Tight end Colston Loveland went from the Michigan-Ohio State hatred in college to the Bears-Packers rivalry in the NFL.
In his rookie season, Loveland said he noticed distinct similarities in how Jim Harbaugh handled the Ohio State rivalry at Michigan to Ben Johnson's approach to the Packers in Chicago.
"For sure. As far as like, in the building, 'what are you doing to beat Ohio State every day?' That was where [the rivalry] was in Michigan. Every TV, everything. That's how it is at the Bears," Loveland said in an episode of Bussin’ With The Boys last week.
Johnson ignited the flames of the Bears-Packers rivalry, taking a page from Harbaugh. From the moment he was hired, the Bears coach has tossed fire at his Wisconsin counterparts. First, it was the barb about beating Matt LaFleur during his run in Detroit. Then came the further quips, brisk handshakes, and blunt words about detesting the Packers.
Harbaugh's focus on The Game in Ann Arbor helped Michigan flip an eight-game losing skid versus their rivals to a four-game win streak from 2021-2024. Loveland was around for the final three of those tilts (participating in two – 2022-2023; he missed 2024 injured). Johnson lost his first game against the Pack, but followed it up with back-to-back victories, including a 31-27 Wild Card comeback victory.
"Everyone's only talking about the Packers," Loveland said. "…You can't go a day without talking about them, talking about beating them, talking about the bad things. So, it's very comparable [to Michigan]."