26 hours and Counting...(Friday, November 16th, 2007)

THE GAME: Michigan vs. OSU
Point Spread: Doesn't Matter
Team Records: Doesn't matter (OK - Matters a little)
Team Statistics: Doesn't Matter
Location: Doesn't Matter
History: Well, that matters a little bit....If you have been paying attention.......

We are a mere 26 hours away from The Game. I wrote of memories of games in the past during last year's epic event...but it's interesting to see which games bubble up in memory the most every year, given where Michigan and the Suckeyes are ranked, what the expectations are, and what the press is saying...If you haven't been following, Michigan Sucks and OSU should win by 4-7 points, based on the spread...Hmmmmm...Memories of being the Underdog....

Dateline 1993 - John Cooper, "Super Cooper" had come to OSU from the then hot PAC 10 where every coach was the greatest coach ever and the PAC 10 was turning into the latest version of the Super Conference. Cooper had OSU playing and looking like an aerial assualt, having lost none with one tie against the Cheeseheads... I believe that "Big Daddy" Dan Wilkinson (Thank you for the Correction Trooper! - a lot of this is from memory...) was on that version of the OSU team... Michigan was a Big Underdog at home that year and we were not playing our usual style of football. OK - let me restate the last - We SUCKED...We had lost to Sparty, Illinois, the Cheeseheads, and the Domers (Jeez, I hate these guys....) and we were a Double Digit Dog in the Big House...Everyone was questioning Gary Moeller and whether or not he could get the team to compete at the level of the "new" OSU...I remember going to the game thinking I was going to witness another loss and suffer through an off season of losing the Game...

But, deep in the recesses of your mind, you remember that this is Michigan vs. OSU. Everyone talked about how records didn't matter in other games, but for this one, it really is true...And this is EXACTLY how you can recapture a season and make it truly successful - BEAT THE BUCKEYES!

And then it started to unfold...a quick turnover by the Suckeyes deep in the Northern End Zone...The crowd goes nuts as Michigan hangs a quick 7 on the Suckeyes with a circus catch by Mercury Hayes.... There is still some apprehension, like we might have been witnessing a mirage. I think everyone thought that the Suckeyes would get it back...But they didn't - and they hardly moved the ball against a stingy Meeechigan Defense. When it was all said and done, Che Foster, Ed Davis, and John Ritchie scored TD's and the 6-4 Wolverines had improved to 7-4, beating the heavily favored Suckeyes 28-0. Beating an arch rival is one thing...Blanking them, well, that's something really special. "Super Cooper" commented after the Game, "This is one of the most embarrassing games I've ever been involved with. They out played us on offense, on defense, and in the kicking game. If you'd told me we would come up here and get beat 28-0, I'd have probably stayed home."

Super Cooper - Welcome to the GAME....

1995 - Again in the House - Heismann Trophy Winner Eddie George, Receiver Terry Glenn and the Suckeyes come in ranked #2 and undefeated...and Glenn commented that "Michigan's nothing", and they weren't much... At 8-3, the Amaizing Blue had lost to Northwestern, Sparty, and JoePa...But, it's the Game and who should show up but "Touchdown Tim" Tshimanga Biakabutuka and rush for 313 yds against what was supposed to be an impenetrable Suckeye Defense...

Eddie and Terry - Welcome to the GAME.....

1996 - The Shoe....Super Cooper manages to always get the Suckeyes to the Game undefeated and usually ranked number 2...But another wounded Wolverine was cominig in at 8-3 to deny them the opportunity to finish undefeated. Scott Dreisbach went down and Brian Greise emerged as the QB of the future when he and Tai Streets hooked up for a 2nd half score and once again crushed the Buckeyes hopes of an undefeated season...

So, to the Fans out there thinking Michigan doesn't have a chance this year with a beat up Hart and Henne, 3 losses on the record, a coach that may or may not be with us next year, I have this to say:

I think we have the Suckeyes right where we want them......

"What the Mind can Conceive and Believe, The Mind can Achieve...
And Those Who Stay Will Be Champions!"
-Bo Schembechler, University of Michigan Locker Room

Is it Saturday yet?????????


MMQ