A Healthy, Productive Ohio State-To-Michigan Connection?!

It's hard to find a more heated rivalry in all of sports than Michigan and Ohio State.

Michigan vs. Ohio State evokes so many emotions for fans of both programs. Lately, for Buckeye fans, it's been very painful. The Wolverines have blasted the Bucks two years in a row and are currently kings of the Big Ten. For Michigan fans, it was nearly two decades of misery after losing to OSU over and over again.

And those emotions and feelings aren't reserved for the fans. The players and coaches of both programs circle that date in November every year and put tons of stock in coming out victorious. Last year as the clock wound down after Michigan's dominating win over Ohio State in Columbus, the U-M coaches and staffers in the press box came sprinting through en route to the elevators hollering, screaming and swearing at the tops of their lungs. It was quite a spectacle and helped to illustrate just how important that game is. 

Ohio State players and Michigan players who have been done playing in the NFL for years have had bets and challenges surrounding The Game since the beginning of time. Last year, Ohio State legend Eddie George had to sport Taylor Lewan's maize and blue jersey after the Wolverines trounced the Buckeyes in Columbus. George and Lewan both played for the Tennessee Titans making the wager even more entertaining.

Now, a new duo comprised of a Buckeye and a Wolverine may be forming on another NFL team.

Per ESPN's DJ Bien-Aime, rookie quarterback and former Buckeye CJ Stroud formed a noticeable bond with former Michigan wide receiver Nico Collins during OTAs and minicamp. Bien-Aime went as far as saying that Collins appeared to be Stroud's favorite target.

With Brandin Cooks now in Dallas, Collins has a chance to claim No. 1 receiver duties in Houston. Veteran Robert Woods was signed to help replace some of Cooks' production, but Collins needs to take a step forward in his third season. New coach DeMeco Ryans singled out Collins as "the big guy with probably the best hands on the team" when discussing Houston' wideout group. At 6-4 and 215 pounds, Collins has prototypical size on the outside. Stroud is easily the best quarterback he'll have played with for the Texans.

It certainly would be cool to see Collins take a big leap and become a legitimate No. 1 wide receiver in the NFL, but catching passes from a Buckeye? Yuck. Ok, ok even the most fanatical Michigan supporters would feel that way, but it is a bit ironic that a former Ohio State standout quarterback is now directly connected to how well a former Wolverine receiver will do during his professional career.