Some background: I served a mission in Ohio so I know about how fierce the rivalry is.

Back in 2000, when LaVell Edwards announced he was going to retire, I was assigned to call some coaches around the country to get their reaction. I called Schembechler's office and left a message with his secretary. A few days later, I checked my voice mail and heard this: "Darnell! Bo Schembechler. I was out of town when you called ..." then he went on to say he'd be glad to answer questions about LaVell. I didn't end up calling him back, but I saved that e-mail and it's on my phone to this day. I saved it because our sports editor at the time (Aaron Shill) was a huge Michigan fan and I played it for him every once in a while. I also saved it because I thought it was pretty cool how Schembechler addressed me on the voice mail like an old friend. "Darnell! Bo Schembechler ...."