Coming into the game Wednesday night in Mt. Pleasant, there was a lot of pomp and circumstance.
Earlier in the day, the school revealed statues for coaching legends Roy Kramer and Herb Deromedi, and showed off the newly-constructed Champions Center, a $30 million project meant to modernize the athletics factility.
Add in the ESPN cameras and the designation of being the first MAC game on ESPN for the new season, and you had all the makings of an instant classic.
The Central Michigan Chippewas (1-0) and Ohio Bobcats (0-1) obliged and then some in one of the wildest midweek games in recent memory, as the Chips ultimately stopped a furious last-minute rally to take home a 30-27 victory.