Saturday marks the biggest game of the year in college football as #1 Ohio State meets #2 Michigan in the regular season finale at the horseshoe. In its 103 year history, no Buckeye-Wolverine matchup has ever had more implications riding on it than this one. The winner of this game will not only have bragging rights in this heated rivalry, but also be crowned Big Ten champions and secure their spot in the BCS National Championship Game on January 8 in Glendale, Arizona.

On one side you have the Ohio State Buckeyes who are undefeated at 11-0 and have had a strangle hold on the #1 spot in the polls since the preseason. They’ve beaten opponents by an average of 28 points per game with their closest margin of victory coming against Illinois 2 weeks ago 17-10. They are lead by Heisman Trophy frontrunner senior quarterback Troy Smith who is 24-2 as a starter and has never lost to the Wolverines in two games. Smith and his high octane junior receivers, Anthony Gonzalez and Ted Ginn Jr., have been scorching secondaries all year long. Did I mention that they have a 1,000 yard running back in junior Antonio Pittman who averages just under 100 yards per game? On the other side of the ball, Jim Tressel has talent up to his ears on a defense that is ranked 1^st in scoring defense, 6^th in passing defense, and 8^th in total defense. Don’t even think about sleeping on Ohio State on special teams because they have one of the most electrifying punt returners in the country in Ted Ginn Jr. who can take it the distance every time he touches the ball. So far this season no team has been able to find the chink in the Buckeye armor that seems to be impenetrable on offense, defense, and special teams.

On the opposite side of the field are the Michigan Wolverines, a team who has had to play second fiddle to the Buckeyes in the national championship picture and in their own conference. Despite blowing out Notre Dame on the road earlier this season, Coach Lloyd Carr leads a team into Columbus that has been overlooked and underrated by the polls, computers, and writers all year long. Since becoming the coach at Michigan, Carr has had a Scarlett and Gray chip on his shoulders and Jim Tressel (for the most part) has had his number his entire tenure. With a win, he and his team would finally get the respect that they’ve been looking for all season and would claim the #1 spot in the polls and play for the national championship. At the helm is junior quarterback Chad Henne who has thrown for over 1,900 yards this season. He will have his star wide receiver and favorite target Mario Manningham at full strength along with fellow wide out/return man Steve Breaston at his disposal in this contest. Michael Hart, who is 6^th in the nation in rushing average at 125 yards per game, will definitely be a big part of Lloyd Carr’s offensive game plan to control the clock and keep Troy Smith off of the field. On the other side of the ball lies a team who plays as ferocious as their team name, the Wolverines. They rank 3^rd in the nation in total defense and 1^st in rushing defense. They have a front four lead by senior defensive lineman LaMarr Woodley who averages a sack a game who will really disrupt things up front for Michigan. When teams like Michigan play for respect, you can throw records, stats, and playbooks out of the window. Sometimes playing with more passion and hunger can give a team the edge that they need to achieve victory.

It will definitely be a game for the ages as The Ohio State University takes on The Big Blue of Michigan for the 104^th time on Saturday afternoon. One could say that with all of the hype surrounding this matchup, the winner will more than likely be crowned the national champion because these two are definitely the best teams in the country.