HBO will air ‘The Rivalry’ Nov. 13th

Crew from HBO photographing the best of the best

As mentioned here after the Appalachian State game, HBO is putting together a documentary on the Ohio State vs. Michigan rivalry and had crews in Ann Arbor out getting footage for the opener. I just got an email from someone involved in the project advising that they got the green light. The documentary will air the week of the big game next month. Here’s the full presser:

MICHIGAN VS. OHIO STATE : THE RIVALRY, HBO SPORTS’
FIRST COLLEGE FOOTBALL DOCUMENTARY, DEBUTS NOV. 13

HBO Sports will present its first college football documentary, chronicling the rivalry of the University of Michigan and Ohio State University , this fall. Steeped in a rich tradition dating back to their inaugural meeting in 1897, this rivalry extends beyond the pursuit of a Big Ten title, and is renewed each year through the pageantry and colliding cultures that distinguish the two schools. Presented four days before the Ohio State Buckeyes take on the Michigan Wolverines at Ann Arbor , MICHIGAN VS. OHIO STATE: THE RIVALRY debuts TUESDAY, NOV. 13 (10:30-11:30 p.m. ET/PT), exclusively on HBO.

Other HBO playdates: Nov. 15 (7:00 p.m.), 16 (6:00 p.m., 12:55 a.m.), 17 (10:00 a.m.), 20 (5:00 p.m.), 23 (9:30 a.m., 10:15 p.m.), 25 (11:00 a.m.) and 28 (9:30 a.m., 11:00 p.m.).

Each year, the football programs at Ohio State and Michigan gear up with a common goal: to beat their archrival on the third weekend in November, no matter the rankings, no matter the score. Widely considered college football’s biggest rivalry, these two Big Ten powerhouses frequently dominate the standings, and attract game-day crowds that exceed 100,000 rabid followers. On Nov. 18, 2006, more than 105,000 fans watched No. 1 Ohio State defeat No. 2 Michigan by a score of 42-39, with an additional 21.8 million tuning in on TV.

“This film will split the viewers right down the middle,” says Ross Greenburg, president, HBO Sports. “The Ohio State-Michigan rivalry is considered one of the most compelling in college football history, consuming not only the Midwest , but the nation. Spanning more than a century, with names like Bo Schembechler and Woody Hayes, Archie Griffin and Desmond Howard, the characters and storylines of this yearly showdown are memorable. So there is no better place for HBO Sports to delve into the college football realm than with these two extraordinary programs.”

Separated by only 200 miles, Ohio State University and the University of Michigan began their football rivalry in 1897. U of M won that first game 34-0 and dominated the series until 1919, but the matchup has been virtually even over the course of the last 50 meetings, as the two battle for the Big Ten title and a shot at the national championship.

MICHIGAN VS. OHIO STATE : THE RIVALRY spotlights exuberant and charismatic coaches Woody Hayes and Bo Schembechler, who battled from opposite sides of the field over a decade that came to be known as “The Ten Year War.” Schembechler shared his thoughts with HBO in an interview – the coach’s last long-form interview before his death – conducted in Michigan Stadium on Nov. 16, 2006, two days prior to the most anticipated meeting in the rivalry’s history. Other interview subjects include Earle Bruce, Cris Carter, Dan Dierdorf, Randy Gradishar, Desmond Howard, Archie Griffin, Jim Mandich, Jack Nicklaus and Mike Wallace.

Unlike many other sports rivalries, the Ohio State-Michigan face-off has not only endured, but is growing. The Wall Street Journal notes, “The game continues to carry the most genuine mark of a great rivalry: The feud between the two schools injects itself into everything from business and politics to an annual blood drive where volunteers from the two campuses vie to see which side can siphon the most plasma.”

The executive producers of MICHIGAN VS. OHIO STATE: THE RIVALRY are Ross Greenburg and Rick Bernstein; produced by George Roy.