It's never too early for bulletin board material in the Ohio State-Michigan football rivalry series.
Apparently, former Ohio State running backs coach Tony Alford can't leave well enough alone when it comes to comparing his current employer, Michigan, to his previous one in Columbus. Asked about Michigan's recruiting success since he left the Buckeyes in March 2024, including a commitment from five-star running back Savion Hiter, Alford didn't hold back.
"This place, this block M's amazing and it's different," Alford said, according to Cleveland.com. "It's one thing to say it's different. Every school you go to, the coaches say, 'We're different.' I think that young men and their families need to come here to really experience it. This place is different. I think the people are different. I think our staff is different. Our head coach damn sure is different. When young people are sitting in the room with him, they walk out like, 'Yeah, that guy's a real one.' "
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He wasn't finished.
"There's not the pretentiousness and the cliques," Alford said. "This place is just different. When you sit with our players, some of the kids I've had that've come in recently in recruiting, they speak volumes about our players. Those are the best recruiters we have. It's not the coaches. It's the players. We have an amazing locker room to sell. I think this community, how they've embraced this team, this culture has been unlike anywhere else I've ever been. It's a different place."
If that sounds like veiled criticism of Ohio State, Alford left no doubt that's exactly what it is.
"You wanted me to say something bad about that other place," Alford said. "I'll say it. We're better. I know I'll get crucified for that one. That's all right."
Alford's departure for Michigan a week before spring football in 2024 roiled the Buckeyes program and many fans. Ohio State coach Ryan Day responded by hiring Oregon's Carlos Locklyn to replace him, but Alford seemingly got the last laugh when the Wolverines pulled out a 13-10 victory at Ohio Stadium last season for their fourth straight victory over the Buckeyes.
Ohio State, however, used the loss as motivation to win a national championship.
Ohio State, ranked No. 2 in the preseason US LBM coaches poll and No. 3 in the Associated Press media poll, hosts No.1 Texas in its season-opener Aug. 30 at Ohio Stadium. The Buckeyes' next opportunity to end their skid against the Wolverines is Nov. 29 in Ann Arbor.
Dispatch reporter Brian Hedger can be reached at [email protected] and @BrianHedger.bsky.social
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Tony Alford adds fire to Ohio State football, Michigan rivalry