By: Angelique S. Chengelis (The Detroit News) —
The way former Ohio State linebacker Chris Spielman sees it, Michigan is headed for something unimaginably horrible on the football field Saturday.

Yes, it could be that awful for the Wolverines (3-8), directed by Rich Rodriguez, in his first season at U-M, when they play at No. 10 Ohio State. The Buckeyes, who have a share of the Big Ten title on the line in the regular season-ending rivalry, are 6-1 against Michigan under coach Jim Tressel.

Spielman and fellow former Buckeye Kirk Herbstreit, who both currently work for ESPN as college football analysts, joined WBNS 1460 host Bruce Hooley on the Columbus radio station’s “The Big Show” Monday afternoon.
Both analysts have seen plenty of Michigan this year, either live or on film, and they candidly weighed in on the Wolverines and the upcoming game.

“This team has no confidence, man,” Spielman said. “They’re dead men walking. They’re all walking the Green Mile.”

Spielman said he doesn’t think the score will be close — Michigan is a three-touchdown underdog and hasn’t beaten Ohio State since 2003 - but admitted that as the cliché goes, anything could happen.

“It could, but it’s highly unlikely - they’re not very good,” Spielman said. “The problem Michigan has is they know they’re not very good, and the coaches know they’re not very good, and the fans know that they’re not very good.”

Herbstreit said he definitely can see the Buckeyes winning by a three-touchdown margin.

“I’m the first guy, just like Spiels to say, ‘Hey, this game’s a rivalry, it’s special, you never know, expect the unexpected,’” Herbstreit said. “Not this year. I think Ohio State will go in, they’ll be motivated, they’ll be ready, they’ll be hyped-up, the stadium will be hyped-up.”

Yes, the rivalry is special, and that’s why Herbstreit said he’s disappointed Michigan is not very good this season. He sounded sincere when he said he prefers to see both teams at their best when they play The Game.

“I think this is a great example of why I like to see Michigan be a very good, very competitive team,” Herbstreit said. “They’re 3-8 on their way to 3-9. And this is like the year somebody told you about Santa Claus. This is like, take all the wind out of the sails.

“I know it’s still Ohio State-Michigan, and when the teams run out onto the field, it’s still special, but this is just, like, anti-climatic. They’re going to run onto the field, and ‘Booooooo!’ Who you booing? They’re 3-8. If they didn’t have to be there, they wouldn’t be there. They’re sorry that they have to be there. They don’t want to be. They’re going to take the game, get it over with and get out of there. If they were 9-2, if there’s a championship on the line, that’s what this game’s all about. I just don’t get any joy out of seeing - I think it’s awful. I think it’s terrible.”

Spielman, who played for the Lions, said he doesn’t mind seeing Michigan like this.

“I love seeing them beaten down,” Spielman said.

“It’s not our fault that Michigan’s bad. What do you want us to do? Give ‘em some of our players to make it fair? Spread the wealth around amongst all these football players? They’re not holding up their end of the bargain. It’s on them.”

Herbstreit, playing the voice of reason, said he wants the rivalry intact and between two competitive teams.

“I understand that, it’s on them,” he said. “But the rivalry is built upon the game meaning so much to both sides. When I think about being a little kid and watching that game, I think of great Ohio State and great Michigan teams, and that’s the way I wish it was every year.”

“I wish it was, too, but they screwed up. They had to go and mess it up. They got their dirty maize-and-blue hands on it, they screwed it up,” Spielman said. “The point is, they’ll be back, it’s just not for two more years. I don’t think anybody’s fired up, because it’s a dog team, but these things happen if you play long enough.”

Former Michigan Heisman Trophy winner Desmond Howard, also an ESPN analyst, joined the show in its second hour, and he was peppered with questions about the state of Michigan’s football program.

He said popular thinking would have him dreading the Michigan-Ohio State game this season based on the team’s performance through eight losses.

“I made a comment (Sunday) night on our show that it’s not like they were trying to learn a spread offense like they were trying to learn how to play football in some of those games, they looked so bad,” Howard said.

“This isn’t Michigan, this is like Michigan Tech. They’ve improved but not to where they should be at this point by any stretch of the imagination.”

Howard was asked, if the Wolverines have a dismal 2009 season, would Rodriguez last at U-M?

“Michigan fans have never been in this situation, so the patience thing is a big question to me now,” Howard said. “There’s no way in the world he can have a season next year like he had this year and still be in Ann Arbor. That would not happen.”

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