ESPN recently gave its take as to what each 2019 preseason top-25 club's best tradition is, and tabbed Michigan's as the winged helmet design.
This may come as a surprise to some, seeing as how the Maize and Blue players running out of the famed Big House tunnel during the pregame and touching the MClub banner is often viewed as one of the sport's best routines.
"Michigan coach Fritz Crisler had his new team's cowhide helmets painted blue with a bright maize winged design upon his arrival in 1938," ESPN's Dan Murphy explained in regards to how the wings came about.
"Crisler thought the paint would help his receivers stand out in a crowd when they went downfield for a pass. The design has been standing out as one of sports' most instantly recognizable uniform designs for more than 80 years."
Crisler coached at Michigan from 1938-47 and compiled an overall record of 71-16-3, concluding his tenure with the famous 'Mad Magicians' club that took home the '47 National Championship with an undefeated 10-0 campaign.
The winged helmet wasn't the only new idea Crisler brought with him to Ann Arbor, however, as he was also known as "the father of two-platoon football," becoming the first coach to distinguish his players as either offensive or defensive specialists.
ESPN, meanwhile, has tabbed the 2019 Wolverines as the No. 7 team in the country, behind only Clemson, Alabama, Georgia, Oklahoma, Ohio State and Notre Dame, respectively.
"The expectations are high for Michigan, returning most of its offense, including [senior] quarterback Shea Patterson," ESPN's Tom VanHaaren wrote. "[Head coach] Jim Harbaugh has handed the offense over to new coordinator Josh Gattis.
"Through the short time they've been together, Patterson and [redshirt sophomore] backup quarterback Dylan McCaffrey have raved about the energy level from Gattis and what the new offense will bring.
"If it doesn't end with a conference championship or playoff berth, there will be quite a bit of grumbling around Ann Arbor."
Here's what ESPN listed as the best tradition for each of the five other Big Ten teams included in their preseason top-25 list:
• No. 5 Ohio State — Beating Michigan
• No. 13 Penn State — Whiteout night games
• No. 20 Nebraska — The Memorial Stadium walk from the locker room through "a tunnel of screaming, cheering fans out to the field"
• No. 21 Wisconsin — Camp Randall's "Jump Around" at the end of the third quarter
• No. 23 Iowa — The "Iowa Wave," where fans turn and wave to the Stead Family Children's Hospital that overlooks Kinnick Stadium
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