The Battle of the Bricks is always something special for the state of Ohio. As if it needed any more anticipation or excitement, 2024’s edition of Ohio and Miami (OH) on the gridiron holds just a bit more significance.
This weekend’s tilt in Oxford between the two bitter rivals is a historic one. It’ll be the 100th meeting all-time between two of the oldest institutions in the state with the Redhawks leading the series 55-42-2 all-time. This includes last season’s 30-16 loss at home
Coming into his weekly press conference with an extra bit of enthusiasm, Ohio head coach Tim Albin is seemingly more than excited to get this historic rivalry back in action. The sentimental 100th bout between the schools doesn’t hurt the excitement either.
“This is the 100th meeting. It’s pretty cool, well not pretty, it’s very cool. There’s a long history… It’s college football at it’s finest,” The head coach said in his opening remarks. “I believe Ohio University and Miami are the two oldest in the state, but we’re number one.”
Throughout the press conference there was a rejuvenated sense of anticipation from Albin. Coming off a nearly heartbreaking, yet satisfying win all the same over Central Michigan, Ohio has set themselves up in prime position once again.
While early in the conference schedule still, this is a vital one for the Bobcats. Looking to take down the defending MAC champions on the road, Ohio has no more consecutive road games the rest of the way. Not only would a win this weekend put the Bobcats in the driver seat to go and try to make another attempt at getting to Detroit, it’ll add just another boost of confidence inside the locker room that anything is achievable.
Oddly enough, rivalries like this are slowly being taken away in the college game with the abundance of conference realignments and shifts going on around the country. These yearly memories are slowly being ripped away from the fans of the game.
That is, in most places beside the MAC. A conference that has prided itself on its core group of institutions sticking together throughout decades, the MAC still has an abundance of these special rivalry games.
Whether it be the oldest rivalry with the Battle of the Bricks, the Wagon Wheel between Kent St. and Akron or the Battle of I-75 between Toledo and Bowling Green, the conference is littered with emotional-fueled matchups.
Speaking as someone who grew up dreaming of these rivalries, Albin made to sure note and appreciate the effort the MAC has made to continue these historic bouts.
“Some of them are disappearing and it’s unfortunate. At my age, I grew up on college football,” Albin said when asked about long-standing rivalries getting put aside with new conferences and schedules coming about. “This one has survived and it’s great… I think it’s great for college football and for our league. It’s what I know and I think it’s exciting.”
Albin certainly won’t be the only one excited once Saturday comes around. Ohio will do all it can to secure the 100th bout, stay undefeated in conference play and continue the course with postseason aspirations ahead.
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