What will Michigan call the other “Ohio” this week?
The unveiling of fourth-seeded Michigan's opening-round NCAA tournament matchup against 13th-seeded Ohio on Sunday evening inspired one obvious question for Wolverines coach John Beilein when he met with reporters that night.
What would Beilein call the Bobcats?
Perhaps in an effort to irritate their most hated rivals, Beilein and Michigan football coach Brady Hoke have taken to referring to Ohio State as merely "Ohio" since the start of the school year. Asked what he would call the real Ohio this week, Beilein responded, "We're playing Ohio University now, a great university down in Athens, Ohio."
Beilein's response was diplomatic, but Michigan fans have a clever alternative. Already there's a movement for Beilein to refer to his team's opening-round opponent as "The Ohio University," another obvious dig at Ohio State.
The irony of Michigan's draw was not lost on Ohio State coach Thad Matta, who chuckled at the NCAA tournament selection committee's sense of humor.
"That's gonna be really confusing for them," Matta told reporters in Indianapolis, where the Buckeyes gathered for the selection show after their loss to Michigan State in the Big Ten title game.
When Matta was asked how former Ohio State assistant and current Ohio coach John Groce could make sure the Wolverines know who they're playing, he had his one liner ready.
"Maybe they can borrow whatever uniforms we're not wearing," Matta quipped. "That is irony at its finest right there."
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