Eleven Warriors

KILL. KILL. KILL.

#11 Ohio State 9-2, 6-1 Big Ten Roster | Schedule

November 22, 2008 12:00 PM ET - ABC —— Ohio Stadium Columbus, OH

Michigan 3-8, 2-5 Big Ten Roster | Schedule

It's a weird and unfamiliar feeling heading into this 105th edition of The Game. My formative years were destroyed every November thanks to a nail-biting coach that routinely found ways to squander talent advantages, but here I am just hours before kickoff as calm as I've ever been before one of these.

Perhaps it's because of the 8 losses coming in or the 20½ point spread -- the highest in the history of the series. Maybe it's because Tressel owns this team or the fact that only three times before have the two powers met with such a disparity in conference standing and on each occasion the bottom-feeder was shutout.

The truth is, it's a little bit of all of that, but the biggest reason I'm feeling so confident is because I think Michigan finally made that bad hire that every program makes at one point or another. I guess there's that part about the team being dinged-up and terrible, but let's stick to the coach.

The Wolverines have been playing football since dirt sat atop the food chain and never before had a team suffered more than seven losses in a season. This guy is staring down the barrel at number nine.

His hiring has been nothing but drama since day one and although his supporters will gladly point out his coaching curve in which teams stink the first season, progress in year two and then explode in year three, I stand firm in the belief that good coaches do not go .250, regardless of team, era or any other circumstances.*

Injuries, defections, losses on the recruiting front, the three decade bowl streak over -- Rodriguez year one has been nothing short of a comedy of errors. With each passing day his own fanbase loses confidence in his ability and he hasn't done himself any favors with curious press conferences the week of the biggest game on his schedule.

So I eagerly look forward to the game Saturday, but with a hint of sadness. I want the good Michigan back. I want this game to mean something big again for both teams. As crazy as it sounds, I kind of miss the jitters that normally accompany me into this game.

And I have a feeling Woody would feel the same way.

Opponent

Earlier in the week, Rodriguez reflected on the chase to land Pryor, the freak of nature that's currently starting as a freshman for the Buckeyes. He would have fit nicely into his system and started from the opener and this game would perhaps have a lot more riding on it. Instead, thanks to an injury to starter Steven Threet, the Wolverines will be pinning their hopes on the shoulders of redshirt sophomore Nick Sheridan. Never more than an honorable mention all-conference selection in high school, Sheridan brings 48.7% completion percentage and two touchdowns against five interceptions into the biggest game he's ever played in.

In the loss to Northwestern last week, you can only describe his play as "terrible". 8 of 29 for 61 yards. To be fair, the weather was not exactly conducive to throwing the ball, but let's not forget that he was the backup to Steven Threet, himself a mediocre quarterback, before being thrust into starting duty.

There's word that freshman Justin Feagin will see the field and you have to think that will be true whether it's in the form of relief for a poor-performing Sheridan or mop-up time at the end of the game. He brings different skills to the table, most notably in the form of his mobility, but Juice Williams he is not.

The offense is a little more diverse than the run-first schemes employed by Rodriguez at West Virginia, mostly because there's not a Slaton or Smith on this team, but it's still a running offense at heart. Leading rusher Sam McGuffie did not play last week against Northwestern and after transfer rumors broke earlier in the week, Rodriguez mentioned that he hoped to have him available for Saturday's game.

Junior Brandon Minor is slated to get the start and he's had a couple of good performances on the season, including 117 against Penn State and 155 against Purdue. Brittle Carlos Brown was the horse last week with 115 in the Northwestern game and he'll expect to see a handful of touches against the Buckeyes.

When Sheridan (or Feagin) puts the ball in the air, he'll be looking towards junior Greg Mathews and freshman Martavious Odoms. Odoms, part of the first wave of Rodriguez's Florida haul leads the team in receptions with 44, but has yet to find his way into the end zone. Mathews leads the team in receiving yards with 409 and has two touchdowns on the season. Bottom line: neither are a threat given the guy lining up behind center. To further underscore the situation Michigan's passing game finds itself in, tight end Mike Massey, a captain, enters the game with zero receptions.

The Wolverines lost one of their best offensive lineman before the season when Justin Boren transfered to Ohio State of all places. On Saturday, there's a chance they could be without the only other standout on that unit as right tackle Stephen Schilling is listed as questionable. The system doesn't yield a lot of sacks as Michigan enters having only allowed 19 on the season, but the running game won't exactly be looking forward to wide lanes either.

The Wolverine defense, long thought to be the one safe commodity heading into this season, has underperformed as well. Five opponents have put up 35 or more against Scott Shafer's unit this season, including Notre Dame and Purdue of all teams.

The front is decent, led by seniors Terrance Taylor, Will Johnson and Tim Jamison. Taylor, in particular, has excellent size and Jamison checks in with 7.5 sacks on the year from his end spot. Junior Brandon Graham has 18 TFLs from the other end spot.

Linebacker Obi Ezeh, a freshman All-American in 2007, is a tackling machine and is one of the few Michigan defenders that would see time as a Buckeye. Mouton and Thompson, the other backers are good but not great.

Corner Morgan Trent and his blazing speed is the leader of the secondary despite registering an off year thus far. Sophomore Donovan Warren starts opposite trent and he already has 22 starts under his belt though he is small enough for Dane to punk, so that has to bode well.

The best player on Michigan's roster may be the guy that's seen the most work. Punter Zoltan Mesko, the Graham Harrell of punting, has NFL potential and the Wolverines are second in the nation in net punting. He should get plenty of chances to show off in front of a national audience.

Buckeye Breakdown

At the beginning of month, Tressel challenged Beanie Wells to top the number of rushing yards he put up last November: 467. With only three games in the month, it was a tall order, but heading into the game, Beanie is just 184 yards short of that total. Or 38 less than he put up against a better Wolverine defense last season.

Beanie has played huge in every Michigan game of his career and there's no reason to doubt he won't find a way to do the same this weekend. Though he may not top 200 this time (but it wouldn't shock me if he did), he should be in store for a big day. He is one of the guys on this team that definitely gets this rivalry. He was the vocal leader in the locker room last fall in Ann Arbor and as an Ohio kid, he's dreamt about Michigan games since he was able to walk.

It will be interesting to see how Pryor responds in this game. This is the second game he's started this year that will have a little bit more riding on it than the outcome. The first was against Penn State and his home state power. Although he played well in that game, things did not end as he envisioned and he suffered the first loss of his career as a starter at Ohio State. On Saturday, he'll square off against the coach that came closest to snatching him away from Tressel and I'd be surprised if he gets much sleep at all Friday night.

I'm a little concerned about how the offense comes out at home. For whatever reason, the team seems to play a lot looser on the road, but as Pryor has progressed with each week, I'm still eager to see what they'll do.

Quite a few seniors will be playing in their final home game and they will be looking to go out with (one hell of a) bang. It should be a special day for Boone, Robiskie, Rehring, Person, Smith, Nicol, Abdallah, Laurinaitis, Freeman and Jenkins. Although things haven't exactly gone as planned for this group, they have a chance to leave as the winningest group of seniors in program history and that's saying something.

We've piled on plenty, but we all owe them a debt of gratitude for deciding to return for their senior seasons. May Animal get one more bone-crushing hit in the Shoe, Jenkins another punt block or interception and Robo a bomb or three.

One senior, who has been largely forgotten since the USC debacle has displayed class beyond anything I could comprehend. Boeckman handled his demotion with grace and a team-first attitude that should be emulated by any future Buckeyes coming into the program. I don't think I'm alone in hoping for a quick early lead so he can get some extended playing time.

Prediction

Michigan knows that this game is their season and they will come out and punch the Buckeyes in the mouth. In the end, the horses just aren't there and at risk of sounding like the captain of the Titanic, I just don't see a way for the Buckeyes to lose this game. My only fear is that Tressel won't hang 50 on them because if he gets up by about 17 or so, it'll be run-city for the remainder of the game. Unless Evil Tressel makes an appearance, that is.

Ohio State 31, Michigan 6

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* It's been pointed out that Tressel went 2-9 his first season at YSU. I would then like to amend my above statement to read: "... good coaches do not go .250, regardless of team, era or any other circumstances -- unless it's your first ever season coaching and it's at a I-AA with no real football tradition."

The new look Buckeyes used a balance attack including a career high 7 blocks from one Dallas Swatterdale to run away from Delaware State 70-42 tonight in St. John Arena.

The true sophomore added 7 points with his swat count while freshman Wil Buford and David Lighty added 13 apiece to complement Jeremie Simmons' 10 points helping OSU to leads as large as 28 points in Thad Matta's eighth straight season opening win.

The Buckeyes also received 9 points (3/6 treys), 4 rebounds and 3 assists from Jon Diebler and 8 points, 3 rebounds and 3 steals from Evan Turner.

Employing a long 1-2-2 zone press, OSU forced 16 turnovers and held Delaware State to 37% shooting while using a 10-3 run to start the second half to build a 45-25 lead with just over 17 minutes to play.

Nine Buckeyes saw at least 12 minutes of action. I know it was Delaware State but Corey and I both liked what we saw from such a young squad. Here a few quick-hit observations since we know everyone's got their mind on a certain football game slated for high noon Saturday:

• Just like last year, the zone looked long and lean. I think I prefer Matta dedicate the team to full time zone because it's highly effective from a defensive FG% perspective and also because it could allow for Mullens and Lauderdale to stay out of foul trouble and log significant minutes on the floor in tandem.
• Wil Buford looked like a smooth, controlled scorer in his 13 point debut. To his credit, Diebler added 9, 4 and 3 but he better keep it going or Buford might eat into his minutes.
• Is it me or does Mullens look like he might have a switchblade tucked in his sock? If nothing else, as Corey remarked, Mullens is a favorite to lead the country in pencil thin facial hair.
• We were highly disappointed to see Titus let Club Trillion down after scanning the box score to see his 1 rebound. Weak. C'mon, Titus, lead with authority! (check out Club Trillion for a dose of Titus' hilarious stylings) I don't know about you guys but I'm convinced this comment isn't from Mama Titus.
• The point guard position looks to be in good hands with Simmons and Anthony Crater. Simmons can flat our score while Crater likes to lock down on D and can dish the rock though he registered just one dime tonight.

COLUMBUS, Nov 20 (11W Financial Wire) - Columbus Gold Pants futures suffered their sharpest one day drop in history today as investors moved with the advancing line for the game.

After opening at $9.41, a mass sell off left the miniatures at $2.11, which reflects their lowest value since the awards were first introduced in 1934.

The fall is the latest in a relentlessly steady decline in value since peaking at $350,000 in mid 2001 and many city residents are staggered heading into what should be the biggest game on the calendar.

"Typically, the market is impervious to external forces in the economy at large, but the collapse of the auto and banking industries coupled with the sad state the Wolverines find themselves in was just too much," said Brutus Sanderson, Gold Pants strategist for J.P. Morgan Private Bank. "We’ve gotten into a full-blown, self-feeding downturn."

The stress put on the market has prompted city officials to setup support lines and offer other services as Franklin County prepares for the influx of 100 additional golden charms late Saturday afternoon.

"I've never seen anything like it. It's nothing like the Cooper years when the Pants were impossible to get your hands on. Today, thanks to Tressel, just about everyone in central Ohio has a pair of Gold Pants," Woodrow Kovar, Dean of Ohio State's Fisher College of Business said when reached via phone.

Though analysts urged patience, none were willing to speculate as to when the market would improve.

"It goes right to the top. With the success Tressel has had against Michigan and the current state of the program under Rodriguez, I'm willing to bet that we see more losses before things get better, " said Stan Jackson, lead analyst for Marlon Kerner & Co., a brokerage that specializes in tracking Gold Pants.

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Hoops Squad Set to Begin 2008-09 Season Lost in Michigan Week is the fact Thad Matta's troops begin the regular season tonight at 6:30pm against Delaware State. The game takes place in a real basketball venue, St. John Arena, and can be seen on the Big Ten Network.

There are still plenty of tickets available to see Matta move to 5-0 in season openers at OSU and 8-0 overall. Even more noteworthy, this will be the first chance for many to get a look at stud freshmen Anthony Crater, BJ Mullens, William Buford and Walter Offut. Additionally, juco transfer Jeremie Simmons will give you a first look at his ability to score and run the point.

This will also mark the debut of the new and improved Evan Turner, as he looks to parlay a solid freshman season into first team all-conference honors. We'll also get a chance to see if David Lighty has truly evolved into the leader being propped up in the press during this off-season.

Our guy Bob Baptist put up a nice season preview capsule that's worth a look.

Lauderdale Set to Return from Injury Returning big Dallas Lauderdale will also be on display tonight. OSU announced he's been cleared to play after suffering an injury to his left shoulder during the scrimmage at Miami on November 2nd.

We've beaten this horse to death but Lauderdale could in fact be the key to Ohio State returning to the big dance. Based on the notion Matta will likely employ plenty of match-up zone this year, I am excited to see Lauderdale share minutes with Mullens providing much needed rebounding and physicality and the back end of the zone defense.

If those two can log heavy minutes together, OSU's transition game will truly flourish with Crater/Simmons pushing the ball and Turner, Lighty and Buford filling the wings.

Earle's Hatred Only Grows Over Time Turning our attention back to the pigskin, Coach Bruce addressed the team Monday and AJ Trapasso provided the skinny on what the fedora'd one and had to say. I may have not been Earle's biggest fan due to his constant 9-3 seasons but his passion for The Game is undeniable.

"Coach Bruce genuinely dislikes Michigan. I mean full-blown hatred. If he could, he would take it (Michigan) off the map I think. You can tell that if he could do it again he'd strap it up right now and get back out there. I love hearing him talk. He starts slamming on the desk."

Beautiful.

Seniors Look to Tie All-Time Wins Mark The 28 seniors on the OSU roster boast a career record of 42-7 making them one win short of the all-time wins record for a senior class. The current record holders are the seniors from '95-'98 and the group from '02-'05.

Wells Primed to Pad Stats Against Wolverines One non-senior who figures to be playing in his last Michigan game is Beanie Wells. The junior from Akron boasts some gaudy stats against the maize and blue averaging 6.3 yards per carry (44/278) with a pair of touchdowns.

If he and Pryor establish the run game as expected, it's gonna be a long day for Rich Rod and company.

Beanie's main partner in crime, Terrelle Pryor, has factored in 16 of OSU's 30 offensive touchdowns this season. Rich Rod must lose sleep nightly thinking what could've been. Of course, rolling over to see Rita up close would be enough to keep most men awake (and traumatized) at night as it is.

Experts Offer Draft Opinions on Buckeyes Doug Lesmerises of the Plain Dealer has spent the week accumulating scouts opinions of various buckeyes including Beanie, Robo, Boone, Jenkins, Boeckman, Laurinaitis and Freeman.

If you haven't yet peeped these out, they're definitely worth a look.

After passing off the most boring slate of football to Jason last week, this coming weekend will begin to decide where teams will end up in the bowls.

The television gods have given us a full day of games, starting with The Game at noon.

I don't recall an Ohio State/Michigan game that has drawn less hype, but it is still the ninth straight season where this game has at least one team that could win a share of the Big Ten title with a victory.

No matter how low RichRod has taken that program, they still have a chance to rise up and knock OSU from a possible BCS game and fourth straight conference title.

National Games

#9 Boise State at Nevada, 4:05PM - No National TV
The Broncos close out the season with this visit to Reno and a home tilt against Fresno State. These two teams played to a 69-67 overtime thriller last year and Nevada lost to Texas Tech 35-19 at home earlier this season, so this game could swing either way. Something tells me though, the BCS is hoping for a Boise loss.

#17 BYU at #8 Utah, 6:00PM - The Mtn. Network
The battle of Mormons takes place in Salt Lake City and will decide the winner of the Mountain West conference. Of course the Utes are looking for an undefeated regular season and a berth in the BCS. BYU lost to TCU in week seven, being held to 7 points, but have still managed to score 400 on the season, while Utah has gone for 401. Each team has won 6 times in their last 12 meetings, with 10 of those games being decided by a touchdown or less.

#18 Oregon State at Arizona, 7:00PM - FOX Sports Regional
Can the Beavers really pull off the PAC 10 title? This is their last road trip, before taking part in the Civil War at home next weekend. Freshman sensation, Jacquizz Rogers leads the conference in rushing and is ninth in the country with 1,233 yards. The Beavers have won 8 of the last 9, but 'Zona is 4-1 at home, with their only loss coming at the hands of USC, 17-10.

#20 Pittsburgh at #19 Cincinnati, 7:15 - ESPN2
The winner of this game will control their own destiny in the battle for an automatic BCS bid. The Bearcats have played 5 of their last 7 on the road and will close out the season hosting Syracuse and traveling out to Hawaii. This could be the final run for Brian Kelly at Cincy, as he most certainly will be coaching at a larger school next year.

The Stache has his troops positioned for another Big East title, but with games left against West Virginia and UConn, there is little doubt they won't be there in the end. They do have history on their side though, beating Cincy all seven times they have played, including three inside the Big East.

#1 Texas Tech at #5 Oklahoma, 8:00PM - ABC
Be sure not to get too drunk during the day or plan for a nap, because you obviously don't want to miss this one. I love Big Ten football, but watching this Big 12 South shake out over the last few weeks has been a treat.

Oklahoma comes in averaging 51.2 points per game, while TT is scoring 47.9. If for some crazy reason you have not seen Graham Harrell play, please set aside some time to watch him. Over the last month, against three ranked opponents, the Heisman front runner has gone 110 for 145 (76%), for 1,316 yards, 13 touchdowns and no interceptions.

Not to be outdone, Sam Bradford has thrown for 3,406 yards, 38 touchdowns and 6 interceptions this season. The Sooners have failed to score 45 or more points only once this year and have gone for 58,62 and 66 points in their last three games. Will they continue the trend and reach 70 Saturday? It just may take that many points to take down the Red Raiders.

Big Ten Games

#14 Michigan State at #7 Penn State, 3:30PM - ABC
The Big Ten title will be decided in Happy Valley, as a victory for Penn State sends them to the Rose Bowl and will give MSU their 11th straight loss against a ranked opponent. A win by Sparty and the Buckeyes will be making their second trip out west this year.

How much juice does Javon Ringer have left? MSU has played one ranked team (OSU) this year and it was the only time Ringer failed to get at least 21 rushing attempts. His 353 carries leads the nation by 77 and his 20 touchdowns also ranks at the top.

Penn State will look to send JoePa off to his hip replacement surgery with his third Big Ten title. The Nittany Lions have only given up 91 points in conference play and the original white out will be in full effect at Beaver Stadium. For my money, Penn State's defense was the best OSU has faced all year and if the Bucks shut down Ringer, I don't see why that would be any different for PSU on Saturday.

Iowa at Minnesota, 7:05PM - BTN
The Floyd of Rosedale trophy is up for grabs, as the Gophers will play their last game in the Metrodome. After going winless last year within the conference, Minny has a chance to finish .500 and could end up with 8 wins, but come into the contest having lost three straight.

Minnesota will have to shut down Shonn Greene if they have any shot of winning. Greene ran for 211 yards against Purdue last week and incredibly is looking to run for 100+ yards in every game this season. His 1585 yards lead the nation and the Gophers yield a 140 rushing yards per game, so the Hawkeyes should be able to roll to their 8th win.

Last week, in honor of the Ohio State-Illinois game, we took a look at the Illini’s “Galloping Ghost,” Red Grange. This week, in honor of the Ohio State-Michigan game, we’ll take a look at a player who was better than Red Grange: Ohio State’s Chic Harley.

In 1950 the Associated Press named its All-Star College Team for the first fifty years of the century. Red Grange was named to the second team. The first team halfbacks were Jim Thorpe and Chic Harley. When asked to explain his vote, one AP writer said:

“Red Grange was a great runner, but that’s all he was. Chic Harley was a great runner, a great kicker and a great defensive back. That’s why he made my first team. He could do it all.”

In truth, Harley could do anything athletically. The first time friends took him to play golf, he shot an 82. He bested Willie Hoppe, a legendary pool player, in a game of billiards at a downtown Columbus restaurant. During his years at Ohio State (1916-1917, 1919) he started at guard on the Buckeyes basketball team and played well enough in the outfield on the baseball team to be offered professional contracts by the St. Louis Browns and Chicago White Sox. During his sophomore year, he was asked to help out the OSU track team; he set a conference record in the 50-yard dash that stood for decades. There simply wasn’t anything he couldn’t do.

Chic was born in 1895 in Chicago – the town that gave him his nickname. His family moved to Columbus in 1912, and Harley starred at East High School. His exploits became the stuff of local lore; East’s games regularly drew more fans than Ohio State’s games at Ohio Field. Harley lost only one game while at East – his last, to North High School. A campus fraternity recruited Harley for Ohio State, and the program was never the same.

Harley exploded onto the scene in the 1916 season. Only 5’ 7” tall, and barely weighing 150 pounds, Harley did everything for the Buckeyes. In the season’s first conference game against defending champion Illinois – a rain-soaked game played in a muddy slop – Harley scored a tying touchdown on a play fake. He returned to the bench, slipped on a clean shoe, then kicked the winning PAT to beat the Illini, 7-6. It was only a glimpse of things to come.

Before Harley’s arrival, Ohio State struggled to draw 2000 fans to Ohio Field; now spectators packed Ohio Field with overflow crowds of 12,000 to see the hometown hero from East High play. Tens of thousands were routinely turned away for lack of tickets. Those lucky few who did get to see Harley in the flesh were stumped for superlatives. James Thurber wrote:

“If you never saw him run with a football, we can’t describe it to you. It wasn’t like Red Grange or Tom Harmon or anybody else. It was kind of a cross between music and cannon fire, and it brought your heart up under your ears.”

Harley led the 1916 Buckeyes to a 7-0 record and their first Western Conference championship; he became Ohio State’s first consensus All-American. So impressive was his play as a passer, runner, punter, place kicker and defensive back that Walter Camp came to Columbus personally to see him play, then named him to his all-star team (Harley was the first sophomore to ever make the team). In 1917, the Buckeyes again went unbeaten with a record of 8-0-1, and Harley was again named a consensus All-American. Harley then suspended his career at Ohio State to serve his country as a fighter pilot in World War I.

If the conference (now called the Big Ten) thought they were finished with Chic, they were wrong. Harley returned from his military service in time for the 1919 season and starred on what was probably the Buckeyes’ best team of his tenure. The Buckeyes fell only once – to Illinois, on the last play of the last game of the season – but the 1919 season was a complete success, because it was the first year that Ohio State beat Michigan.

Michigan had rejoined the conference in November 1917 after a brief absence, and most observers thought the 1919 Wolverines were a shoe-in for league champion. But so loud was the buzz surrounding Chic Harley, and so great the threat posed by his Buckeyes, that former Michigan coach Fielding Yost came out of retirement specifically to coach against the Ohio State. Fans sent the Buckeyes off with a massive pep rally at the old Armory, and 28,000 came to Ann Arbor’s Ferry Field, only to leave in stunned silence as Harley and Ohio State beat the Wolverines for the first time ever, 13-3.

Harley did it all. He scored a 50-yard touchdown run, but what still stand in the Ohio State record book were his four interceptions – still a single-game record at Ohio State.

So impressed was Yost with Harley’s play that he asked - and was granted - permission to address the Ohio State locker room after the game. His comments were recorded by a Columbus Dispatch reporter:

“After congratulating Dr. Wilce and Director of Athletics St. John, Yost said to the team: ‘You deserve your victory; you fought brilliantly. You boys gave a grand exhibition of football strategy and while I am sorry – dreadfully sorry – that we lost, I want to congratulate you. And you, Mr. Harley, I believe are one of the finest little machines I have ever seen.”

Chic Harley left Ohio State having scored 23 touchdowns, kicked 35 PATs and 8 field goals for a grand total of 198 points – a record that would stand until “Hopalong” Cassidy’s Heisman Trophy season of 1955.

After his graduation, a great sense of excitement surrounded Ohio State football. University officials elected to capitalize on Harley’s exploits by proposing a new stadium to house the Buckeyes. At a cost of $1,300,000 – all of which was raised privately, through donations – Ohio Stadium was constructed, and became the Buckeyes’ new home. Chic Harley never played on the field, but he worked tirelessly to raise money, and the stadium quickly earned the moniker “The House that Harley Built.”

Chic’s years after football were difficult. He was cheated out of a share in the professional football franchise that eventually became the Chicago Bears. He suffered from deep bouts of depression, probably resulting from an injury suffered in his one professional season, wartime trauma, and a sense of displacement following the end of his collegiate career. His depression resulted in the White Sox and Browns rescinding their contract offers, and he lost out on a standing offer to become the head football coach at Tennessee. Lost, but never abandoned by his friends, Harley eventually resided permanently at the Veterans Administration Hospital in Danville, Illinois.

In 1948, Chic responded well to new treatment by his doctors, and felt well enough to attend three Buckeyes road games. That same season, he decided to return to Columbus to watch Ohio State play Michigan. The city, made aware of Harley’s return, feted him with a ticker-tape parade, radio appearances and press interviews. There were dinners, awards and official ceremonies – all of which surprised the laid-back, quiet man. At halftime of the Michigan game, the Ohio State Marching Band opened the “Os” in Script Ohio to spell out “Chic” – the only time the formation has been so altered.

Chic Harley died in April of 1974, aged 78. His last wish was to be buried in Columbus, and he was laid to rest in Union Cemetery.

The pallbearers were the 1974 Ohio State football captains, including Archie Griffin and Neal Colzie. Among the mourners were university officials, former teammates of Chic’s, coach Woody Hayes, and Bill Daugherty, the man who penned “Across the Field.” Thousands lined the processional route.

“Everybody knew about Chic Harley and how great he was, because Woody would tell stories about him,” Archie Griffin remembered. “And for me, being from Columbus, I heard all the stories growing up, too. He really was the first player to attract people to Ohio Field.”

Remember Chic Harley when you watch the best rivalry game in college football this weekend. It’s because of Chic Harley that you have the Buckeyes as you know them, and it’s because of that amazing 1919 victory over Yost’s Wolverines that the game means what it does today. Without question, Chic Harley was the single most important Ohio State player who ever took the field. He was so great that Thurber commemorated him in verse:

“You can name the brilliant players from the year the game began,
You can say that someone’s plunging was the best you ever saw –
You can claim the boys now playing stage a game without a flaw –
But admit there was no splendor in all the bright array
Like the glory of the the going when Chic Harley got away.”

You've witnessed the transfers. You've seen a recruiting class fall apart with a wave of defections. You held out hope before Toledo did the unthinkable. You suffered through four hours of bad weather and shoddy play last weekend before watching the Northwestern Wildcats walk out of the Big House with a victory -- after expecting one coming in.

You have watched your favorite program pile up eight losses on the year -- something that's never happened before in the long and illustrious history that is Michigan football -- and you fully expect #9 to come this Saturday.

So what's a reasonable Wolverine fan to do?

You take up the advice of your head coach and focus on the economy. Specifically, making a little cheddar to spur the recovery by selling your sad loyalty on eBay.

That's right, things are so bad up North that fans of the program are selling their allegiances to the highest bidder:

I was born and raised in the heart of Michigan. My first word was "Hail." I could whistle "The Victors" by the age of three. But, all things must come to an end - and for me, the end is near. You can decide my fate.

And what's the going rate for the loyalty of a Wolverine fan? About eighty bucks.

This is a partial list of teams that surrendered fewer yards to the Illini than the Buckeyes did Saturday: Louisiana-Lafayette, Iowa and Western Michigan. So it was curious that the Buckeye defense, which had been peaking, was carved up so easily in Champaign.

Granted, it was the Big Ten's top offense and they're powered by a guy that can do some incredible things with the ball. But it appeared as if there was some sort of informal competition to see who could rack up the most missed tackles in the first half.

Credit the Buckeye defense for making solid halftime adjustments, though. And when you step back and look at their performance, they were just a little elastic, that's all. They held when it mattered and forced big plays when they needed to. Oh, and add Tyler Moeller to that list of players you can't wait to see next year.

Field Flop

What I love about this sequence is that no matter how old Tressel gets, he'll never need any type of male enhancement tech. All he'll need to do is loop these three minutes of the game. A booming punt from your own territory, leading to a field position edge. Then the fumble on the very next play. Five runs later and the Buckeyes had the first lead of the day. That's Tresselball smut.

Cumberland's Shoestring Snag

After the Buckeyes had gone up 7-0, Illinois marched down the field behind some nice runs out of Dufrene and found themselves in a 3rd and 6 from the Ohio State 7 yard line. If you're not a fan of zone defenses, please turn away.

Jenkins Gets His Second

Illinois had moved quickly to tie the game and the Buckeyes were forced to punt on their next possession. Trapasso did a great job of pinning the Illini inside their own 10 and after a three-and-out, Jenkins comes through for his 2nd punt block of the season. Ohio State was suddenly up 9-7 and getting the ball back.

Coleman's Clutch Interception

After the Buckeyes scored to go up 16-7, Illinois marched right back down the field thanks to some nice throws from Juice and a little bit of hurry-up offense. They soon found themselves in a 2nd and 10 at the Ohio State 12 yard line.

In case you don't get 1460 The Fan which is likely if you live outside the outerbelt, Herbstreit and Spielman had a great back and forth yesterday as they discussed this Saturday's clash.

With tongues somewhat in cheek, the two didn't paint a pretty picture when discussing the Wolverines and what they expect to occur in The Game.

The Detroit News was able to pick up the comments and put them out there for the Wolverine faithful to see. Normally, I'd assume the head coach of said team up north would use these comments as bulletin board material but considering the current coach doesn't seem interested in grasping the rivalry, maybe not. Either way, the conversation was classic sarcastic Spielman with a touch of tolerable Herbie.

Spielman lobbed this bomb to kick it off:

"Anybody that played in that game understands what that game is and how special it is. For Michigan, I think it's vital for them because they have absolutely nothing. I admit when I'm wrong -- I was wrong about Michigan winning four games. I think they're going to win three...This team has no confidence, man. They're dead men walking."

Gotta love a guy that will admit when he's wrong.

After some minor comments from Herbie about UM just wanting the game to be over, Spielman struck again prompting Herbie to fully join the fray:

Spielman: "I don't think it's going to be close. They're not very good. The problem Michigan has is they know they're not very good, and the coaches know they're not very good, and the fans know they're not very good." Herbstreit: "They're a tough watch, watching that outfit. This is a great example of why I like to see Michigan be a very good, very competitive team. They're 3-8 on their way to 3-9. And this is like the year somebody told you (the truth) about Santa Claus. This is like taking all the wind out of the sails. "I know it's still Ohio State-Michigan, and when the teams run onto the field, it's still special, but this is just anti-climatic. (Michigan is) going to run onto the field, and 'Booooooo!' Who you booing? They're 3-8. "If they didn't have to be there, they wouldn't be there. They're sorry they have to be there. They don't want to be. They're going to take the game, get it over with and get out of there."

I think I'm tearing up...

Herbie, correctly, lamented the fact Michigan stinks and the impact their suck has on the rivalry but Spielman didn't seem too sympathetic:

Spielman: "I love seeing them beaten down. It's not our fault Michigan's bad. What do you want us to do, give 'em some of our players to make it fair? They're not holding up their end of the bargain. It's on them." Herbstreit: "I understand that, it's on them. But the rivalry is built upon the game meaning so much to both sides. When I think about being a little kid and watching that game, I think of great Ohio State and great Michigan teams, and that's the way I wish it was every year." Spielman: "I wish it was, too, but they screwed up. They had to go and mess it up. They got their dirty maize-and-blue hands on it, they screwed it up."

God Bless Chris Spielman.