Who Are You and Why Do We Care?: THE Ohio State Buckeyes

(O-O-H-I)

Is there a rivalry here?

Its only the greatest rivalry in sports. When these two colleges face off it is called "The Game," and it has been the regular season finale all but three times since 1935. Michigan and OSU have met 108 times. Michigan leads to series 58-44-6. The Big Ten Championship has been decided by The Game 22 times. 

The numbers do not say the whole story in this rivalry. Michigan and Ohio are natural rivals akin to cats and dogs. Starting in 1934, any time Ohio State beats Michigan every OSU player receives a gold pants pendant. In 1950, Ohio State had the option to cancel the game against Michigan due to weather, but they refused. Even though Michigan didn't complete a pass or a first down, they blocked two punts (one for a touchdown and one for a safety), and Michigan won the Snow Bowl 9-3. The "Snow Bowl" lead to Woody Hayes being hired as Ohio State's head coach. In 1968, Ohio State was winning 50-14 late in the fourth quarter, and they decided to go for a two-point conversion. Woody Hayes supposedly said that he went for two points "Because [he] couldn't go for three."Bump Elliott resigned after the game, and Bo Schembechler was hired. Riding a 22 game winning streak, Ohio State came into Ann Arbor to play against Bo's first Michigan team. The Wolverines won 24-12. During this decade, Woody Hayes coined phrases such as "That team up north" so he would not have to say Michigan. Once Hayes retired, the rivalry became less about the coaches feud, and more about play on the field. Both teams have had long win streaks back and forth including OSU's seven game* win streak, which was ended by Michigan last year. 

When did we see them last?

Last season, Luke Fickell's Ohio State Buckeyes entered the Big House with a 6-5 record. After Rich Rodriguez was fired and Jim Tressel was forced to resign, the 2011 match up became the third time in history that two first year coaches lead their teams onto the field for "The Game." Ohio State received the ball to start the game, and took advantage. Braxton Miller completed a 54 yard pass over Blake Countess to Corey Brown for a touchdown. After two three and outs, Michigan got the ball in Ohio State territory. Two plays later, Denard Robinson ran for a 41 yard touchdown. On Ohio State's next possession, the Buckeyes were doomed by penalties. Holding on Zach Boren, false start on Jack Mewhort, and holding in the end zone by Mike Adams gave Michigan a safety and a 9-7 lead. After the free kick, Michigan had good field position, and again took advantage of it. Denard threw a perfect pass to Junior Hemingway for the touchdown. 

In the second quarter, Ohio State kicked a field goal. Three plays later Ryan Shazier forced a Denard Robinson fumble. The Buckeyes converted the turnover into a 19 yard Braxton Miller rushing touchdown. The Wolverines responded with a nine play 80 yard drive capped off with a Denard 6 yard touchdown run. Again, Michigan's secondary was unable to contain Ohio State's wide receivers, as DeVier Posey got great separation from Troy Woolfolk, and scored on a 43 yard reception. 

Michigan received the ball after halftime, and marched down the field. On third and eleven, Denard had all the time in the world, and found Martavious Odoms for a 20 yard touchdown. Later in the third quarter, Will Hagerup fumbled the snap on a punt, which lead to the funniest* .gif of the season: 

*Only because we won...

After the fumble, Ohio State hit a field goal to put the Buckeyes within 3. On the next possession, Michigan scored on a pass from Denard to Kevin Koger. Ohio State got the ball on their own 20 yard line, but Braxton Miller went into super quarterback mode, and completed three straight passes to get the Buckeyes to the Michigan 4, where Boom Herron waltzed in for the touchdown. Michigan, trying to protect their three point lead, drove the length of the field. Fitzgerald Toussaint ran what seemed to be a touchdown, which would have essentially put the game away. Look for yourself: 

The referees decided there was no evidence to call this a touchdown, and rather than score from the one yard line, Michigan responded with a Patrick Omameh holding call and a personal foul, which pushed the Wolverines back to the 26 yard line for 3rd and goal. Brendan Gibbons ended up kicking a field goal to give the Wolverines an uncomfortable 6 point lead with 2 minutes left in the game. After moving fifteen yard forward, the Buckeyes faced fourth and six from their own 35 yard line. Braxton Miller dropped back to pass, and was picked off by Courtney Avery. A Denard Robinson kneel later, and Michigan defeated Ohio State. 

What do they look like?

When I typed "Ohio State Uniforms" into Google, I saw this: 

Of the twenty pictures on that page, only four show Ohio State's "classic" uniforms. Ohio State's colors are Scarlet and Grey.  Their home uniform is scarlet with grey pants and their away uniform is white with grey pants. Their helmet is grey with a red stripe. A very boring helmet early in the year, but slightly more exciting at the end. That is unless Nike decided to mess with their uniforms that week. In recent seasons, when Michigan has faced OSU, they have worn some variations with Nike's Pro Combat Uniforms. Two years ago, they wore this at home, and the year before they wore this in the Big House. Luckily, last year, Nike decided to have Ohio State wear their newatrocities against Wisconsin. Ohio State just came out with new uniforms that they will wear for the Michigan game this season. They look similar enough to their normal jerseys that I can't complain too much. 

Have they won any Big Ten or National Championships?

Ohio State has seven recognized National Championships. Five of the championships came between 1954 and 1970 under Woody Hayes. They won most recently in 2002 under Jim Tressel in a controversial victory over Miami (YTM). They also have won 34 Big Ten Championships, including all of the last six years (Although last year's was vacated). 

Have they had good coaches? 

Since I discussed Hayes earlier, I'll focus on the 2000s here. Jim Tressel was hired as head coach by Ohio State in 2001. Previously he worked at Miami (NTM), Syracuse, and Ohio State as an offensive position coach. From 1986-2000 he was the head coach at Youngstown State. As coach for the Youngstown State Penguins, Tressel had a 135-57-2 record. He was then hired by Ohio State after John Cooper was fired. At Ohio State he went 94-22 including six conference championships and one National Championship. Amidst violations Tressel resigned as head coach on May 30, 2011. Ohio State needed a new coach quickly, so they hired Co-Defensive Coordinator and Linebackers Coach, Luke Fickell. Fickell went 6-6 as head coach of the Buckeyes before Urban Meyer was hired directly after the Michigan game. OSU allowed Fickell to coach in the Gator Bowl against Florida, and was hired as Co-Defensive Coordinator under Meyer. 

Urban Meyer has been a winner everywhere he has gone. He started his head coaching career at Bowling Green where he went 17-6 over two seasons before getting hired to take over at the University of Utah. The Utes went 10-2 in their first season under Meyer, and went 12-0 in the second. The undefeated season got Utah into the BCS. This was the first time that a non-automatic qualifier played in a BCS game. Before Meyer could coach in that Fiesta Bowl however, the University of Florida offered him a seven year $14 million contract. During his tenure at Florida, the Gators won two National Championships, went to a third BCS game (the 2010 Sugar Bowl), and had an overall record of 65-15. Florid went 5-1 in bowl games, with the one loss occurring in the 2008 Capital One Bowl against Michigan in Lloyd Carr's last game. 

After the 2010 season, Urban Meyer retired from coaching, saying that he wanted to spend more time with his family, and improve his health. Urban worked for ESPN for one season before Ohio State came calling. He was offered a 6 year 24 million dollar deal plus $2.4 million in "retention payments." Since arriving in Columbus, he has done no wrong, starting his tenure 11-0 heading into the Michigan game.

Where do they play?

The Buckeyes play at Ohio Stadium in Columbus, Ohio. It has a capacity of 102,329, which makes it the fourth largest football stadium in the country. The Horseshoe was built in 1921, and it hosted its first game on October 7, 1922. 

Do they really have the "Best Damn Band in the Land"?

The Ohio State Marching Band was created in 1878 as a way to provide music for army cadets in military training. The OSU Marching Band is the only all brass and percussion marching band in the country. The band's largest tradition is the Script Ohio, which was actually first performed by Michigan in 1932. A fourth or fifth year sousaphone player gets the privilege of dotting the i, then bowing. 

Do they have a goofy mascot?

People from the state of Ohio are called Buckeyes. This is related to the Ohio State tree, the Buckeye. Brutus the Buckeye first appeared in 1965 as a papier-mache chocolate constructed by students. Its gotten slightly upgraded over the years, and is now in its most human form. Videos of Brutus: 

• Getting Beat Up by Rufus the Bobcat: 

• Not Handling Richard Simmons Workout Routine: 

Who Are You and Why Do We Care?: Iowa Hawkeyes

Is there a rivalry here?
Michigan has been playing Iowa since 1900, but in 57 meetings, Michigan has a 40-13-4 record. Although the match up has been back and forth over the past decade, historically there is not a rivalry.

So who is their biggest rival?
Iowa is one of the few Big 10 teams whose biggest rival is not in the Big 10. Their rivalry with Iowa State is so fierce that they had to bring in a Corn Mascot to keep the peace. They also created the worst trophy in the history of trophies for the winner.

When did we see them last?
The Wolverines entered Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City, Iowa with a 7-1 record, while the Hawkeyes were 5-3. At this point, Michigan still had a chance to tie the Michigan State Spartans for the Legends Division lead (although the Spartans still had the tiebreaker). Michigan went three and out on its first possession, and Iowa got the ball. After two long passes by James Vandenberg, Marcus Coker finished the job, and rushed the Hawkeyes into the end zone. The two teams traded three and outs, before Michigan started to move the ball. After a slow drive down the field, Denard Robinson threw the ball to Fitzgerald Toussaint for a five yard touchdown. The snap was bad on the extra point, and Drew Dileo tried to run it in for a two point conversion, but he failed. The second quarter saw Iowa score twice, while Michigan gave the ball away. After converting on a fourth and eight try, Iowa drove down the field where Vandenberg completed a one yard pass to Brad Herman for the touchdown. Denard would fumble on the next possession, giving Iowa the ball on the Michigan 31. Iowa would not advance much farther, but Mike Meyer connected on a 42 yard field goal. In the two minute drill, Denard threw a pass to the end zone, but it was intercepted by Iowa's Christian Kirksey. 

The third quarter was a defensive struggle, as the only points came on a 32 yard field goal from Brendan Gibbons. The score was 17-9 as they entered the fourth. On Iowa's first possession of the quarter, Marcus Coker scored his second touchdown of the day on a 13 yard run. Michigan's offense remembered how to play on the following possession. Eight plays and 57 yards later, Denard threw a pass to Kevin Koger for a touchdown. 

With 2:15 left in the game, Michigan received the ball at their own 18 yard line, and would have to march the length of the field. On the first play of the drive, Vincent Smith ran for 11 yard, but continued on after his knee did not touch the ground. He thought that he scored the touchdown that would potentially tie the game. Upon further review, Smith's elbow touched the ground, and Michigan would have to drive from their own 29. With 16 seconds left, the Wolverines got down to the Iowa 3 yard line and called their final time out. On first down, Denard lofted a ball in the direction of Junior Hemingway that fell incomplete. On second down, Denard found Hemingway in the back of the end zone for what should have been a touchdown. Hemingway's knee hit the ground before the ball went out of bounce, yet the Big Ten officiating crew called the pass incomplete on the field, and the booth agreed (Watch the video to decide for yourself). On third down, Denard ran away from a blitzing linebacker before throwing a pass toward Vincent Smith who could not make the diving catch. Finally, on fourth down, Roy Roundtree got mugged on a slant, yet no pass interference was called, and the game ended Iowa 24 - Michigan 16. 

When did we last win?
In the midst of the 2006 undefeated streak, the Hawkeyes entered the Big House with a 5-2 record. Lloyd Carr decided to give the ball to Mike Hart early and often. Hart ended the game with 31 carries for 126 yards and two touchdowns. Those two touchdowns plus two field goals from Garrett Rivas gave Michigan more than enough points to come away with the 20-6 victory.

What do they look like?
The Pittsburgh Steelers. Compare. In 1979, Hayden Fry (Iowa's Head Coach) wanted to have his team dress like champions so they would play like champions. He gained permission from the Pittsburgh Steelers to use their uniform design, and Iowa has worn them since. Supposedly they wore this monstrosity in 1995.

Do they have good coaches?
When Hayden Fry retired in 1998, Iowa needed their first new Head Coach in ten years. Then University of Iowa President, Mary Sue Coleman, hired Kirk Ferentz for the job. Ferentz played linebacker at the University of Connecticut, and went straight into coaching. He was an Offensive Line Coach in the NFL for both the Cleveland Browns and Baltimore Ravens from 1993 to 1998. As Head Coach of the Hawkeyes he has a 100-73 record, lead the team to Conference Championships in 2002 and 2004, and is currently in the midst of a three year bowl win streak.

Have they won a National or Big Ten Championship?
The Hawkeyes were National Champions in 1958 with a 8-1-1 record and a Rose Bowl victory. They have won 11 Big Ten Championships including five since Hayden Fry took over as Head Coach in 1978.

Where do they play?
In 1929, the University of Iowa opened Iowa Stadium, which has since been renamed Kinnick Stadium. Kinnick Stadium is named after Nile Kinnick, the only Heisman Trophy winner in Iowa history. The most interesting thing about their stadium is the away team locker room, which is pink. Very pink.

Do they have any game day traditions?

• Back In Black Entrance: Back In Black by AC/DC plays as video of the Hawkeyes walking down the tunnel appears on the screens. 
• I-O-W-A Chant: The four corners of the stadium chant out Iowa letter by letter. This occurs after every touchdown. 
• Kinnick Statue: Iowa players all touch the statue of Nile Kinnick before they enter the stadium. 
• Kinnick Heisman Speech: Before every game, Nile Kinnick's Heisman acceptance speech is played over the loud speakers. 
• Magic Bus: Tailgating location. 
• Hawkeye Victory Polka: Played after every Hawkeye victory. 

Do they have a goofy mascot?
Herky the Hawk was created in 1948, and started appearing at football games in 1959. Although Iowa has had the same uniform since 1979, Herky has never worn it. He wears a shirt with an I on it, yet has the team's football pants and a helmet. Before every game, Herky surfs into the stadium, carried by four cheerleaders. He then plants a Hawkeye flag in the field. 

Prediction based on everything but football (even though this didn't work last week): Michigan 35 - Iowa 13. 

Who Are You and Why Do We Care?: Northwestern Wildcats

Is there a rivalry here?

No. Northwestern has not been very competitive in this series as Michigan leads 53-15-2 in the series' seven meetings since 1892.  

When did we see them last?

Last season, Michigan traveled to Evanston, Illinois to face the Wildcats. On Michigan's first possession, Denard Robinson completed a pass to Junior Hemingway for 48 yards to get the Wolverines into the redzone, then threw the ball to Steve Watson for the touchdown. Northwestern responded on the next drive. Dan Persa lead the Wildcats down the field before Kain Colter ran for a 15 yard touchdown. When Michigan got the ball back, Denard threw an interception to Northwestern's Ibraheim Campbell. The Wildcats ran down the field, and Treyvon Green finished the job with a seven yard touchdown run. 

On the first play of the of the second quarter, Denard threw a second interception to Ibraheim Campbell. Northwestern was not able to take advantage, and was forced to punt. Multiple possessions later, the Wolverines ran seven straight rushing plays before Jeremy Gallon found room on a throw back screen and went 25 yards for a touchdown. Again, Northwestern would respond, this time with a drive opposite of Michigan's. Dan Persa threw six straight passes before handing the ball off to Adonis Smith who ran for the touchdown. Michigan got the ball in the two minute drill, and Denard threw a third interception, this time to Brian Peters. Northwestern's Jeff Budzien kicked a field goal, and the half ended 24-10. 

The second half was a different game. Michigan had five possessions, and scored on 4 of them. The only possession without a score ended with Brendan Gibbons missing a field goal. On the other hand Northwestern had the same five drives, and only came close to scoring on the last play of the game. The first possession of the second half included a 57 yard pass from Denard to Roy Roundtree and a Denard 2 yard touchdown run. The second drive was highlighted by a Robinson 25 yard run, a Kevin Koger 19 yard reception, and finally a Devin Gardner 1 yard touchdown run. On the third drive, Michigan started with great field position due to a Brandin Hawthorne interception. The first play of the fourth quarter was Michael Shaw running for a two yard touchdown. Northwestern fumbled and Michigan got the ball for a fourth time. This was the possession that ended with the missed field goal. Michigan's last drive ended with Denard rushing for a 5 yard touchdown. The game ended after Northwestern ran all the way down the field, and Kain Colter was tackled at the Michigan 1 yard line. Final Score: 42- 24. 

What do they look like?

Well for a very long time they looked like purple USC. In 2010, the Wildcats broke out a new set of uniforms, which actually have stripes called "Northwestern Stripes." IMO, purple rarely looks good on a football uniform (even Brandon Graham couldn't make it look good). In addition, black for black's sake looks very bad for the Wildcats, especially since their colors are Purple and White. I actually really liked their old away jerseys, but I did not care for the purple or black. This year, Northwestern came out with a new set of uniforms. I know some people will say these are horrible, but I really like them (even with the purple). We will see the white version of these, which again are much better than the purple and black version. 

What's their coaching situation?

When Randy Walker died in 2006, Linebackers Coach, Pat Fitzgerald took over. Fitzgerald has done everything the Northwestern fan base could ask for. He has gone 37-38 including four straight bowl games (all losses). Before becoming the Wildcat's head coach, Fitzgerald was an excellent linebacker for the same team. He was named the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year twice, and won both the Bronko Nagurski Trophy and Chuck Bednarik Award in both 1995 and 1996. After playing one season for the Dallas Cowboys, he became the linebackers coach at Maryland followed by Colorado and Idaho before returning to Northwestern. 

Have they won National or Big Ten Championships?

The Wildcats have never won a National Championship, but they have won eight Big Ten Championships. Three of those championships have occurred in the modern era: 1995, 1996, and 2000. 

Did anyone famous play there?

These are really a stretch... I've only sort of heard of these guys...

• Mike Adamle: former WWE Raw General Manager
• Pat Fitzgerald

Do they have a goofy mascot?

It is very difficult to do research on Northwestern's Willie the Wildcat when another purple wearing team, Kansas State, also has their own Willie the Wildcat. Supposedly Northwestern's Willie went through a makeover before the video above. I don't know much about mascots, but this one is worse than Goldy. 

Any cool/weird traditions?

• Well, they are more pretentious than us and they are proud of it.  Since they are the only private school in the conference, Northwestern fans chant "State School" at the other teams in the Big Ten.
• I'm sure Fouad would hate this one: during kickoffs, their fans jingle their keys (I'm sure it makes a lot of noise). The keys replaced a much more awesome tradition of throwing marshmallows on to the field and at each other. 

Prediction based on everything but football: Michigan 31 - Northwestern 17. 

Who Are You and Why Do We Care?: Minnesota Golden Gophers

Is there a rivalry here?
This will be the 98th meeting overall, 93rd for the Little Brown Jug, between the Minnesota Golden Gophers and the Michigan Wolverines. The "rivalry" between the two teams is much more based on history than on recent competition. Since Bo took over as Michigan's head coach in 1969, Michigan has only lost three times, in 1977, 1986, and 2005.

When did we see them last?
Last season, the Golden Gophers entered the Big House with a 1-3 record. After playing a surprisingly close game against USC (losing 19-17), the Gophers lost to New Mexico State and North Dakota State, beating only Miami (NTM). Michigan received the ball to start the game, and seven plays later, Vincent Smith had a three yard touchdown run. Michigan got the ball back after a Minnesota three and out and ran the ball down the field, ending with a Denard Robinson 9 yard touchdown run. Again Michigan got the ball back, and with the first play of the second quarter, Vincent Smith threw a pass to Drew Dileo for a 17 yard touchdown. Minutes later, the Wolverines got the ball again, and Vincent Smith received a touchdown pass from Denard, completing the trifecta of throwing for a touchdown, rushing for a touchdown, and receiving a touchdown. Minnesota was finally able to stop the Wolverines from scoring a touchdown on the next possession, resulting in a 25 yard Brendan Gibbons field goal. The Golden Gophers' following possession concluded with a Brandon Green fumble, recovered by Carvin Johnson. Michigan then ran the 2 minute drill to perfection, as Denard threw an 18 yard pass to Kevin Koger for a touchdown. The first half ended Michigan 38-Minnesota 0.

The second half was not much better for the Golden Gophers. Michigan left the first team offense in the game, and on their second possession of the half, the Wolverines scored a touchdown on a Fitzgerald Toussaint 1 yard rush. Finally, it was time for the second team offense to get some reps. Devin Gardner lead the team to the Minnesota 15 yard line, where Gibbons was able to hit a 32 yard field goal. Michigan's first drive in the fourth quarter was Thomas Rawls' time to shine, as he got 5 carries to get into field goal range, where Gibbons converted again.  After a Michigan 3 and out, the Gophers got the ball and David Cobb rushed for 28 yards. On the next play, Cobb fumbled, and Courtney Avery recovered and ran it back 83 yards for a touchdown. Final Score: Michigan 58 - Minnesota 0.

Throughout the game, Minnesota had 13 drives. They only had one drive of 6 plays, the rest were less, they also never had a drive take more than three minutes. It was Michigan's most lopsided win since beating Indiana in 2000, and outgained the Gophers, 384 to 69.

Minnesota would go on to have a bad season. They beat Iowa and Illinois, but lost to the rest of their schedule, finishing the season 3-9. This season the Gophers have looked better. They swept their non-conferencee opponents before losing three straight Big Ten games against Iowa, Northwestern, and Wisconsin. Last week they beat Purdue 44-28.

What do they look like?
The Golden Gophers official colors are Maroon and Gold. I've always been a fan of both Minnesota's color scheme and their logo. As you can see, they have multiple combinations of uniforms. I'm not a fan of the monotone maroon on maroon, but the maroon on gold is not bad at all. I stripe on the jersey is pretty unnecessary, and a classic example of Nike trying to make jerseys more exciting. We will probably see something like this on Saturday. The biggest issue with the Gophers uniforms is when they break out the gold on gold, which ALWAYS looks terrible.

What's their coaching situation?
In the past off-season, Minnesota fired Tim Brewster, and hired Jerry Kill. Kill has been a head coach for a very long time, working his way up from the Saginaw Valley State Cardinals to the Emporia State Hornets to the Southern Illinois Salukis, finally he broke into Division 1-A with the Northern Illinois Huskies, before getting the promotion to the Big Ten with Minnesota.  In 2008, Kill took a Huskies roster that went 2-10 in 2007, and lead them to 6-7 including a bowl appearance in the Independence Bowl. In 2009, the Huskies improved to 7-6 with an appearance in the International Bowl. Finally, in 2010, Kill lead Northern Illinois to a 10-3 record. They were undefeated in MAC play until the MAC Championship Game, which they lost to Miami (NTM). Early in the season, Kill's Huskies beat the Minnesota Golden Gophers in Minneapolis, 34-23. Before Kill could coach the Huskies in the 2010 Humanitarian Bowl, Kill was offered the Minnesota job, and he resigned. As mentioned earlier, Minnesota did not perform well under Kill last season, going 3-9. This season they are currently 5-3, and have a chance to be bowl eligible for the first time since the 2009 Insight Bowl.

Have they won National or Big Ten Championships?
The most recent Big Ten Championship for the Golden Gophers was in 1967, under coach Murray Warmath. Warmath also won a National Championship 7 years earlier in 1960. Minnesota also enjoyed two dynasties in the very early history of college football. Henry L. Williams and the Gophers won Big Ten Championships in 1900, 1903, 1904, 1906, 1909, 19010, 1911, and 1915. The Gophers' second dynasty was in the 1930s under Bernie Bierman. They were National Champions in 1934, 1935, 1936, 1940, and 1941.

Did anyone famous play there?
Depends what you consider famous...

• Marion Barber and Laurence Maroney - Combined were one of the best 1-2 punches at running back. Separated, they have been average professionals. 
• Tony Dungy - Played his college ball at Minnesota, and went on to coach the Tampa Bay Bucs and Indianapolis Colts, whom he lead to a win in Super Bowl XLI. 
• Verne Gagne -American Wrestling Association World Heavyweight Champion and WWE Hall of Famer. 
• Otherwise, they have had 215 players in the NFL and 6 NFL Hall of Famers. 

Do they have a goofy mascot?

We No Speak Americano gets me every time. 

Anything you could ever want to know about "Goldy the Gopher" is right here and here.

Prediction based on everything but football: Michigan 38 - Minnesota 13

Who Are You and Why Do We Care: Nebraska Cornhuskers

(Aww, a bicycle built for two)

When did we see them last?
Last year was the first time Nebraska played Michigan as a member of the Big Ten Conference. The Cornhuskers entered The Big House with an 8-2 record. Midway through the first quarter, Denard Robinson threw a 46 yard pass to Roy Roundtree, then made a six yard pass to Jeremy Gallon for a touchdown. On Michigan's next possession, Brendan Gibbons hit a 42 yard field goal. Just four plays later, Nebraska was able to respond. Taylor Martinez hit Brandon Kinnie for a 54 yard reception and a touchdown. At the beginning of the second quarter, a Robinson interception by Terrence Moore was converted into a Cornhusker field goal, tying the game at 10.

That would be the last time the game was close. On Michigan's next possession, the Wolverines had a 12 play 74 yard drive for a touchdown. 10 of the plays were runs, including Denard's 14 yard touchdown. Matt Wile kicked off to start the second half, and Kenny Bell returned it 33 yards before fumbling, and giving the ball back to Michigan. Unlike the Cornhuskers, who earlier in the game only got a field goal off a turnover, Denard Robinson ran for a one yard touchdown giving the Wolverines a 24-10 lead. On their next possession, Nebraska was forced to punt. Josh Furman blocked the kick, and Michigan took over with the ball on the 50 yard line. Eight plays later, Fitzgerald Toussaint was in the endzone, and Michigan had a 31-10 lead. At the end of the third quarter, Ameer Abdullah would score on a three yard touchdown run to pull Nebraska within two scores. Michigan would respond with a 10 play 86 yard drive capped with a 38 yard touchdown reception by Martavious Odoms. On the ensuing kick off, Nebraska went with a different return man - this time Tim Marlowe - but he also fumbled the ball back to Michigan. Brendan Gibbons missed a 42 yard field goal. When Nebraska got the ball back, Taylor Martinez was sacked by Jake Ryan, and he fumbled the ball, which was recovered by Ryan Van Bergen. On the next play, Toussaint ran 31 yards for a touchdown, giving us our final score: 45-17.

Okay, where did the name Cornhusker come from?
The University of Nebraska was chartered in 1869. They started playing football in 1890. They tried out many team names before settling on the Cornhuskers: Bugeaters, Tree Planters, Nebraskans, The Rattlesnake Boys, Antelopes, and Old Gold Knights. The University of Iowa was referred to as the Cornhuskers at the time, and Cy Sherman - a Lincoln sportswriter - liked the name and started calling Nebraska the same thing. Iowa chose Hawkeyes and Cornhuskers became the permanent name.

Yeesh, they've been in a lot of conferences haven't they?
From 1892 to 1897, Nebraska, Kansas, Iowa and Missouri were in the Western Interstate University Football Association (gee I wonder why that name didn't stick). Then those schools joined with Washington St. Louis to create the Missouri Valley Intercollegiate Athletic Association in 1907. In 1908, Drake and Iowa State joined, followed by Kansas State, Grinnell (WHO?!) Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, and Colorado. The name changed to the Big Eight. In 1996, the state of Texas merged with the Big Eight to create the Big 12. Finally this past year, Nebraska decided they didn't want to be controlled by Texas, and became the twelfth member of the Big 10.

What do they look like?
Well, Wisconsin. They look a lot like Wisconsin. If there is something you can give the Cornhuskers credit for, it is sticking to tradition. They have looked the same forever. Oh yeah, their official colors are Scarlet and Cream. This season the Cornhuskers wore these jerseys against Wisconsin. 

Have they won any Conference or National Championships?
Nebraska has five National Championship seasons. The first two were back to back in 1970 and 1971 under coach Tom Devaney. The next three were in 1994, 1995, and 1997 under Tom Osborne. If that 1997 number either confuses you or makes you angry, there is a reason. Michigan and Nebraska both went undefeated. Since there was no BCS at the time, and the Big Ten was tied to the Rose Bowl, Michigan did not get an opportunity to play Nebraska to see who the real champion would be. The only thing we can look at is similar opponents. Both teams played Colorado and Baylor. While Nebraska beat Colorado 27-24 and Baylor 49-21, Michigan won 27-3 and 38-3.

Do they have a good coach?
Their current coach is Bo Pelini, and I could not find a picture of him where he was a combination ofaware of the camera and happy (Maayybe this one). Although he is a ridiculous picture taker, he is actually a pretty good coach. He played Free Safety at Ohio State (So we should hate him) from 1987-1990. He was a starter for his last two seasons, and was a Captain for his senior year. Pelini went on to coach pretty much everywhere, with short stints at Iowa and Cardinal Mooney High School before jumping to the NFL to coach Defensive Backs and Linebackers for the 49ers, Patriots, and Packers. In 2003, he became the Nebraska Defensive Coordinator, and the next year jumped to Oklahoma, where he was Co-DC. Then he was hired by Les Miles to be the Defensive Coordinator at LSU, where they beat Ohio State in the National Championship (So we should hate him less?). After that game, Tom Osborne (who had just been named Interim Athletic Coordinator) hired Bo Pelini as Nebraska's new Head Coach. Since becoming the coach, Nebraska has gone 38-14 and won the North Division all three years he was in the Big 12.

Where do they play?
Nebraska plays at Memorial Stadium, not to be confused with Memorial Stadium or Memorial Stadium.Miscellaneous pictures of the stadium from a ton of angles. The stadium holds the current, ongoing, record for consecutive sell outs at 317. The 81,067 person capacity would make Memorial Stadium the third most populated city in the state of Nebraska.

What are some of their football traditions?

• After the first touchdown is scored by the Cornhuskers, fans release red balloons into the sky. 
• The Sea of Red: As Michigan fans, we know how difficult it is for everyone to wear Maize at home games, Nebraska does not have this problem with people wearing Red. They also hold up their shoes before Kick Off. 
• Tunnel Walk: The Cornhuskers come out to the song Sirius by The Alan Parson's Project. The team exits the locker room, follows the coach to "The Big Red Carpet," touches a lucky horseshoe, then goes through the gates and onto the field. 
• Blackshirts: In 1964, the first team Nebraska Defense started wearing Black Jerseys during practice. They had to return their black jerseys every day, since they may not be on the first team the next day, and they had to earn them back. This started a tradition that the black jerseys needed to be earned. 

Do they have a goofy mascot?
They have TWO goofy mascots!! Herbie Husker and Lil' Red. AND they have had more: Corn Cob and Mr. Cornhead (Super clever names). Herbie Husker first appeared on the cover of the 1974 Nebraska Media Guide, and he has had many different looks over the years. Lil' Red (the original Lil, I suppose Wayne,Kim, and Jon are posers) was created in 1993 after a state wide contest to create a new mascot. The body of the mascot is super light and the wearer needs to be strapped to a "powerbelt," which brings in outside air. I assume the powerbelt looks more like this than like this (Although 71% more calories?! AWESOME!!).  So since they have two mascots, they probably get to do awesome things like dance-offs right? Video? Yep...

Prediction based on everything but football: Nebraska 21 - Michigan 17.