Welcome to Michigan Week, Buckeye Fans

COLUMBUS — ♪ It’s the most won-der-ful time of the year ♪ …

Welcome to Michigan Week.

To even type it conjures up memories, legacies, failures, and successes. Moments upon moments. Stories become legends. Legends become shrines.

It is as stressful as it is enjoyable.

There is truly nothing like it.

Even your acid reflux has acid reflux, and you’re somehow okay with it.

Thanks to Michigan’s loss to Wisconsin and Ohio State’s win over Illinois, the Buckeyes have already secured a berth in the Big Ten Championship Game in Indianapolis in two weeks.

Which means next Saturday’s game at Michigan is meaningless.

Except nothing could be further from the truth.

This is Michigan. The bane of your existence. The reason the color yellow makes you instantly angry.

Michigan Week is seven days of staring through walls. Forgetting to breathe. Lashing out at passing shadows.

And it’s the best worst feeling in the world.

A win for Ohio State would mean more than just bragging rights, but bragging rights are all that has ever been needed.

It has been a year in the making. Meticulous planning. Every detail accounted for. Never not preparing.

And that’s just you. Imagine what the team has been doing in those same 365 days.

Michigan Week is the one week per year when you can be excused for being your true, surly self. When you can raise your voice to a cashier for wishing you a nice day. When you can flip somebody off for letting you merge.

They get it. They get you.

They know you’ll eventually revert back to a normal functioning human. But for now, you have more important things to tend to.

This is Michigan Week. This is why you put up with all the other crap you have to deal with. It’s not an escape, it’s a reason.

It’s a release.

And it’s been building for 12 long months.

I would tell you to enjoy it, but you’ll be too busy cussing out your neighbor or clutching your chest.

And we wouldn’t have it any other way.