The state of Michigan is in the football spirit. The Detroit Lions open the 2024 season on Sunday night against the Los Angeles Rams at Ford Field, while the defending national champion Michigan Wolverines (ranked 10th in the country) host the Texas Longhorns (ranked 3rd) on Saturday.
ESPN’s “College GameDay” is in Ann Arbor for its Saturday morning college football game preview. A wave of Michigan fans flock to the television set as they wait for kickoff. The crowd usually brings billboards with funny slogans, cheers for the local teams and boos their rivals furiously.
But something strange happened when analysts turned their attention to the Nebraska Cornhuskers game against the Colorado Buffalos.
Former Michigan Heisman Trophy winner and former Lion, Desmond Howard, kicked off the conversation by talking about Huskers quarterback and rookie sensation Dylan Raiola. Howard mentioned playing with Dylan’s father Dominic during his time with the Lions, and just the mention of the local professional football team drew an immediate reaction from the audience:
“Jared Goff, Jared Goff,” chants rang out from the crowd.
The chant, of course, originated last January at the Lions’ playoff game against the Rams, when the return of Matthew Stafford prompted the city to rally to show their support for their current quarterback, Goff. Since then, the chant has popped up in various places, mostly at sporting events in 2024, but it exemplifies the passion this city feels for the Lions.
With the Lions welcoming the Rams back to town for the season opener, the city looks ready for another playoff run. And they look ready to bring the roof down at Ford Field on Sunday night.
“It’s our job to continue to excite our fans,” Lions coach Dan Campbell said Friday. “I’ve said it before, they’ll do their part, they’ll do their part. As long as we do our job well, this city, this stadium will be a place for us, we’ll have the home field advantage. It will, and not every team can say that in this league.”
