in Columbus.

If at any time you feel unsafe, you should call 9-1-1 for assistance. U-M campus police also will be available in Columbus to support our fans. You may call them with non-emergency concerns at (734) 216-9159.

We look forward to a tremendous game on Saturday. Let’s help the Wolverines win with spirit and class.

Go Blue!

Good lord.