Seth's 50 Centers

My first Ohio State-Michigan memory is from 1987, when Earle Bruce had been fired and the Buckeyes went up north and won it for their lame-duck coach.

Buckeyeville was a wasteland after that for me. Year after year of cheering on my newfound love and John Cooper seemed more interested in selling hot tubs than beating those mouth breathers.

After losing the first four times to that team up north, Cooper orchestrated the “greatest win” in program history in a freakin tie in 1992!

There was 1993, when I was at Model United Nations talking up the team to kids from around the state, and Michigan had infiltrated some of the representatives from Toledo and Sandusky, making a 28-0 defeat all the more frustrating to bear.

Then came 1995, when OSU seemingly had a machine of an offense, including the best running back this side of Archie Griffin in Eddie George, but some guy named Tshimanga Biakabutuka decided that’d be the day he earned his NFL paycheck and ran for over 300 yards against us.

There was 1996, with a shot at another national title at stake, when the best cornerback in college football slipped on a perfectly fine field, allowing Tai Streets to catch the ball and all the glory in a 13-9 decision.

Even 1998 was tainted by the fact Cooper couldn’t beat that other team up north en route to a disappointing one-loss season with a team that had the best collection of talent I’ve ever seen.

I was at Ohio State for the games from 1997-2000, only getting one win along the way. I know what it felt like to go to Thanksgiving all those years with a dark cloud hanging over me. Sure, being around family dulled the pain, but 2-10-1 still remained.

Then came Jim Tressel with his promise, not that we’d win up there, but that we’d have something to be proud of. Boy, was he right. It began with an unexpected win in 2001 and has continued every year since, minus 2003.

Saturday proved a bit anticlimactic compared to other seasons, like 2006, when it was No. 1 vs. No. 2, but as someone who wasn’t around for Woody, and can’t remember most of Earle’s five wins in nine years against that squad, a win is a win to me!

Go Bucks!

NFL Picks

Brian’s system of picking the total score foiled him as he and Jeremiah each dialed up 13 wins, but Jeremiah was closer to the score with 55, giving him the win.

Jeremiah 13-3 (plus 1 for winning the week)
Brian 13-3
The CPA 12-4
Jessica 12-4
tgd 12-4
Grandpa 11-5
JMB 11-5
gatorbuckeye 11-5
Jack 10 11-5
Seth 10-6
Adman 10-6
tom s 10-6
bermuda funk 9-7
Howard 8-8
Big Game 8-8
Crazed Wolverine 8-8
nora peanut 8-8
mary the nurse 8-8
Kara 7-9

Overall standings

Adman 116-59 (plus 1)
The CPA 114-61
Brian 114-61
Seth 113-62
Howard 110-65 (plus 1)
JMB 108-50 (plus 2)
gatorbuckeye 108-67 (plus 1)
Big Game 108-67 (plus 1)
Kara 106-69 (plus 2)
bermuda funk 106-69
Jessica 105-70
tom s 99-62 (plus 1)
Crazed Wolverine 98-77 (plus 1)
Jack 10 97-78
mary the nurse 96-79
nora peanut 94-81
Grandpa 89-55 (plus 1)
Jeremiah 84-47 (plus 1)
tgd 69-49
Nick 47-39
Randy 9-7

NFL Week Thirteen

Tennessee (10-1) at Detroit (0-11)
Seattle (2-9) at Dallas (7-4)
Arizona (7-4) at Philadelphia (5-5-1)
San Francisco (3-8) at Buffalo (6-5)
Baltimore (7-4) at Cincinnati (1-9-1)
Indianapolis (7-4) at Cleveland (4-7)
Carolina (8-3) at Green Bay (5-6)
Miami (6-5) at St. Louis (2-9)
New Orleans (6-5) at Tampa Bay (8-3)
NY Giants (10-1) at Washington (7-4)
Atlanta (7-4) at San Diego (4-7)
Pittsburgh (8-3) at New England (7-4)
Denver (6-5) at NY Jets (8-3)
Kansas City (1-10) at Oakland (3-8)
Chicago (6-5) at Minnesota (6-5)
Jacksonville (4-7) at Houston (4-7) Pts. ______

Make your picks by using the “Comments” section under the headline.