By: Ned Dutton (BleacherReport.com) -- A new chapter in the greatest rivalry in sports will begin this Saturday when Ohio State and Michigan take the field. For the first time since 1995, Lloyd Carr will not be coaching the Maize and Blue. Instead, Rich Rodriguez will be exposed to the greatest spectacle in college football for the first time. Forget, for a week, that Michigan is 3-8. Forget that Ohio State is favored by 19 points. Those numbers are meaningless—this is Ohio ... Read More

By: AP via ChicagoTribune.com -- ANN ARBOR, Mich. - Rich Rodriguez loves to win and hates to lose as much as anyone. Michigan's coach, though, tries to keep as much perspective as he can. Rodriguez has his wife and kids around him after practices, at the team hotel and on bus trips to the stadium. His office door is always wide open, allowing visitors to say hello. Heading into his first Michigan-Ohio State game -- where the Wolverines are expected to extend their dubious record with ... Read More

By: DON EDEN (DowagiacNews.com) -- ANN ARBOR - History was achieved as the Michigan football team lost for the eighth time as Northwestern won 21-14 on Saturday with nine losses almost assured with the Wolverines visiting Ohio State in the final game for first-year coach Rich Rodriguez in 2008. The "before" picture is not a pretty one but the "after" photo will be better looking was the best way Rodriguez could describe the fortunes of the program. Northwestern (8-3,4-3) tried to help early as ... Read More

By: John Heuser (The Ann Arbor News) -- In his Monday morning news conference, University of Michigan coach Rich Rodriguez said that quarterback Steven Threet has a shoulder injury and is doubtful for Saturday's season finale at Ohio State. Threet has started eight times this season, but missed the Nov. 8 Purdue game because of a concussion. He came off the bench to relieve Nick Sheridan last weekend in a loss to Northwestern, but was injured in the fourth quarter. Sheridan, who has completed ... Read More

By: Detroit News wire services -- The Michigan-Ohio State line opened with the Buckeyes being a 19-point favorite, matching the largest spread in the rivalry. Ohio State also was favored by 19 in 1962, and went on to win, 28-0. "It's 0-0 when you start," Michigan coach Rich Rodriguez said. "If they're favored by whatever and up 21-0 before you kick off, that's tough. But it's 0-0 when you start. We've got some young guys and they've got some young guys." Michigan (3-8, 2-5 ... Read More

By: AP via ESPN.com -- CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- Beanie Wells ran for 143 yards and a touchdown and Terrelle Pryor added another 110 yards Saturday in No. 11 Ohio State's 30-20 win over Illinois. The victory kept the Buckeyes (9-2, 6-1) in the chase for the Big Ten title. It was also revenge for last year's 28-21 loss to the Illini (5-6, 3-4), which ended Ohio State's pursuit of a perfect season. On a windy, 40-degree day, Wells carried the load for the Buckeyes. He ... Read More

By: Doug Lesmerises (Cleveland.com) -- Columbus - Just 371 days ago, Illinois devastated Ohio State on Senior Day, ruining an undefeated OSU season with a 28-21 upset. "This was our season," OSU captain Kirk Barton said after that loss. Except it wasn't. The crushing defeated turned out to be a minor inconvenience. The Buckeyes still won an outright Big Ten title and still made it to the national championship game. They got everything they wanted, and there turned out to be no difference between ... Read More

By: AP via The International Herald Tribune -- CHAMPAIGN, Ill.: Ohio State got a boost last week from a team not even on its schedule. Iowa's upset of Penn State renewed Ohio State's hopes for winning the Big Ten and reaching the Rose Bowl. "We were riding the bus home from the airport when the Iowa kicker kicked it through and you could see that peaked interest," Tressel said. No. 10 Ohio State (8-2, 5-1) can earn a share of the Big Ten title and ... Read More

By: Stu Durando (Pantagraph.com) -- CHAMPAIGN -- Juice Williams has had two opportunities to catch Terrelle Pryor’s act for Ohio State this season, games in which the freshman quarterback has led the Buckeyes to a total of nine points and zero wins. But no one associated with Illinois suspects the offense that scored three points against USC and six against Penn State will be on hand Saturday when the Illini and Buckeyes tangle at 11 a.m. “Being a freshman in the Big Ten, you ... Read More

By: AP via Cleveland.com -- COLUMBUS, Ohio — What's brewing today with the 2008 Ohio State Buckeyes ... BUCKEYES BUZZ:@ It seems everybody is talking about where the Buckeyes will play in a bowl game. Speculation online, on TV and on radio talk shows runs the gamut from the Fiesta Bowl vs. Texas Tech, to the Capital One Bowl vs. Alabama, and almost every place imaginable in between. Scout.com/FoxSports.com looks into the crystal ball and sees the Buckeyes playing Alabama in the Sugar Bowl. ... Read More

By: Jim Naveau (LimiaOhio.com) -- COLUMBUS - Hitting the big time is one thing. Almost hitting the big time is something else. Earlier this week, several national news outlets reported that Tony Dow, who played big brother Wally on the 1950s television series "Leave it to Beaver", would have one of his sculptures displayed at the Louvre. As it turns out, Dow's bronze sculpture of a warrior with no arms will be displayed at a show in an exhibition hall at a Paris shopping ... Read More

By: Bruce Hooley (Special to FOXSports.com) -- He's the most popular guy in America these days, because he's restored hope for the future by providing a change we can believe in. It's frightening, really, to ponder just how dreadful our plight would be without Iowa sophomore kicker Daniel Murray. Until his 31-yard field goal in the swirling wind and frigid temperatures Saturday at Kinnick Stadium, our country faced yet another daunting inevitability. But the instant Murray converted, vanquishing previously-unbeaten Penn State in a 24-23 ... Read More

BY: HERB GOULD (SunTimes.com) -- Illinois hasn't won as many games as it would like this year, but it hasn't lost the belief that it can surprise No. 10 Ohio State on Saturday and revive a fading season. For all of their troubles, the Illini -- coming off a disappointing loss to Western Michigan -- have not lost two games in a row. And they pulled off a major upset when they handed the top-ranked Buckeyes their first loss last November in Columbus. ''Like ... Read More

By: JON SPENCER (NewarkAdvocate.com) -- If I’m reading this week’s Big Ten football statistics correctly, quarterbacks Terrelle Pryor and Juice Williams are not only dual threats, but two-faced as well. Crunching their numbers reminds me of the “Seinfeld” episode where his girlfriend looks pretty one moment and pretty ugly the next. It’s like sizing yourself in the mirror at home compared to the bright lights of the department store changing room. What are you supposed to believe? Good Terrelle leads the Big Ten in pass efficiency. Bad ... Read More

By: Adam Jardy (Scout.com) -- A senior season that did not see things go according to plan for Dublin (Ohio) Scioto safety prospect Bradley McDougald now has him seeking a new future. BuckeyeSports.com has learned that McDougald's commitment to Ohio State has been rescinded and his future now remains uncertain. Dublin (Ohio) Scioto defensive back Bradley McDougald is no longer committed to Ohio State, BuckeyeSports.com has learned. In an e-mail message, head coach Karl Johnson said the three-star safety prospect is no ... Read More