There's One More Angel In Maize 'n' Blue Heaven

November 17, 2006 11:32 AM

Bo Knew Football.On the eve of one of the most anticipated college football matchups in decades, Bo Schembechler, the storied ex coach of the Michigan Wolverines passes away. The Michigan/OSU game is one of the longest and most storied rivalries in the history of sports. His battles with Woody Hayes are the stuff of Wolverine and Buckeye legend. Hail to the Victors, Bo.
posted by spicynuts (39 comments total)

What a time to go... I hear in Ohio Bo was the most hated figure, although I'm sure they have respect for him.
posted by cell divide at 11:37 AM on November 17, 2006

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posted by chandy72 at 11:39 AM on November 17, 2006

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posted by Kwantsar at 11:42 AM on November 17, 2006

Vegas Odds on the game from your choice of oddsmakers.

More Top Ten UM/OSU games
posted by spicynuts at 11:42 AM on November 17, 2006

I've seen The Game. I know The Big Game. And Mr. Senator, Michigan/OSU sure ain't The Game.
posted by twsf at 11:43 AM on November 17, 2006

Funny, I thought the first genius to argue against "The Game" would be some Army/Navy wanker.
posted by spicynuts at 11:49 AM on November 17, 2006

Argh, guess what I just lost?
posted by randomination at 11:50 AM on November 17, 2006

*salutes*

/married to Michigan alum (Class Of '89)
posted by jonmc at 11:51 AM on November 17, 2006

Just went to see what the (today-appropriately-named) "Dead Schembechlers" had to say about this news:

The band is crushed to learn of the death of Bo Schembechler. We named this band after Coach Schembechler to honor him as the face of Wolverine football. We have never wished ill will upon him in any way and have always wished him the best. When we learned that Bo had seen our web site and was amused by it we were delighted. We were simply delighted. He said to those with him as he read it, "See, I still matter in Columbus!" That may have been the greatest understatement in football history. We believe that he took the band's name as the compliment that it was meant as and that he was flattered by it. We wish to extend our deepest and most heartfelt sympathies to his family. We are truly sorry for their loss.
posted by pardonyou? at 11:54 AM on November 17, 2006

A friend just sent me an email wondering if the Dead Schembechler's will change their name. Now I know what the fuck he was talking about.
posted by These Premises Are Alarmed at 11:57 AM on November 17, 2006

Bo was not a hated figure per se in Columbus, more like a respected adversary. He was a Buckeye by birth, education and as an asst to Woody Hayes before moving to that school up north. Rest in Peace.
posted by robot at 12:08 PM on November 17, 2006

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posted by beelzbubba at 12:16 PM on November 17, 2006

RIP Bo

Look out OSU, Michigan will win this one for Bo.
posted by caddis at 12:24 PM on November 17, 2006

This will be one of those "intangibles" that can give a team like Michigan another reason to win (as if they needed one). My money - literally - is on Blue.
posted by rocket88 at 12:26 PM on November 17, 2006

let's win one for bo!
posted by pyramid termite at 12:42 PM on November 17, 2006 [1 favorite]

A dozen years ago, I worked very briefly for the company Schembechler ran after he retired from football. He was a nice guy, and it was an honor to meet him.
posted by ardgedee at 1:28 PM on November 17, 2006

. . .
3 honks for Bo on the
Bo "George Patton" Schembechler" Scoring Horn[mp3]
posted by mach at 1:34 PM on November 17, 2006

.

Unreal. Real life is cornier than fiction sometimes.
posted by ibmcginty at 1:38 PM on November 17, 2006 [1 favorite]

Michigan/OSU sure ain't The Game.

Harvard/Yale might indeed be THE Game, but OSU/Michigan has been, for as long as I can remember, The Relevant Game.

Hail to the motherfucker. RIP, Bo.
posted by psmealey at 2:04 PM on November 17, 2006

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posted by Keane at 2:10 PM on November 17, 2006

When Bo coached, I was a Notre Dame fan. But after 7 years at UMich..... you learn to respect it.

How sad to go on the eve of the game.
posted by dpx.mfx at 2:12 PM on November 17, 2006

I drive by the "Big House" every day on the way to work. It's not just the weather that's making it look cold this afternoon.

Bo was an important part of not only the U of M community, but of Ann Arbor as well.

He'll be missed.

I gotta say, however, this was a heck of a thing to do in order to give the team the motivation it will take to crush some buckeye nuts in the most important game this team has ever played, but, I'm betting it will work.
posted by HuronBob at 2:17 PM on November 17, 2006

Hail, hail.

My grandmother called me with the news this afternoon. She said that she felt as if she'd lost an old friend.

The very first football game I ever attended was during Bo's last season. I've bled maize and blue ever since.

RIP, Bo.
posted by anjamu at 2:41 PM on November 17, 2006

Aw. Very sad. :(
posted by naturesgreatestmiracle at 3:02 PM on November 17, 2006

Rest in peace, Bo.

Go Wolverines. Kick them up and down the Ohio Stadium field.
posted by blucevalo at 3:25 PM on November 17, 2006

RIP.

Myself and most of my family are UofM alum and my grandparents have run a local Ann Arbor business for decades through which they became relatively good friends of Bo. He will surely be missed by the community.

Go Blue! (debating whether to wake up at 5:30 am Sunday to catch online gamecast from here in Japan)
posted by p3t3 at 3:58 PM on November 17, 2006

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(F*** Michigan)
posted by msali at 4:15 PM on November 17, 2006

I'm still having a hard time believing that this was NPR's lead story today. Give me a break.
posted by spock at 4:38 PM on November 17, 2006

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posted by bbuda at 4:44 PM on November 17, 2006

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posted by SisterHavana at 5:22 PM on November 17, 2006

This will be one of those "intangibles" that can give a team like Michigan another reason to win

I'm thinking it has to violate some obscure NCAA regulation, somehow.
posted by dhartung at 5:57 PM on November 17, 2006

This is very Obi Wan Kenobi of Bo.
May the force be with you.
Go Blue.
posted by mert at 6:01 PM on November 17, 2006

Years ago, I suggested that somebody should hire both Schembechler and Ara Parseghian as co-coaches in order to counter the popular "Shotgun Offense" with a "Bo and Ara Offense". I'm sorry I'll never get to use that pun again. I'm even sorrier I used it now.
posted by wendell at 7:00 PM on November 17, 2006

Wow. Michigan filter.

Honestly, growing up with Bo Schembechler as the coach of my favorite college football team was not very pleasant. However, he seemed like a nice guy and he was certainly a huge figure in the community (I've been away for a little over 20 years, btw).

Go Blue!
posted by mrgrimm at 7:26 PM on November 17, 2006

From the matchups link:
But for those who can't wait until after the game, a Friday night "Hate Michigan" rally is planned in Columbus, headlined by local band the Dead Schembechlers

Oh...

(Go Hawks?)
posted by dirigibleman at 9:21 PM on November 17, 2006

As I drove out of the parking lot at my job here in southwest Michigan, the flag pole across the street no longer flew the stars and stripes; A blue flag with a yellow 'M' was flying at half mast.

.
posted by UseyurBrain at 10:00 PM on November 17, 2006

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Thanks for the many fond Big House memories, Bo.
posted by smbird at 10:21 PM on November 17, 2006

A friend just sent me an email wondering if the Dead Schembechler's will change their name. Now I know what the fuck he was talking about.

They're doing more than that.

The Detroit Free Press reported Friday, however, that it will be the band's final show.

"This will be it for us as a group," the band's leader, Bo Biafra was quoted as saying in the Free Press.

posted by pmurray63 at 8:18 AM on November 18, 2006

Heck of a game, eh? Lived up to the hype, and we might be seeing a rematch in January, though there's a lot of football left to play tonight that could weigh on all of this.

Michigan or Ohio State, it doesn't matter. They both generally beat my Northwestern Wildcats.
posted by AJaffe at 5:03 PM on November 18, 2006