Lindy’s picks Ohio State vs. Michigan as No. 3 rated rivalry for 2020

I know, I know, we’re spoiled here in Columbus. Ohio State is always seemingly vying for Big Ten and national titles, puts out ton of All-Americans and NFL draft picks. More than that though, we grew up watching arguably the best rivalry in American sports.

Ohio State vs. Michigan (or Michigan vs. Ohio State if you’re from TTUN) needs no introduction. It’s two of the winningnest programs of all time (Ohio State in percent, Michigan in total wins), the colors and pageantry are spectacular, and historically, the games have had a ton on the line.

But as of late, at least in the national conscience, The Game has seemed like just another game. That’s because Michigan has brought a knife to a college football gunfight more often than not and has been waxed now fifteen of the last sixteen contests, with a current rate of futility that stands at eight straight losses.

So, I guess we can’t blame the national folks from taking their gaze off of the last Saturday in November in the Midwest the last few years.

To that point, the Lindy’s Preseason College Football Preview magazine is out, and it touched on the best college football rivalries for 2020. I guess you can read into that description however you want, but it listed Ohio State as not No. 1, and not No. 2, but No. 3 overall.

But why? And what contest does the mag have listed ahead of The Game?

Next … What Lindy’s says about Ohio State vs. Michigan

Ohio State vs. Michigan – Lindy’s No. 3 ranked college football rivalry for 2020

What Lindy’s says

The consistent, decades-long excellence of these programs has made their meeting one of the marquee matches every season, even when it is lopsided. And boy, is it lopsided. The Buckeyes have won the past eight and 15 of 16.

Yet, Michigan is allowing Jim Harbaugh to keep trying. After all, his 0-5 is not all that much worse than Fielding Yost’s 16-3-1, or Fritz Crisler’s 7-2-1, or Bo Schembechler’s 11-9-1 against the caravans of invaders from the south. Wait … yes it is. It’s even worse than Brady Hoke’s 1-3. It’s even worse than Rich Rod’s 0-3. Or Lloyd Carr’s 0-for-last-4. Harbaugh’s mark is even worse than (insert name of any former Michigan coach here).

Next … What we say

Ohio State vs. Michigan – Lindy’s No. 3 ranked college football rivalry for 2020

What we say

Bologna. Ohio State vs. Michigan is still the best rivalry in all of sports. You don’t erase the history of a game that has meant so much to so many across this country with a run of futility by one side. Who knows if Michigan will ever get its act together again, but watching those contrasting colors of Maize and Blue and Scarlet and Gray doing battle in late November — usually under a cold, gray sky — is part of the very fabric of college football.

Some will argue the Iron Bowl is the best rivalry. Others point to Army vs. Navy is for what it means to our servicemen. But there’s a reason The Game gets put on a showcase at noon on national television every year and pulls in some of the highest ratings of any game on almost an annual basis.

It is second to none, and most polls and reaction pieces agree. Even if we’re talking just about this upcoming season, it’s still an event to schedule around. Now, let’s see how Lindy’s ranked its complete top 20 college football rivalries so we can disagree some more.