September 10, 2011 brought the world one of the greatest football games of all time. The city of Ann Arbor was unusually bright, and the largest stadium in the United States was alive, hosting over 100-thousand fans for an evening kickoff for the first time in school history. The first half was quiet by comparison for the Wolverines, who set the stage on fire during an epic fourth quarter rally that gave fans something to remember for the rest of their lives.
For a stadium with as much history as the Big House, it is difficult to name a single moment when the atmosphere reached its most electric peak, but Roy Roundtree's 
touchdown catch with two seconds remaining may have inspired just that.
In 2013, Athletic Director Dave Brandon could hardly welcome the Irish back any other way.
On Saturday night, an encore performance will welcome Notre Dame to the Big House with painful memories of the heartbreaking loss at the hands of Denard Robinson's offense.
This year, however, the teams are playing under an unfamiliar set of circumstances. By announcing that the rivalry would be cut short after next season, Notre Dame started the countdown to the final moments of an incredible college football rivalry. Arguably the two top programs in the history of the sport have given fans around the country an early-season game to look forward to for the last few decades, but due to Notre Dame's new scheduling agreement with the ACC, the tradition will soon end.
Though that end is creeping ever closer, the current mood in Ann Arbor is one of excitement for the sequel Saturday night. Former players and alumni are spilling into the city for the top-20 battle after their team demolished Central Michigan 59-9 to open the season. Michigan looked strong on both sides of the ball in the opener, and hopes to avenge an ugly 13-6 loss in South Bend last season.
Notre Dame Head Coach Brian Kelly added a little fuel to the fire during the week, saying that Michigan isn't one of the team's real rivals, but more of a regional game played for the convenience of location. These comments were seemingly made in response to Brady Hoke calling the Irish "chicken" for pulling out of the rivalry.
For anyone associated with this great tradition, Kelly's statement couldn't be more wrong. Michigan and Notre Dame played their first game over 100 years ago, and although they haven't played every year since, Saturday will mark the 30th head-to-head matchup since 1978. Michigan leads the series 23-16-1, but the intensity of the rivalry has really been defined in the past four years.
Before the seven-point loss in 2012, Michigan had defeated the Irish by four points in each of the three previous seasons. Tate Forcier looked like a Heisman Trophy candidate in the 2009 victory for the Wolverines, and the following year Denard Robinson gained over 500 yards of offense by himself. 2011 is history: Michigan turned on the lights and beat Notre Dame in one of the best college football games ever.
What it really boils down to is that the rivalry has simply been a platform for something special to happen. Every season, this meaningful preconference game offered something new and exciting; be it a one-hit wonder like Forcier, a rising legend like Robinson, or the start of a National Championship run like Notre Dame's in 2012. Whether Michigan was winning 7-0 in 1900 or 38-34 in 2009, the battles were epic and the winner well on its way to a promising season.
Saturday's sequel, sadly, will also be the finale in Ann Arbor. Will it really seem like football season for ticket holders, when no Notre Dame ticket appears in the mail? How will fans know what to expect during the Big Ten season when there are no Fighting Irish to measure up against in the early weeks?
The answer, obviously, is that Michigan Football will persevere as it always has. The two winningest and most storied college programs in the country will go their separate ways, 
each carrying with them traditions and goals over 100 years old.
Admittedly, this divorce does little to harm the individual prestige of these schools. However, when Wolverines no longer see Touchdown Jesus peeking over the stands in South Bend and Notre Dame loses the chance to play in front of 113-thousand fans, a hole will be left in every college football season.
If the second Big House night game is anything like the first, Brian Kelly will have to rethink what he said about Michigan. The fans, coaches and players should enjoy every moment of Saturday night, as two powerhouse programs that set the standard for college sports consume a city and a stage built for this kind of night.
All eyes are glued to Ann Arbor on this magical weekend, as Brady Hoke and his boys try to defend the Big House from Notre Dame one final time.
Back to the Michigan Wolverines Newsfeed