The Game

[Spence]

The 2006 version should be a good one.

[Eric]

Indeed it should. As a matter of fact, I have to change my avatar back to the Michigan helmet, just for one week.

[donovan]

This will be one heck of a game...Good luck to both.........This weeks top 25 activity put Ohio and Michigan two clicks above everyone....Eric's list...albeit somewhat hurtful...is correct.

[Eric]

I haven't thought of this before, but I was reading an article on cfn.com, and Fiutak said something that got me thinking. Could this game possibly be the most meaningful game in regular season history?

The Heisman, Big 10, bragging rights, and a national championship bid are on the line. That makes for some interesting stuff.

[billybud]

Sort of like FSU/Florida in 1996....last regular game of the season, both undefeated, ranked #1 and #2...eventual Heisman winner Danny Wuerffel was QB'ing the Gators. The Gators are FSU's most hated rival and a intrastate school to boot.

The underdog #2 Noles fought a desperate game to beat the #1 Gators....and then went on to be rematched against Wuerffel in the Sugar...the Gators won and won their only NC...

[Spence]

I haven't thought of this before, but I was reading an article on cfn.com, and Fiutak said something that got me thinking. Could this game possibly be the most meaningful game in regular season history?

The Heisman, Big 10, bragging rights, and a national championship bid are on the line. That makes for some interesting stuff.

I don't know about the biggest game in history, but it is the biggest game in B-10 history.

These two teams are very close. No real advantage/disadvantage evident before the game starts. I hear people saying that the winning score will be above 25 points, it won't be. No way. It should be a good old fashioned B-10 football game. The temperature Sat. in Columbus is forecasted at 44 degrees and rain.

The Ohio State - Michigan game is a game played on pure emotion. The home field doesn't matter (51-45, 6 ties, in favor of the home team all time) The favorite/underdog doesn't matter. It is a hard hitting, clean game in which the team who wants it more always wins. In the last 50 years the records are 24-24-2. This is the kind of game every high school and college player dreams about being a part of, it just doesn't get any better. The winner gets to experience the highest of highs and the loser, the lowest of lows. That is what rivalry games are all about.

[billybud]

The home field doesn't matter

Since 1990, it seems to matter...Ohio State has gone 4-3-1 against Michigan when at Columbus and 2-6 away.

[Spence]

The whole series ws thrown out of wack during the Cooper years. His 2-10-1 mark was a black mark on Ohio State football. We beat all teams where we were more talented, didn't beat any who had the same or better talent. That is how you know it is all about the coaching. We had our hearts ripped out so many times in the Cooper era it isn't funny. Year after year we saw players leave Ohio State and go to the NFL and have great careers and year after year those same teams couldn't win a big game with a good opponent. People look at Coops record at Ohio State and think that Ohio State treated him unfairly, but if you look at the big games against big competition and bowl games in general, he was sorely lacking as a football coach.

[Jason G]

This will be one heck of a game...Good luck to both.........This weeks top 25 activity put Ohio and Michigan two clicks above everyone....Eric's list...albeit somewhat hurtful...is correct.

As a resident of Columbus, Ohio (home of OSU) and an alum of Akron (who plays MAC rival Ohio this week) I must insist that you include the word "State" after Ohio.

Seriously though, this game is extremely important but it won't seem like it in the long run if the two teams end up re-matching in Glendale as many believe is possible.

[Spence]

They won't play again in Glenville. Everybody knows that would be wrong.

[Spence]

While there is plenty of talk about The Game, I am not hearing much chest thumping from either side. I think everyone believes this will be a battle.

[donovan]

This will be one heck of a game...Good luck to both.........This weeks top 25 activity put Ohio and Michigan two clicks above everyone....Eric's list...albeit somewhat hurtful...is correct.

As a resident of Columbus, Ohio (home of OSU) and an alum of Akron (who plays MAC rival Ohio this week) I must insist that you include the word "State" after Ohio.

Seriously though, this game is extremely important but it won't seem like it in the long run if the two teams end up re-matching in Glendale as many believe is possible.

Ohio State....hmm...OK....it takes so little to please those from Ohio....

by the way...I thought Corvallis was the home of OSU.....

[billybud]

Don't be silly...Stillwater, Oklahoma is the home of OSU.

[Spence]

Exactly. We are tOSU.

[Spence]

Saturday marks a new chapter in this rivalry. It is the first year since 1951 when neither Woody nor Bo will be around. There is a lot on the line. A national champioship berth, a conference championship, and we get to show off our little rivalry to the nation. The party starts at 3:30pm.