osu vs. michigan football

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2007-08-02T16:04:00.000-04:00

Greg Oden will announce that he's turning pro

2007-04-04T14:47:00.000-04:00

Ohio State freshman, Greg Oden will announce that he is turning pro and forego his remaining eligibility at Ohio State. Having dominated at the collegiate level, he has nothing left to prove. The shot of winning a national title next year is too elusive to rely upon. Ohio State could have easily lost any of the games leading up to the national championship game. Next year could result in yet another (make that three) Gator disappointment if Florida's juniors remain on the team.

Word has it that Jim Tressel jinxed the basketball team by showing up to the national title game. Having already been blown out by the Gators just a couple months earlier, Tressel brought plenty of bad karma to the basketball Buckeyes.

OSU fans will undoubtedly protest vehemently that Oden has cheated them and the university out of his scholarship "obligation." Whatever. In the end, it boils down to what the fans want (not that any of them have the players' interests in mind anyway).

Pete Fiutak of cfn.scout.com - complete idiot

2007-01-11T17:26:00.000-05:00

Pete Fiutak of Collegefootballnew.com predicts Michigan to be the 2007 Notre Dame. Fiutak is as pro-Buckeye as you can get which explains why he misses the obvious choice for next year's 2007 Notre Dame - Ohio State. With patsies lining the schedule, OSU is set for a major implosion at season end. Nice try, Pete.

Script OShit

2007-01-10T17:30:00.000-05:00

TBDBITL's halftime show was a bit modified at the BCS championship game.

Scott Woods of thelantern.com turns out to be Gator bait

2007-01-09T01:22:00.000-05:00

Woods' predictions -

Prediction: In all likelihood, the game against the Gators will be Ginn's last as a Buckeye. Look for the speedy No. 7 to make NFL scouts drool in this one to the tune of eight receptions for 120 yards and two touchdowns - the second of which coming on a long-awaited kickoff return to the house.

He did get the kickoff right.

Prediction: Boone has proven to be the real deal and is destined for All-America status in the future, but Harvey is the type of end that will seriously test him. Look for the two stars to trade punches throughout the game, leading to an occasional Smith error that could keep the Gators close until the final gun.

Boone got crushed.

So who's it going to be? Chris Leak and Percy Harvin have big days, DeShawn Wynn is solid and the Gators... break the hearts of millions of Floridians after the OSU defense recovers just enough from their letdown against Michigan. Ted Ginn takes home the MVP and Troy Smith returns home only to be drafted by his hometown Browns. Sorry, Troy - at least your mantel's full. Ohio State 34, Florida 30.

Well he was pretty close, huh?

SCHADENFREUDE

2007-01-09T00:46:00.000-05:00

Am I happy that tOSU got whacked in the National Championship Game? Look up schadenfreude and you might get a clue of how I'm feeling.

Sour grapes? You betcha. But try living in Columbus after a OSU win over Michigan. Try living in Columbus after OSU wins the national championship.

Frauds finally revealed

2007-01-09T00:45:00.000-05:00

No. 1 Scoring Defense in the country - Whatever!

Heisman trophy winner - yeah, right!

Superior coaching - completely outcoached tonight.

It gets better - great deal on Gator's sweater vest too!

2007-01-09T00:39:00.000-05:00

Gators Sweater Vest

I heard bowl packages were $3000 per person

2007-01-09T00:32:00.000-05:00

Ouch! That had to hurt.

OSU fans already demanding that Tressel be fired

2007-01-09T00:31:00.001-05:00

They're already out on the radio stations demanding that Cooper, err, Tressel be fired.

Fair weather indeed!

Comparing Smith to Vince Young

2007-01-09T00:26:00.000-05:00

Quite a difference a year makes. Vince Young was incredible in beating USC last year. In comparison, Troy Smith turned out to be a dud. The only difference, Young didn't win the Heisman.

Did Ohio State even deserve to be in the national title game?

2007-01-09T00:22:00.000-05:00

After the dust settled, it appears that the top two teams were USC and Florida, in that order. OSU played in a weak conference and, no doubt, felt that they were invincible. They learned quite differently tonight.

Bonehead coaching move of the last decade

2007-01-09T00:16:00.000-05:00

It was over when . . .

Reeking with desperation, Tressel decides to pull a Cooper and go for it on 4 and 1 from his own 29. Florida stuffs Ohio State's vaunted rushing attack, scores a field goal and then a touchdown after a Troy Smith fumble.

Will Troy Smith fumble the Heisman trophy as well?

Folks, that was an ass whooping

2007-01-09T00:11:00.000-05:00

It's sad to see UM and OSU falter so spectacularily in their last game. Kind of leaves a bad taste in an otherwise special season for both teams.

Halftime

2007-01-08T22:21:00.000-05:00

Well, I didn't see this one coming. FLA beating tOSU 34-14 at the half. So far, the buxs are playing very un-Tressel like. Too bad that didn't happen Oct. 18.

SI.com praises Mallett

2007-01-08T15:24:00.000-05:00

More praise for Ryan Mallett from SI.com:

Standouts

It's always tough to gauge who plays well in an all-star game, but here are three who shined:

Ryan Mallett: Showcased his unreal arm, which is the strongest among the 2007 quarterbacks. Also proved he can move a little outside of the pocket. Michigan is going to love this kid.

Will OSU v. Florida decide anything?

2007-01-08T14:34:00.000-05:00

Outside of Columbus, Ohio and Gainesville, Florida, does anyone really care about tonight's game? Despite losing to UCLA, USC appears to be head and shoulders better than any other team in the country. OSU fans and media types look at the Michigan/USC game as proof that Michigan didn't deserve to be in the national championship game. Of course, they overlook the other side of the coin. Did USC?

Or maybe, we've already had our national championship game and it occurred at the Rose Bowl. OSU and USC both faced Michigan. All one must do is compare the winning margins to determine the better of the two.

If anything, tonight's "national championship" game will only further cement the notion that a playoff system is necessary.

The national champion was, after all, already crowned in Pasadena.

Ryan Mallett shines at the U.S Army All-American Bowl

2007-01-08T10:40:00.000-05:00

Did anyone catch Ryan Mallett's performance at the U.S Army All-American Bowl on Saturday? All I can say is wow. This kid looks to be the real deal. Michigan will be in good hands once Henne graduates.

Scout says:

The story on offense for the West was clearly Mallett’s precision rifle passes. The more heralded Clausen started the contest, and had he his moments. He led the West on a 63-yard scoring drive on the opening possession to make the score 3-0. Then it was Mallett’s turn to hurl the pigskin. It didn’t take long for the 6-6, 240-lb. fireballer to show the record 35,151 fans in attendance and the millions watching on NBC just why the folks in Ann Arbor have been salivating over him the past few years.

Rivals says:

The Army Bowl did not reveal that Mallett is a great quarterback - we already knew that - it really showed just how great of a leader the Texas talent can be. The arm strength is unparalleled, probably by any quarterback coming out of high school ever, but the attitude and charisma is also very unique to the big kid with the huge arm.

See also the what the Texarkana Gazette says.

Ugg

2007-01-01T23:32:00.000-05:00

WTF was that?

My Celebrity Look Alikes

2006-12-29T16:00:00.000-05:00

According to myHeritage.com, which applies face recognition techology to match celebrity look-alikes, here's who I look like.

Harbaugh the new Stanford head coach

2006-12-19T14:50:00.000-05:00

Congratulations to former Michigan QB Jim Harbaugh for being named the HC of Stanford. Many of you remember him for the Guarantee.

Tags: Jim Harbaugh, football, Stanford, Michigan, QB

Michigan Fan Over at Playboy Radio

2006-12-15T15:14:00.000-05:00

Usually I listen to Howard Stern on Sirius. But he has Fridays off, so I found myself scanning the Sirius dial. As I passed the Playboy Channel on Sirius, I heard the sidekick on the Afternoon Advice show with Tiffany Granath (I don't know her name or whether she's a sidekick or not) say that she is a huge Michigan fan. Also, she'll be attending the Rose Bowl. Good for her. I imagine that because she works for Playboy that she's not the stereotypical Michigan girl that Eric attempts to falsely perpetuate.

UPDATE: The girl is "Naughty Melissa" and here's her myspace page.

Tags: michigan, fan, sirius, playboy, Tiffany Granath, Afternoon Advice

OSU fans, like Tressel, afraid to face Michigan again

2006-12-07T11:33:00.000-05:00

This should end the debate entirely.

What if Michigan beat OSU and OSU moved to second in the polls.

Then OSU moved to third after USC won.

Then OSU stayed at third after USC lost.

Is there any OSU fan out there who wouldn't complaint.

Hell, no! There would be riots, couch burning, 186 arrests, cars turned over, mayhem, chaos in the streets!

Case closed.

Mr. Zieg - I can offer you a CLE course on effective argument at a discounted rate.

Oh, and OSU beat Michigan at OSU by 3 points. Again, how much is the home field advantage worth?

3 points at least. Was anything proved? Not really!

Urban Meyer = first class cry baby

2006-12-04T16:35:00.000-05:00

Reminds me of the Nebraska Quarterback who whined all night about how Nebraska should share the national championship. BCS is not based on winning conference but on who the best 2 teams are. I hope Florida is a lot better than they look because they sure look lousy.

Tressel afraid to face Michigan again, abstains from voting

2006-12-04T00:32:00.000-05:00

In a move to try to hide whom he would prefer to face, Tressel abstains from voting in the coach's poll. Of course, we all know he would have voted for Florida - scared to face Michigan on a neutral field for all the marbles.

All sports broadcasters are lobbying against a rematch

2006-12-03T12:18:00.000-05:00

I have to agree with Herbstreit, they should vote based on who's the number 2 team in the country. Florida does not appear to match up well with Ohio State.

What if Florida and Michigan tie in the BCS standings?

I think the vote will be against Michigan. Just as everybody jumped on USC's bandwagon because that's what they saw last, they'll do the same with Florida. Bob Davies and Kirk Herbstreit proclaimed USC to be the number 2 team in the country. Look how wrong you can be.

I'm sure all Buckeye fans pray for Florida as they fear a rematch with Michigan.

Gary Danielson is a Joke

2006-12-02T23:19:00.000-05:00

For obvious reasons I would like to see a UM-OSU rematch. I wouldn't even begrudge Florida for getting their shot. But Gary Danielson was a complete joke tonight lobbying for Florida. Just call the game.

Rematch?

2006-12-02T20:26:00.000-05:00

There may be a rematch yet. Go Hogs.

Go Bruins, Go Song Girls

2006-12-01T14:28:00.000-05:00

Okay, I'm obviously rooting for UCLA to beat USC this Saturday. But, you've got to give your props to the USC Song Girls.

USC looks to be the better team

2006-11-27T13:44:00.000-05:00

As I told Eric before the ND/USC game, I wasn't pinning any hopes on ND pulling out a victory to create a possible rematch. Although, there is the ever-present "luck of the Irish" factor, Notre Dame is clearly a second tier team. I'm still trying to figure out who their 5 first round draft picks are going to be this year. And if they do have 5 first rounders, why do they still suck? Maybe the pros see something they can develop in Quinn but I don't know who the other four first rounders are going to be. Don't count on the Bruins either, Alvin - you will be wasting your time (although they do have a better chance than ND).

USC is probably a better match up for Ohio State although almost all Buckeye fans are blind to it given their extreme over confidence and failure to see their own weaknesses. USC is a better match up not because they are a better team then Michigan (Michigan actually beat ND worse and at ND) but more so because they have an offensive minded coach. Michigan clearly has the weapons but really didn't effectively employ them against OSU. Carr is too conservative on offense. Even after shutting down Smith in the second half (even Smith was seen crying on the sidelines after fumbles and interceptions), Carr failed to go for the jugular despite the aforementioned turnovers. While Carr did open the offense up against OSU, you can't wait til the last game of the season to finally open it up and expect instant success. USC has had a consistent high powered offense and are used to scoring a lot of points. If you want to beat Ohio State, you need to sprint with them. USC is comfortable scoring a lot of points. What was their streak - 20 or more points in 60 some consecutive games.

Second key to beating OSU - get them off their home field. Obviously, the home field advantage played a major factor in the 3 point Michigan victory (which may indicate that on a neutral field a different result) and having played all their toughest opponents at home and given their extreme issues with Illinois on the road, OSU is definitely weaker on the road.

Third key - pressure Smith all game. When this was finally done consistently in the second half, Michigan shut out Smith and reduced him to pouting on the sidelines (some Heisman candidate). USC looks to have the defensive line to consistently put pressure on Smith as well as the defensive backs to lock down on OSU receivers, creating more time for their speed to catch Smith. And even if OSU scores a bunch, USC faces considerably less pressure on defense given their high scoring offense. USC has to put pressure on Smith from the start of the game. At halftime, Tressel knew that Michigan was coming back and that his spread offense wrinkle was finished, given his comments. USC can't let OSU get off to such a headstart.

USC needs to copy Michigan's plan on containing Ginn on kick/punt returns. Ginn was completely silenced on that account.

USC has faced the spread offense all season and OSU's little wrinkle should provide no surprise. OSU, in a concession that they have a mediocre running game, went to the spread against Michigan but in doing so tipped their hat. Tressel has nothing else up his sleeve so the element of surprise is gone.

USC has a huge advantage in playing 2 weeks later into the season. OSU will go over a month and a half without any game time conditions and experience considerable rust. If USC can jump on them quick, OSU may not be able to recover.

OSU's no. 1 scoring defense fraud was finally put to rest. If the conservative Michigan offense can put up 39 on them, USC should be able to put up 60+. OSU has shown a considerable weakness defending the run up the middle. That weakness will only be more pronounced when OSU spreads out to try to cover USC's receiving corps.

As predicted, the wraps on the center's and Smith's hands played a considerable role in the Michigan game. OSU needs to fix that by game day.

USC has more talent - with 3 of the top recruiting classes in the last four years, USC has the talent to beat OSU.

Carroll is a better coach than Tressel. Tressel is essentially a college football coach. Carroll has more of a pro football mentality, much like Spurrier. Carroll should have several wrinkles for OSU to deal with. I can't wait to see what they are.

OSU's worst nightmare may came true

2006-11-20T18:19:00.000-05:00

Rematch could happen for national title. Now that the myth of the No. 1 scoring defense has been buried and Tressel won't be able to play his spread offense card, Ohio State will go down and will go down hard.

Pick 4

2006-11-20T15:49:00.000-05:00

This is too weird. The score of the OSU-UM game was 42-39. (ARRRGGGH!) Less than 30 minutes later, the winning number in the Pick 4 game was 4,2,3,9.

Ohio Lottery Pick 4

Monday
11/20/2006 Mid Day
2,8,9,1
$80,500
Saturday
11/18/2006 Mid Day
4,4,9,5
$58,900
Saturday
11/18/2006 Evening
4,2,3,9
$2,190,100

Friday
11/17/2006 Mid Day
2,2,7,5
$162,800
Friday
11/17/2006 Evening
8,3,6,0
$103,000
Thursday
11/16/2006 Mid Day
4,3,8,1
$119,800
Thursday
11/16/2006 Evening
8,2,3,3
$103,600
Wednesday
11/15/2006 Mid Day
2,8,7,5
$67,200

Parting shots

2006-11-18T09:28:00.000-05:00

Q: What's the only sign of intelligent life in Columbus?
A: Ann Arbor: 189 miles

Q: Why do Ohio State grads drive with their degree on their dash?
A: So they can park in the handicapped spaces.

Q: What does the average Ohio State student get on his SAT?
A: Drool

Q: How do you know when a Ohio State fan is about to say something smart?
A: When he starts his sentence with "A Wolverine fan once told me...."

Q: What's the difference between the Buckeyes and a dollar bill?
A: You always get four quarters out of a dollar.

Q: What's the difference between a Ohio State fan and a carp?
A: One is a bottom-feeding, scum sucker, and the other is a fish.

Q: What is the difference between a litter of puppies and Ohio State fans?
A: The puppies stop whining after 6 weeks.

Q: Why is ice no longer available at Ohio State football games?
A: Because the only student who knew the recipe finally graduated.
Q: What did the Ohio State graduate say to the Michigan graduate?
A: "Welcome to McDonald's. May I take your order, please?"

Q: How do you get an Ohio State graduate off your front porch?
A: Pay him for the pizza.

Q: How can you tell when the Ohio State Buckeyes are going to run the football?
A: The back leaves the huddle with tears in his eyes.

Q: How many Ohio State football players does it take to change a light bulb?
A: One. But he gets three hours credit for the course.

Q: What is the difference between Cheerios and the Ohio State Buckeyes?
A: Cheerios belong in a bowl.

Q: What's the difference between a Buckeye cheerleader and an elephant?
A: About 20 pounds.

Q: How do you make up the 20-pound difference?
A: Feed the elephant!

Q: What do you call a good looking girl on the Ohio State campus?
A: A visitor.

Schembechler passes away.

2006-11-17T15:06:00.000-05:00

And a hush fell over the Buckeye faithful
With the news of Bo's passing
Each looked to the other,
With fear in their eyes,
Wondering indeed,
If there would be a Buckeye surprise!

Would their only hope of happiness,
self-satisfaction and pride,
Would their sole salvation
Be something to deride?

Suddenly now doubt crept into the Buckeye faithful,
Shivers and jitters and shakes abound.
Hark, what 'tis that I hear?
Who would be this interloper, this Ohio stadium meddler,
It can't be, No, God, it can't!
Oh! 'tis indeed, the ghost of Schembechler.

Response to Eric

2006-11-16T16:03:00.000-05:00

Dear Eric,

In all honesty, you will not see a post by us Michigan fans regarding how OSU might beat Michigan, because in our Hart of Hart's, we truly cannot fathom any circumstance where OSU will win.

Remember this word, and this word only: Harbaugh

Cheers,

Alvin

How Michigan Might Beat OSU

2006-11-16T15:40:00.000-05:00

Since, as a rational person, I must acknowledge the possibility that OSU could lose The Game (bringing Coach Carr back to 4-2), I have put together an analysis of how Michigan might win The Game.

In the interest of honest circumspection, I thought it best to write about this. I doubt any Michigan fans will do the same before The Game.

1) Getting to T. Smith. OSU's offensive line has done a stellar job of protecting Troy this year, and many of his best plays have come when he has had a great deal of time to pass the ball. I'm not sold on Alex Boone being all the way back to perfect health after his knee problems over on the left side of the line, and we saw how much that hurt us during the second half of the Illinois game. When you have less than your best offensive linemen on your QB's blind side, you are open to turnovers and injury.

Troy's internal clock for throwing the ball into the stands has not been calibrated much this year. It will need to be working well against Michigan, and if it isn't, this is one way for Michigan to win.

2) The Holdback Factor. If Michigan has been scoring as few points as they have recently because they are hiding the playbook from OSU, then OSU may be in for a long day. I don't know if they hid the playbook from Notre Dame, or if Notre Dame's secondary just sucked, or perhaps both.

3) Bad Weather. If the game is played in cold steady rain with a lot of wind, this will hamper OSU's passing and catching efforts, negate their speed advantage at WR, and turn it into a running game. Teams that can't pass against Michigan haven't done well this season.

4) Turnoverconfidence. One of the reasons that teams don't score on OSU's defense is that we recover so many turnovers. Nothing quite stops a drive like a turnover. Michigan is noted for not fumbling, though they have thrown a few interceptions. I don't think that the OSU defense can count on their normal diet of 2-3 turnovers during The Game.

5) Tressel's only flaw as a coach (and I have seen no evidence of it this year) is his tendency to go for long field goals rather than punting and pinning the opposition back. He needs to keep all of the playbook open and use Trapasso's ability to drop a ball on the five yard line or Michigan will be in the game until the end.

OSU v. Michigan Rematch. It may be inevitable

2006-11-16T12:20:00.000-05:00

While a lot of people have been talking about how voters don't want to see a rematch, it may be inevitable. Look at the BCS rankings as they stand right now:

1) Ohio State
2) Michigan
3) USC
4) Florida
5) Notre Dame
6) Rutgers
7) Arkansas
8) West Va.
9) Wisconsin
10) Louisville

Does anyone imagine that the loser of this game (doubtless Michigan) will fall further than number 5?

Most of the people who think that the voters would vote against a rematch don't realize that the OSU v. Michigan game is not the last game of the season. There are still some very important games to play among other highly ranked teams which, since they are playing each other, will by definition knock at least half of them out of contention.

If USC loses to Cal and then beats Notre Dame, both of them (having two losses) will fall below Michigan in the BCS poll and Michigan will move up. Florida will likely play Arkansas in the SEC tournament final, thus one of those teams will fall below Michigan and Michigan will move up. Should Florida lose to FSU (very unlikely but it is a rivalry game) and then beat Arkansas, both of those teams will be below Michigan and Michigan will move up.

Rutgers has to play Cincinnati and West Virginia (at Morgantown), and a one loss Rutgers team will not be ranked higher than a one loss (to OSU) Michigan.

If Notre Dame beats USC, few people would rank one loss Notre Dame higher than one loss Michigan for the obvious reason that Michigan shelled them so badly at South Bend earlier in the season.

The voters vote on rankings, and I don't think that enough of them would rank a team lower than they should be just to avoid a certain result (a rematch). At the end of the regular season (early December, not mid November) I think we can all agree that the No. 2 BCS team is going to play the No. 1 BCS team. That No.2 team might just be the loser of the OSU v. Michigan game.

Why Michigan will win on Saturday.

2006-11-16T11:30:00.000-05:00

1 - Ohio State is not the best team in the country.
OSU has played a very weak schedule this year.
Let's start with the beginning - Northern Illinois - currently with a record of 5-5.
Texas - currently 9-2 with a devastating loss to lowly Kansas State and two squeakers against Texas Tech and Nebraska and maybe an upcoming loss at A&M.
Cincinnati - currently 5-5
Penn State - 7-4 record - a decent win but at home
Iowa - 6-5 and having lost 4 out of last 5 - and may lose to Minnesota
Bowling Green - 4-7
MSU - also 4-7 soon to be 4-8
Indiana - 5-6
Minnesota - 5-6
Illinois - 2-9
Northwestern - 3-8

So OSU has beaten teams with a combined record of 50-59 or a .458 winning percentage.

This kind of puts in perspective the number 1 scoring defense in the country as well as all of their other stats - it was done against less than mediocre competition. Does it really mean anything to have the number 1 scoring defense against losing teams? In addition, Northern Illinois is not ranked in the top 119 in total offense. Texas does come in at 18. But what about Cincinnati #77; Penn State #56; Iowa #39; BGSU #51; MSU #45; Indiana #80; Minnesota #47; Illinois #55; Northwestern #90. If we assign 120 to Northern Illinois, then OSU has beaten an average of the #60 rated total offensive teams in the country. Big deal!

2 - OSU has the 20th ranked rushing offense in the country. Again, it came against less then mediocre competition. Lesson from the Illinois game - Pittman rushed 32 times for 58 yards against the #53 rushing defense. Ohio State is going to have trouble running the ball against the nation's no.1 rushing defense. Usually, the winner of this game is the one who can run the ball most effectively. Pittman is an average back. His backups are subject to fumbles and inexperience.

3 - Lesson from the Penn State game - OSU gave up 142 yards rushing at home to Penn State. Michigan should be able to run the ball effectively against Ohio State.

4 - All OSU fans and media are claiming that OSU should be able to pass the ball without a problem against Michigan. Troy Smith and his center both have wraps on their right thumbs. In addition, OSU fans and media types fail to calculate how much time Smith will have to pass. If Michigan can pressure him, that Heisman shine may tarnish with several bad decisions and/or sacks. Smith isn't passing against Northern Illinois, BGSU, Cincinnati, NW, Indiana, etc., any more. I'm sure he has had all day to pick out his receiver against those teams. Things may change come Saturday. Look at the pressure Illinois put on him.

5 - OSU fans and media types are so confident in Ginn and the return game that they overlook Michigan's return game. Breaston took one to the house only last Saturday.

6 - OSU fans are confident Michigan can't cover Ginn, Gonzaga, etc., they should be concerned about whether they can protect their QB. Can OSU cover Breaston, Arrington, Manningham, Butler, Ecker, etc.?

7 - Fans and media types claim that Smith is going to run wild against Michigan. Michigan's defensive front is a lot faster than last year as they frequently have caught QB's running for their lives from behind. lllinois had no problem catching up to Smith. Michigan caught IU's QB who is probably faster than Smith. If Smith is running it generally means that the passing and rushing games aren't happening. Can he save OSU by himself?

8 - In the end, Michigan may have the advantage with their offensive and defensive lines and that may prove to be the difference.

Tucker Max says UM girls hotter than ND girls

2006-11-14T14:20:00.000-05:00

There's this guy named Tucker Max who's a self described asshole and author of the book I Hope They Sell Beer In Hell. Anyways, he went to Ann Arbor to go last year's Michigan-MSU game (although he didn't make it to the game). I thought this was a pretty interesting quote, given el' windbag's assessment of Michigan girls:

I'm going to have to make the call--Michigan is WAY cooler than Notre Dame [I went to the Purdue/ND game earlier this year]. In every way. Better football environment, hotter girls, guys who aren't fucking douche bag jamooks--everything is better at Michigan. Were I a 17 year old high school senior and picking between those two for college, no question or debate--I would be a Wolverine. Sorry Notre Dame, I don't have a dog in this fight, I am just calling it like I see it. You guys suck.

Happy Thanksgiving

2006-11-14T13:13:00.000-05:00

You've got to love El Guappo. He used his firm's Thanksgiving Day card to take the opportunity to call yours truly a Michigan Scumbag. Man, I love college football rivalries.

Common opponent stats - Northwestern

2006-11-13T17:44:00.000-05:00

Since Eric is so hot on citing Northwestern stats - consider the following:

RUSHING YARDS ALLOWED

OSU allowed NW to rush for 68 yards

Michigan didn't allow any rushing yards, -13 to be exact for a difference of 81 yards

FIRST DOWNS ALLOWED

OSU - 17
Michigan - 10

TOTAL YARDS ALLOWED

OSU - allowed 297
Michigan allowed 191

POINTS ALLOWED

No 1 scoring defense in country - 10
Michigan - THREE

ohiostatefootballsucks.com

2006-11-13T13:31:00.000-05:00

Guess who just bought that domain name?

Herbstreit talks smack for OSU - "Breaston=worthless"

2006-11-13T11:38:00.000-05:00

"Breaston can go back to whatever he's doing these days, if they could ever find a way to actually apply him in the offense. He's worthless in my mind, outside of returning a few punts. I'll say that, and he'll end up winning the game for them on Nov. 18. But he hasn't done anything since his freshman year.''

Are you ready for some football?

2006-11-10T01:03:00.000-05:00

Nick Lachey and Desmond Howard sings The Victors on top of the Shoe

2006-11-10T00:57:00.000-05:00

Watch it here.

Who said OSU girls aren't classy?

2006-11-10T00:38:00.000-05:00

Click here for photo (warning: not safe for work)

The Victors played on beer bottles

2006-11-10T00:22:00.000-05:00

Click here for a rendition of The Victors played on beer bottles.

From Red to Blue

2006-11-08T15:27:00.000-05:00

Some foreshadowing for November 18.

Louisville

2006-11-07T14:17:00.000-05:00

What homer voter on the Harris poll voted Louisville Number 1? Probably someone gaming the system to help Louisville's case to be in the national championship game.

Hart's streak still alive

2006-11-06T11:56:00.000-05:00

Here's something that I didn't know:

Hart's streak without losing a fumble remains alive at 688 touches. His first-quarter fumble out of the end zone during Saturday's first quarter was not a fumble lost because the opposing team did not recover the ball. Essentially, it was the same as a fumble out of bounds in the middle of the field, except the opponent received two points. Michigan still punted on the next play.

Though the Wolverines lost the ball and lost two points on the safety, apparently they did not lose a fumble.

Hopefully, Hart won't lose one against OSU.

"A win is a win any which way you look at it." Or is it?

2006-11-05T14:56:00.000-05:00

As poor as Michigan's second string looked against Ball State, Ohio State's first string offense looked even worse against Illinois. Illinois' defense held OSU to its fewest total yards, fewest passing yards and fewest points of the season.
Remember this is Illinois, a team that is 1-13 over the last two seasons! In addition, Illinois had 3 sacks against OSU's offensive line. It could be a long day for Trey against you know who. Trey Smith certainly didn't do anything to help his Heisman campaign. If anything, he backed up a few steps. Pittman looks extremely weak having just 58 yards on 32 carries for a measly 1.81 yards per carry average.

If OSU keeps looking ahead to Michigan, they may come out on the losing end against Northwestern next week.

Don't forget Buckeye fans, it was only in 2004 when OSU lost back to back to back against Iowa, Wisconsin, and Northwestern!
Oh October was never so sweet.

John L. Smith fired!

2006-11-02T10:26:00.000-05:00

Michigan State fired John L. Smith yesterday. I actually kind of like the guy. This is, of course, bad news for Michigan fans. Next to John Cooper, John L. was one of my favorite coaches when it came to playing Michigan. If they could have pulled out the Notre Dame game, it would have been a different season for them.

Ohio State Joke

2006-11-02T10:23:00.000-05:00

One day , a housework-challenged husband decided to wash his
Sweatshirt.

Seconds after he stepped into the laundry room, he shouted to his wife,
"What setting do I use on the washing machine?"

"It depends," she replied. "What does it say on your shirt?"

He yelled back, "Go Bucks."

"Use hot water, a box of Tide, and 4 cups bleach."

RHCP fans didn't like Kiedis singing "The Victors"

2006-10-31T22:28:00.000-05:00

Note to Evil Empire fans. Get a sense of humor. Comments to the Dispatch's review of the Red Hot Chili Peppers show were negative to Kiedis' singing of The Victors.

Great column on why OSU may not deserve no. 1 ranking.

2006-10-31T11:24:00.000-05:00

Why Ohio State Might Not Be No. 1

Some of his reasons:

The offense has only faced two defenses with a pulse

Poor run defense - NIU’s Garrett Wolfe ran for 171 yards against OSU in the opener. Texas, who for some reason abandoned the ground game in the 24-7 loss in September, rumbled for 172, and Penn State’s Tony Hunt ran for 135 yards.

The Texas and Iowa wins might not have been that great

They haven't faced a decent quarterback

Anthony Kiedis of the Red Hot Chili Peppers Sings The Victors

2006-10-31T01:13:00.000-05:00

I saw the Red Hot Chili Peppers this evening playing at the Schottenstein Center on the campus of the ohio state university. It was a great show. Here's a few highlights:

Flea tells the Buckeye crowd that they "better watch out for the Wolverines"
Drummer Chad Smith, who grew up in Michigan, comes out at the beginning of the encore with a maize shirt with a blue block "M" on his chest
Anthony Kiedis then comes out and sings the second verse of "The Victors"

Predictably, the Buckeyes in the audience booed them.

The Big Game

2006-10-30T14:00:00.000-05:00

Reader's Digest is selling a print of "The Big Game" by C.F. Payne. Regardless of what side you support, it looks like a nice buy.

Michigan's Offensive Output

2006-10-30T10:07:00.000-05:00

It is true that Michigan was withouth Mario Manningham, Tyler Ecker, Mike Massey and Rueben Riley.

But New Hampshire put 34 points on the Mildcats. The following teams also scored significant points on lowly Northwestern: Nevada 31; Penn State 33; Wisconsin 41; Purdue 31; and Michigan State 41.

Seventeen points when you get five turnovers from the opposition isn't going to get it in November against the Buckeyes.

Minnesota puts nice smack on Roy Small

2006-10-28T21:43:00.000-04:00

That should make the highlight reel. Expect more of the same from Michigan.

Arrington Charged

2006-10-24T10:04:00.000-04:00

Okay, I admit it. I'm the first one to relish news of OSU player's legal problems. I'm disappointed to read about Arrington's recent domestic violence charge. I know we're all innocent until proven guilty, and his girlfriend says she didn't want to press charges. But damn, we're in the middle of a title hunt here. Oh well. I hope everything goes well for him Nov. 1. I expect he'll get off the charges as the girlfriend was the only witness and it sounds like she'll be a friendly witness. However, he'll probably be suspended for a game or two. Hope it's against one of the three patsies UM has up coming.

UPDATE

Lloyd Carr states that the facts do not support the allegations and stands by Arrington.

OSU vs. Michigan predictions

2006-10-23T12:26:00.000-04:00

Ohio State will crush Michigan this year. Michigan will get some points, even going up by 10 in the first quarter, but once OSU's defense adjusts to what they are doing, they won't be able to do anything consistently from then on.

   Michigan's defense, while good, will not be good enough. OSU has too many weapons and as Kirk Ferentz aptly put it: "It's pick your poison time against those guys." Michigan will sneak in one last touchdown on a busted play after scoring their first ten points, but that will be it.

   OSU will enjoy good field position all day because Michigan cannot afford to kick it to Ginn.

   The score will be OSU 34, Michigan 17. Calls for Lloyd Carr's head will again rebound around Ann Arbor.

   That hot air expelled, my ideal game scenario will be OSU and Michigan as the only undefeated teams going into The Game. The temperature at The Game will be 5 degrees Fahrenheit, the game will be played in a blinding snow storm, and OSU will win 5 to 3. This will make everyone wonder what a "real" game would have been like, and Michigan will be selected to play OSU out in the Fiesta Bowl for the National Championship.

Very truly yours,

Eric E. Willison

The Gold Phone

2006-10-20T13:46:00.000-04:00

This is circulating among Michigan fans. Don't know who wrote it, but it's pretty much on point. Ann Arbor is God's country

A highly recruited high school football player was visiting schools to try and find the best college for him. His first stop wasat Miami. When he got there, Larry Coker immediately picked up a golden telephone. After talking several minutes, he said, "Thank you, God" and hung up.

This shocked the young man. He asked the coach what was so special about the golden phone. "Well, this phone is a direct line to God. And God tells us whether or not new recruits would be stars at our university. The athlete asked if he could use the phone toask God what college he should pick "Sure, you can! But it's going to cost you $1,000. Calling Heaven ain't cheap."

The fellow didn't have that kind of money, so he moved along.

His next stop was Ohio. Upon entering Tressel's office, Coach Tressel immediately picked up a golden telephone. After talking several minutes, he said, "Thank you, God" and hung up. ! The boy said, "Hey, I've seen those phones before. Can I use yours to call God and ask what college I should pick?" Tressel said, "Sure, but it's going to cost you $750. Calling Heaven isn't cheap.."

Again, not having that kind of money, the lad left.

His last stop was in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Upon arrival at the office, Coach Carr picked up a golden telephone, talked to God, and said, "Thanks," and hung up. The boy just had to use that phone, so he said, "Coach, I really need to use that golden telephone soI can call God and ask him which college I should choose. From Florida it was going to cost me $1000. From Ohio they wanted $750.

So how much will it cost me to call Heaven from here in Ann Arbor?" The coach smiled and said, "Nothing, son. It's a local call."

2006-10-20T09:49:00.000-04:00

Football is a game of match ups. But as the Pro Michigan posters above illustrate, some people don't understand what should be compared to what.

Mr. Borromeo has gone on record to opine that Michigan's receivers are better than OSU's. Everyone is entitled to his opinion. Some people are of the opinion that the world is flat.

But the question is not whose receivers are better, but how well they match up to the defensive secondary of the other team. Most of Manningham's tds have come when he got behind the corner. OSU's corners will be able to keep up.

Another function of how well a team's receivers play is related to how much time the QB has to sit in the pocket and pick out receivers. Drew Tate and Drew Stanton were made to look extremely mediocre by constant pressure from OSU's defensive line.

We don't blitz much. We don't need to. It will be interesting to see how well Chad Henne can perform while he his coping with the likes of Quinn Pitcock and David Patterson running around in his backfield.

It will be interesting to see how Michael Hart adjusts to having to run around a defensive lineman before he even gets to the line of scrimmage.

Has Michigan faced a team yet this year with a good pass rush?

They will in November.

Planned changes to Big House released

2006-10-20T08:49:00.000-04:00

Click here for planned changed to the Big House

Is Ohio stadium even in the top ten in capacity anymore?

Matthew Zemek of cfn.scout.com is a complete idiot

2006-10-16T12:57:00.000-04:00

From his column today: "And as for Michigan, the Wolverines--while surviving Penn State, 17-10, the same score by which JoePa's team beat Ohio State in a major night game last season in Happy Valley--prevailed in State College only because Penn State's pop-gun offense still hasn't been able to progress at all. Michigan won by merely avoiding debilitating mistakes. Yes, it's a great win for Lloyd Carr's crew but it's also proof that the Maize and Blue is anything but a clear and authoritative number 2 on the eve of the release of the first BCS standings."

What a complete idiot! It's clear he didn't watch the game and is just commenting based on the score. He makes the point that OSU lost to Penn State last year by the same score. You would think that this would mean that Happy Valley is a very difficult place to win at night and on the road. It's true that Penn State's offense is not very good but their QB has made significant strides in the last few weeks. Penn State had 142 yards rushing against OSU in Columbus.

So we only won by avoiding debilitating mistakes, huh? What a joke! We won because our defense completely shut down Penn State and knocked out two of their quarterbacks. Heck, Musberger, Herbstreit and Davies were making the case that we had the best defense in the country and they were putting us at no. 2 if not no. 1.

What about winning without our top receiver? Is there any love? I'd like to see OSU go to Happy Valley right now and pull off a win. Good luck!

OSU, Michigan common opponent stats

2006-10-15T14:43:00.000-04:00

Against Penn State -

OSU allowed 142 yards rushing
Michigan allowed NONE - in fact, they took away 14 from Penn State

OSU had 2 sacks against Penn State
Michigan had 7 sacks against Penn State

OSU gave up 248 total yards to Penn State
Michigan gave up 186 total yards to Penn State

On offense OSU had time of possession of 25:10
Michigan had time of possession of 33:26

OSU threw two interceptions against Penn State
Michigan threw zero

Challenge to WSYX

2006-10-15T13:22:00.000-04:00

For those of you not living in the Central Ohio area, consider yourself lucky. The local media are the biggest fn homers around. The biggest offender is Clay Hall and his chums at ABC affiliate WSYX. In the past, they would replay the OSU-UM game when OSU wins. This year, I dare them to replay the game after UM stomps OSU. I double dog dare them.

Ohio State would have lost to Penn State last night

2006-10-15T10:36:00.000-04:00

Ohio State was lucky to face Penn State early in the season and in Columbus. If they would have played them in Happy Valley it would have been a repeat of last year. Morelli looked much more comfortable with a few more games under his belt and with the added bonus of playing in front of a frenzied home crowd. Surely, the win over Minnesota accounted for some of his newfound confidence. Add that Penn State's defense played even tougher then they did in Columbus and that equals a long night for OSU.

Ohio State should be very worried. Michigan won in a very hostile environment. I doubt Columbus can get that loud. Troy Smith will be having nightmares of Alan Branch coming at him. It could be painful. And it sure doesn't look like Smith will be able to run wild against Michigan ever again.

How about the emergence of Arrington? The injury to Manningham could spell triple trouble to OSU with Arrington, Breaston and Manningham back - it may be the best receiving corps in the country.

Do Smith's Heisman hopes end with a loss in Columbus in November?

According to the Michigan front seven - Hell, yes!

For Michigan State to win, must expose OSU weakness

2006-10-12T11:39:00.000-04:00

Having lost three in a row, it would seem that Michigan State has no chance against Ohio State on Saturday. But just hold the phone one second there. Penn State was able to run up the middle all day against Ohio State without any problems. Can Michigan State do the same? If there 260 pound back can start running with attitude, it could be a long day for Ohio State in East Lansing. Michigan State also has a lot to remember given last year's debacle at OSU. In a position to beat OSU, they botched a field goal attempt and pretty much mentally folded at that point. Can Sparty show signs of life? We'll soon know.

Ugggghh! Manningham is out

2006-10-11T12:00:00.000-04:00

Super Mario is out for at least the Penn State game, having had arthroscopic knee surgury on Tuesday. Let's hope he gets back in time for the Iowa game. Arrington will do well, and hopefully Breaston will step up to be more of a downfield threat. I'm pretty confident, however, that Michigan will still beat Penn State by at least 10 points.

Go Blue

Tags: michigan, mario manningham, wolverines, go blue, penn state, arthroscopic knee surgury, injury

Iowa game time set

2006-10-09T12:31:00.000-04:00

Game time for the Michigan vs. Iowa game on October 21st has been set for 3:30pm. The game will be televised by ABC.

Go Blue!

Al, let's try to limit ads to one per post.

Thanks

MSU

2006-10-08T21:48:00.000-04:00

The UM-MSU game was never really in doubt. Michigan played with balance and dominated the line of scrimmage. However, the two second half touchdowns by MSU was a bit disconcerting. But give MSU credit for not completely laying down. It will be interesting to see how they play against OSU.

Ohio State has a bye week and how will Michigan State Play

2006-10-05T17:08:00.000-04:00

Looks like OSU has a bye week against Bowling Green. Life must be difficult for Buckeyes. Well another week where they can feel like they are on top of the world. It will all come crashing down soon enough.

What will Michigan State do this weekend? They are a wildcard team. I bet they get up for the game. Is Stanton back? How about their running back they lost against Illinois?

Michigan's Mario Manningham repeats as Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week

2006-09-26T12:51:00.000-04:00

For the second week in a row, the Big Ten Conference announced that University of Michigan sophomore wide receiver Mario Manningham has been named the league's Offensive Player of the Week for football. Manningham received the award for his performance in the Sept. 23 win over Wisconsin.

Tags: michigan, go blue, big ten, mario manningham

Do the Pose Desmond

2006-09-25T09:47:00.000-04:00

ESPN College Gameday was in Columbus this weekend for the OSU-Penn State game. I so wanted Desmond Howard to strike the Heisman pose to antagonize the OSU fans booing him whenever they showed a close up of him.

Tags: Desmond Howard, ESPN, Gameday, Heisman, pose, Michigan, OSU, Penn State, Go Blue

Michigan State: embarrassment to Big Ten

2006-09-24T17:53:00.000-04:00

Don't believe the media - Brady Quinn did nothing noteworthy to save Notre Dame's pathetic football program nor to salvage his Heisman hopes. Michigan State and John L. Smith self-destructed in the final quarter to gift wrap this victory for the Irish. What MSU did was a complete embarrassment to the Big Ten. How do you come out and play another game after completely falling apart against Notre Dame? That whole team needs psychological counseling. The Spartans have zero mental toughness. Or perhaps, it was just John L. Smith's play calling at the end of the game that did them in. MSU can just pack it in for the rest of the year. Maybe they should just do themselves and the Big Ten a favor and end their football program altogether.

Now idiots like Lee Corso and Lou Holtz are claiming that Brady Quinn is back in the Heisman race and Notre Dame will run the table up to the USC game. Holtz went so far to say that Notre Dame would beat USC. ND will be lucky to beat Purdue next week at home. If anyone watched that game and thought that Notre Dame was a good football team, they must be fan-goggling. If I were a Notre Dame player, I would be ashamed to be celebrating that "victory." ND players did nothing to earn it. The sad thing is - they don't realize that.

For Entertainment Purposes - The Line, 9/22/06

2006-09-22T15:30:00.000-04:00

Here's the Line and Over/Under for this weekend's Big Ten match ups:

FAVORITE LINE O/U UNDERDOG

at Ohio State 16 1/2 46 Penn State

at Michigan 13 1/2 42 Wisconsin

Notre Dame 3 60 at Michigan State

Iowa 21 48 at Illinois

Minnesota 3 63 1/2 at Purdue

Go Blue!

Tags: line, over/under, entertainment purposes, favorite, underdog, big ten

Michigan State fans engaged in full blown bacchanal last time ND came to East Lansing

2006-09-22T09:27:00.000-04:00

The 2004 night game between Michigan State and Notre Dame created the opportunity for a full day of tailgating before the game. The drunken revelry resulted in 85 arrested and an alleged sexual assault.

Wonder how the fans will handle the night game and day of tailgating this year?

Notre Dame will bounce back

2006-09-21T16:24:00.000-04:00

No, Notre Dame will win, and from here on out, I'm a big ND fan. The more they win, the more impressive UM's pounding of them will be. Plus, gotta root for fellow Dubliner Brady Quinn.

ND 24 - MSU 13

Will Notre Dame get torched again?

2006-09-21T16:05:00.000-04:00

Any predictions?

MSU 35 - ND 28

Stanton had 198 yards passing and 105 yards rushing last week. That double threat may be too much for Notre Dame defense. Wonder how Michigan will hold up against Stanton's running ability - could be a good gauge for the Troy Smith matchup later.

A little YouTube Treat

2006-09-21T15:42:00.000-04:00

Go Blue!

Michigan lands Lamphere High School senior wide receiver James Rogers

2006-09-21T11:52:00.000-04:00

C & G reports that Lamphere H.S. senior wide receiver James Rogers has verbally committed to the University of Michigan.

The Lamphere co-captain entered the [Michigan football] camp along with some 2,000 of the finest talents in America, including the Wolverines’ No. 1 recruit, quarterback Ryan Mallett, out of Texas.

With pass after pass, it was Mallett to Rogers, who outworked other receivers and burned many a defensive back with the help of his 4.3 second, 40-yard dash speed.

Sounds like there are more exciting times to come in A Squared.

Tags: michigan, recruiting, wide receiver, M Go Blue

Tressel has U of M's Number

2006-09-21T11:39:00.000-04:00

The pendulum swung to the U of M during the 1990s, wherein Mr. Cooper was Michigan's whipping boy, and it swings back now.

Tressel has your number, and howling about it won't help.

For the record

2006-09-21T10:26:00.000-04:00

Fellow blogger Eric E. Willison, OSU scum that he is, fondly recalls the day that I called for Lloyd Carr's head. Problem is, this never happened. It's just a figment of his demented imagination. So if you ever read in this blog a reference by Mr. Willison that I wanted to see Coach Carr fired, don't believe him.

Go Blue.

Tags: michigan, ohio state, go blue

Michigan scares OSU fans after Notre Dame Beating

2006-09-18T13:16:00.000-04:00

Thinking they owned the college football world, Ohio State fans have another thing comin' after Michigan beat up Notre Dame at Notre Dame on Saturday. While Notre Dame is always overrated, beating them at their house is always quite an accomplishment. Of course, Michigan State will put another a-sbeating on Notre Dame this Saturday and thus make Michigan's victory seem less impressive. But for now, Ohio State fans, players and coaches have to be sweating and re-evaluating their conference title hopes which, heretofore, had to have been a foregone conclusion, at least, in their minds.

Also of note, Ohio State does not possess the number 1 defense against the rush. Currently, Michigan does, giving up just 21 yards a game. That has to be a blow to their collective psyche.

OSU's remaining football schedule:

Sat, Sep 23rd, 2006 Penn State 12:10
Sat, Sep 30th, 2006 at Iowa 8:00
Sat, Oct 7th, 2006 Bowling Green 12:10
Sat, Oct 14th, 2006 at Michigan State 12:00
Sat, Oct 21st, 2006 Indiana 12:10
Sat, Oct 28th, 2006 Minnesota 3:30
Sat, Nov 4th, 2006 at Illinois 12:00
Sat, Nov 11th, 2006 at Northwestern 7:00
Sat, Nov 18th, 2006 Michigan 12:10

Where does the upset lie?

Michigan's remaining schedule:

Sat., Sep. 23 Wisconsin Ann Arbor Noon ESPN
Sat., Sep. 30 Minnesota
Minneapolis, Minn. 7:00 p.m. CDT TBA
Sat., Oct. 7 Michigan State Ann Arbor 4:30 p.m. ESPN
Sat., Oct. 14 Penn State
State College, Pa. 8:00 p.m. ABC
Sat., Oct. 21 Iowa Ann Arbor TBA
Sat., Oct. 28 Northwestern Ann Arbor Noon TBA
Sat., Nov. 4 Ball State Ann Arbor TBA
Sat., Nov. 11 Indiana
Bloomington, Ind. TBA
Sat., Nov. 18 Ohio State
Columbus, Ohio 3:30 p.m. ABC

Both teams could go undefeated until the big game.