Welcome back to The Rival Rundown! If you’ve always wanted to give props to your school on CC, now’s your chance! Shoot us an email explaining what’s awesome and unique about your school (or what stinks about Rival U) at rivalrundown@collegecandy.com!

This is it, folks, the grand daddy of all college rivalries! Noted by ESPN as the greatest North American sports rivalry today, the bad blood between the University of Michigan and the Ohio State University is unequaled. This weekend marks the one hundred and sixth meeting of the two teams, in the last regular-season football game. If you don’t happen to be one who bleeds maize and blue, or scarlet and gray, now’s your chance to catch up on the rivalry that will be on the tips of everyone’s tongues this week.

Quick Facts:
University of Michigan: Public research university in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Enrollment of over 50,000. Mascot is the Wolverine.
Ohio State University: Public research university in Columbus, Ohio. Enrollment of over 50,000. Mascot is the Buckeye.

1. Football Victories

Michigan: 52 wins, 42 losses, 3 ties
Ohio State: 42 wins, 52 losses, 3 ties

Three credits to: Michigan. The Wolverines have also won 42 Big Ten conference titles (compared to Ohio State’s 33) and 11 national titles (compared to the Buckeyes’ 7).

2. Memorable Moments

Michigan: In one of the most famous football games in history, the 1950 Wolverines fought their way to victory 9-3 in Columbus.  In what is known to history as the “Snow Bowl,” the match took place in one of the worst Ohio blizzards on record. Before its start, Ohio State had the option of forfeiting the game and retaining the Big 10 championship title. However, since they decided to play, the two teams duked it out in the cold and snow, punting 45 times, occasionally on first downs. Michigan stealing the victory, and the title, on enemy turf? How sweet it was!
Ohio State: In the 1973 match-up between the Wolverines and the Buckeyes, both teams entered the game undefeated. The match would decide the Big 10 conference champion and which team would travel to the national championship at the Rose Bowl. When the game ended in a heart-wrenching tie, athletic directors of the other Big 10 conference schools had to vote by secret ballot for their choice of a winner. Ultimately, OSU became the victor, in what was one of the most legendary games in history.

Three credits to: Ohio State. With stakes raised to the limit–a conference championship, a trip to the Rose Bowl, and a tie with your most storied rival–having the confidence of your fellow conference members is something to relish.

3. Terrific Traditions

Michigan: American composer John Philip Sousa, who made a career of writing march songs, once declared the UM march song “the greatest college fight song ever written.”  Called “The Victors,” it has not only been played on the field and at commencement, but as the entrance theme song (in lieu of Hail to the Chief) for proud alum President Gerald Ford.
Ohio State: A seemingly cliche quote by one of OSU’s coaches turned into a legendary tradition for the Buckeyes. When asked about how he he planned to approach the Wolverines, Ohio State coach Francis Schmidt said, “They put their pants on one leg at a time same as everyone else.” Since then, the “Golden Pants Club” has awarded statues of golden pants to each OSU Buckeye who has scored a victory over Michigan.

Three credits to: Ohio State, for marrying college tradition appropriately with potty humor!

4. Ass-Kicking Alumni

Michigan: James Earl Jones, Tom Brady, Lucy Liu, Arthur Miller
Ohio State: Roy Lichtenstein, Jesse Owens, Patricia Heaton, Jack Niklaus (attended)

Three credits to: Michigan– how can you argue with the voice of Darth Vader (and CNN), and Super Bowl MVP?

5. Acceptance Rate Agony

Michigan: 42.1%
Ohio State: 52.3%

Three credits to: Michigan, definitively.

While it’s obvious that there are situations common to all college students whatever campus they may call home, every campus has its own unique traditions. Some, like walking through a certain fountain upon graduation, date back hundreds of years. Others, like puking under a table at the late night Mexican restaurant on the night of your 21st birthday, are simply infamous amongst the student body.

And it is these things that unite students and make us proud to call our specific school home. So this week I asked the CollegeCandy writers to show a little school pride and share their university’s eccentricities with the world.

Tell us: what campus “tradition” sets your school apart from the pack?

Ness – Sheridan: You know you go to the biggest art school in Canada when all the guys are either high or gay. Sigh.

Teresa Wu – UCSD:  You know you go to UCSD when it’s hard to find a seat at the library on the third day of school.

Kim – Stanford: You know you go to Stanford when there is a protest for anything and everything.

Lauren H – The New School: You know you go to New School when there’s only one guy in your class and he’s looking for guys too.

Elizabeth – UC Berkeley: You know you go to UC Berkeley when you’ve been kissed by a bum.

Nina – Michigan State University: You know you go to Michigan State University when a half hour’s walk to a party or class is no sweat … it’s actually the norm.

Kari – Florida State: You know you go to Florida State when the sight of Potbelly’s makes your heart flutter, when you refuse to wear anything that pairs orange and blue together (hideous), and when you’ve eaten a slice of pizza bigger than your head from MoMo’s.

Thu – USC: You know you go to USC when you can dorm in a hotel your freshman year (I did!).

Rosie – Duke: You know you go to Duke when your pre-football game tailgate consists of students completely wasted by 9 am, dressed in ridiculous costumes in a parking lot, throwing beer, chilling in kiddie pools, dancing on speakers, and then, after 3 hours of a complete sh*tshow, totally ignoring the football game itself for a nice longggg nap.

Lauren – University of Michigan: You know you go to Michigan when the mere site of an Ohio license plate makes your blood boil. And when you look around for the skinniest person near you at a football game whenever the team scores.

Brittany – University of Richmond: You know you go to University of Richmond when you’ve never seen, only heard of, the UR basketball team and not even the incentive of free pizza can motivate you to go to a game.

Elizabeth – University of Missouri: You know you go to Mizzou when campus tour groups are the most excited to see the Rec Center. Hey, can’t blame ‘em for wanting to see what Sports Illustrated ranked #1 Best College Gym in the nation.

Brianna- Fordham University: You know you go to Fordham (At Lincoln Center) when you wear sweatpants to dorm parties because all the men are looking to hook up with other men.

Charlsie – Hollins University: You know you go to Hollins University when one random day in October, after the first frost, the president cancels classes in honor of Tinker Day. We eat Krispy Kreme donuts and then hike up Tinker Mountain, where we do class skits, class songs, and eat fried chicken. Or if you are too cool for that after first year, you get drunk off of mimosa’s and pass out by noon.

Samantha – UC Santa Barbara: You know you go to UCSB when instead of a football team, you have a soccer team, and instead of tailgating you pregame and throw tortillas onto the field.

Elizabeth – University of Missouri: You know you go to Mizzou when campus tour groups are the most excited to see the Rec Center. Hey, can’t blame ‘em for wanting to see what Sports Illustrated ranked #1 Best College Gym in the nation.

Sarabeth – University of Texas: You know you go to Texas when you’re asked the time and you automatically respond, “It’s ___ o’clock…AND OU STILL SUCKS!”

Mechelle – Florida State: You know you go to Florida State when you play drinking games better than you play football (and own more than one t-shirt with announcing that fact).

Alex K – Lakehead University: You know you go to Lakehead when you’re in line at Tim Horton’s and the guy in front of you has his full fishing gear (rod, hip waders, ETC).

Ricki – University of Michigan: You know you go to Michigan when the Insomnia Cookie Truck is the only thing that will make a drunk person feel better.

Carly – Grinnell: You know you go to Grinnell when you find yourself drunk at a party late on a Friday night… having an intense discussion about philosophy.

Needless to say, we need something to make us feel better. That doesn’t require us getting out of bed. Thank god our laptop was just within reach, because we didn’t have to do much work to find this little ditty. We’re sure this is something everyone can enjoy, regardless of what school you go to.

So, enjoy! And if you are feeling as crappy as we are, get some Powerade; the blue one always works wonders for us.

Derek Jeter is absolutely the total package: drop-dead-gorgeous, an all-star athlete, charming, and above all, a true gentleman.  Ladies have been on deck to eff the champion charmer since his rookie days in 1996. Leading the Yankees to four World Series titles in his first five years as a major leaguer, Jeter’s also been named Rookie of the Year, World Series MVP,  and All-Star MVP, among other awards. (Hey Jete, is that a Golden Glove in your pocket, or are you just happy to see me?)

Jeter’s always been an example of terrific sportsmanship. He always puts the Yankees first, and gives his unwavering support for teammates even as they face hardship such as injury or steroid-use allegations.  “We just want to win,” he says of the Bronx Bombers. “That’s the bottom line.” And unlike many athletes who are all talk and no action, Jeter backs up his claims by making jaw-dropping catches and swift double-plays. Have you seen this diving catch he made into the stands? His body sure must be durable–I wonder what else it’s capable of doing….

But aside from his achievements on the baseball diamond, Jeter’s a star off the field, too. He’s got a smooth sense of humor (evident from his appearances on Saturday Night Live), is a Midwestern boy at heart, and he knows how to party! Frequently spotted at New York nightclubs (work hard, play hard, right?), I not-so-secretly hope to run into him one of these days.

Jeter is known to be a bit of a playboy, having dated such celebrities as Mariah Carey, Jordana Brewster, and Jessica Biel. Despite his scorecard with women, however, I still rank the Yankee Number 2 as my MVE (Most Valuable Eff). So Jete, anytime you want to up your batting average, give me a call and you can score a couple of homers!

Jerks.

Anyways, snow days are pretty bomb. No class? No responsibility? Lots of snow on the ground? Sweeeet.

You may see it as just another day to spend curled up on the futon with your TV and a bag of Smart Pop Kettle Korn, but I am here to tell you that it is time to throw on the snow pants (or layer 3 pairs of sweats) and get outside. Don’t treat today just like any other day off of class (by drinking Gatorade and recapping with your girls); there is much fun to be had on a college campus in the snow.

(Note: CollegeCandy does not support or condone any of the following acts. They are just things we have…heard about.)

Lunch Tray Sledding: You are gonna have to be a bit sneaky about this one, but grab a backpack and head to the caf. Grab a few lunch trays, take em back to your room and grease those suckers up with a little Pam/cooking spray. Then head out to the nearest “slope” (or some sort of hilly area on campus) and let loose. Sledding never gets old…especially when there is the thrill of breaking rules involved.

Dorm Wars Snowball Fight: One night, while studying in my room, the fire alarm in my building went off. I grabbed my slippers and jacket and headed out into the frigid Ann Arbor night, roommate in tow. The moment we stepped outside, my roommate was pelted in the forehead with a snowball. I was laughing so hard I barely noticed the war that then broke out around me. It seems the dorm across the street had collaborated to get us outside so they could attack us. It was illegal, it was cold…but it was hilariously fun.

Winter Beerlympics: Grab all your friends together, form country teams and enjoy a day of winter sports. Flip cup, an ice luge, a snow angel competition, and some form of icy beer pong will make for some great competition…and a little warming from the inside out.

Naughty Snowmen: I’m sure a bunch of creative college girls can figure out how to take the innocent snowman and turn him into something a bit more…risque. If you do, send me the pics. I’d be interested to see what that looks like!

S&M Barbie…definitely not for kids.

Perfect gift for that friend that tweezes way too much!

DIY gifts for the wonderful men in your life!

Amazing new skincare from Asia!

Selena Gomez looks absolutely adorable in this outfit, and so can you!

Smart guys have better sperm, ladies!

Zac and Vanessa lookin to have some freaky sex!

Pam’s ass like you’ve never seen it before..and probably don’t want to.

Hottest bikini bods of ’08…I need to go to the gym.

Michigan professor pays (law) student for sex. And he likes it naughty…

At least that’s what she told Star Magazine.

This kid is so cute, we maybe, kinda (not for a long, long time) want kids.

Do lip plumpers really work?

Nicole Richie heads back to work.

The Halloween Costume Generator (for the ladies).

Nominate your school for the next Victoria’s Secret collection!

Does anyone use the phone anymore!?

Yes! We can finally get Zac Efron to sleep with us!

Britney set to perform live on Dec. 2! Trainwreck? We hope so!

Michigan grad to be on Vh1′s “The Pickup Artist”

The perfect Halloween accessories.

If this doesn’t motivate you to buy shower sandals, we really don’t know what will.

Also: SICK.

I watch the Olympics every night in awe. Here I am sitting on my couch – MacBook on my lap, ice cream sandwich in my hand – as the world’s best athletes compete.

These are people who have sacrificed so much and worked so hard to be the best in their sport. These are people who have given everything they have (and then some) to get to this point in their athletic careers. These truly are the best of the best on the planet.

It is really something to think about.

And then there is Michael Phelps who is not only the best guy in the pool this year, but ever. Ever in history. 8 gold medals in a single Olympics. Pretty freaking amazing.

It was actually watching Phelps win his 8th medal that got me thinking about all of this. Yeah, watching a 48 year old woman win the Olympic marathon was pretty sweet, but Phelps really hit home for me. After all, he trained at Michigan; we walked the same streets, ate at the same restaurants and, if I ever even knew where it was, could have swam in the same pool.

I rarely saw Phelps on campus, mostly because he was always training.

And I was not.

In fact, While Michael Phelps was training to be an Olympic God and win 8 Gold Medals I Was:

- Laying in my living room watching Law and Order SVU marathons with my roommates

- Drinking Boones Farm Strawberry Hill on my porch

- Planning elaborate parties that included A Groundhog’s Day fiesta, a Jell-O wrestling tournament, and back to back Beerlympics.

- Sneaking Jimmy Johns into the reading room at the library where I spent hours IMing my friends about the douche bags who walked in

- Shopping with my parents’ credit cards

- Figuring out ways to “bump into” the boy from last weekend

- Making power hour CD’s

- Baking brownies, smoking pot and then eating those brownies…and everything else in the kitchen

- Constructing ridiculous costumes to wear to the bar (and not for Halloween)

- Watching Peanut Butter Jelly Time on my laptop and dancing around my room

I am not saying that I regret any of those activities or decisions (well, maybe the whole pot and brownie thing…), but I do now realize just how great I could have been if I had applied myself to something besides drinking, eating and trying to get a guy to hump me.

Because besides the Gold Yogurt Cap I earned for Survivor Flip Cup in the Walnut Street Beerlympics of 2005, no one awards medals for the activities I devoted my life to.

And the problems don’t stop there.

Apparently, Speedo is causing quite a stir.

Their newest high tech design, the Speedo LZR Racer, has become the talk of the world. This is more than just a bathing suit; it is a record breaker. Since its introduction to the pool, 13 world records have been broken. All in the Racer.

Surely, that is no coincidence. The suit (designed with help from NASA) repels water, molds the swimmer’s body into a perfectly aerodynamic shape and even helps a bit with buoyency. Those unable to wear the suit (due to endorsements with other companies) are crying foul: their Racer-wearing opponents have an unfair advantage.

If I were a swimmer, I would be pissed off too. But I am not. I am simply a fan and to me there is a much larger issue here…

The fact that this suit covers up…everything.

Seriously; what the hell happened to the itty bitty Speedos of our past? I know that NO ONE wants to see those on some fat old dude on the beach, but BRING THEM BACK. These swimmers are in the best shape possible. I don’t care about records. I care about abs. And I want to see them.

I am not sure I can even justify watching the swimming competitions now. Sure, I want to see my fellow Wolverine, Michael Phelps, bring home 8 Golds, but I want to see him do it in one of these. Is that too much to ask?