Tomorrow, we will (hopefully) have the actual preview of this game, with rovitz and BroncosFightOn including their input (again, hopefully).
What is hate? The dictionary defines hate as intense dislike, or extreme aversion or hostility. That does not do justice to the intensity of this rivalry. This is a blood bath, almost literally. If you go to school in Mount Pleasant, you want nothing to do with Kalamazoo, and vice versa. There are some exceptions, old classmates for one. But honestly, after there is the decision to go off to the rival schools, nothing is ever the same.
This weekend is the only other time where it is acceptable to go to the opposing town, and attempt to enjoy yourself. And that's just as a fan. If you play for athletics, you circle the rival when the schedule comes out, and you say "Yeah, these games are nice, and should be fun, or might be key, but this game right here.........Nothing else matters."
There is no averting, and hostility will be at its highest. This is a must win for both teams. Central is coming off one of their worst seasons in years, and are showing signs of another long year after a poor opener, then a collapse last week. For Western, there is a 5 game losing streak to the team from up North. There is the 1-5 record Bill Cubit has against those guys, with the last win coming when Greg Jennings wore a Bronco jersey. And there is the fact that some Bronco fans, including myself, think that this is finally the year Western wins the MAC West and goes to Detroit.
Hatred. It's what drives this rivalry. This rivalry is one of the most intense, if not THE most intense Mid-Major rivalry in the nation. While it won't rank up there with Michigan-Ohio State, Auburn-Alabama, and Texas-Oklahoma, this rivalry still is huge in it's own right.
This rivalry has been compared to the Michigan-Michigan State rivalry. I personally can't compare that rivalry, but I do know that these two teams don't have any one else to look at as rivals, making this game intense year-in, year-out, regardless of records. These teams will play for one game if they have to, and it's this one.
I will close now, because I somehow seem to be running out of words. I with what one of my "friends" on facebook called this rivalry:
"Its like the equivalent of the Devil and God"
I don't think you could put it better.