Big Game in Big House

No, it’s not the Manu and South Africa game - or any other RWC game.  Instead, it’s the game between the Cougars and the Wolverines.  I’m talking about the game between two college football teams here in the US between BYU and the University of Michigan.  It’s a BIG game for either team.  For Michigan it will be one that will test the progress of its torpid football program of recent years, and hopefully a resurgent one under their new head coach Jim Harbaugh - an alumnus and a former NFL/Forty Niners’ coach.

Michigan's fabled "Big House"

For BYU it’s another attempt to prove and validate (after wins against Boise State and Nebraska, and a close game against UCLA) its playoffs/championship caliber; hence against the seeming marginalization imposed by the college football conglomerate - namely the Power Five.  BYU, like Notre Dame and Navy, is an independent.  It does not belong to a football conference  and so it would have to have a phenomenal and impressive season to be considered for the playoffs.

The last and only other time BYU and Michigan played was some 30 years ago in San Diego.  BYU won the game, was undefeated (13-0) and sealed its claim for the national championship that year.  So in a sense, this game tomorrow is like a return fight.  The proverbial hatchet is being unburied.

And the "Big House"?  Yes. It’s the name for the Michigan University Stadium which holds 109,000+ people, but it can host crowds of 115, 000.  To put that in some perspective, it can hold about 2/3 of Samoa’s population that totals 180,000, but it can hold all of Tonga’s population of 105,000 - and some.  It is bigger than any present stadium in either Australia or NZ. The Big House is definitely going to be loooooud during game time tomorrow.  During its preparations, BYU streamed and blared loud music into its indoor football practice facility to mimic the noise they will encounter in the Big House.

BYU Stadium

So whichever team wins, it’s going to be BIG for them going forward this season!

Goooooooo COUGARS!!

UPDATE:  Many hours later...

The BIGGER team (Michigan) won and the smaller team (BYU) lost.  Gotta hand it to the Wolverines.  And for the Cougars, well, maybe next time.  I’m glad I didn’t watch the game; I had to go cheer and support our grandsons in their games (they all won).  So as far as BYU football goes, for now, I think I'll pass; instead I'll just stick with cheering for BYU RUGBY!  They are the real deal winning the national title three years in a row!