Something to talk about

War of words focus shifts to Michigan

The most striking example of how backward this season is for Michigan and Ohio State as compared to the last two, is the normally taciturn approach Michigan coach Lloyd Carr is taking to the trash-talking game.

"I agree with David Boston," Carr said referring to the Buckeyes' wide receiver, who opened the war of words following Ohio State's victory on Saturday. "I think Ohio State should be two- or three-touchdown favorites."

Boston's well-publicized comments Saturday were: "If our offense and defense are clicking, we should beat (Michigan) by two or three touchdowns. We're going to go up there and upset them. I think we're better than Michigan."

The season finale for the Wolverines and the Buckeyes the past two seasons has been set with an undefeated and second-ranked Ohio State team squaring off against a Michigan team with three losses and ranked in the bottom half of the top 25.

MARGARET MYERS/Daily Chris Floyd, who has displayed courageous performances while fighting injuries, is more of the silent type when it comes to verbal battles. While Floyd has not provided the Buckeyes with bulletin-board material, Ohio State wide receiver David Boston was far more outgoing. According to Charles Woodson, Boston's comments are already on the Michigan lockerroom wall.

This year, the roles are reversed and Michigan is playing the part of favorite. But it hasn't changed the attitude in the Wolverines' lockerroom.

Demeaning comments will usually make it on to a team's bulletin board. In fact, Michigan cornerback Charles Woodson said that Boston's words have been plastered on the walls of Schembechler Hall and the Wolverines' lockerroom as a form of inspiration.

"If someone keeps saying your name, you know they're thinking about you," Woodson said. "It's flattering."

But words can only go so far in this rivalry. The most powerful intangible in this game is emotion - something neither team should have trouble amassing.

"If I have to get them up for this game, then something is wrong with our program," Carr said. "Regardless of what has happened in the past, this is our biggest rivalry game.

"In my estimation, this is one of the greatest rivalries in collegiate athletics and if you are red-blooded, then you are going to be excited."

But lapsing those emotions is the critical point for both teams, as they have learned in past seasons. Players have let their mouths say perhaps a little too much, as Boston did, often regretting their comments later.

"Being emotional is not a problem for this game," Michigan quarterback Brian Griese said. "The only problem is calming down those emotions because there is so much tradition in this game. It will come down to who will calm their nerves the best."

The emotion behind this rivalry really began to mount in the 1970s when Bo Schembechler's Michigan teams routinely battled Woody Hayes' Buckeyes for the Big Ten's Rose Bowl bid.

Schembechler, a former Hayes assistant, who took the reins at Michigan in 1969, pulled off a miraculous upset in his first year at the Wolverines' helm, defeating the top-ranked, defending-champion Buckeyes.

As far as upsets are concerned, this is not the year where one team will shock the other, as both are ranked in the top four. But the magnitude of this game, which includes Big Ten rings, Rose Bowl bids and national title implications, makes it the most heavily anticipated tilt - from a Michigan point of view - since 1974, the last time the Wolverines entered this game undefeated.

Michigan lost that contest, 12-10, sending the Buckeyes to Pasadena.

A loss for the Wolverines this year won't necessarily mean roses for Ohio State, however. The Buckeyes need to win and hope that Penn State loses one of its final two games - against Wisconsin and at Michigan State - in order to a avoid a three-way tie for first place in the Big Ten. In the latter scenario, Michigan advances to Pasadena by virtue of the Big Ten's final tiebreaker - the team whose Rose Bowl absence is longest.

But as in any season, the Wolverines do not want another team to determine their postseason destination. And they most certainly do not want to share their first Big Ten title in five years.

"This is a real shot for us to get our dream that we have worked hard for all season long," tailback Chris Howard said. "There have been a lot of scenarios on getting to the Rose Bowl. What we are worried about is winning the Big Ten championship outright."

News or noise?

While the weekend soundbites came from Columbus and Ohio State wide receiver David Boston, yesterday Michigan's players and coach got the chance to talk back. Here's a sampling of the early-week chatter.

"I agree with David Boston. I think Ohio State should be two- or three-touchdown favorites." - Coach Lloyd Carr

"Being emotional is not a problem for this game. The only problem is calming down those emotions. It will come down to who calms their nerves the best." - Quarterback Brian Griese

"I was surprised (Boston) made those comments so early. But he'll have to see me on Saturday." "I was never an Ohio State kid. There was never a question of crossing over." - Cornerback Charles Woodson

11-18-97