Game Eleven: Ohio state 25, Michigan 21 (final)

[jwinslow]

here is the link you are referring to:
http://www.umgoblue.com/Forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=6069

as for the MTaylor whines, they have now admitted that the search took 10 minutes. Therefore the very first sentence in the MT article is a lie.

[JXC]

I am so pumped up for this game. Let's beat the [censored] out of that team up north. Tressel and the boys are going to go in there, take care of business...and walk out with any pride that the weasels have left. I can't wait for it baby! The hard hitting...the 11 Ohio State defenders around EVERY tackle. The fact that EVERY yard means something...and that every Buckeye fan in the country will be holding their breath on every play. It's Ohio State vs. Michigan. The best rivalry in all of sports. This game will define each team's season. Screw the Big 10 championship...screw a BCS bowl. THIS IS THE BOWL GAME. THIS IS THE CHAMPIONSHIP GAME. THIS IS THE SEASON! The rest of the games were just practice...the season starts Saturday...and I feel pretty damn good about the team we are going to send up there. No doubt in my mind that Tressel will make us damn proud to be Buckeyes come late Saturday afternoon. GO BUCKS...kick some Michigan ass.

3 Days until

[LightningRod]

OSU - scUM always matters. So which team has the most to lose? Which team will be feeling the most pressure? Which team will go more conservative as a result? Wojo drops a hint.

Wednesday, November 16, 2005

Michigan-OSU always matters

By Bob Wojnowski / The Detroit News

ANN ARBOR -- Listen to the quiver in the coaches' voices. Listen to the nervousness in the players, who know they can't say what they really feel, not this week. Listen to the fans, who generate much of the noise.

This is why, amid college football's evolving landscape, with BCS controversies, conference title games and shifting bowl alliances, Michigan-Ohio State endures, relatively untouched.

This is why: Because it still means absolutely everything, even when it doesn't mean absolutely everything.

There will not be a national championship contender Saturday in Michigan Stadium. There might not even be a Big Ten champion crowned. That could happen in East Lansing, where Penn State will try to complete its amazing revival and cap Michigan State's stunning collapse.

Yet Michigan-Ohio State remains the best, most bankable rivalry in college football because it rarely changes. The sky turns gray, the holidays approach and whatever happened all season suddenly doesn't matter.

For everything the Wolverines (7-3) accomplished the past month, winning big road games, shaking that 3-3 start, resuscitating what appeared dead -- all would be wiped out with a loss to the Buckeyes (8-2). I hate to be so harsh, but the truth is, even those most affected agree.

I asked Lloyd Carr if one game, this game, could make or break a season. Any other week, the response would be classic coach-speak. This week? Carr paused about a half-second.

"Yeah, I think for both teams," he said. "I think this season would be a major disappointment with a loss. I can't think of anything less, because there is a lot at stake and that's what this game is."

Always has been. And this season, the split isn't quite equal -- there's more at stake for U-M.

Go back a year, to the Wolverines' visit to Columbus. U-M was 9-1; OSU was 6-4 after a 3-3 start. OSU coach Jim Tressel was getting hammered, his offense was a mess, his quarterback was a mystery. And then Troy Smith shredded U-M's defense, and the Buckeyes won, 37-21.

Now here the Wolverines sit, their turn to salvage. At stake? Still almost everything. They still could land the Big Ten's BCS bowl bid, with a victory and a Penn State loss. A victory at least would ensure U-M a New Year's Day bowl (actually, Jan. 2) for a 10th consecutive season.

Of all the storylines that never change, the coaching drama remains the most compelling. A rivalry that spiked in 1969 with the arrival of Bo Schembechler, who went 5-4-1 against Woody Hayes, doesn't stray far from the coaches, and the attendant pressure.

Carr and Tressel don't have the personalities of Bo and Woody but they have comparable records, and each has a national title. And despite their resounding success, each is still judged against the accomplishments of the other.

Right now, Carr's 1-3 record versus Tressel is merely notable. If it turns to 2-3, it's a non-issue. If it turns to 1-4, it becomes a trend. (Note to antsy U-M fans: Calm down, Carr is 6-4 overall against the Buckeyes).

U-M and OSU coaches are scrutinized every game, but completely dissected on only one. As proof, I merely offer facts. John Cooper won plenty in 13 seasons with the Buckeyes, but his 2-10-1 record against U-M was unfathomable, and impossible for OSU to ignore.

Carr, meanwhile, saved a few seasons by beating the rivalry-hapless Cooper.

How do you think Carr's career might have veered if he hadn't beaten OSU his first three tries? In 1995, U-M was 8-3 heading into the finale and won, 31-23. In 1996, U-M was 7-3 and a huge underdog against the 10-0 Buckeyes, and won, 13-9.

In 1997, the Wolverines marched toward their national title with a 20-14 victory.

You could argue Carr weathered rough times early as coach primarily because he started 5-1 against OSU.

That's why the annual debate about U-M's biggest rival always is pointless, and why Carr, in a rare moment of reflection the other day, admitted about the Buckeyes, "I don't think you ever stop thinking about them."

The MSU game is big, but it's early. Notre Dame is big, but also early. OSU is the biggest because it's the last game, often the decisive game in the Big Ten, always the ultimate measure of how each team has persevered, and is perceived.

"Coach Carr is pretty consistent throughout the season, but I think (this week) you can kind of tell there's something different from the look in his eyes," defensive tackle Pat Massey said.

"We're not looking to pat ourselves on the back for winning a couple of games in a row. We're thinking about Ohio State. ... Yeah, they're always in our minds."

Always in each other's minds, always in each other's sights. Carr and his staff and his players deserve loads of credit for battling back. How far they really rebounded will be determined now.

You can reach Bob Wojnowski at bob.wojnowski@detnews.com.

[LightningRod]

The scUM D is ready for Smith. Or are they? Do they really know what Tressel has in store for them with Smith? We shall see. Dumbass from the Michigan Daily can't spell Troy's last name correctly, but he will know how to spell it correctly at about 4:15 PM on 11/19/05.

Bomb's away: "D" ready for Smit

By Ian Herbert, Daily Sports Writer

November 16, 2005

Santonio Holmes: 42 receptions for 781 yards and nine touchdowns.

Ted Ginn Jr.: 34 for 547 and three.

Anthony Gonzalez: 23 for 283 and three.

Together, Ohio State’s trio of top receivers accounts for over 58 percent of the team’s total offense and more than 81 percent of the team’s passing attack. The three of them have helped transform Ohio State quarterback Troy Smith — who was once thought of more as a running back who can throw — into one of the most feared dual-threat signal callers in the Big Ten.

For Michigan, this threat presents one of the defense’s biggest challenges in Saturday’s big game.

“They’ve got some great receivers,” said Michigan free safety Willis Barringer, who is originally from Ohio. “They’ve been making plays all season. (Smith) works well in conjunction with them. He is a great running quarterback and a great throwing quarterback, so we’ve got to go out there and try to stop them.”

Identifying the receivers as an area of focus is the easy part. But stopping them is easier said than done. Ginn is one of the fastest players in all of college football and was one of the front-runners for the Heisman trophy at the beginning of the season.

Free safety is often considered the leader of the defense, and Barringer will be expected to help lead the charge against Ginn and the rest of the Buckeyes’ receivers.

But Barringer missed a large chunk of Michigan’s season this year with an injury he suffered during the team’s loss to Minnesota on Oct. 8. He had to sit on the sideline and watch as Minnesota running back Gary Russell broke off a 60-yard run to win the game in the final minute.

When Barringer was first injured, it was unclear how long it would take for the safety to get back on the field. Even though backups Jamar Adams and Brandon Harrison filled in admirably — Harrison even had an interception against both Iowa and Northwestern — Barringer wanted to get back on the field as quickly as possible.

“You always want to come back because you’re a competitor,” Barringer said. “Mike (Gittleson, Michigan’s strength and conditioning coach) helped me out a lot, and I came back as quick as I could.”

The funny thing is that Barringer’s injury might actually have helped Michigan in the long run. The experience that the young safeties have gotten gave the team more depth in the secondary, something that the Wolverines might desperately need against Ohio State’s receiving corps.

“It’s always good for younger guys to get experience,” defensive tackle Gabe Watson said after the Iowa game. “We’ll be healthy at some point. Only time will tell if it’s better for us or not better for us. Guys have really stepped up and done good jobs at their positions for us. That is all that you can ask for.”

And now might be that time when the team is fully healthy. Barringer saw some snaps against Northwestern three weeks ago, and he started against Indiana last Saturday. Junior Brandent Englemon, who also missed significant time due to injury, is back in the starting lineup, and the secondary appears to be at full strength.

“I think every guy that is humanly capable of playing will play, and you can’t worry about anybody who can’t play,” Carr said about this week’s showdown.

Just in time to take on one of the best set of wide receivers in the conference in the biggest game of the year.

[osugrad21]

Cleveland PD

OSU FOOTBALL INSIDER



Michigan spreads catches



Wednesday, November 16, 2005 Doug Lesmerises

Plain Dealer Reporter
Columbus- As Braylon Edwards was wishing his role in the Browns' offense would grow, the NFL rookie couldn't help but remember what he did in college.
"I'm used to Michigan," Edwards said Monday to The Plain Dealer. "That's all I know right now. Four years of making plays and being the guy."
The Ohio State Buckeyes aren't sorry to see the guy out of maize and blue, and they notice Edwards' absence from the Michigan offense. He had 90 receptions for 1,330 yards and 15 touchdowns last season, including 11 receptions for 172 yards and a touchdown against Ohio State. Michigan doesn't have anyone quite like that this year.
"Whatever you give them now, they try to exploit," Ohio State linebacker Anthony Schlegel said. "I see [sophomore quarterback Chad] Henne do a lot of audibles at the line, and whatever you give them, they'll take."
In Big Ten play, the Wolverines average 212 passing yards per game, eighth in the conference and 2 yards per game fewer than Ohio State. Without Edwards to rely on, Henne has hit Jason Avant (70 catches, 900 yards, seven touchdowns), freshman Mario Manningham (20 catches, 341 yards, five touchdowns, including the last-second game-winner against Penn State) and Steve Breaston (18 catches, 230 yards, two touchdowns).
"I really don't believe they have a Braylon Edwards this year," Ohio State safety Nate Salley said. "All those guys together make up for what Braylon brought there last year. Braylon was their guy. Now Manningham made that huge catch for them - that probably would have been Braylon. Avant has made huge plays for them - those probably would have been Braylon. I believe they spread it out now."
After Saturday's win over Indiana, Henne said the Wolverines added some more complex wrinkles to previously simple passing plays to expand their offense and that the bye week allowed him to work on his timing with his receivers.
"It was a good idea of pushing forward to where we should be," Henne said. "I think this week in practice, we need to do the same thing."
Still on security:
Lloyd Carr was asked about security again Tuesday on the Big Ten's conference call, and the Michigan coach still seems peeved by the surprise security check, complete with bomb-sniffing dogs, that the Michigan team was subjected to at Ohio Stadium last year.
"Certainly I don't think we would ever treat any school like we were treated at Ohio State," Carr said. "[Big Ten] Commissioner Jim Delaney has instituted a new rule that if you're going to have something like that, you must notify people beforehand. And that's just the thing you would expect as a general courtesy."
Hawk a Lombardi finalist:
Ohio State linebacker A.J. Hawk, Louisville defensive end Elvis Dumervil, Texas defensive tackle Rod Wright and Penn State linebacker Paul Posluszny were selected as finalists for the Lombardi Award. The award, given annually to college football's top lineman or linebacker, will be presented Dec. 7 in Houston.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
To reach this Plain Dealer reporter:
dlesmerises@plaind.com, 216-999-4748

[LightningRod]

Henne improves as Buckeyes loom

Little things are no small thing for QB

November 16, 2005

BY MARK SNYDER

FREE PRESS SPORTS WRITER

At Michigan, a golden arm only gets you so far.

To earn the respect of coaches and teammates, the little things make a big difference.

That's what sophomore Chad Henne has learned in his two years as the Wolverines' quarterback. Midway through last week's game against Indiana, Henne showed he's no pretty boy. After handing the ball to Jerome Jackson, he hustled upfield, knowing Steve Breaston was getting the ball from Jackson on a reverse and heading in Henne's direction.

Michigan already led, 27-7, but Henne threw himself to the ground, blocking for Breaston on a 30-yard run.

"It was a good block; I felt good about myself," Henne said proudly after the game. "Coach Carr was busting my butt all week about, 'Are you ever going to block somebody?' I was like, 'I'll get my chance.' ... I don't know if I'm too good in wide-open spaces with a corner, but I can make a block."

At that point in the game, it was probably more symbolic than substantive. But Henne proved he would take a risk for his teammates.

They will be depending on him to do the little things right again Saturday when the No. 17 Wolverines play No. 9 Ohio State for a possible shot at the Big Ten title.

"I think he has been a good leader since he has been here," coach Lloyd Carr said. "I think obviously with the experience he has had, with the increased understanding of what he is doing in terms of his role and learning what everybody else is doing, I think he is developing as we speak."

Saturday's game at Michigan Stadium will give Henne a chance to redeem himself for last season's 37-21 loss at Ohio State. He led two early touchdown drives that day, building a 14-7 lead, but the offense produced nothing in the second and third quarters, and Henne's two interceptions hurt as U-M tried to keep up.

"It was a new experience, and the crowd was overwhelming," Henne said. "We kept fighting, and that was the biggest thing. We scored two touchdowns right away, but I think we need to keep adding and progressing throughout the game. We can't be satisfied we're up by seven; we have to keep pushing."

Carr saw Henne improve from that game to the Rose Bowl, but Henne struggled early this season. Michigan limped to a 3-3 record, and Henne drew much of the blame. He completed fewer than half of his passes in losses to Notre Dame, Wisconsin and Minnesota.

Injuries to his offensive line, tailback, wide receivers and tight end were rarely mentioned by critics. The most common question: What's wrong with Chad?

Henne won't address how much the criticism bothered him, but high school coach Jim Cantafio had no problem speaking up after the 27-25 win over Penn State, which Henne won with a last-second TD pass.

"That it falls on the quarterback's shoulders bothers me a great deal," said Cantafio, who coached Henne at West Lawn (Pa.) Wilson and is one of his few football confidants outside the team. "You know the