First Posted: 11/26/2013
COLUMBUS – There were more than the last leaves of autumn fluttering in the breeze when Ohio State defensive lineman Michael Bennett came out of the tunnel at his first Ohio State-Michigan game in Michigan Stadium two years ago.
“When we were walking out of the tunnel, guys were waving dollar bills and stuff at us,” Bennett said, referring to some Michigan fans’ jab at the Buckeyes’ memorabilia for tattoos troubles in 2011.
It was a welcome to the rivalry moment for Bennett, who was a freshman in 2011.
“I didn’t have any feelings toward that team up north and I didn’t understand it until we got there,” Bennett said. “Then I guess I bought in.”
The rivalry is still put on a pedestal by Ohio State coach Urban Meyer and Michigan coach Brady Hoke.
And their players constantly refer to it as the greatest rivalry in sports, or at least in college sports.
This year for Ohio State, the stakes are high – a perfect season, a 23-games-and-counting winning streak, the possibility of playing for the national championship and pride.
Michigan’s motivation is mostly pride after a so-far disappointing season in which the Wolverines find themselves in fifth place in the Big Ten’s Legends Division.
One indication that the rivalry might not be burning quite as brightly this year, though, is that there could be a significant amount of scarlet and gray in the seats at Michigan Stadium when the two rivals play on Saturday.
Late Tuesday there were 5,694 tickets to the game available on stubhub.com, one of the major secondary ticket market web sites. And 42 of those tickets priced below the face value of $95.
Hoke said seeing scarlet and gray where the expectation would be to see maize and blue would be disappointing but not a big concern.
“It would be disappointing,” he said at his press conference on Monday. “You’ve got 18 seniors who are playing their last game. There’s a bunch of them who have been a part of a lot of good things that have been accomplished on campus and on the football field.
“People are fickle. That’s just the way it is. It’s the world we live in,” he said.
Ohio State’s players insist the rivalry is still as big as ever for them.
“I don’t think we would ever have a hard time getting up for that team up north,” Bennett said.
“Not many teams can say they went 12-0 two years in a row, not many teams in NCAA history. And then you cap it off with that team up north to end it out, it’s a great feeling,” he said.
Cornerback Bradley Roby says he is eager to get back to Michigan Stadium. The last time Ohio State was there, Michigan won 40-34 to end a 7-game Ohio State winning streak.
“I love it because the fans are crazy. They’re all against us and things like that. We don’t like them and they don’t like us. I just can’t wait for the game.”
Freshman wide receiver Dontre Wilson is in a similar position to Bennett two years ago with no first-hand experience in this game.
“I watched the game on television last year. I don’t really know that much about it but I’m sure I’m going to find out pretty soon,” he said.
