What if “the hammer” never drops on Michigan football?

It’s been 100 days since Michigan football won the national championship and finished a perfect 15-0 season. It was a dream come true for Wolverines fans, despite rivals saying, “Just wait for the NCAA to drop the hammer.”

100 days ago. pic.twitter.com/a2UjnEMG0W

— Tanner Wooten (@tannerwutang) March 11, 2024

As strange as it is, this has become a common refrain among Ohio State fans. Anytime you see a Michigan football fan posting about the national title on social media, you’ll find a Buckeye fan saying that “wins will be vacated” and that the NCAA is going “to drop the hammer.”

What if the hammer never drops?

It’s hilarious because Charlie Baker, the President of the NCAA, said Michigan football won its national championship fair and square. Plus, the sign-stealing stuff came out in October. The Wolverines beat Ohio State, Penn State, Iowa, Alabama, and Washington after, so U-M didn’t have an edge.

In two of those games, it was at a big disadvantage because Jim Harbaugh was wrongly suspended — in what remains one of the dumbest moves in Big Ten history. You have to walk away from all logic to embrace that penalty. Even so, the Wolverines won.

Despite that, Ohio State fans, at least a big chunk of them, keep saying “The hammer is coming” like it’s some sort of boogeyman Michgan football fans should fear.

In reality, it’s one of the best examples you’ll ever see of folks stuck on the first stage of grief: denial.

Ohio State fans can’t deal with the fact that for the past three seasons, Michigan football was just better. Jim Harbaugh conquered Ohio State — one year after Buckeye fans celebrated his contract extension.

There was poetic justice to it. There will be even more when Ohio State fans realize “the hammer” they have weirdly put their faith in, is never going to drop.

Maybe then they’ll start inching toward accepting the reality that Michigan kicked Ohio State’s ass three straight times — fair and square. But since many haven’t already, I wouldn’t hold my breath.

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