The Eleven Warriors Web Report comes to you weekly from the Spectrum Sports studios in downtown Columbus, featuring our own Beau Bishop, Dan Hope and former Buckeye wide receiver Evan Spencer.
It's all about The Game on this week's edition of the show, as Bishop, Spencer and Hope preview Saturday's upcoming rivalry showdown between Ohio State and Michigan in Ann Arbor.
The panel opens this week's show by sharing some of their rivalry game memories, with Spencer – who grew up watching the Buckeyes when his dad was an assistant coach, and then played in four games against Michigan from 2011-14 – recalling a story of being hit with a frozen marshmallow by a Michigan fan as a kid in the stands.
"My hatred started at a really young age," Spencer said.
Bishop said, however, that he believes Michigan needs to be relevant nationally for The Game to be the greatest rivalry in all of sports, and he believes Jim Harbaugh and the Wolverines need to turn the tables and get a win – having lost five straight games against the Buckeyes – in order to remain relevant. Neither he nor Spencer, however, is confident that will happen any time soon.
"It doesn't really seem like it's on the short-term horizon at all," Spencer said. "Harbaugh's put together a great defense, but he's struggled at the quarterback position, he's struggled at finding playmakers to be able to lean on if somebody gets hurt."
The panel was in agreement that Michigan's offense is going to have trouble moving the ball against the Buckeyes' defense, especially if John O'Korn ends up starting at quarterback.
"I just remember watching John O'Korn against Penn State this year," Hope said. "One of the first things that came to my mind, watching him stand in the pocket ... if he plays against Ohio State, he's in for a world of trouble against that defensive line, and now that he's the guy, I still think that's the case."
The panel also agreed, though, that history suggests Harbaugh and the Wolverines will find a way to keep Saturday's game competitive.
"There's going to be wrinkles in this rivalry game, because every year, it's always closer and always more competitive than we expect, so I expect something different and expect something like that," Spencer said.
The Eleven Warriors Report airs Tuesday at 7 p.m. on Spectrum Sports Mid-Ohio.
