As Ann Arbor prepares to host one of the biggest college football games of the season, Tom Brady will return to the college campus he once called home.
During Fox’s broadcast of the Thanksgiving matchup between the Detroit Lions and Green Bay Packers on Thursday, the 7-time Super Bowl champion quarterback revealed that he’ll appear on Fox’s Big Noon Kickoff on Saturday morning. The weekly Fox pregame show will air a special three-hour episode beginning at 9 a.m. ET in Ann Arbor ahead of the 12 p.m. kickoff between No. 15 Michigan and No. 1 Ohio State, which will also air on Fox.
“I’m gonna be there and I just heard I’m gonna be on Big Noon Kickoff, which I’m very excited about,” Brady said. “Getting to be in the Big House, where [Detroit Lions star defensive end] Aidan Hutchinson took the field there. I remember when [Michigan] beat Ohio State four years ago for the first time [since 2011], I was crying, literally, in my bedroom. I couldn’t believe it took so many years to do it.”
Brady, of course, has his own connection to “The Game,” as he played quarterback for the Wolverines from 1995-1999. In his five years in Ann Arbor, Michigan amassed a 4-1 record over Ohio State, with the future 3-time NFL MVP going 1-1 in his two starts against the Buckeyes in 1998 and 1999.
But while Brady’s college career coincided with the Wolverines dominating the rivalry, he spent most of his storied NFL career watching Jim Tressel and Urban Meyer amass a combined 16-1 record against his beloved alma mater. The roles, however, have once again flipped in recent years, with Michigan having won the last four editions of what many consider to be college football’s biggest rivalry, with the Wolverines and Buckeyes having also won the last two national championships.
Even in the College Football Playoff era, there will still be plenty on the line come Saturday, including a spot in next week’s Big Ten Championship Game. As such, it will certainly be interesting to hear Brady’s perspective, in addition to seeing whether he interacts with another fellow Michigan alum in Dave Portnoy
