WEEK 12 NCAA FOOTBALL WAGER

NCAA GAMEDAY: Playing the Feud

As usual, Ohio State and Michigan end the regular season battling to stay alive for the Big Ten crown

Nov. 18, 2005

By Carlisle Richards
BodogNation Contributing Writer

WEEK 12 WAGER - No. 9 Ohio State (8-2) at No. 17 Michigan (7-3)

The Yankees have the Red Sox, the Blue Devils have the Tar heels, Jay-Z has Nas.

And come this weekend, BCS rankings, Big Ten championships and win-loss records may matter just a little less to Ohio State. Rivalries take prominence on the gridiron and the Buckeyes are about to renew one of the most storied in sports. When they step foot in Ann Arbor's sea of Maize and Blue, the Buckeyes' eyes, ears and shoulder pads will be focused on one thing: defeating their own arch-rival, the Michigan Wolverines.

"I watched a lot of ESPN Classic, and they always put on a lot of the great Ohio State-Michigan games from over the years," running back Maurice Wells told Blade Sports this week. "It is known everywhere around the country that Ohio State and Michigan is the biggest rivalry in college football. Coming here, I already knew it was a big deal, but once I got here, seeing all the attention it gets and hearing people talk about it all year long, I know there is nothing bigger."

With 18 national championships, 71 Big Ten titles, and nine Heisman Trophy winners between them, putting these two storied programs together has made for heated, gut-wrenching competition. They've been dueling between the hashmarks since 1897, but the meaningful, do-or-die rivalry truly began in 1935, when the NCAA made every Ohio State-Michigan game the last of the two team's regular season.

That change in schedule has meant the Big Ten championship has often been on the line along with Michigan-Ohio State pride. This Saturday's game is no different.

The Buckeyes can do no worse than a share of the Big Ten title if they win. If Michigan wins and Penn State loses at Michigan State, then the Wolverines would grab the conference crown. Michigan holds the tiebreaker advantage because of victories over Ohio State and Penn State.

With Michigan averaging 31 points during a four-game winning streak, the Buckeyes are going to have a much more difficult time this week than last, when quarterback Troy Smith and company pounded Northwestern 48-7. Putting the Wolverines away in their Big House with more than 100,000 raucous fans is no simple feat.

"People need to realize how tough it is to go into Michigan and win," Ohio State linebacker A.J. Hawk said at the Nov. 14 press luncheon. "It is a great stadium and they have great fans. Once you get down it is hard to come back, but our last game at Michigan was a learning experience for us."

On Nov. 22, 2003, the Buckeyes made the fatal mistake of looking past their rivals and ahead to a potential second consecutive trip to the national championship game. The result was a 35-21 loss at Ann Arbor, a setback that destroyed the Buckeyes' chances at another crown, and proved that no match-up with the Wolverines should ever be doubted or overlooked.

Ohio State coach Jim Tressel will make sure his team is prepared to block out all other distractions and focus on the rivalry that seems to dictate every season.

"Really, those first 10 [regular-season games] don't mean much and they know that," Tressel said to the AP. "It's what you do up there on Saturday that makes the difference."

WEEK 12 WAGER No. 5 Penn State (9-1) at Michigan State (5-5)

Only a year ago the Nittany Lions were 0-6 in the Big Ten. Now they have a chance to lock up a bowl berth with a victory over the Spartans.

"I probably had more confidence that we were close than any of you guys did, and in fact some of the people in the administration. I had a good feeling about the team, I really did," coach Joe Paterno said to the Associated Press, referring to the team's turnaround.

But Paterno must be wary of the Spartans, who plan on playing spoiler to his dream season. And after feeling the pain of a 41-18 loss to Minnesota, you can bet Michigan State plans on putting together a solid performance in its last home game.

WEEK 12 WAGER - No. 8 (9-1) Alabama at No. 11 Auburn (8-2)

The Crimson Tide can rebound from their huge loss to LSU by defeating the reborn Auburn Tigers.

While Auburn proved the experts wrong with a 31-30 victory over Georgia last week, the then-undefeated Crimson Tide proved the experts right with an overtime 16-13 loss to LSU. And with the 7-point spread in favor of Auburn, it seems like most have lost faith in the Crimson Tide offense.

"We've got to get something going," running back Kenneth Darby said to the AP. "We can't be mediocre going against Auburn."

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