During fall camp, when Ohio defensive coordinator Jimmy Burrow said he didn’t want to see the defense wearing red, freshman cornerback Jamal Hudson paused.
“I’m like, ‘What’s the problem with that?’ ” Hudson said.
The problem, which Hudson would soon learn, is that that other Ohio team wears red. Growing up in Miami, Florida, his understanding of rivalry came when “The U” played Florida State. Hudson knew nothing about Bobcats or RedHawks.
He’ll get his first taste Tuesday at Peden Stadium as Ohio hosts Miami for the 94th edition of the "Battle of the Bricks,” which is set for an 8 p.m. Halloween kickoff.
All the Bobcats come from different places, with different backgrounds, carrying different allegiances. Nearly half the players grew up outside of Ohio. But somehow, some way, they’ve all learned about the school’s grandest rival.
Even the head coach, Frank Solich, had to learn when he came to the Bobcats after almost 25 years at Nebraska, whose storied rival had been Oklahoma. Both teams had national prominence in those years and their clashes were well documented.
The Ohio/Miami rivalry, as historic as it is — Miami won the first matchup, 5-0, in Athens in 1908 — still required an explanation to an out-of-town coach.
“When I got here, it was made clear that was our main rival, so I jumped on board,” Solich said. “It made sense to do that … The Miami games seem to be really important to a lot of people so I made it important to myself. We've worked to uphold our end of the rivalry.”
Redshirt senior tight end Mason Morgan, from Cincinnati, had a vague understanding of the rivalry in his youth because his aunt had attended Miami for a few semesters. The rivalry he was invested in was between Cincinnati and Miami, for which he sided with the Bearcats.
After stepping on campus at Ohio, it wasn’t long before Morgan fully understood the Bobcats’ competitiveness with the RedHawks.
“There was a giant ‘M’ on our urinal (in the stadium locker room) and we used to piss on it,” he said. “So I knew actually that we didn’t like Miami as soon as I got here.”
Andrew Meyer, a redshirt junior wide receiver, understood the rivalry early on. His mom attended Ohio, while some relatives on his dad’s side went to Miami.
For Tuesday’s game, Meyer’s mom and uncle made a bet. If the Bobcats win, Meyer’s uncle has to wear an Ohio jersey to work for the rest of the week. If the RedHawks win, Meyer’s mom will have to do the same with a Miami jersey, but “that’s not gonna happen,” Meyer said.
At this point in the season, none of the Bobcats should still be in the dark about their school’s top rival. Hudson certainly isn’t.
The only article of red clothing he has at school is a jacket, which for now, he said, “doesn’t exist.”
