Steve and the Tank! - Immortality Bowl: Michigan at Ohio State

Immortality Bowl: Michigan at Ohio State

There is often much hype in our society about sports, movies, etc. This Saturday promises to deliver that and more with the "Best Game Ever" of this and any other century (19th, 20th, 23.5, etc.). #1 Ohio State versus #2 Michigan is more than a football game, it is the latest and 103rd installment of the one of the best rivalries in all of sports. It is the Big Ten Championship, a ticket to the BCS Championship game, and bragging rights for a lifetime because how often do you have a #1 versus #2 meeting this late in the regular season.

I have tried to break the game down in different ways.

(1) Game Match up: Ohio State has the experience advantage at quarterback with Heisman Trophy candidate Troy Smith though Michigan's Chad Henne has come into his own this year. Michigan is tough especially with the return of Mario Manningham who will look to make a big homecoming as he is from Ohio. He doesn't have as many catches as Buckeye receiver and returner Ted Ginn Jr. but keeping Manningham from making the big catch is one of my keys to the game. Steve Breaston and Adrian Arrington need to keep the Ohio State secondary honest. However, Ohio State's kicking game didn't convert an extra point and field goal last week against Northwestern. I am certain they are working on it this week.

Both teams are head and shoulders ahead of their conference and even other national peers. Ohio State lost nine defensive starters to graduation and replaced them without a hitch. Michigan also has a top ranked defense. If Michigan keys on Ginn, watch for Anthony Gonzalez to have a big game. In the running game, Antonio Pittman is great and Maurice Wells is solid.

Both coaches are matchup well in their greatness. Though neither coach is YET Woody Hayes or Bo Schembechler, Ohio State Coach Jim Tressel and Michigan Coach Lloyd Carr can stake their claim in the Hayes/Schembechler coaching pantheon with a win.

Everything is pretty much a wash. This game will probably come down to a role player making a key play at a critical moment -- good or bad. Mistakes like turnovers and penalties will make or break the game. Everyone will be hyped to "jack up" (tackle) someone into next week. However, whoever "focuses" better and plays within themselves has a better chance of winning.

(2) Personal Academic Match up: I have had academic relationships with both schools, attending the Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research at the University of Michigan in the summer of 1993 and being accepted to graduate school in Eastern European Studies at the Ohio State University in 1994. While at ICPSR, I met Professor Ronald Inglehart who is behind much of the polling research after each Presidential Election. Amazing for statistics geeks like me! I did not go to Ohio State because funding in Eastern Europe had dried up as the countries in those areas, Czechoslovakia, the Soviet Union, and Yugoslavia were disintegrating and university teaching jobs and tenure were becoming harder to find. Both Michigan and Ohio State are top academic institutions.

(3) Friends Toss-up: The game is even when it comes down to the fans as I have friends on both sides of the field. Father figures like Detroit Dale attended Michigan and Columbus Craig lives in Columbus, Ohio. I have already offered Craig "lots of beer and possibly a kidney to sell on eBay" if he comes across an extra ticket for me. As for my contemporaries, I know former BGSU and European pro linebacker Vinnie Palko is from Ohio and rooting for the Buckeyes. John Wood used to play for the Wolverines and John has the strongest handshake grip you will ever shake. (John's dad Kim was a 28 year strength coach for the Cincinnati Bengals.) Let's hope the sparks die down by the time of world martial artist champion Matt Furey's upcoming health seminar where the Tank is honored to be invited to talk about his Seven Marathon Continents (fourth from the bottom on the left) as well as Vinnie, John, and others will be speaking at Matt's seminar.

(4) Conclusion: I give Ohio State the edge because of (1) home field advantage and (2) The Dead Schembechlers will keep the joint jumping by playing inside the Horseshoe. The Dead Schemblechers are a Columbus based punk band named after the former Michigan Coach Bo Schemblecher though they dress like former Ohio State Coach Woody Hayes. (They are more conflicted than the Tank.) The Dead Schembechlers sing songs like "Bomb Ann Arbor Now" and "Wolverine Destroyer" and are playing an all ages "Hate Michigan" show in Columbus the night before the game. Rumors of former Michigan Coach Schembechler's demise are wrong as he is thankfully okay after a recent pace maker operation. Get better soon Coach Schembechler!

The only person excused from watching this 3:30 p.m. Saturday game on ABC is Steve because he has an MBA final and his professor wouldn't honor the note I wrote on his behalf asking him to be excused. :-)