It’s officially rivalry week for Ohio State and Michigan fans and one Columbus sports anchor commemorated the occasion by poking fun at the Wolverines’ sign-stealing scandal.
Taking to social media on Monday morning, WBNS 10TV’s Dave Holmes posted a parody of The Great Lakes State’s famous “Pure Michigan” tourism ads. While the video — which Holmes narrated — began with scenic shots of “That State Up North,” it soon took a turn with spliced in footage of (allegedly) Connor Stalions, fired linebackers coach Chris Partridge and even Jim Harbaugh referring to the Wolverines as “America’s team.”
“There’s a place where the sunrise meets the horizon. Where the water, meets the shore,” Holmes’ narration begins, before taking a sharp turn. “And the truth meets the trash can. Where even the deepest of Great Lakes don’t run as deep as the network of spies. Where all your worries can just disappear, like a linebackers coach in the middle of a season.
“It’s a state of beauty. A state of tranquility. But above all, a state of denial,” Holmes continued. “We’ll take your tourism dollars. We’ll take your signs. But we won’t take accountability. Because joining our voices together to sing ‘Hail to the Victims’ is Pure Michigan.”
Holmes concluded the video by noting that “your trip begins at MichiganFan.BlueAnon.MessageBoardConspiracy.org.”
These #PureMichigan ads have gotten out of control … pic.twitter.com/ncqPvyxG1S
— Dave Holmes (@DaveHolmesTV) November 20, 2023
Holmes’ spoof hits the nail on the head about what has made the Michigan sign-stealing scandal so aggravating to the rest of the college football world — and especially, Ohio State fans. It’s one thing to get caught allegedly cheating. It’s another to then play the victim card because others — including the Big Ten — want you to be held accountable for your actions.
The drama surrounding the Wolverines’ program only adds to the intrigue of this weekend’s matchup between No. 2 Ohio State and No. 3 Michigan, in which a spot in the Big Ten Championship Game — and likely, the College Football Playoff — will be on the line for both unbeaten teams. The highly anticipated matchup should result in no shortage of content from both sides of the rivalry. And thanks to Holmes’ parody, we’re already off to a strong start.
About Ben Axelrod
Ben Axelrod is a veteran of the sports media landscape, having most recently worked for NBC's Cleveland affiliate, WKYC. Prior to his time in Cleveland, he covered Ohio State football and the Big Ten for outlets including Cox Media Group, Bleacher Report, Scout and Rivals.