Joel Klatt might want to take a visit to Auburn or Tuscaloosa for a few weeks. Or heck, just move to the state of Alabama for a year before spouting out opinions that make no sense when it comes to the Iron Bowl rivalry between the Tigers and Crimson Tide.
Appearing on The Next Round on Monday, Klatt, a Colorado native who currently calls Big Ten games alongside Gus Johnson, shared his thoughts on how the rivalry between Auburn and Alabama compares to that of Ohio State and Michigan. For once, Tigers and Crimson Tide fans will agree on something: he's wrong.
"You guys haven't lived in that rivalry," Klatt began. Interesting, considering he went to the University of Colorado.
"Guys, I love you, but the Iron Bowl is not in the hemisphere of Ohio State vs. Michigan," Klatt said.
Maybe Klatt needs a history lesson on the rivalry, or perhaps he's just doing it for recognition in a state where he holds very little. Much like the hosts of The Next Round said, Auburn and Alabama fans have to live in the same cities, next to each other, and, gasp, in the same house as each other. Michigan and Ohio State can meet only once a year.
And as far as the extracurricular things that goes on at the rivalry in the Big Ten, Auburn and Alabama don't make it a big deal to stripe out a letter, much like the Buckeyes do with M during the week of the game, or ban red from facilities like Michigan does. Auburn and Alabama fans don't need silly things like that to prove they dislike each other.
Of course, Klatt could just be hyping up the annual matchup between the Buckeyes and Wolverines, which, and this can't be a coicidence, he will call on Saturday.
So, I propose this to Klatt, who, I am guessing, has never spent significant time at either school: do it and find out the truth. Then you will know the truth.