by Bo Marchionte

Rivalries are what bring the climax of sport to their ultimate splendor.

The New York Yankees vs the Boston Red Sox or Ampipe Bulldogs against arch nemesis Walnut Heights High School in the movie All the Right Moves, starring Tom Cruise. It is why we love sports.

Rivalries!

Second-year linebacker Devin Bush played at Michigan.

Without question he learned firsthand about one of the most intense rivalries in all of sport with the Big Ten’s annual showdown between Ohio State and Michigan. Bush and his Wolverine teammates would never taste victory against Ohio State and currently the Buckeyes have won the last nine games.

Despite the disparity of head-to-head wins over the last few decades this is still the quintessential win for each program to call their season a success.

The two most successful teams in the AFC North since 2008, the Baltimore Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers have created a fierce rivalry despite the absent of longevity compared to the Browns and Bengals.

With three combined Super Bowl appearances and one title a piece over that span it is easy to see why these two teams are fighting for superiority in the division. The essence of this rivalry’s pulse revolves around the incredible setbacks an inner division loss to one another creates for these two franchises.

The series between the Ravens and Steelers has been much more competitive than the Big Ten showdown slated annually as their last game of the regular collegiate season.

“I like the Baltimore game,” Bush replied on what team brings that same vibe and feel as Ohio State vs. Michigan. “I think growing up, I used to watch that game a lot. There were a lot of Hall of Famers on the field at one point. That is a game that runs deep because it had a really high competition level at one point, just fighting for the AFC. It is one of those games where it is always a good game.”

They have qualified for the playoffs 15 times since 08’ and four of those seasons both teams enter the playoffs via the AFC North. Since 2008, the Steelers have 14-13 (including playoffs) against the Ravens.

“I think what becomes important in all those games are the rivalries,” said former Steelers running back Rocky Bleier when discussing the matter. “It’s a game you look forward too because you hate the team, usually because they have beaten you in the past or they’re just as good as you are, or they think their better than you and so on.”

Bleier is totally on cue with his assessment, which coincides with what Bush thinks makes this the game that stirs memories of Maize and Blue against the Scarlet and Gray.

“When we talk about rivalries, we got to talk about the Oakland Raiders during that period of time,” said Bleier. “The (Dallas) Cowboys we only played in Super Bowls and the Houston Oilers. So, the big rivalries were those two teams especially because of the caliber they played. Always big games.”

This season assumes to be no different from the past battles. The Ravens are poised to be one of the best teams in the National Football League, while Pittsburgh hopes to resume Super Bowl aspirations with a healthy Ben Roethlisberger and a stifling defense.

Bush enter year two with two losses against the Ravens under his belt.

Surely, he’ll use those Michigan defeats as fuel to get his first win against the Ravens.

Photo Credit Frank Hyatt