Notre Dame and Michigan Prepare for One Last Showdown

Historically in the Midwest there is no greater college football than at Notre Dame and Michigan. Forty times the two teams have met and their storied histories and gaudy team records make their rivalry one to circle on the calendar. On Saturday the two will meet again, as has become the norm early in each season, but this time will be different. Because this time will be the last one for a while.

It's a complaint that has been filed too many times to count by college sports fans, but it's inescapable. Conference realignment stinks. Period. Kansas and Missouri no longer play basketball, Nebraska and Oklahoma won't see each other on the gridiron any time soon and Syracuse and Georgetown have played their last conference basketball game. Now, because of Notre Dame's new agreement with the ACC, the Irish won't play Michigan through at least 2017.

Notre Dame head coach Brian Kelly made a silly remark earlier this week that the ND-Michigan rivalry wasn't "one of those historic, traditional Notre Dame rivalries." Earlier today he backtracked and said that the game was "a great and historical rivalry." Kelly was wise to change his tune because he was dead wrong with his first remarks.

Back in 1887 Michigan won the first meeting ever between the two teams and they proceeded to rack up eight straight victories against the Irish. Since those eight games, Notre Dame has a slight edge in the series, going 16-15-1. The rivalry is evenly matched and pits two of the top teams in college football against each other.

The two schools are numbers one and two in winning percentage all-time and numbers one and three in all-time wins. On top of that, they both own 11 championships. Every game since 2009 has been decided by seven points or less and in 2011 Denard Robinson left us with an instant classic as he led the Wolverines back from a 24-7 deficit and scored the game-winning touchdown with two seconds left in the first night game ever at The Big House.

With Notre Dame joining the ACC, Michigan was left out of the Irish's schedule. Wolverines head coach Brady Hoke insists that Notre Dame "chickened out" but the reality is that the conference alignment will always have the final say. Notre Dame has agreed to play five games against ACC competition which is absolutely ridiculous because everyone really wants to see the Irish play a team like Wake Forest instead of Michigan. Wrong.

So this is it for awhile. Notre Dame and Michigan on a September Saturday. Enjoy this one because in an ever-changing world of college sports it may not be back again. However, this game is historic and it's traditional and that is why it's one of the best rivalries in college football.