Football
The-Ozone Note and Quotebook
By John PorentasBand of Road Warriors: The Buckeyes will be the visitors on Saturday when they take on the Wolverines, but OSU senior defensive tackle Marcus Green says that being on the road is really no big deal.
"The field is 100 yards, ours is 100 yards. They have two goal posts, we have to goal posts. It's football,' said Green getting right to the point.
The field may be the same, but the Buckeyes are not discounting the impact a home crowd can have.
Photo by Jim Davidson"You go in and it's like you versus the world," said OSU senior defensive end Mike Kudla.
"There's so little Ohio State fans that they actually fit in there and 112,000 Michigan fans packed in there. It's just one of those deals where they get a little momentum and that stadium really gets going and they thrive off it just like we do the 'Shoe."
Because Ann Arbor is so close to Columbus, the Buckeyes will bus to the game. According to senior linebacker Bobby Carpenter, even the bus ride up to Ann Arbor can be hostile.
"It's something. You drive up there and you get off the bus. Their fans, you have people yelling at you," Carpenter said.
Once game day arrives, it is clear whose home field it is. That gets Carpenter pumped it.
"It's a great feeling walking into a place with 110,00 where every one of those people except the 2000 fans you have there, they all probably wish you would die. That's just how it is," said Carpenter.
"That's how it is when they come here. You're just blessed to be part of a huge rivalry like this."
Carpenter says the Buckeyes band together when the the odds are not in their favor.
"We only travel 64 guys up there, and every one of those guys is going up there for the same reason, and that's to win.
"Every one of them has to do everything they can, whether they're in the game or not, because we're all we have up there. There's 110 of them and 64 of us," Carpenter said.
Pants: The tradition of gold pants for winning the Michigan game continues at Ohio State. The current crop of seniors has already put together a nice collection of glittering trousers.
Photo by Jim Davidson"I've got three," said senior defensive lineman Marcus Green.
"My mom has one and I think my dad has two. I give them to them. It's a real big to them.
"My did is probably more proud of them than I am. He shows everybody," said Green.
Green is hopeful there is still one more pair of gold pants in his future.
"I might have to keep these," Green said.
Green has a nice collection. Kicker Josh Huston also has an impressive collection of gold pants.
"I have three pair and have a chance to get a fourth one. That's pretty cool," said Huston.
"I gave my first pair to my mom, second pair to my dad, third pair I still have. I don't know what I would do with a fourth one."
Smash Mouth Game: Nobody knows what the outcome of the game will be, but senior OSU linebacker Anthony Schlegel has some idea as to what kind of game it will be and what will determine the outcome.
Photo by Jim Davidson"The thing about this game is being more physical and wanting it more," said Schlegel.
"Watching the game in 2003 and then watching it last year, that's what it comes down to, who wants it more and who's going to be more physical," Schlegel said.
Schlegel said that tough games like the one he anticipates with the Wolverines are what gets his motor running.
" You always look forward to playing smash-mouth football when you're a linebacker," Schlegel said.
"That's always fun. Physical type games like this one are why I truly enjoy college football."
Senior offensive tackle Rob Sims agreed, and says the hitting will be consistent until the final seconds tick off the clock on both sides of the ball.
Photo by Jim Davidson"They don't take any off, we don't take any off," said Sims.
"It's constant just playing as hard as you can.
" I'm just looking forward to it, because it's probably one of the most fun games you can play in just because it's the best rivalry in college football. We all know that, we're not ashamed to say that, not shy about saying that. We know this is THE game about college football.
"We're excited about the opportunity to play in a game like this and they want it as bad as we want it," Sims said.
I think a lot rides on this game (on whether this is a great season) because of the rivalry and tradition," added Schlegel.
"Last year we didn't really have a great season but we beat Michigan. They know that, we know that, and both teams are peaking right now. It's going to be a great battle and one that you play college football to be a part of this. That's what makes this so special."
Speakers: Both teams will pull out all the stops on the field on Saturday, but that will not be the beginning of the special effort this week. The OSU coaching staff usually has at least one or two special speakers in before the Michigan game. One of those is usually former Head Coach Earle Bruce.
Photo by Jim Davidson"I think the greatest thing we have going is having "The Bruce" coming in and talking to us. I love it," said senior offensive lineman Nick Mangold.
"He comes in every Sunday after we have our meetings and stuff and it's great to hear him talk and how much he loves Ohio State, how much he cares about this game. I wish we could have it every day just to feel that fire," Mangold said.
According to Mangold, Bruce did not disappoint anyone this year when it comes to that fire and brimstone stuff.
"He was wild," said Mangold.
"If you were standing out here (in the WHAC) you could still hear him back there in the meeting room he gets do fired up and excited. You can't help but get excited when you hear him going crazy," Mangold said.
"It shows how much he loves the game. No matter what time of year it is, he'll always be talking about the Michigan vs. Ohio State game. When he finally gets the opportunity to talk to us before the game he just has so much emotion that you really understand how much it means to him and how much it means to everyone around them," Mangold concluded.
Bruce is not the only speaker to address the Buckeyes Michigan week.
"I remember last year Jack Tatum came back and was talking," said Anthony Schlegel.
Photo by Jim Davidson"Honestly, it just shows how former players and coaches feel about this game and the significance of this game. That's what you come to Ohio State for, to play in this game and to be a part of it. Especially for the young guys who haven't been there, haven't been on the field, because they've got to know because it's one of those things that you don't fully understand until you start hitting people. Then you realize what the game is all about."
"We don't have people come in every day," added linebacker A. J. Hawk.
"We knew Coach Bruce was coming in, he's come in every year since I've been here before Michigan and talk to us.
"He comes in a lot during camp, we had Spielman talk to us during camp.
"They don't bring a bunch of guys in, just the guys that really mean something to Coach Tressel and this team that can help this team out."
Prognostobabblenation: In his weekly column today the-Ozone columnist Tony Gerdeman picked the Wolverines over the Buckeyes this weekend. As you might expect, Gerdeman was flayed on the-Ozone message board for his prediction. We've also gotten a few emails from people who are less-than happy with him. We gave him the chance to explain his pick. Here's what he had to say.
"I think it is obvious to everybody that Ohio State is the more talented team. You would have to be from Michigan to not see it," Gerd said in an email to the-Ozone editor.
"But, in the course of human events, it becomes necessary for one person to look past telling weaknesses and strengths of this team and that team, and make a pick that makes absolutely no sense. And that's what I did. And I hated doing it, and I hope to never have to do it again."
Uh-huh. Thanks for clearing that up Gerd.
Nature or Nurture?: Sports fans who grow up in the states of Ohio and Michigan just naturally seem to understand that importance of The Game. It's importance is driven hope to them at an early age, so early that the connection seem almost in the DNA.
"My first memory of this game is sitting around at home and my dad and my uncles sitting around the TV and it's the Ohio State vs. Michigan game," said defensive end Mike Kudla.
"It started then and just being from Ohio, it's just the way you grow up. I was no different. The Ohio State vs. Michigan game is the biggest game of the year. I know it meant a lot to them then and it means more to them now. I just kind of fell into that mode as a young kid and it kind of grew with me," Kudla said.
For players who have come to Ohio State from out of state, however, there is a different course of events.They come to the same conclusion, but there is definite learning curve involved for the newcomers.
Photo by Jim Davidson"Me being from Florida I was always a big Florida State vs. Miami guy, that was my big rivalry that I paid attention to," said senior safety Nate Salley.
"When I got up here when we played them my freshman year with the national championship on the line and the Big Ten championship on the line and all that, I believe that's when it hit me.
"The fans rushed the field and it was 14-9, such a close, hard-fought game and seeing how crazy everyone was that whole week, I think that opened my eyes to see how serious it was.
"Then to go the next year and have the same opportunity, then lose, that just made me realize how serious it can be," Salley said.
Photo by Jim DavidsonThe out-of-staters quickly learn the importance of the game, and to appreciate it.
"This is what you live and die for," said Florida native Santonio Holmes who has fully learned to appreciate the rivalry.
"You want to play against teams like this, you want to be in the biggest rivalry, you want to be in the spotlight, and you don't want to be on the losing end of that game."
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