THE GREATEST RIVALRY IN ALL OF SPORTS
ON SATURDAY NOVEMBER 17TH, 2007 THE OHIO STATE BUCKEYES AND THE MICHIGAN WOLVERINES MET FOR THE 104TH TIME IN ANN ARBOR AT MICHIGAN STADIUM. THIS WOULD BE MY FIRST TIME EVER AT THE ACTUAL GAME. BESIDES GOLF, IT WAS ALSO THE ONLY OTHER THING THAT I COULD POSSIBLY GET EXCITED ABOUT AFTER GETTING UP AT 5:30 IN THE MORNING. WE LOADED UP THE FAMILY TRUCKSTER(JAZTECH) AND HEADED NORTH TO WITNESS BY FAR THE GREATEST RIVALRY IN ALL OF SPORTS. I CAN'T BEGIN TO EVEN DESCRIBE AN ATMOSPHERE LIKE THIS. ALTHOUGH THE MAJORITY ARE WOLVERINE FANS OF COURSE, THERE WAS PLENTY OF BUCKEYE SUPPORT. AS MUCH AS I HATE TO SHOW RESPECT FOR IT, MICHIGAN REALLY DOES HAVE RESPECTFUL FANS. I DID GET HECKLED A FEW TIMES DURING THE TAILGATE AND A LITTLE DURING THE GAME, BUT IT WAS ALL IN GOOD FUN AND IN NO WAY MEANS TO UPSET ME. I REALIZE GOING SOUTH ON 23 IS A LITTLE DIFFERENT SCENARIO. WE DONT ALWAYS SHOW THE SAME RESPECT BACK, BUT THAT IS PART OF THE RIVALRY I GUESS. ABBEY AND ME HAD GREAT SEATS DUE TO A GOOD BUDDY WHO CUT US A GOOD DEAL ON THEM. LORD KNOWS HE COULD HAVE RECEIVED MORE MONEY FROM SOMEONE ELSE, BUT HE KNOWS HOW BIG OF A FAN I AM AND WANTED ME TO EXPERIENCE IT FIRST. THERE WERE PLENTY OF BUCKEYE FANS 30 ROWS BELOW US AND 50 ROWS ABOVE US, BUT WE WERE SURROUNDED BY ALL MAIZE AND BLUE. I WAS STAYING PRETTY CALM UNTIL THE 2 TEAMS MET AT MIDFIELD LIKE THEY USUALLY DO TO START THE JAWING CONTEST. CHILLS LITERALLY WENT THROUGH ME SO I CANT IMAGINE HOW THE PLAYERS FEEL ON THE FIELD. I HAVE ALREADY HEARD COMMENTS FROM PEOPLE ON HOW BORING OF A GAME IT WAS. FOR THOSE WHO SAY THAT, DONT KNOW MUCH ABOUT WHAT GOOD HARD NOSED FOOTBALL IS ALL ABOUT. THIS WAS BIG TEN BALL AT ITS FINEST FOR THE BIG TEN CHAMPIONSHIP. BOTH TEAMS CAME IN UNDER COMPLETELY DIFFERENT DIRECTIONS FROM THAT OF WHICH WAS PREDICTED OF THEM BEFORE THE SEASON BEGAN. MOST THOUGHT THE RETURN OF MICHIGAN'S OFFENSIVE POWER PLAYERS WOULD OFFSET THE FACT THAT THEY HAD A VERY YOUNG AND INEXPERIENCED DEFENSE. IN WHAT SHOCKED MOST, MICHIGAN LOST THEIR FIRST TWO HOME GAMES TO APPALACHIAN STATE AND OREGON. THEY HUNG TOUGH HOWEVER AND RIPPED OFF 8 STRAIGHT WINS BEFORE THE LOSS TO WISCONSIN. OHIO STATE WAS PREDICTED BY SOME TO FINISH ANYWHERE FROM 3RD TO 5TH IN THE BIG TEN, BUT A STRONG RUNNING GAME, AND A STIFF DEFENSE LED THE WAY TO A 10-0 START BEFORE BEING UPSET BY ILLINOIS. BOTH TEAMS CAME INTO THIS GAME WITH A LOSS FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE 1959. ONCE AGAIN THOUGH THEY FOUND THEMSELVES AT THE TOP BATTLING FOR THE BIG TEN TITLE. IT IS A RARE OCCURENCE WHEN THE TITLE RUNS THROUGH ANYWHERE BUT COLUMBUS OR ANN ARBOR. THIS GAME WOULD BE A BATTLE EARLY, BUT THE BUCKEYE PHYSICAL RUNNING GAME AND SUPERIOR DEFENSE WOULD PROVE TO BE THE DIFFERENCE AS THEY WON 14-3 IN FRONT OF 111,941 FANS. THEY ALWAYS SAY THAT WHOEVER WINS THE LINE OF SCRIMMAGE WOULD WIN THIS GAME, AND THE BUCKEYES DID JUST THAT. THEY WON IT IN THE TRENCHES. COACH TRESSEL SAW THAT IT WAS NOT GOING TO BE TODD BOECKMAN'S DAY SO HE CHALLENGED BEANIE WELLS TO CARRY THE LOAD AND TAKE THIS TEAM ON HIS BACK. HE RAN IT 39 TIMES FOR 222 YARDS WHICH IS A BUCKEYE RECORD IN THIS HISTORIC RIVALRY. THE OFFENSIVE LINE WAS PHENOMENAL. THE DEFENSE WAS TERRIFIC AFTER A DISAPPOINTING PERFORMANCE LAST WEEK. MIKE HART GOT OFF TO A FAST START BUT THE DEFENSE SETTLED IN AND HELD HIM TO 44 YARDS ON 18 CARRIES. CHAD HENNE HAD HIS WORST GAME AGAINST THE BUCKEYES AS HE ONLY COMPLETED 11 OF 34 PASSES FOR 68 YARDS. HE HAD PRESSURE IN HIS FACE ALL DAY AS VERNON GHOLSTIN WAS ABLE TO SACK HIM 3 TIMES. THEY JUST COULDNT GET ANYTHING GOING AGAINST THIS BUCKEYE DEFENSE. IT WAS A HARD HITTING AND HARD NOSED GAME. THESE ARE THE GAMES I LOVE TO WATCH. COACHING AND STRATEGY COME MORE INTO PLAY HERE. I DONT WANNA SEE EACH TEAM SCORE 50 POINTS. I WANT TO SEE A BATTLE WHERE DEFENSES WONT GIVE AN INCH AND OFFENSES HAVE TO STRUGGLE TO PUT POINTS ON THE BOARD. WE SAW A BIG TEN BATTLE AT ITS FINEST. THE BUCKEYES WON THEIR 4TH IN A ROW OVER THE WOLVERINES. BUCKEYE FANS HAVE TO CHERISH THIS BECAUSE THIS DOESNT HAPPEN OFTEN. JIM TRESSEL IMPROVED HIS RECORD TO 6-1 AGAINST MICHIGAN AND HE IS THE FIRST HEAD COACH FOR OHIO STATE TO WIN 6 OUT OF ITS FIRST 7 AGAINST THE TEAM FROM THE NORTH. THE DAY ALSO ENDED ON A GOOD NOTE BY THE PICTURE YOU SEE ABOVE. YOU MAY KNOW THAT GUY AS JOE " THE ANIMAL" LAURINAITIS. HE WAS A FORMER PRO WRESTLER KNOWN AS ONE HALF OF THE ROAD WARRIORS AND THE LEGION OF DOOM. ABBEY SPOTTED HIM BEFORE THE GAME. HE WAS IN OUR SECTION BUT QUITE A FEW ROWS LOWER THAN US. AS HE WALKED BACK UP THE STEPS AFTER THE GAME I DECIDED TO ASK HIM IF I COULD GET A PICTURE TAKEN WITH HIM. WE TALKED FOR ABOUT 2-3 HOURS ABOUT LIFE ON THE ROAD AND HIS SON AND ALL THAT GOOD STUFF. WE EXCHANGED BUSINESS CARDS AND WE ARE HAVING HIM UP FOR DINNER NEXT WEEKEND. I GAVE HIM A FEW WEIGHT LIFTING TIPS AND PASSED ON SOME ADVICE TO GIVE TO HIS SON ABOUT BECOMING A BETTER LINEBACKER. OK I LIED, IT WAS MUCH BRIEFER THAN THAT. HE WAS NICE ENOUGH TO STOP AND LET US TAKE THE PICTURE. I SURE DID APPRECIATE IT. WE HAD A GREAT TIME ON SATURDAY AND ARE CONSIDERING A POSSIBLE TRIP NEXT YEAR TO THE SHOE. THE BUCKEYES ARE BIG TEN CHAMPS AGAIN AND AS OF RIGHT NOW APPEAR TO BE HEADING THE ROSE BOWL. IT WAS A GREAT YEAR AND ALL WE CAN DO IS WAIT AND SEE HOW THE REST OF THE SEASON PLAYS OUT!
BELOW ARE A FEW MORE PICTURES FROM THE TRIP, AND IF YOU WANT TO SEE EVEN MORE CHECK OUT ABBEY'S BLOG, http://www.theraikes.blogspot.com/
GO BUCKS!
posted by jason at 8:39 PM
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