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BuckeyeXtra Section G • The Columbus Dispatch • BuckeyeXtra.com

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SHOW THE WAY When it’s time to lead a team, J.T. BARRETT has always stepped into the breach

JONATHAN QUILTER DISPATCH

GAME 12

ALSO INSIDE



at Michigan

Hunter: Take it easy on Bo-Woody analogies / G3 Amid comments, Elliott focuses on Michigan / G5 Rudock shows toughness as Wolverines QB / G8

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OSU/at Michigan TODAY’S GAME Kickoff: Noon, Michigan Stadium (107,601), Ann Arbor, Mich. Forecast: 41 degrees, cloudy Line: Pick ’em

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Plot twists add intrigue to The Game By Bill Rabinowitz THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

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his year’s Ohio State-Michigan game was always going to be a special one. It still is, but partly for reasons different than it seemed a week ago.



Until last week’s upset loss to Michigan State, Ohio State hadn’t lost since the second game of 2014, a span of 23 games. After running back Ezekiel Elliott criticized the play-calling following Saturday’s game, the Buckeyes were hit by questions about whether that revealed deeper fissures. So this Michigan game transcends whether Ohio State can somehow put itself back in position for a championship. (The Buckeyes will need a Penn State win over Michigan State for that.) It is just as much a test of their resilience and character. “I have a lot of confidence in our guys,” Ohio State coach Urban Meyer said. “This is a very invested team. They had something happen that hadn’t happened in 400-some days. They got hit right in the gut. It’s my job, our coaching staff’s job and our leaders’ job, to make sure there is focus and attention to detail.” When the season started, today’s game looked to be significant for two reasons. First, it would be Ohio State’s last obstacle on its way to the Big Ten title game and expected spot in the College Football Playoff. Second, it would be the first meeting between Meyer and Jim Harbaugh. As soon as Harbaugh was hired as Wolverines coach last December, the expectation was that the rivalry would return to the fever pitch it had when Woody Hayes and Bo Schembechler stomped along opposite sidelines. Harbaugh’s arrival has rejuvenated Michigan, which had been in decline since it lost to Ohio State in 2006 in a battle of the No. 1 and 2 teams in the polls. The Wolverines are a surpris-

Braxton Miller, right, is one of only two current Buckeyes to have lost to Michigan, a 40-34 defeat in 2011.

ing 9-2. A season-opening loss at Utah and the botched-punt disaster against Michigan State are the only blemishes. Michigan’s ascent and Ohio State’s loss has created an unfamiliar dynamic. For the first time all season, the Buckeyes are not double-digit favorites. After OSU opened as a slight favorite, the game is now a pick ’em. Braxton Miller and Joel Hale are the only Buckeyes playing today who have lost to Michigan, which last defeated Ohio State in 2011. The other seniors have a chance to complete a career sweep, earning them a fourth gold-pants trinket. “Talking to my parents after the (Michigan State) game,” senior linebacker Joshua Perry

said, “I said the one thing that’s really going to make me feel better is getting that fourth pair of gold pants.” It won’t be easy. After underachieving seasons, Michigan saved its best for Ohio State the past three years. The Buckeyes have little doubt that Michigan will summon their best against them. The question is whether Ohio State will — if anyone can figure out what the best truly is for this enigmatic Buckeyes team. Because of the media attention following the loss and Elliott’s comments, the Buckeyes know all eyes are upon them. Ohio State has been on an almost unprecedented roll since losing to Virginia Tech

early in 2014. Now they are facing scrutiny. Left tackle Taylor Decker said it was crucial for the Buckeyes to set aside the Michigan State game. “We can’t dwell on that, because if we dwell on that we’ll go up there and lay an egg,” he said. “And we can’t do that. We just simply can’t go up there and do that.” If Ohio State beats Michigan, the Michigan State debacle might be looked back on as an aberration — simply a bad day against a good opponent that played superbly. If the Buckeyes lose today, no second-tier bowl victory would change the view that Ohio State’s season was a disappointment.

BROOKE LAVALLEY

DISPATCH

“If we lose our last two games, yeah, of course that would be a failure,” defensive end Joey Bosa said. The Buckeyes are determined to make amends for last week. Even in the midst of his postgame comments last week, Elliott sought to reassure anyone who thought the Buckeyes would lose their edge after losing. “Oh, we’re hungry,” he said. “I’m personally not going to let anyone slack off, back off. This game means the world to us and everyone in Ohio. “It’s going to look like a different team and a new team. I’m excited to see how this team rebounds from this loss.” [email protected] @brdispatch

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‘Ten-Year War’ comparison is more hype than reality Remember Last Winter? Remem

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college sports, if not all of sports. Not since Hayes was fired for punching a Clemson linebacker near the end of the 1978 Gator Bowl have both schools had coaches of Hayes’ and Schembechler’s stature at the same time, and there’s Commentary an edge to Meyer and Bob Hunter Harbaugh that adds to the //////////////////////////// comparison. It’s always fun to imagine a trip back to the good In case you haven’t old days, and it’s even noticed, the media will better if we can envision force-feed you a juicy some especially nostalgic story line until your belly period reforming in the feels ready to explode. present, materializing In today’s ravenous, before our eyes. As much tidbit-starved, 24-hour, as Michigan fans enjoyed seven-days-a-week news the Wolverines’ period of cycle, content providers dominance in the 1990s, believe that the viewer/ and the OSU faithful has listener/reader can never savored the Buckeyes’ get enough of a good angle: You will see it, hear ruling the series since Jim Tressel arrived in 2001, it and read about it until many have been conyour ears bleed and your cerned about the state of eyeballs fall out. the rivalry. Harbaugh’s So it is with the Jim hiring was good news on Harbaugh vs. Urban that front. Meyer reincarnation of Finally, after almost 40 the “Ten-Year War.” From years, there are two the day Harbaugh was coaches who have both officially named coach at Michigan — Dec. 30, 2014 the resumes and the temperaments to play the — just about everybody envisioned a rekindling of roles that Woody and Bo the rivalry with Ohio State created for them. Starting today in Michigan Stadias it was defined during um, the war will begin the days of Bo Schembechler and Woody Hayes. anew. But will it? The narrative was as There is no doubting predictable as the ripped that Harbaugh has done a caps, stomped watches terrific job of making and broken down-markMichigan football relevant ers that Hayes left in his again. But until the Buckwake, especially after the Buckeyes won the nation- eyes lost last week, there were plenty of signs (startal championship last ing with the recruiting January. OSU won the coups Meyer has won) national title in 1968, and that the Wolverines proas a first-year Michigan gram had a ways to go to coach, Schembechler upset the unbeaten Buck- catch up to the juggernaut eyes in 1969. Was that just Meyer had assembled at Ohio State. a coincidence or karma? More to the point, howOSU’s upset loss to ever, is that the college Michigan State last Satfootball and Big Ten landurday ended any chance of history repeating itself, scapes have changed a lot since 1978. The Hayesbut it didn’t stop the Schembechler era gave Hayes-Schembechler/ Meyer-Harbaugh compar- the Big Ten its fabled Big Two-Little Eight nickisons. Again, that’s not name, because both surprising. schools pretty much Today, most college breezed into the OSUfootball historians regard the so-called 10-year peri- Michigan finale which determined the Big Ten od from 1969 to 1978, champion and the during which Hayes and league’s Rose Bowl repreSchembechler coached against each other (Michi- sentative. The league’s pecking gan held a 5-4-1 edge), as order is much more comthe high point of a rivalry plicated now. Michigan that may be the best in

State beat both OSU and Michigan this season, and the Spartans beat the Buckeyes in the Big Ten title game two seasons ago. Wisconsin won the league title in 2011 and ’12. Even if OSU and Michigan again become dominant, their placement in the East Division means that one or the other will play a team from the West for the conference title after the rivalry game. Whether we like it or not, some of the oomph has been removed by that setup. Even the coaching comparisons are unlikely to hold up. In today’s college football pressure-cooker, there is a decent chance that either Meyer or Harbaugh won’t be coaching his team in five years, much less 10. Hayes hated Michigan in ways that neither Meyer nor Harbaugh could understand. Meyer and Harbaugh have no shared coaching history; Schembechler was an assistant on Hayes’ staff before Schembechler became head coach at Miami University. That led to the job at Michigan, which led to a famous story that Dispatch Washington correspondent Jack Torry recalled this week. “One the Monday evening before the 1975 Michigan game, Kaye Kessler of the old Columbus Citizen-Journal and I caught up with Hayes outside his tiny office at the North Athletic Facility,” Torry said. “Earlier in the day, some radio reporter from WJR (in Detroit) asked him what it was like to face Schembechler. … Woody was telling us about the WJR reporter, got ticked off and told us, ‘They couldn’t beat me with one of their own coaches so they had to go out and hire one I trained. Those arrogant (bleep). (Bleep) em.’ ” Sad as it is to say, that kind of 10-year war will probably never be fought again. Bob Hunter is a sports columnist for The Dispatch. [email protected] @dailyhunter

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By Bill Rabinowitz •

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

Harness emotions

Establish air attack

Last week’s loss to Michigan State was devastating on many levels. Now the Buckeyes have to bounce back emotionally against their biggest rival, and Michigan is eager to end Ohio State’s 21st-century dominance of The Game. Can the Buckeyes summon the strength for the challenge at a hostile Big House? That might be a bigger question than anything regarding X’s and O’s.

Ohio State’s passing game has been inconsistent all season but was nearly nonexistent last week. With decent weather expected today, there’s no excuse not to air it out, and Michigan almost certainly will force them to. Barrett hasn’t been as effective in the passing game this year as he was in 2014, but he needs to be able to get the ball to playmakers Michael Thomas, Braxton Miller and Jalin Marshall.

Win the line of scrimmage

Beware of Peppers

The Spartans controlled both lines of scrimmage last week, attacking the Buckeyes’ experienced offensive line and preventing Ezekiel Elliott from finding room on the few carries he got. They also kept J.T. Barrett in check. On offense, the Spartans’ line got enough of a push to turn modest gains into moderate ones. It became death by 1,000 cuts. Michigan’s lines, particularly on offense, are much better than in recent years, so the OSU linemen need an improved effort over last week.

Man for man, Ohio State is more talented than Michigan. But the most talented playmaker on the field might be Wolverines redshirt freshman Jabrill Peppers. The former five-star prospect is primarily a safety, but he also has seen time at running back and is dangerous as a kick returner. Blessed with speed, elusiveness and instincts, Peppers is a special talent. The Buckeyes must be aware of him at all times. [email protected] @brdispatch

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When Buckeyes run

When Buckeyes pass

When Wolverines run

When Wolverines pass

On special teams

Edge MICHIGAN Ohio State must get Ezekiel Elliott untracked against Michigan’s stout front seven.

Edge MICHIGAN J.T. Barrett must be able to hit intermediate targets as well as the occasional deep shot. It won’t be easy.

Edge OHIO STATE The Buckeyes’ front was pushed around some last week. That can’t happen again.

Edge OHIO STATE QB Jake Rudock doesn’t have the strongest arm, but Michigan’s receivers are dangerous.

Edge OHIO STATE Return man Jabrill Peppers is a weapon, but Buckeyes’ coverage units have been excellent.

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Ezekiel Elliott

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RB / OHIO STATE By Tim May THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

Lost in the firestorm of Ezekiel Elliott’s complaints about the play-calling by Ohio State coaches in a 17-14 loss to Michigan State last week and his declaration that he had just played his final home game, was his pledge in regard to The Game. “I’ve got to make the most of my time left,” the junior running back said. “And I just want to thank Buckeye nation for making this place so special. I’m sorry about (the loss). “We’re going to come out a different team” at Michigan today. The Buckeyes made just five first downs and gained 132 yards against Michigan State. Elliott — the Big Ten’s leading rusher going in — got just 12 carries for 33 yards as his streak of 100-yard rushing games ended at 15. The task doesn’t get any easier this week — the Wolverines have the No. 1 rushing defense in the Big Ten, allowing just 100.2 yards per game. It was not lost on most observers that Elliott was an

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afterthought in the loss that snapped the Buckeyes’ 23game win streak. Meyer said this week that Elliott made valid points but that his choice of making those points to the media was not “the proper forum.” Meyer also said that after meeting with Elliott he had no intention of benching him or not starting him at Michigan. After speaking of his dis-

appointment from the Michigan State game and then declaring that he intends to enter the NFL draft in 2016, Elliott said what matters to him immediately is the team bouncing back in one of the biggest rivalries in sports. “I personally am not going to let anyone slack off,” said Elliott, who last year rushed for 121 yards and two touchdowns against Michigan. “This

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game means the world to us and everyone in Ohio. We represent everyone in Ohio. “We’re going to come out and we’re going to play a hell of a ballgame. I’m telling you, you’re going to see a different team, sort of like a new team. I’m actually pretty excited to see how this team really rebounds from this loss.” [email protected] @TIM_MAYsports

Jabrill Peppers DB/KR / MICHIGAN By Tim May THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH



Jim Harbaugh no doubt has a plan for the multi-use of three-way player Jabrill Peppers headed into The Game today against Ohio State, but the Michigan coach had no intention in divulging it ahead of time. “We keep all options open, all opportunities available,” Harbaugh said. “Each week you’d like your opponent to think all those options and opportunities are available.” The 6-foot-1, 208-pound Peppers, considered primarily a defensive player at the moment, possibly could be a full-time offensive player down the road — or perhaps starting this week. Harbaugh didn’t mind the OSU defensive staff having to consider that, among other things. OSU linebacker Joshua Perry said the Buckeyes are prepared for the possibilities should Michigan’s No. 5 trot onto the field. “Just be on high alert, because they’re going to use him in one way or another,” Perry said. “Any time you see a special formation or some-

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body come in who generally is not in the offensive formation, you have to be on high alert.” Not that Peppers has lit it up just yet. On offense, he has six catches for 54 yards, 11 rushes for 43 yards and two touchdowns, and he has thrown one incomplete pass. On defense, he is fifth on the team with 40 tackles and has broken up 10 passes, but has no interceptions. On special teams, he has returned 17 punts for an average of 11.4 yards and re-

turned eight kickoffs for a 27.9 average. It’s more like Harbaugh and his staff have given Peppers the chance to apprentice across the field this season. “He’s played corner, he’s played nickel, he’s played safety,” Harbaugh said. “He’s been a running back, he’s been a quarterback, he’s been a slot receiver, he’s been a wide receiver, he’s been a punt returner and kick returner. That’s eight positions right

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there.” So what’s coming? “He’s such a good player, I can think of five different positions he would be really good at in football,” Harbaugh said. “Can somebody be the Willie Mays of football? Can somebody be the five-tool player, the five-position player? Maybe. “Maybe it will end up being Jabrill Peppers.” [email protected] @TIM_MAYsports

Question: Should the Ed Warinner/Tim Beck play-calling experiment be over after this season? Why does it seem like the added duties for Warinner have taken away from the offensive line, and is it fair to say the quarterbacks and offense have regressed with Beck? — Michael Stanford Louisville, Colo. Dispatch OSU football beat writer Bill Rabinowitz responds: Those are all questions that I’m sure coach Urban Meyer will ponder as soon as the season ends. The Buckeyes acknowledged that it took time to get the play-calling mechanism in sync, and the calls against Michigan State did nothing to prove to anyone that they’ve found a magic formula. The line, expected to be the strength of the offense, has been inconsistent. Whether that’s because Warinner added offensive-coordinator duties is debatable — and will be debated. As far as Beck’s work with the quarterbacks, it would be hard to sell that as a calling card on a résumé: Neither J.T. Barrett nor Cardale Jones built on last season’s success. But Meyer is not someone who fires assistant coaches just to make a change. Q: Ohio State loses for the first time since week two of last season, and Ezekiel Elliott throws the coaching staff under the bus. Even if you agree with his opinions on the play-calling, what does it say about a player so quick to point a finger at the first sign of adversity? — Jerry Miller, Columbus Dispatch college football writer Todd Jones responds: I agree with Elliott’s assessment of the playcalling against Michigan State, but it’s not a good look when the Heisman Trophy candidate torches the coaches and declares he’s not coming back next season. The Buckeyes are 10-1, but not everyone seems to be rowing in the same direction for Team Drama. Q: Did Meyer ever give a reason why OSU didn’t try to open the field with more downfield throws against Michigan State? Seems like that’s a really basic concept. After the game, even the MSU players were calling the Buckeyes onedimensional. — A.J. Miller, Clinton, Iowa Dispatch sports reporter Rob Oller responds: Meyer did not give a reason, but his postgame comments — extending into this week — indicated that he was not happy with the lack of a passing game. He appropriately pointed the finger at himself for what amounted to a milquetoast offense and has vowed to become more involved in the play-calling. Why no throws to the tight ends? Why not more deep balls? Where are the slant routes? Ohio State is the most-talented, least-effective offense (for its potential) in the Big Ten — and maybe the country.

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Tim May

Bill Rabinowitz

Dom Tiberi

Bobby Carpenter

Rich Eisen

OSU BEAT WRITER THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

OSU BEAT WRITER THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

SPORTS ANCHOR WBNS-10TV

97.1 THE FAN TALK-SHOW HOST FORMER OSU/NFL LINEBACKER

NFL NETWORK HOST 1991 MICHIGAN GRADUATE

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For a classic renewal what better than a classic score — a throwback to 1995, except reversed. The “Ten-Year War II” between iconic coaches has been joined.

The Buckeyes are more talented, but can they bounce back against a motivated team and hostile crowd? If OSU gets its passing game going, it should win. But it doesn’t get the benefit of the doubt after last week.

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Finally, it’s Meyer vs. Harbaugh: Who will blink first? The Buckeyes ride Zeke to victory while the Silver Bullets find the end zone as well.

The Buckeyes rebound from last week’s almost offense-less loss with a strong offensive performance. Urban takes round one in the rivalry with Harbaugh.

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23 20 The Buckeyes hand off to Ezekiel Elliott 30 times in the first half, and Braxton Miller criticizes the play-calling at halftime. Michigan wins on a last-second field goal set up by a botched punt snap by Ohio State, because the football gods owe us one.

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BuckeyeXtra.com readers predict the results of this week’s top games. Vote next week at BuckeyeXtra.com.



Ohio State at Michigan 21% — Ohio State wins by 1-10 points

45% — Michigan wins by 1-10 points

10% — Ohio State wins by more than 10

24% — Michigan wins by more than 10

Penn St. at Michigan St. 30% Penn State

70% Michigan State

Notre Dame at Stanford 28% Notre Dame

72% Stanford

Oklahoma at Oklahoma St. 63% Oklahoma

37% Oklahoma State

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Tough Rudock wins over Wolverines RUDOCK FILE

By Andrew Erickson THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

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" Position: Quarterback " Year: Fifth-year senior " Vitals: 6 feet 3, 208 pounds " Hometown: Weston, Fla.

n the second half of Michigan’s 28-16 win over Penn State last Saturday, quarterback Jake Rudock was faced with something familiar: a brutal hit from a Big Ten defender. Rudock jumped and released a short pass and was met midair with a helmet-to-helmet hit from Penn State defensive tackle Anthony Zettel. It was ruled targeting. After a short review, the penalty was waved off. “I don’t know the rules of targeting, and I don’t think I’ll understand them after this year,” Rudock said after the game. “Whatever they call, I’m sure they’re the ones who read the rulebook and know all that stuff.” What wasn’t open for debate was Rudock’s toughness. The graduate transfer quarterback stayed in the game, earning the praise of his coach, Jim Harbaugh, himself a former Michigan quarterback. “He is so tough, this past game the toughness was on display. To say he’s as tough as a $2 steak doesn’t even give it real justice,” Harbaugh said on Monday. “This guy is tough as nails, hard as hen’s teeth. He has been a godsend for our team.” Rudock was sacked twice and hit hard several other times by the Nittany Lions, but managed to complete 25 of 38 passes for 256 yards and two

IOWA STATISTICS (AS JR.-SR. STARTER) Games ........................................25 Completions-attempts .........417-691 Percentage ...............................60.3 Yards ......................................4,819 Touchdowns.................................34 Interceptions................................18 Rushes-yards......................134-394 Rushing touchdowns ......................8

MICHIGAN STATISTICS (2015 SEASON)

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“We knew what he was capable of, and we trusted him,” junior tight end Jake Butt said. “Not all those turnovers were his fault either. It’s a team effort most of the time.” Rudock might be the new kid in the Michigan program, but his teammates have given him an endearing nickname: Dad. “He just acts like a dad,” Butt said. “I’m not mad about it either. He’s just a calm, softspoken guy, doesn’t ever get too excited or get too down or anything like that. It’s kind of everything you’re looking for in a quarterback.”

touchdowns, making him the first quarterback in Michigan history to pass for at least 250 yards in three straight games. Through 11 games, the former Iowa QB has his best completion percentage (64.4) of any of his three seasons as a starter in the Big Ten. He has thrown for 2,476 yards and 16 touchdowns, 11 of which have come in the past four games. Rudock has come a long way from his three-interception debut in a season-opening loss at Utah, and he has timed his growth well, with Michigan’s rushing attack sputtering over the past several games.

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Battle for Ohio hasn’t heated up — yet By Bill Rabinowitz

er New Jersey prospect — running back Kareem Walker. Originally committed to Ohio State, the Buckeyes cooled on Walker hen Jim once he decided to take other Harbaugh visits, including to Michigan. was hired Ohio State then offered Wisconsin commit Antonio Williams, as Michiwho switched to the Buckeyes. gan’s coach last DecemWalker is now weighing his ber, the Ohio State-UM options, though he appears clashes on the field unlikely to be coming to OSU. “They want guys who want to weren’t the only battlebe Buckeyes,” said Steve Wiltfield that was eagerly anfong, director of recruiting for ticipated between the 247sports.com. “Kareem obviously didn’t really want to be a programs. Buckeye anymore.” Another battle to watch inThe prospect of Harbaugh volves New Jersey athlete Jordan and Buckeyes coach Urban Fuller, who is being courted by Meyer duking it out for top proNotre Dame and Penn State, as spects had followers of recruitwell as Ohio State and Michigan. ing salivating. Meyer is one of Though Harbaugh has spent the country’s top recruiters. the past several years in the NFL, Harbaugh, with his boundless if he is an adept recruiter. quirky enthusiasm, would be “He’s creative,” Wiltfong said. formidable competition. “You’ll see them sending out So far, however, those expectbirthday cakes to top targets. ed recruiting showdowns have Some of these coaches are stoic been rare, and they’ve been concentrated outside of their NEWARK (N.J.) STAR-LEDGER and stiff. Harbaugh definitely is not that. He’s not afraid to just normal territory. Michigan tradi- Michigan and Ohio State, among others, have New Jersey athlete Jordan Fuller in their crosshairs. hang loose and be fun around tionally has poached stars from these recruits.” Ohio. The list of Ohioans who’ve Even without Harbaugh makjob with the NFL’s Chicago is there, and he’ll do what virBucknuts recruiting analyst tormented the Buckeyes as ing inroads into Ohio, the WolBears. tually every other Michigan Bill Kurelic theorized that HarWolverines is too long to list. verines have a strong 2016 class. In the 2016 class, both procoach has done and focus on baugh didn’t want to concenBut Michigan has treaded Michigan is ninth in grams want five-star defensive lightly in Ohio since Harbaugh’s trate his initial recruiting efforts Ohio,” Kurelic said. 247sports.com’s rankings, with tackle Rashan Gary from ParaThe times when Ohio State on a state that would take time arrival. Not one of the Wolvemus, N.J. Once thought by some the potential to rise if it can reel and Michigan have squared off rines’ commitments for the 2016 to mine successfully. Meyer is a master recruiter, and Ohio State recently for the same prospects, to be leaning toward Ohio State, in Gary, Walker and others. class is from this state. Ohio State’s 2016 recruiting Gary is now considered likely to they have been players from is coming off a national chamAccording to 247sports.com, class is ranked No. 1. be headed to Ann Arbor. In Michigan or elsewhere. The pionship, while Michigan had of Michigan’s 138 offers to 2017 But given Ohio’s annual pipeFebruary, Harbaugh hired Chris slipped to mediocrity. The Buck- most heated involved Mike prospects, only seven are to line of talent, it seems a matter Weber, the Detroit running back Partridge as Michigan’s recruiteyes already have gotten comOhioans. Cleveland Heights of time before the battle in the ing operations coordinator. who was initially angered when mitments from four of the top receiver Jaylen Harris and CinBuckeye State is fully joined. Ohio State running backs coach Partridge just happened to be five 2017 prospects in Ohio. cinnati Moeller tight end Matt [email protected] Gary’s high-school coach. Stan Drayton left the day after “My gut feeling is that’s going Dodson are among the players @brdispatch Then there’s the case of anoth2015 national signing day for a to change the longer Harbaugh with offers from both schools. THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

W

STATS THAT MATTER

PLAY OF THE WEEK |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||

Two tight, Y post-corner

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OHIO STATE / DEFENSE

By Tim May THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH



Few things proclaim coach Jim Harbaugh’s influence on Michigan football in his first season as much as the twotight end sets the Wolverines employ from time to time. It denotes a devotion to power, due to the seven large men it arrays across the offensive front. And with a wide receiver on each end, it also declares to any defense that the Wolverines can pass out of it, too. Harbaugh did similar things at Stanford when he turned that program around in a hurry, and with the San Francisco 49ers when he guided them to the Super

MICHIGAN / OFFENSE TODD BAYHA | DISPATCH

Bowl. Which brings us to this play — let’s call it “two tight, Y post-corner” — that they have run often this season, and is one that Ohio State will likely see today. For Ohio State, it also has a local flavor: the “Y” is tight end Jake Butt, a Picke-

rington North graduate. As Michigan deploys in this set, the defense’s primary concern is stopping a power running game. And as throwback as the two-tights, twowides formation appears, it actually spreads the field much like the modern sets. It

demands that six potential power-point gaps between the tight ends be accounted for by the defense, and a playaction fake by quarterback Jake Rudock after the snap enhances that. But it also means that as the play unfolds, Butt often can run straight up the field past a linebacker, who has to discern quickly that the play is not a run but a pass. Last week at Penn State, with the cornerbacks caught up in man-to-man coverage on the two wideouts and with the running back continuing into the flat for a possible check-down pass, Butt found himself one-on-one with a safety. Butt faked a cut to the post and bent it back on a move to the corner, and Rudock delivered a 26-yard touchdown pass. [email protected] @TIM_MAYsports

17

Number of consecutive road wins (games on an opponent’s home field) for Ohio State, the longest current streak in the country.

1

Number of times in the past 11 meetings that Michigan has beaten Ohio State.

263.1

Yards per game allowed by Michigan this season, second-best in FBS.

4

Number of Big Ten teams in the top 10 of the latest College Football Playoff rankings (Iowa No. 4, Michigan State No. 5, Ohio State No. 8, Michigan No. 10), the most of any conference.

G10

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Through thick and thin, J.T. Barrett has earned the trust of coaches and teammates to take command and show the way

ALWAYS A LEADER A By Tim May •

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

t Rider High School in Wichita Falls, Texas, there was a standing rule regarding the halftime locker room during the era when J.T. Barrett was the quarterback. • “It was ‘Nobody talks but J.T.,’” former coach Jim Garfield recalled. • While the coaches huddled in an adjacent area discussing adjustments, Barrett had the floor with his teammates. Much as he commands the room at times now with Ohio State, Barrett had carte blanche at Rider to speak his mind, Garfield said, because the coach had confidence Barrett’s message would come from his football savvy mind and from his competitive soul, not from his ego. “It was always that way with him,” Garfield said. “He knew what to say and how to say it.” That’s also why Garfield believes the Ohio State offense is in good hands from a leadership standpoint headed into The Game today at Michigan. The Buckeyes are rebounding from their first loss in 24 games, an upset to Michigan State a week ago that likely took them out of a chance to defend their College Football Playoff national championship. “You see where you are as a team,” Barrett said. “Are you going to bow your head and turn away? Or are you going to lift your head up, decide that we didn’t play well and that we’ve got to get better? “I think that’s where we are as a team. We’re going to keep our head up and be like, ‘Well, we lost. This is a fact. We got outplayed.’ So the next step is finding out why that happened and make the changes in order to get better.” Garfield has witnessed such straight



talk from Barrett before. “It was his sophomore year in high school. We had started out rough and we were in Kennedale, Texas, a road game,” Garfield said. “It was halftime, and it was a tight game, and at halftime he just took control of the locker room. “He said some things like ‘This is not the way the Rider football team is going to play, and we’re going to show the state of Texas what we’re made of.’ Then we came out and we got a big win that day.” Ohio State now turns from the misery of the loss to the Spartans to the challenge of taking on a revitalized Michigan in its first year under coach Jim Harbaugh. Garfield — though he is more than 1,200 miles away, now in Elgin, Texas — said he could imagine what Barrett is telling his OSU teammates. “Something he has always been very good at is when facing adversity, he has See Barrett Page G12



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Tate plays hoops with football mindset By Ray Stein

there full-time? How did that shape your childhood? A: It definitely was something I had to adjust to. But since I was the oldest it made me mature a lot because I had people looking up to me.

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

Jae’Sean Tate Sport: Men’s basketball Year: Sophomore / Age: 20 Hometown: Pickerington (Central H.S.) Major: Exploration

Q: Your dad played pro ball, you play college ball, your brother Jalen will play in college next year — do you guys ever play against each other? A: I still always go back to Pick Central in the summers and play open gyms with them. I haven’t played my dad since I was 14 and beat him.

Question: The Ohio StateMichigan game is today in your old sport, football. Do you ever miss playing football? Answer: Yeah, all the time. There’s just a certain type of energy that you get when you play football. You get to rip the other guy’s head off, and who doesn’t like that? Q: I remember hearing some chatter when you were in high school that you were a better football player than a basketball player. Is there any truth in that, from your perspective? A: Everyone has their opinion, but I think I chose the right path with basketball. Football was fun, but when the weather plays a role in it, I’d rather be in the gym. Q: What positions did you play in high school? And what aspects of football appealed to you? A: I played outside linebacker and tight end. I didn’t really like the offensive part, but I liked to tackle people, so defense was my preference. Q: What ultimately made you pick basketball? A: I had a shoulder injury when I was a junior and they said basketball would be the best way to go. Q: Back to OSU and Michigan: As far as you’re concerned, is Ohio State’s big rival in basketball Michigan, or a different

Barrett FROM PAGE G10



been the one guy who would identify the elephant in the room and then basically say, ‘How do you eat an elephant? That’s one bite at a time,’” Garfield said. “I think that is what’s going to happen (today). He is going to have his mind ready for this game.” Barrett took a similar approach when, despite starting all 12 games of the 2014 regular season and finishing fifth in the Heisman Trophy race after setting myriad school records, he found himself running second to Cardale Jones when this season started. Jones, of course, took over after Barrett was injured against Michigan last season and led the Buckeyes’

JONATHAN QUILTER

DISPATCH

Forward Jae’Sean Tate, right, decided in high school that basketball was a better option for him, but he prides himself on his scrap, hustle and defense. Your father, Jermaine, played at OSU for a year before transferring to Cincinnati. Did that factor in your decision to be a Buckeye? A: No, it definitely did not. It was more of a coincidence because I wanted to stay close to home. I’m also terrified of Q: For you personally, is the tornadoes, hurricanes and wild Michigan game more important because your former Cen- animals, so I thought Ohio was tral teammate, Caris LeVert, is a safe place to live. there? A: I have a lot of teammates in Q: If you divided your attributes, which aspects of your different places, including Javon Bess at Michigan State. I personality and ability are more like your father, and dislike the whole state of which are more like your Michigan and all the teams there because I’m an Ohio guy. mother, Jenice? A: I would say the hard-workQ: Let’s talk about your family. ing part comes from my dad. team? A: As of now, I would say that our rival is Michigan State, just because we saw them a couple times last year and games against them always come down to the wire.

run to the national title. “It wasn’t one of those things where I was mad or sad, I just didn’t practice well,” Barrett said of watching while Jones made the first seven starts. “I started practicing better and then I transferred that to the game.” Barrett saw that staying in the moment in an inspirational way, even when he wasn’t playing, was part of his duty. Garfield, again, had seen it before. “When he went down in the Brewer game (with a knee injury) his senior year in high school, it was a traumatic experience,” Garfield said. “But I think, as fantastic of a leader as he was before, he actually became a better leader after that situation. “He really took charge of it after he got hurt, talking to the

quarterback playing in his place, coaching him up, asking him what he was seeing, talking to the offensive line, things like that. He has always been a fantastic leader because he was raised that way.” Barrett did the same thing after he suffered the ankle injury last year. He stayed in the ear of Jones and other teammates as the title run ensued. “Imagine how you’d feel if you were having a great season personally like he was, only to have it end, playing-wise, like it did for J.T.,” Garfield said. “But when he came back out of the locker room and found a place to sit in the stands where he could watch the last few minutes of that game against Michigan, that says a lot for a young man, that it’s all about the team with him.”

Even though he can be quiet, I got my intensity and all of that from him. Caring for people comes from my mom. Q: You are the oldest of five children, right? What are there names and ages? A: Jalen Tate is 17 and he just signed to play basketball at Northern Kentucky. Jada is 14 and a freshman at Central and Jocelyn is my youngest sister, she’s 12. I also have a younger brother, Damien, who lives in Dayton.

Q: One of the things that fans seem to like about you is that you’re a decent-sized guy who plays a lot bigger than 6 feet 4; how important is a scrappy attitude when you’re trying to bang in the Big Ten? A: It’s the most physical conference and there are some big guys out here, so you just have to learn how to want it more and do your work early. Q: There were times last you when you had to guard Frank Kaminsky of Wisconsin, who’s a 7-footer. How do you manage that? A: You just have to have the mentality that nobody can score on you. No matter how short, big or tall you have to think, “I’m a defender and you’re not going to get a bucket on me.”

Q: After your dad left UC, he played professionally overseas for 10 years. Was that hard for you as a kid, not having him

Q: Truth serum: Would you rather be a laid-back natural scorer who can get 22 points every night, or is it more fun being a scrapper who has to work to get 16-17 or whatever? A: I’d say scrapper. It makes the games interesting. Who doesn’t want to watch a guy get excited and dive on the ground? [email protected]

Garfield saw another example when Barrett was cited for OVI in during the off weekend this season for the Buckeyes on Oct. 31. Barrett did not run from what he had done, he owned up to it, Garfield said. Barrett, elected as a captain despite being just a third-year sophomore, never lost his station as a team leader after the traffic stop. Linebacker Joshua Perry said there is a major reason for that. “He has the ability to really connect with people,” Perry said. “He’s just so real. He doesn’t sugarcoat things. He doesn’t try to hide things. He doesn’t stand in the shadows of whatever is going on at time. He is always out there. “A lot of times it’s hard to respect a guy who doesn’t step out there, but J.T. is always out

there. That’s huge for us. Every time I see him I feel like we are in good hands. That’s the way I’ve felt from the moment I met him. As long as J.T. is around, as long as J.T. has a voice, we’re going to be in great hands.” Having such a player who can own the room is vital for a coach, Garfield said, especially in such an urgent time. “It has to happen, because once those kids cross that white line and head onto the field there is no coach going out there with them,” Garfield said. “You raise the young man in such a way to be able to give him some authority so that he can reach out and say to his teammates, ‘Look, we’ve got to take this thing by the horns, and we’ve got to go.’” [email protected] @TIM_MAYsports

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TEAM STATS

MICHIGAN ROSTER

Special teams YR

K KO P

So. Sr. Jr. So. Sr. Fr. Jr. So. Jr. So. So.

LS H KR

Coach: Urban Meyer 48-4 in fourth season 152-27 in 14th season overall

PR

Sean Nuernberger Jack Willoughby Cameron Johnston Sean Nuernberger Bryce Haynes Liam McCullough Cameron Johnston Curtis Samuel Warren Ball Jalin Marshall Curtis Samuel

TWO-DEEP

Others

Offense

1 2 3 4 5 6 9 10 11 12 13 14 14 15 16 18 19 19 20 20 21 23 24 25 26 26 28 29 30 30 32 33 34 35 36 38 39 42 44 44 46 47 48 53 56 57 58 60 61 62 63 67 69 70 71 76 77 77 80 84 86 87 88 89 91 93 94

NO PLAYER

Coordinators: Ed Warinner, Tim Beck POS NO PLAYER

HT WT YR

LT

6-8 6-5 6-4 6-4 6-2 6-5 6-5 6-7 6-5 6-7 6-6 6-5 6-3 6-1 6-0 5-10 5-11 6-1 6-2 6-5 6-0 6-0 6-2 6-0

LG C RG RT TE WR WR WR QB RB H

68 74 54 78 50 79 65 75 57 59 81 85 3 21 4 82 7 83 16 12 15 25 1 4

Taylor Decker Jamarco Jones Billy Price Demetrius Knox Jacoby Boren Brady Taylor Pat Elflein Evan Lisle Chase Farris Isaiah Prince Nick Vannett Marcus Baugh Michael Thomas Parris Campbell Curtis Samuel James Clark Jalin Marshall Terry McLaurin J.T. Barrett Cardale Jones Ezekiel Elliott Bri’onte Dunn Braxton Miller Curtis Samuel

315 310 315 305 285 300 300 305 310 305 260 255 210 205 195 185 205 200 225 250 225 215 215 195

Sr. So. So. Fr. Sr. Fr. Jr. So. Sr. Fr. Sr. So. Jr. Fr. So. So. So. Fr. So. Jr. Jr. Jr. Sr. So.

Defense Coordinators: Luke Fickell, Chris Ash POS NO PLAYER

HT WT YR

DE

6-6 6-5 6-4 6-4 6-3 6-4 6-4 6-5 6-2 6-2 6-2 6-1 6-4 6-3 6-0 6-0 6-1 5-11 6-3 6-2 5-11 5-11 5-11 6-0

97 6 DT 92 52 DT 90 51 DE 59 10 OLB 43 35 MLB 5 55 OLB 37 33 CB 8 2 CB 13 3 SS 23 24 FS 11 26 NB 3 2

Special teams

POS NO PLAYER 96 98 95 96 41 49 95 4 28 7 4

Joey Bosa Sam Hubbard Adolphus Washington Donovan Munger Tommy Schutt Joel Hale Tyquan Lewis Jalyn Holmes Darron Lee Chris Worley Raekwon McMillan Cam Williams Joshua Perry Dante Booker Gareon Conley Marshon Lattimore Eli Apple Damon Webb Tyvis Powell Malik Hooker Vonn Bell Jarrod Barnes Damon Webb Marshon Lattimore

275 265 290 300 290 295 260 265 235 225 240 225 254 233 195 195 200 193 210 205 205 193 193 195

OHIO STATE SCHEDULE 10-1, 6-1 BIG TEN EAST Sept. 7: at Virginia Tech .W, 42-24 Sept. 12: Hawaii ..............W, 38-0 Sept. 19: N. Illinois.........W, 20-13 Sept. 26: W. Michigan ....W, 38-12

Jr. Jr. Sr. So. Sr. Sr. So. So. So. So. So. Sr. Sr. So. So. Fr. So. So. Jr. Fr. Jr. Jr. So. Fr.

POS

Erick Smith................................ DB Dontre Wilson ........................... ..H Damon Arnette...........................CB Jerome Baker ........................... .LB Johnnie Dixon ...........................WR Torrance Gibson ........................WR Jashon Cornell .......................... .DL Joe Burrow ............................... QB Justin Cook ............................... QB Denzel Ward ..............................CB Stephen Collier.......................... QB K.J. Hill .....................................WR Joshua Norwood ........................CB Cameron Howard..........................S Cam Burrows ............................ DB Kato Mitchell .............................WR Eric Glover-Williams....................CB Joe Ramstetter .........................WR Khaleed Franklin...........................S Mike Weber ...............................RB Trevon Forte...............................CB Devlin McDaniel.........................WR Rashod Berry ............................ .TE Logan Kelleher ...........................CB Michael Lawless ...........................S Patrick Wise...............................RB Michael Cibene .............................S Mike Maduko................................S Jared Drake .............................. .LB Tyler Durbin..................................K Elijaah Goins ..............................CB Austin Clutter............................WR Nick Conner .............................. .LB Jeffie Johnson............................RB Zach Turnure ............................. .LB Craig Fada................................. .LB Kyle Berger ............................... .LB Darius Slade...............................DE Guy Ferrelli ............................... .TE Aaron Mawhirter ....................... .LS Cin’Quan Haney............................S Justin Hilliard............................ .LB Joe Burger................................ .LB Davon Hamilton..........................DT Matthew Burrell .........................OL Robert Landers...........................DT Joshua Alabi ..............................DT Blake Pfenning ...........................OL Logan Gaskey.............................OL Aaron Perry................................OL Kevin Woidka .............................OL Grant Schmidt ............................OL Brandon Pahl..............................OL Chris Fong..................................DE Kyle Trout...................................OL Branden Bowen ..........................OL Kevin Feder................................OL Michael Hill ............................... .DL Noah Brown ..............................WR Corey Smith ..............................WR Dre’Mont Jones..........................DE Alex Stump ...............................WR A.J. Alexander ........................... .TE Jeff Greene ...............................WR Philip Silverman......................... .TE Tracy Sprinkle ........................... .DL Dylan Thompson ........................ .DL

Oct. 3: at Indiana ..........W, 34-27 Oct. 10: Maryland..........W, 49-28 Oct. 17: Penn State ........W, 38-10 Oct. 24: at Rutgers ..........W, 49-7 Nov. 7: Minnesota ..........W, 28-14 Nov. 14: at Illinois ............W, 28-3 Nov. 21: Michigan State ...L, 17-14 Nov. 28: at Michigan ............Noon

Go to

SCORING Ohio State Opponents

1 2 3 4 52 114 104 108 20 50 27 58

OSU total: 378 • Avg.: 34.4 OPP total: 155 • Avg.: 14.1

PER-GAME AVERAGES Rushing .........................................230.4 Passing ..........................................193.7 vs. rush ..........................................133.7 vs. pass..........................................164.3 TEAM LEADERS Rushing: RB Ezekiel Elliott, 232 att, 1,458 yds (6.3 avg), 17 TD; QB J.T. Barrett, 73 att, 447 yds (6.1 avg), 8 TD Passing: J.T. Barrett, 65 of 101 (62.5 pct), 668 yds, 9 TD, 3 int Receiving: WR Michael Thomas, 47 rec, 659 yds (14.0 avg), 8 TD; WR Jalin Marshall, 29 rec, 417 yds (14.4 avg), 4 TD Tackles: LB Raekwon McMillan, 105 (50 solo) Interceptions: S Vonn Bell, S Tyvis Powell, CB Gareon Conley, 2 Michael Thomas

H

TWO-DEEP

KR

Offense

Michigan SCORING Michigan Opponents

1 2 3 4 OT 73 130 63 74 14 25 57 31 44 7

MICH total: 354 • Avg.: 32.2 OPP total: 164 • Avg.: 14.9

PER-GAME AVERAGES Rushing..........................................161.4 Passing .........................................227.7 vs. rush..........................................100.2 vs. pass .........................................162.9 TEAM LEADERS Rushing: RB De’Veon Smith, 145 att, 621 yds (4.3 avg), 6 TD; RB Drake Johnson, 47 att, 212 yds (4.5 avg), 3 TD Passing: Jake Rudock, 210 of 326 (64.4 pct), 2,476 yds, 16 TD, 9 int Receiving: WR Amara Darboh, 52 rec, 635 yds (12.2 avg), 5 TD; TE Jake Butt, 43 rec, 566 yds (13.2 avg), 3 TD Tackles: LB Joe Bolden, 67 (29 solo) Interceptions: S Jeremy Clark, 3

HT WT YR

NO PLAYER

LT

6-5 6-7 6-6 6-4 6-6 6-5 6-5 6-5 6-6 6-5 6-6 6-6 6-2 6-3 6-3 6-0 6-3 6-6 6-0 6-0 5-11 6-1

4 5 6 7 8 9 10 12 13 14 16 17 18 19 20 22 23 24 27 29 30 32 33 34 37 38 40 41 45 46 49 51 53 54 55 56 58 59 63 70 75 79 80 81 83 88 89 90 92 93 96

LG C RG RT TE WR WR QB

RB

52 77 71 55 61 57 67 76 78 62 88 84 82 85 86 9 15 3 36 39 4 20

Mason Cole Grant Newsome Ben Braden David Dawson Graham Glasgow Patrick Kugler Kyle Kalis Juwan Bushell-Beatty Eric Magnuson Blake Bars Jake Butt A.J. Williams Amara Darboh Maurice Ways Jehu Chesson Grant Perry Jake Rudock Wilton Speight Joe Kerridge Sione Houma De’Veon Smith Drake Johnson

42 / OREgON

HT WT YR 6-3 6-6 6-2 6-6 6-5 6-6 6-2 6-1 6-1 6-3 6-3 6-1 6-1 6-2 5-10 6-4 6-2 5-11 6-2 6-0 6-1 6-2

69 33 NT 73 50 DT 43 99 DE/LB 52 15 ILB 3 42 ILB 35 15 OLB 15 14 CB 26 34 CB 8 28 FS 22 44 SS 5 25

Willie Henry Taco Charlton Maurice Hurst Tom Strobel Chris Wormley Matt Godin Royce Jenkins-Stone James Ross Desmond Morgan Ben Gedeon Joe Bolden James Ross James Ross Allen Gant Jourdan Lewis Jeremy Clark Channing Stribling Brandon Watson Jarrod Wilson Delano Hill Jabrill Peppers Dymonte Thomas

307 285 282 282 303 288 245 241 244 248 237 241 241 227 175 210 181 191 210 212 208 195

MICHIGAN SCHEDULE 9-2, 6-1 BIG TEN EAST Sept. 3: at Utah ..............L, 24-17 Sept. 12: Oregon State.....W, 35-7 Sept. 19: UNLV ................W, 28-7 Sept. 26: BYU ..................W, 31-0

ST

UM

EDITI

JANUARY 12,

W N D

Sr. Jr. Jr. Sr. Sr. Sr. Sr. Sr. Sr. Jr. Sr. Sr. Sr. Sr. Jr. Sr. Jr. So. Sr. Jr. So. Jr.

ITION

2015

OHIO STATE IN FIRST- bEATS

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POS

Oct. 3: at Maryland..........W, 28-0 Oct. 10: Northwestern ......W, 38-0 Oct. 17: Michigan State...L, 27-23 Oct. 31: at Minnesota ....W, 29-26 Nov. 7: Rutgers...............W, 49-16 Nov. 14: at Indiana ..W, 48-41 2OT Nov. 21: at Penn State ....W, 28-16 Nov. 28: Ohio State..............Noon

20

tit$e sin#e 2002.

Sr. Sr. So. Jr. So. Sr.

Reuben Jones.............................DE John O’Korn .............................. QB Keith Washington ...................... DB Shane Morris............................. QB Tyrone Wheatley........................ .TE Mike McCray ............................. .LB Da’Mario Jones .........................WR Alex Malzone............................. QB Terry Richardson........................ DB Drake Harris ..............................WR Jack Wangler ............................WR Freddy Canteen ..........................CB A.J. Pearson.............................. DB Henry Poggi .............................. .TE Matt Mitchell............................. DB Karan Higdon .............................RB Jordan Glasgow..........................RB Wayne Lyons ............................. DB Derrick Green.............................RB Ross Taylor-Douglas ...................RB Reon Dawson ............................ DB Ty Isaac.....................................RB Wyatt Shallman..........................RB Deyanco Hardwick ......................FB Bobby Henderson .......................FB John Andrysiak.......................... .LB Kennth Sloss .............................WR Brian Cole .................................WR Chase Winovich ......................... .TE Michael Wroblewski................... .LB Anthony Dalimonte .................... DB Greg Froelich..............................OL Mario Ojemudia ..........................DE Dan Liesman ............................. .LB Garrett Miller ............................ .DL Jameson Offerdahl .................... .LB Alex Kaminski............................ .LB Noah Furbush............................ .LB Ben Pliska..................................OL Nolan Ulizio ................................OL Jon Runyan ................................OL Drew Berube............................. .DL Khalid Hill.................................. .TE Michael Jocz ............................. .TE Jaron Dukes..............................WR Jack Dunaway........................... .LB Brad Anlauf ...............................WR Bryan Mone ...............................DT Cheyenn Robertson.................... .LB Lawrence Marshall .....................DE Ryan Glasgow ........................... .DL

NO.1U

IIS& Ic HN VI E! RY!

ARY JANU

20

Kenny Allen Andrew David Blake O’Neill Kenny Allen Scott Sypniewski Andrew Robinson Blake O’Neill Jake Rudock Jabrill Peppers Jourdan Lewis Jabrill Peppers Jehu Chesson

EDITION

U S STADI ON

12, 2015



by Kyle robertson

So. Fr. Sr. Jr. Sr. Jr. Sr. So. Sr. Sr. Jr. Sr. Sr. So. Sr. Fr. Sr. So. Sr. Sr. Jr. Sr.

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STADI UM

TUESDAY, JANUARY

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Coordinator: D.J. Durkin

cHAMPIONS!

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Coach: Jim Harbaugh 9-2 in first season 67-29 in eighth season overall

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TUESDAY, JANUARY

oSUPhotoStore.com to bUy colUmbUS diSPatch front PaGe PoSterS & more today!

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The Buckeyes take the field before the national title game

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Ohio State running back Chris “Beanie” Wells leaves Brandon Harrison (27) and the Michigan defense behind as he scoots free on a 52-yard touchdown run in the second quarter of the contest dubbed “The Game of the Century.” The topranked Buckeyes and No. 2 Wolverines played one day after legendary Michigan coach Bo Schembechler died at age 77.

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BEANIE BREAKS AWAY

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11.18.2006

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OHIO STATE VS. MICHIGAN

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1969 upset recalled with humor By Rob Oller

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NOV. 28, 1942 Each week, GameDay+ takes a look at an Ohio State game played on this date:

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ime was running out on Ohio State when backup quarterback Ron Maciejowski turned to Kevin Rusnak, the Buckeyes’ third-string QB, with a word of warning. “I throw a pick late, my second. Rex (Kern) had four, so I’m coming off the field and I say to Kevin, ‘Get ready, because they might want you in a minute,’ ” Maciejowski said, recalling the final minutes of the painful 24-12 loss to Michigan in 1969 that still ranks as one of the biggest upsets in rivalry history. “And Kevin says, ‘I can’t,’ ” Maciejowski added. “He opens his cold-weather cape and doesn’t have his jersey on. He had given it to his girlfriend a couple minutes before that, in one of the rows behind the bench. I muttered, ‘Oh God.’ ” Maciejowski chuckled as he recounted the story. “And that’s why I don’t get too upset when these guys today do stupid stuff,” he said. Ohio State-Michigan — affectionately known in both school’s circles as The Game — often conjures images of football savagery. Of blue paint rubbing off on silver helmets under gray skies, of the breathy vapor of gladiators going at one another in huge open-air arenas. Behind the scenes, however, are humorous stories depicting what at the time were horrific situations. Like giving a jersey to your girlfriend during the game. Or missing the team bus to Michigan Stadium. Maciejowski need only remember the flashing lights of the police cruiser that whisked him and roommate Jim Otis to the entrance of the Ohio State locker room to remind himself that college players are not perfect. Never were, never will be.

Ohio State

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Top-ranked Ohio State committed seven turnovers and lost to a fired-up Michigan team in its first season under coach Bo Schembechler. The Wolverines were ranked 12th.

MICHIGAN 24, OHIO STATE 12 NOV. 22, 1969 "MICHIGAN STADIUM

BY QUARTERS Ohio State Michigan

2 3 4 6 0 0 17 0 0

FIRST QUARTER OSU: Jim Otis 1 run (Jan White kick failed), 7:38 MICH: Garvie Craw 2 run (Frank Titas kick), 3:35

SECOND QUARTER OSU: White 22 pass from Rex Kern (Kern run failed), 14:52 MICH: Craw 1 run (Titas kick), 11:54 MICH: Craw 2 run (Titas kick), 10:10 MICH: FG Tim Killian 25, 1:15 A: 103,588 Maciejowski and Otis thought the bus was scheduled to leave the Ann Arbor hotel for the game at 9:45 a.m. “Apparently, it was 9:40,” he said this week. “We go walking down and — no bus. We’re

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like, ‘Oh, crap. Where is the bus?’ The guy at the desk of the Ramada Inn said it already had left, so the desk manager says to jump in the hotel van and he’ll drive us.” Things went relatively smoothly until the van ran into traffic on I-94. “It was a parking lot,” Maciejowski said. “Nothing was moving, so our driver says, ‘See that cop over there? Jump out and tell him you’re Ohio State guys.’ We jump in and the cop turns on the siren and here we go.” The officer pulled inside the Michigan Stadium gate and dropped the pair at the front door of the locker room. “We open the door and the sunlight shines in and everybody is in there,” he said. “We walk in and nobody says anything, and we quietly go about our business. “A lot of crazy things happened that day.” The game was just one of them. Until Ohio State lost to Michigan State last Saturday, today’s game was being closely compared to 1969, when the 12th-ranked Wolverines stunned the No. 1 Buckeyes in

coach Bo Schembechler’s first year at UM. “They obviously were prepared to play us, but it wasn’t like they stuffed us,” Maciejowski said. “We had 400 yards, but we turned ball over, no doubt about that. It was painful.” Ohio State committed seven turnovers, including one fumble, but the biggest giveaway was the national title. A win would have secured OSU’s second straight national championship. Tom Campana, a sophomore tailback for the Buckeyes in 1969, said he learned an important lesson that day. “It was my first experience to the Ohio State-Michigan game, and what I learned was the kind of emotion you have to have going into that game, regardless of the personnel differences,” Campana said. “When you have emotion and pride going for you, you can accomplish anything. And that’s what they had. Bo brought out the best in those guys. They played as well as they had all year.” [email protected] @rollerCD

CHASINg CHAMPIONSHIP IMMORTALITy

Iowa Seahawks

Setup: It’s not news that college football was a different beast 70-plus years ago. But the underwhelming nature of the national championship chase of 1942 would shock any current fan who traveled back in time — through newspaper microfilm or, if such thing existed, bodily transit. For Ohio State, The Game was The Game — a 21-7 victory over Michigan the week before locked down a Big Ten title for the Buckeyes. The subsequent week’s game against Iowa Seahawks, a team composed of navy pre-flight officers — was considered little more than a postseason exhibition, which explained the paltry Ohio Stadium crowd of 27,259. Stars: Outsized across the line by the burlier Seahawks, whose roster included college graduates and some professionals, Ohio State took to the edges with speed and won going away. Future Heisman Trophy winner Les Horvath and Paul Sarringhaus had two touchdowns apiece, and the Buckeyes completed 6 of 7 passes for 159 yards. Turning point: Sarringhaus set the tone with a 66-yard run on the second play from scrimmage, and his 42-yard pass to Horvath late in the second quarter set up Sarringhaus’ 2-yard touchdown run to give the Buckeyes a 27-6 halftime lead. Interceptions set up two third-quarter scores for OSU to blow it open. Impact: Not that anyone was talking about it, but Ohio State’s nationaltitle chances, seemingly zero after a late October loss to Wisconsin, were revived when top-ranked Georgia was beaten by Auburn the same day as OSU’s win over Michigan. The Buckeyes stood No. 3 as they entered the game against the naval cadets, but No. 2 Georgia Tech was thumped by Georgia 34-0 and No. 1 Boston College was thrashed 55-12 by a four-loss Holy Cross team, handing Ohio State its first national title. Quotable: “These boys like to win. They plan on it, they work and sacrifice for it, have all season. I have a great bunch of boys. If they aren’t the greatest football team in the world, they’re at least the finest so far as their character and living goes. I never can hope for a better group.” — Ohio State coach Paul Brown. — Ray Stein, [email protected]

In The Chase, Bill Rabinowitz of The Columbus Dispatch goes inside the Buckeyes’ sometimes bumpy chase for championship immortality and the now legendary wins that made it a reality.

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Hackenberg sure can take a hit By Todd Jones THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

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pon further review, it appears that Penn State’s offensive line couldn’t block the Joe Paterno statue if the bronze monument still stood outside Beaver Stadium.



Count the bruises on the body of Christian Hackenberg, aka Sackenberg, if you need more proof of the Nittany Lions’ inability to pass protect. Hackenberg has been sacked an astounding 101 times in 36 starts during his three seasons as Penn State quarterback. Call him a demolition car in cleats. The beatings have been especially prevalent during James Franklin’s two years as coach of the Nittany Lions, during which Hackenberg has been sacked 80 times, including 36 this season. Michigan had four sacks of Hackenberg — and hit him hard on numerous other occasions — during a 28-16 win over Penn State last week. “He’s taken a pounding for the past year-and-a-half,” Franklin said. “The fact that he hasn’t missed a game, or really missed a series, is impressive. No one really can question Christian Hackenberg’s mental or physical toughness.” Hackenberg, as is his custom, didn’t complain after the Michigan loss about taking so many shots, a couple of which left him slow to get up. Why did he keep getting up? “Teammates. My personal pride,” Hackenberg said. “It’s part of playing this game. The guys are looking at you, and you have to leave everything you have out on that field, no matter the circumstances.” Look for Hackenberg to take another pounding today when Penn State (7-4, 4-3) closes the regular season at Michigan State, where the Spartans (10-1, 6-1) know a win earns them the East Division title and a spot in the Big Ten championship game against Iowa. Today could be Hackenberg’s last Big Ten game, although the junior won’t talk about whether or not he plans to enter the NFL draft. Draft prognosticators viewed Hackenberg as a first-round pick before this season because of his size (6 feet 4, 228 pounds) and strong arm. However, pundits now see him as a second-rounder because of his inaccuracy and inconsistency. Still, Hackenberg has already thrown for more yards (8,061) in his career than anyone in

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Spartans can book trip to Indy with win

Penn State at No. 6 Michigan State 3:30 P.M., EAST LANSING, MICH. Favorite • Michigan State by 11 Records • Penn State 7-4, 4-3 East Division; Michigan State 10-1, 6-1 East Last meeting • Michigan State won 34-10 last season in State College, Pa. Series tied 14-14-1.

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Ohio State’s Chris Worley sacks Penn State’s Christian Hackenberg as Tyvis Powell, right, arrives at the scene during the Buckeyes’ 38-10 win on Oct. 17.

BIG TEN STANDINGS LEAGUE W L PCT 6 1 .857 6 1 .857 6 1 .857 4 3 .571 1 6 .143 1 6 .143 0 7 .000

EAST Michigan State Ohio State Michigan Penn State Rutgers Indiana Maryland WEST Iowa* Northwestern Wisconsin Nebraska Illinois Minnesota Purdue

W 7 5 5 3 2 2 1

L PCT 0 1.000 2 .714 2 .714 4 .429 5 .286 5 .286 6 .143

OVERALL W L PCT 10 1 .909 10 1 .909 9 2 .818 7 4 .636 4 7 .364 5 6 .455 2 9 .182 W 11 9 8 5 5 5 2

*-clinched division

Penn State history. His 46 touchdown passes are tied with Matt McGloin for the school record. Beyond statistics, Hackenberg should be remembered for accepting a scholarship to Penn State even though the Lions weren’t bowl-eligible (an NCAA sanction since rescinded) because of the Jerry Sand-

L PCT 0 1.000 2 .818 3 .727 6 .455 6 .455 6 .286 9 .182

SCHEDULE TODAY’S GAMES

Penn State at Michigan State Ohio State 3:30 p.m................ESPN at Michigan Noon........................ABC Wisconsin at Minnesota Indiana 3:30 p.m. .................BTN at Purdue Noon........................BTN SATURDAY, DEC. 5 Maryland Big Ten at Rutgers Noon........................BTN championship game LUCAS OIL STADIUM, Northwestern INDIANAPOLIS vs. Illinois 3:30 p.m. ............ESPNU East champion vs. Iowa (Soldier Field, Chicago) 8 p.m. .......................Fox

Note: Standings do not reflect Friday’s Iowa at Nebraska result

usky scandal. Hackenberg also showed loyalty by staying at Penn State when Bill O’Brien left as coach for the NFL after helping the quarterback earn the 2013 Big Ten freshman of the year honor. His statistics have since slipped, and Penn State’s victory total hasn’t been as high as

he hoped for, but Hackenberg has at least earned the respect of his teammates. “He’s resilient. He’s a tough guy who leads by example,” tight end Brent Wilkerson said. “When you have a tough guy back there like that, you just want to keep playing for him.” [email protected] @Todd_Jones

So much is in front of Michigan State, so long as it can finish the job at home this afternoon. The Spartans’ 17-14 win at Ohio State last week placed them firmly in the driver’s seat for the Big Ten’s East Division title. Their 27-23 win over Michigan on Oct. 17 ensured that only a loss to Penn State today could derail their plans to face Iowa for the conference championship in Indianapolis. If they can win two more games, the College Football Playoff could also be in their future, as they are currently ranked fifth. But it all starts with the Nittany Lions, who are coming off a 28-16 loss to Michigan and have played inconsistently all season. Under normal circumstances, the Spartans might have been viewed as a heavier favorite over a shaky opponent, but they have dealt with injury uncertainty all season, and are in wait-and-see mode with quarterback Connor Cook, who is listed as day-to-day because of a shoulder injury. He didn’t play at Ohio State last week, though backups Tyler O’Connor and Damion Terry proved capable of managing the offense in his absence. With an offensive line that is finally healthy, Michigan State’s running game and lead back LJ Scott (577 yards, nine touchdowns) will be relied on to carry the load again. The defense has dealt with injuries as well, but might have played its best game last week, holding the Buckeyes to 132 yards — OSU’s lowest output of the season. Penn State’s defense has been the most stable part of the team, allowing just 18.6 points per game. — Chris Voloschuk

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Last chance for statement by Irish

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7:30 P.M., PALO ALTO, CALIF. Favorite • Stanford by 4 Records • Notre Dame 10-1; Stanford 9-2 Last meeting • Notre Dame won 17-14 last season in South Bend, Ind. Notre Dame leads series 19-10. Expect Notre Dame to hold nothing back when it faces Stanford today in its regular-season finale. The room for error is gone for the Fighting Irish, who lost any cushion they had with a 24-22 loss at Clemson on Oct. 4. For two weeks, they occupied the fourth seed in the College Football Playoff rankings, but fell to sixth this week. Iowa and Oklahoma were additions to the playoff top four, and No. 5 Michigan State is still in the hunt, making the Irish’s mission clear: don’t just beat Stanford this evening, but make a statement while doing it. The Irish haven’t made the best statement

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DeShone Kizer leads a Notre Dame offense that averages 34.6 points per game. in the past month-plus. On one hand, they have won six in a row to follow up the Clemson loss. And the offense has shaken off numerous injuries at the skill positions and scored 40 or more points in three of those six victories. But turnovers, as well as lapses on defense, have allowed opponents to hang around, not giving the Irish the best look of the remaining playoff contenders. A 24-20 win over Temple wasn’t assured until Notre Dame scored the

go-ahead touchdown with 2:09 left in regulation. It was outgained by Wake Forest despite winning 28-7. Last week’s 19-16 victory over Boston College included five turnovers, three inside the red zone. While the Irish will be fighting for their playoff lives, Stanford’s path is a little more clear — at least in its own conference — having already locked up the Pac-12 North Division and a spot in the title game Dec. 5 against either UCLA or

Southern Cal. A 38-36 loss to Oregon on Nov. 14 all but assured the Cardinal will not get top-four consideration. Both teams have had similar output on both sides of the ball. Notre Dame averages 34.6 points and 465.9 yards per game, while Stanford averages 36.8 and 439.0. On defense, the Irish allow 21.0 points and 357.0 yards per game, while the Cardinal has given up 22.0 points and 361.7 yards. — Chris Voloschuk

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