Mel Tucker following in Urban Meyer's footsteps, refuses to call Michigan by name

College football is now in full swing, and along with the games come the storied traditions and rivalries.

Everyone knows about the various mascots and fight tunes, but there are traditions that make their way beyond the field, into the locker room and even into the press rooms.

This weekend we find Michigan hosting Michigan State in Ann Arbor at the Big House, and the long tradition of not acknowledging your opponent by name has already been instilled in first year Spartan head coach Mel Tucker.

Tucker continually referred to the Michigan campus as “the school down the road” in lieu of acknowledging his opponent by name, taking a cue from former Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer.

Meyer used to refer to Michigan as “That Team Up North,” “our rivals,” or “the Wolverines.” Even as a broadcaster, the former Ohio State head coach does not use the “M” word.

Apparently, Tucker is taking that same approach.

@chrissolari asks Mel Tucker about his referencing of "the school down the road" when talking about Michigan throughout the press conference." Tucker notes that he believes it's "pretty obvious" who he is talking about. haha

— Al Martin (@AlMartinWKAR) October 27, 2020