Silverman: Stakes High As Michigan And Ohio State Renew College Football's Best Rivalry

By Steve Silverman
» More Columns

College football is largely a big pool of hypocrisy defined by bloated coaches with even-more bloated salaries, but there are moments when it presents the most compelling story on the sports stage.

One of those moments comes at high noon Saturday when the Big Ten takes center stage. It's Michigan-Ohio State in a matchup that is far more important than just being a elimination game for this year's college football playoffs.

The No. 2 Buckeyes and No. 3 Wolverines both enter the game with 10-1 records that would have been perfect if not for a bit of carelessness in road games against Penn State and Iowa, respectively.

This is a game that is reminiscent of the 10-year war between the two schools when Bo Schembechler was on the sidelines for Michigan and Woody Hayes stomped the sidelines for Ohio State from 1969 through 1978.

Those games may seem like a couple of lifetimes ago, but those two football icons led teams of fierce warriors into a series of brutal and nasty encounters.

Bo and Woody have morphed into Jim Harbaugh and Urban Meyer, and those two are nearly at the top of the college football mountain. Nick Saban is up ahead, and he may be impossible to catch.

This is what a rivalry is supposed to be, but Michigan has just a little bit of work to do. The Wolverines have lost 11 of the last 12 meetings.

This year's matchup would appear to be dead even, but Michigan seems unlikely to have starting quarterback Wilton Speight for the second straight game after he injured his left (nonthrowing) shoulder. John O'Korn is a decent backup, but that may not be enough to beat J.T. Barrett and the Buckeyes.

But what Michigan does have is a powerful defense, led by Heisman candidate Jabrill Peppers along with Chris Wormley and Jourdan Lewis. They will give Barrett a run for his money.

Harbaugh operates under the time-tested theory that defense will allow a team to hang in for 60 minutes.

"Any big game, any championship game, any road game, you've got to pack your defense," Harbaugh said. "Our guys will be ready for the challenge."

But one of the most notable aspects of the rivalry is the respect between the two teams. There may be a high degree of hatred during the game and it may be played with boiling anger for 60 minutes, but both schools acknowledge each other's achievements.

Meyer, who grew up in Ohio, spoke about the way Hayes and Schembechler prepared their teams.

"They handled themselves with incredible class, toughness, demanded of their players, and you got to see that every time those two teams played," Meyer said. "So, that's my memory, and that's how we go about our business here."

Meyer went on to call it the greatest rivalry in sports.

Giants and Jets fans who are not convinced of this game's importance will still have reason to watch. Both teams have a slew of pro prospects that could influence NFL games for the next five to 10 years.

Start with Peppers, who is a safety by trade but will influence this game as a return specialist and with his ability to play on the offensive side of the ball. Once he gets to the NFL, he will be a lights-out defensive back and a game-changing punt returner.

Ohio State running back Curtis Samuel may not be the equivalent of Cowboys rookie Ezekiel Elliott, but he is not far behind. The junior has 650 rushing yards this season and 790 receiving yards along with 14 combined touchdowns.

Michigan tight end Jake Butt is the kind of receiver who will find a way to get open on third down, make the tough catch in traffic and then bounce off a couple of tacklers before going down. He caught 51 passes last year and has 38 receptions this year, and the Wolverines need a big game from him.

Buckeyes cornerback Gareon Conley is an ideal cover corner who will be up to the challenge of staying with Michigan's best receivers. At 6 feet and 198 pounds, he may be on the small side, but he does not back down, and he has the skills and technique to win the battle.

Prediction: Ohio State 28, Michigan 27.

Follow Steve on Twitter at @ProFootballBoy