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Tim Walz went to Minnesota-Michigan at the Big House but refused to upset voters with a prediction

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For The Win (usatoday.com) 

Much of the talk this week around the intersection of sports and politics is about Donald Trump – the former president who is again vying for the White House in this election – attending the big clash in Tuscaloosa between No. 2 Georgia and No. 4 Alabama.

But elsewhere, the running mate of Democratic nominee and current Vice President Kamala Harris – Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz – is at a Big Ten showdown at the Big House between the Gophers and the No. 10 Michigan Wolverines.

In an effort to not upset undecided voters in a crucial swing state, Walz declined to make a prediction for the game, but he did appear on the field before kickoff with Minnesota coach PJ Fleck – who, if we’re being honest, could probably use Walz’s knowledge as a former high school state championship-winning defensive coordinator in stopping the Wolverines’ running game.

“I’m excited to be at the Big House and I’m excited to watch this incredible game,” Walz said. “I’m more excited to see young people excited about their future, getting ready to vote.”

As far as political strategy is concerned, it’s easy to argue that Walz going to Minnesota vs. Michigan in Ann Arbor is a smarter play than Trump going to Georgia vs. Alabama in Tuscaloosa. Alabama is one of the reddest states in the country, one that hasn’t voted Democrat for president since Georgia native Jimmy Carter was at the top of the ticket in 1976. Trump won Alabama by 62 percent in both 2020 and 2016.

Meanwhile, Michigan is pretty purple. Trump narrowly won the state in 2016 before losing it by about three percentage points in 2020 to Joe Biden. Before Democrat Gretchen Whitmer took the governor’s mansion in 2019, Republican Rick Snyder was a two-term governor in Michigan.

Which is all to say, it’s widely assumed that Alabama will vote for Trump again, while Michigan is very much in-play as a toss-up. With less than 40 days until the election, the New York Times reported Saturday morning that Trump and Harris are “neck-and-neck” in Michigan.

And it’s not entirely surprising that Walz didn’t make a pick in the Michigan versus Minnesota game. He is, after all, a man with other allegiances in the Big Ten.