Run for the Roses: Big Two, little nine

There is the best and then there is the rest. The two best teams in the Big 10 Conference (Michigan and Ohio State, in that order) will meet this Saturday in their annual season ending showdown to once again decide the Conference champion. Once upon a time, the Big 10 was dubbed the "Big Two and little eight." Although the Conference added a team (Penn State) in the '90's, not much else has changed. The right to represent the Big 10 at the Rose Bowl Game still seems to annually be decided by who wins the Michigan/Ohio State game. That is, of course, once again the case in 2007 as the winner of this Saturday's Michigan/Ohio State game will be crowned the outright Big 10 Conference Champion and will (presumably) earn a berth in the January 1, 2008 Rose Bowl Game. Go Blue!

*Note: Photo of M Coach Schembechler and OSU Coach Hayes greeting each other from M/OSU rivalry site. The classic photo was taken during "The Ten Year War" which lasted from 1969-1978.