NOTEBOOK OSU vs. Michigan

Big names to be at game: Not even rock stars can get tickets for Saturday's game. The band Nickelback was looking for four tickets to the game, but there wasn't any more room and the group has no known connection to the university, Ohio State spokesman Steve Snapp said. Members of country group Rascal Flatts, Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter and former Buckeyes Eddie George and Cris Carter are among those with reserved sideline passes, Snapp said. Game tickets are so coveted that one Columbus ticket broker said they're fetching between 550 and 1,500 a ticket. Two of the three members of Rascal Flatts grew up in Columbus. Jeter, who grew up in Kalamazoo, Mich., and got a baseball scholarship to Michigan, will be on the Wolverines' side of the field. Jack Nicklaus, a former Ohio State golfer originally from suburban Upper Arlington, also will be at the game. Carter said he's coming to the game with his family. Not counting the games he played in, "I have never been to an Ohio State-Michigan game," Carter said. The former Minnesota Vikings receiver, who now co-hosts "Inside the NFL" on HBO, will be in the Ohio State locker room before the game. Heisman Trophy winner Eddie George will host a party at his Eddie George's Grille 27 near campus after the game. Other athletes and celebrities are scheduled to appear, said general manager Mike Duganier, who declined to give names.
Taking a needle for bragging rights: This is the 25th year of fans competing to donate the most pints of blood in the two weeks leading up to the game. The winning school is announced at halftime. As with everything when it comes to this rivalry, the schools don't agree on much. Jenni Hawes, blood services coordinator with the Washtenaw Red Cross in Ann Arbor, said the schools are tied at 12 apiece, which could add some drama to whoever wins the silver anniversary competition. But Nicole Baird, a spokeswoman for the Red Cross chapter in Columbus sees it differently. "Our figures show that Michigan has won 14 and OSU 9, and there has been one tie," Baird said. "There's always a conflicting story. It's kind of funny," Hawes said. As of Monday, Michigan had collected 1,081 pints of blood, while Ohio State trailed slightly with 1,035. Both schools are hoping to raise at least 1,800 pints by Friday. The donated blood goes to hospitals in each region.
"Woody" draws crowds: Woody Hayes was the focused Ohio State football coach well known for his distaste for anything Michigan. Roger Thomas is mild-mannered broker of soybeans and corn. That's about where their dissimilarities end. Thomas is finding fame now in the college football world of the late Buckeyes coach by looking just like him. Thomas, 67, pops up in the crowd at Buckeyes football games seemingly as the irascible coach whose teams won four national championships and went into numerous memorable battles with the Wolverines. Thomas says he has fun by showing up at Ohio Stadium in his "Woody" persona -- including the silver-rim glasses and Buckeyes cap. "One time I was at a tailgate party and a lady asked me, 'Doesn't it bother you?' I told her, 'Walk around and see what people do when they see me. They smile.' You walk around and see people smiling at you all day, and you feel good. You feel great. What's better to do than make people smile?"
Police presence: Columbus police are hoping to avoid some of the problems that have occurred after previous Ohio State-Michigan games by banning parking in several off-campus neighborhoods over the weekend. "I haven't even considered what we'll do," said Chuck Jobe, 20, of Cleveland, who lives in one of the affected neighborhoods and has 15 friends driving in for the game. After Ohio State beat Michigan in 2002, cars and couches were set on fire, buildings were vandalized and people in the area fought with police. Police and fire officials won't say how they plan to control potential problems, but that they will have a significant presence in the neighborhoods. "What's going to happen is, when you look around, you're going to see a police officer," said Mitchell Brown, the city's public safety director.
Associated Press