Ohio State and Michigan Meet, Potentially Just for Pride

If either Ohio State or Michigan had held on to beat Michigan State, a bid to the Big Ten title game would be at stake again on Saturday in the latest iteration of one of college football’s greatest rivalries.But both lost to the Spartans on the final play of the game. The Buckeyes watched a field goal sail through the uprights, and the Wolverines infamously botched a punt.Sure, Ohio State or Michigan will be pleased to win the first Urban Meyer-Jim Harbaugh matchup. They will walk off the field and up a steep tunnel, though, not knowing if they will play next week in Indianapolis for the conference championship. And later in the day, they will root for the sixth-ranked Spartans to get upset at home by Penn State.The eighth-ranked Buckeyes (10-1, 6-1 Big Ten, No. 8 CFP) and 12th-ranked Wolverines (9-2, 6-1, No. 10 CFP) insist they are going to play as if a spot in the conference championship is absolutely on the line when they face each other.”It could be at stake, so why not prepare for it?” Michigan linebacker Joe Bolden said.Here are some things to watch in the 112th Ohio State-Michigan game:A NEW ERA: Meyer and Harbaugh will match wits against each other for the first time. The first-year Michigan coach and former quarterback refused to add to the angle, dismissing the importance of people who will not block or tackle. At least some of Harbaugh’s players, including tight end Jack Butt, were a little more forthcoming. “I think it is going to mean a lot to him to be back here and coaching in this game,” Butt said.HIGH SCHOOL REUNION: A key to the game likely will be how much pressure Buckeyes defensive end Joey Bosa can get on Michigan QB Jake Rudock, once a teammate at St. Thomas Aquinas in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. If the 6-foot-6, 275-pound Bosa skips his senior season, he might be the No…

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