Fifteen years ago, then-player Mike Hart changed the dynamic of the Michigan-MSU rivalry with just two words — “little brother.”
What was at the time a simple post-game jab has since become one of, if not the defining moment of the battle for the Paul Bunyan Trophy in the 21st century. An uncountable number of signs, memes and merchandise have been created from that moment. And like clockwork, the clip of that is put on a loop the instant the rivalry week begins every year.
It’s also perhaps college football’s biggest lesson in how far “bulletin board material” can take a life of it’s own, and as the Michigan Wolverines prepare for this year’s edition of the game, Hart and the rest of the coaching staff have taken that lesson to heart.