In these parts, there's rarely a bad time for some Ohio
State-Michigan rivalry talk.
The Big Ten Media Days event last week served as a very good time.
The last game of the year is the first one fans of both sides like to talk
about. This year brings a new angle as it's guaranteed to be Ohio State's final
game of the season with the Buckeyes serving a one-year bowl ban.
There's a chance Michigan will be playing for a spot in the Big Ten title game.
Despite going 11-2 last year, beating Ohio State for the first time since 2004
and winning the Sugar Bowl, Michigan coach Brady Hoke said at Big Ten Media
days that 2011 was a disappointment because the Wolverines didn't win the Big
Ten title.
Whether or not Michigan's quest to get to Indianapolis this year requires
winning on Thanksgiving Weekend remains to be seen. One certainty is that for
an Ohio State senior class that's been through a lot, the Michigan game will
provide a chance to go out on a positive note.
Just like every other Michigan game.
"I don't know how it could get much bigger," Ohio State senior
defensive lineman John Simon said. "It's already the biggest game in
college football."
New Ohio State coach Urban Meyer knows the importance of the rivalry in any
year, and he admitted that this year's circumstances might give it a little
more sizzle.
"Though I'm not sure it can get bigger," Meyer said.
The coach said he's aware that the bowl ban could wear on his team mentally as
the season unfolds, and he's coached enough teams to know that each team
responds differently to different circumstances. He's hopeful that the
circumstance of Michigan coming into Ohio Stadium will be enough.
"If we have to do some sort of special wristband or special T-shirt to get
the guys motivated, that's probably not a good thing," Meyer said.
"If we have to come up with some sort of gimmick to get our guys excited
for that game, it probably means we're not very good.
"I don't know how we're going to attack it. We're going to talk about it.
But if you have a good team, you really don't do anything special. Guys know
what those games are."
The start of every Michigan team meeting since Hoke took over in January 2011
has included a group call of "Beat Ohio." Hoke and Meyer are visible
superstars, the leading men in two of the nation's top programs. They've
already battled on the recruiting trail, and fans on both sides are looking
forward to their on-field battles.
"It's not about the coaches," Hoke said. "It's about the
players. There are great players on both sides. These are two great
universities."
Both at least partially define their football seasons by that one Really Big
Game. Ohio State's long wait for 2013 will either start on a very high note or
a very low one.
"(Michigan) has a lot of really good players coming back," Ohio State
fullback Zach Boren said. "They should have a really good year. We think
we're going to have a really good year, too. That game at the end of the year
could be really, really big. It usually is."
