Ohio State’s offense clicking as Peppers, Michigan arrive

After 112 games between the two teams, including the last 99 years in a row and 77 Big Ten championships between them, no reminders of the importance of this game are necessary for Ohio State or MI. “But us versus them (Ohio State against Michigan), is just another level”, Lewis said. “I’ll definitely try to just block everything out, stay off my phone, not have the TV on or anything like that”.

“When I was at Notre Dame, the USC-Notre Dame rivalry, Florida-Florida State, BYU-Utah, Bowling Green-Toledo. I think you’ll see both guys”.

“I actually remember it very well”, Meyer said.

Still, the Red Sox vs. the Yankees is one of the great rivalries in the history of sports and that one was completely one-sided for 85 years.

We’re going to play in the Rose Bowl this year, I guarantee it. You can throw the records out the window for this one.

They are the only one-loss team that hasn’t lost to a school that was unranked at the time. Many Toledoans look north to vacation in MI and cheer on the Wolverines and the Detroit Tigers.

In the bubble: Former MSU star Kirk Cousins had an exceptional game Sunday night in Washington’s 42-24 win over Green Bay, going 21 of 30 for 375 yards and three touchdowns.

Who has control of the Beaver Stadium remote is just another dynamic on a big Saturday in State College this coming weekend. MI holds an 11-game lead mainly due to the early years from 1897-1918, during which they were not defeated once by Ohio State.

A bold proclamation, and maybe tipping the maize and blue cap?

Legendary Ohio State coach Woody Hayes hung the “TTUN” moniker on MI so he wouldn’t have to say the name of the hated state and school. What the hell we talking about? In the ’70s, the ten-year war.

MI tight end Jake Butt, who graduated from the same suburban Columbus high school as Elflein, said he can’t wait to get on the field at Ohio Stadium. O’Korn also will face a stout Ohio State defense that’s given up just 12 touchdowns this season and allowed only four rushing TDs.

“It’s a great opportunity and tremendous challenge”, he said in one of his many brief answers.

Not since 2006 have the stakes been so high, with the victor likely to move on for consideration for the College Football Playoff.

The story of the Ohio State-Michigan rivalry will always best be told through the tale of Woody and Bo. Yeah Harbaugh has seemingly elevated MI back among the elite, but when you stack the two up, there’s really no comparison.

Ohio State now sits at No. 2 in the College Football Rankings and ultimately the Buckeyes control their own fate going forward.

“I don’t know if I’ve ever considered a gap”, he said, adding: “And if there is, it doesn’t matter”.

Has the gap closed?

“I grew in North Carolina, so I knew North Carolina-Duke basketball”.

“We don’t like them, and they don’t like us”, quarterback J.T. Barrett said.

The nation will be watching and the stakes have arguably never been higher for the two teams.

After a slow start to the season, Lyle turned it around in the past three games and even made an impact on the defensive end.

Speight was reportedly out for the season, but Harbaugh was coy this week, possibly leaving the door open that he may play Saturday. “It’s an honor to play with each and every one of them”. “We’re going to do our job – run the ball and protect the quarterback”. “This is the best rivalry in all of sport”.

MI head coach Jim Harbaugh looks up at the scoreboard from the sideline in the second quarter of an NCAA college football game against in in Ann Arbor, Mich., Saturday, Nov. 19, 2016. When Ohio State people came over to visit, we’d sneak an “Oh How I Hate Ohio State” maize-and-blue bumper sticker on the back of their auto.