A Visit from Beyond...

It's 2:30 on Saturday, an hour before the kickoff of what may be the biggest college football game ever. Number 1 Ohio State vs. Number 2 Michigan. The Buckeye players sit in the locker room, eagerly awaiting the arrival of head coach Jim Tressel for his pregame speech. Surely he'll have something special to say, they think. After all, this was the man who in his first public appearance as head coach promised the crowd at an OSU basketball game that they would be proud of the football team in 310 days in Ann Arbor.

Tressel and the rest of the coaching staff walk in, but instead of standing up front, they all take seats with the players. As they look around wondering what is going on, a shadowy figure emerges. It does not take long for everyone to realize who it is. The hat, the red shirt, the glasses, they're all dead giveaways. It's Woody, and he's come to give the boys a pep talk.

"Men, in a little less than an hour from now, you will be taking part in history. You will be participating in the biggest sporting rivalry our great nation has to offer. For some of you, this will be your last time playing this game, and for others, your first. But no matter how many times you have been involved in this battle, I sincerely hope your hatred for that state up north is as strong as it's ever been.

"Now I'm sure most if not all of you heard the story of this great rivalry before, but since I'm a great admirer of history, I'll tell it to you again. The animosity first began in the 1830s, when both Ohio and Michigan laid claim to the Toledo area. Since Ohio was a state and had voting power, while Michigan was still only a territory, the government gave the land to Ohio, just as militias were preparing for a war.

"The football games began in 1897, and in the early years, Michigan kicked our asses. Once I was hired, though, I made it a point to never let that happen. In my first eighteen seasons I won twelve times, and in many of those games the Big Ten and national championships were on the line for one and or the other. Then, there was the Ten Year War against my friend and former assistant Bo Schembechler. I went 5-4-1 against him, but managed to share the Big Ten title with him six times.

"In the decade after I left the series was virtually even, but that changed when John Cooper came along. As great of a coach as he was, he could not beat Michigan, and that is why he is not in this room right now. He had some fantastic teams, top five several times, but he only won the game twice, costing him at least two national titles. This man you have now, Mr. Tressel, now he's the right man for this game. That thing he said at the basketball game when he was hired? I was watching from up there, and I loved it.

"But enough about history. Today is your history. For the first time ever Michigan and The Ohio State are entering their game in the top two spots in the rankings, with the winner going on to the national championship game. If that doesn't make you want to go out there and kill this team, then you don't deserve to put on shoulder pads. This is the biggest game ever in the biggest rivalry ever. The hell with those flashy southern teams and the ones out west. The best goddamn football is right here in the Big Ten, the best game of the season is happening right here, and the best fucking team in the country is right here in this room!

"Men, this is more than a football game; this is war. This is the resumption of that battle 160 years ago, when people from Michigan thought they could come in to our turf and claim it as their own. You have been chosen to defend your land, no matter what the cost. You are playing this game for your state, for your classmates, your families, your friends, Ohio State alumni, and anyone who has ever put on the Scarlet and Gray, whether it was to play for us or cheer for us on a Saturday afternoon. Rose Bowls and national titles are all well and good, but what matters most is beating Michigan. You can lose every game by 100 points, but if you win this game, people will be happy, and the season will be a success.

"I said a little while ago that you guys were making your own history today, and you really are. This is not like any other game in this rivalry, or in the entire history of college football. I coached some of these games where both teams were unbeaten, but never when it was 1 versus 2. But you guys, you are now living that dream, and I hope you appreciate it. Years from now you will be able to tell your children and grandchildren that you participated in one of the greatest moments in sporting history: The Ohio State-Michigan game.

"And men, I sincerely hope you can add to that phrase...'AND WE WON!'"