Rich Reacts as You’d Expect a Michigan Alum to React to #2 Ohio State’s Loss to Unranked USC

Rich has a new favorite player in college football. His name is Mark Bowman, he is 18 years old, and on Saturday night he hurdled an Ohio State Buckeye on his way to a 70-yard catch and run in the rain.

That play is a big reason unranked USC knocked off No. 2 Ohio State. And it is the only reason Rich, a proud Michigan Wolverine, spent a Saturday night as a Trojan.

Because make no mistake, Rich does not like USC. He brought receipts. He brought up a Rose Bowl the Trojans won in the 1970s on what he called "a fraudulent touchdown," a ball that was loose. When it was pointed out that he was not a Michigan fan back then, Rich did not budge. "I'm a standard bearer for my university, sir, when I sit in this chair," he said. "I represent all Wolverines of all generations."

He also covered Bo's last game, a Rose Bowl loss to USC. Rich was in a booth at the Rose Bowl working for the Michigan Daily when Bo called a fake punt, a tendency breaker decades in the making. It got called for holding, which Rich still calls a terrible call. Bo compounded it by throwing his headset, and 15 more yards later, it was over. "So that's all to say I don't like the Trojans," Rich said. Suz has a soft spot for USC, since she teaches there. Rich does not.

"But Saturday night, I was a Trojan," he said. "I was fighting on." When someone mentioned being out trick-or-treating, Rich said he was "wearing a costume of being a USC fan."

He gave Ohio State some context. The Buckeyes were starting a backup quarterback, and Jeremiah Smith had what Rich called a pedestrian game by his standards, even with a touchdown. "And USC took care of business," Rich said.

Then came the Lincoln Riley postgame. Rich noted Riley walking off the field cursing at people because injured Buckeyes were not moving fast enough, apparently while holding his kids' hands. Riley then read a statement he seemed to have written down in case they won. Rich was baffled. "I don't even write down something in case I win an Emmy award," he said. "And I still haven't."

But Rich said that no matter how angry Riley is at the media for questioning his job and his future, "he doesn't come close to the anger of the face eating leopards known as the Ohio State fan base." Losing to an unranked team is unacceptable to that fan base, no matter that the quarterback might not have been ready for the moment. "There's talented players all over the field for the Ohio State. They're going to be professional football players, most of them," he said.

The bigger picture got Rich even more excited. UCLA is undefeated and in the top five, "hurtling towards the Big Ten championship game as it currently stands." Michigan plays the Bruins the week before Ohio State. "Could you imagine if Michigan beats Ohio State this year?" Rich asked, while admitting his Wolverines have trouble tying their shoes on occasion.

Can Ohio State still make the playoff? The studio's read was that two losses is survivable. A third would be another story.

The studio also marveled at Ryan Day's standard. "Ryan Day is not allowed to lose. He's never allowed to lose," came the observation, with the room noting he has barely lost since becoming head coach.

There is plenty more coming, with Miami and Notre Dame, Georgia and Ole Miss, BYU and Utah, and Texas and Missouri on deck. But Rich kept coming back to one moment. "He hurdles over him and then goes 70 yards almost for the touchdown," Rich said. "That's one of the greatest football plays I've ever seen."