• Woody & The Tantrums (1971)

    On November 20, 1971 the Buckeyes visited Ann Arbor for the third ep of the Ten Year War. Late in the game with Michigan trailing, Billy Taylor shot around the right side, picked up a couple blocks and scored one of the greatest TDs in team history - "Touchdown Billy Taylor." Did you know that Woody went berserk shortly after that play? The Story:

  • Buckeye Constructs LEGO Horseshoe

    Kudos to another Buckeye fan who’s taken a run at constructing a LEGO Ohio Stadium: Paul Janssen of Dublin used about a million Lego pieces to build the recently finished 8-foot-by-6-foot model, which has room for 6,000 Lego people. Janssen says the project “took about 1,000 hours over two years.”  A couple of nice photos of his masterpiece: This version of the ‘Shoe puts the 2006 version constructed by another rabid Bucknut, (discussed here on MVictors) to SHAME.  It took twice as long for the ‘06 project and it stands just about a foot tall: It’s unconfirmed whether Janssen’s next “project” is to kiss a girl. (Of course, this jab is coming from a man who has a piece of the Big Chill ice in his freezer).  Anyway, a hearty salute from up North to Janssen and his efforts here but he’s clearly missing a few details, especially the goings-on just outside the stadium:   And while he included bathrooms, he missed this critical slice of reality:

  • Tea Leaves into Divisional alignment (Dave Brandon audio 08-20)

      WTKA broadcast live from Schembechler Hall this morning and Sam and Ira did a solid segment with AD Dave Brandon.  Topics ranged of course, but Brandon also addressed some tough questions about divisional realignment, particularly where Ohio and Michigan might fall. You can hear these and all the WKTA podcasts here, or click below, in two parts.  He gets into the division realignment questions in the second part: [display_podcast] Notes: A few key quotes on divisional realignment. When asked if he were making the decision, would he put Michigan and Ohio State in the same conference division?  Brandon paused then answered. "No." Sam asked, "Why?"  Brandon:  "Because we’re in a situation where one of the best things that could happen, in my opinion in a given season, would be the opportunity to play Ohio State twice.  Once in the regular season and once for the championship of the Big Ten. Sam asked about whether they would hold the tradition to keep that the last game of the season.   Brandon:  "I think there’s a distinct possibility that that game will be a later game in the season, but not necessarily the last game of the season.  And that’s simply because…I don’t think the coaches, or the players, or the fans, or the networks or anyone, would appreciate that match-up to…

  • Jesse Owens, Gerald Ford and 1934

    Regular readers of this site know one of my favorite decades of Michigan football is the 1930s, having covered different seasons and events in eBay Watch and in the Little Brown Jug Lore series from those years. If I had to pick one year as my favorite during the stretch it’s definitely 1934 which is ironic, as it’s arguably the worst season in Michigan football history.   I argued this point here and here, but in a nutshell consider that Harry Kipke’s team, coming off back-to-back national championships, finished 1-7, was shut out in five of the eight games and scored a mere 21 points.  Fugly. Despite the futility on the gridiron, the season is packed with historical treasures of major significance both on and off the field.  Check out this program from the Ohio State-Michigan held on November 17, 1934: The program features several photos of players, including a collage of the Michigan team including team MVP Gerald Ford: The top of the photo features Willis Ward, the African American end who was at the center of a fierce controversy that played out before the Georgia Tech game a few weeks earlier that season.  For those not familiar, The Jackets made it known well before the game that they wouldn’t take the field in Ann Arbor if Ward played, spawning…

  • A Hard Combination to Beat (1905 Michigan Football)

    Another vintage Michigan football item showed up this week on eBay, this time a post card celebrating Fielding Yost and his fine 1905 squad. The team is assembled in a line with Yost in the middle, standing on a large sign in the shape of a football that reads 'Western Championship'. Atop the photo is a block letter title, 'A HARD COMBINATION TO BEAT'.