GOOD SPORTS Former players gather to help raise funds for the St. Christine School gymnasium

BY JOHN KOVACH
VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF
YOUNGSTOWN -- "Turnovers."
That facet of play will be the difference in Saturday's Ohio State-Michigan game, according Thom Darden, a former defensive back for the Wolverines and the Cleveland Browns.
"The team that makes the [fewest] amount of turnovers will win the game. It always has been like that," said the personable Darden, who was among a group of six former players from both teams who were expected as guests at the Ohio State vs. Michigan Kickoff Dinner Wednesday night at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel church hall before a big crowd, primarily Buckeyes' supporters.
"Then, I think that after the first mistake and turnover are made, I think the score will either mushroom like it has a few times, or the score will go back-and-forth. I anticipate that it will go back-and-forth."
Darden should know
Darden, who played three years for Michigan from 1969-72 under coach Bo Schembechler as a 'wolfman,' cornerback and then safety from his sophomore through senior seasons, should know about the potential game-turning value of turnovers.
In his senior season in 1971, he intercepted a pass late in the game to preserve a 10-7 win for Michigan.
"I remember it just as if it were yesterday," said Darden about his game-saving interception. "We had just taken the lead (10-7) and, depending on whether you talked to coach Woody Hayes or coach Bo Schembechler, I intercepted a pass and saved the 10-7 win."
Darden said Hayes thought it should have been an interference call while Schembechler believed that it was an interception, which it was, according to officials. And the rest is history.
Darden, who went on to play 10 years for the Browns as a safety, was joined at Wednesday's banquet by former Ohio State players Jack Tatum, John Hicks and Tim Anderson, and other former Michigan players Walt Downing and Stanley Edwards.
Proceeds from the banquet went to the St. Christine Gymnasium Building Fund.
Ed Reese, one of the banquet organizers, said that 310 tickets were sold for the event.
Hicks cites the will to win
Hicks, a tackle for Ohio State from 1969-73 under Hayes, believes that psychology and the will to persevere and win will be the key factors in Saturday's matchup between the two rivals, both unbeaten and ranked No. 1 (OSU) and No. 2 (Michigan) in the nation.
"Whoever wants it the most will win," said Hicks "They both are great teams. They both are undefeated. [This game] doesn't get any better than that."
Hicks, who played in three OSU-Michigan games, said that "all three games" were his favorite ones in the rivalry.
"I remember our 20-9 win in 1970 for the [Big Ten] title, and our [14-11] upset win in 1972 and how bad I felt after our [10-7 loss] in 1971," said Hicks, who went on to play in the NFL with the New York Giants and Pittsburgh Steelers.
Tatum believes OSU better
Tatum, a defensive back at Ohio State from 1968-71 under Hayes before going on to play for the Oakland Raiders, sees Ohio State in the favorite's role Saturday.
"Ohio State is a complete team. It has no weaknesses," said Tatum, who played rover back for the Buckeyes and was known as the "monster man."
He said his most memorable OSU-Michigan game was in his first varsity season in 1968.
"Coming from out of state, I had not been involved with the Ohio State-Michigan rivalry," said Tatum. "But my first year, I became indoctrinated into the tradition between the two schools," which he said made the game [a 50-14 Buckeyes' win] that year so important to his memories.
Tatum went on to play free safety for the Raiders and was tabbed with the nickname, "The Assassin."
kovach@vindy.com