Off the streets: The city planned to tow cars left on some streets near the Ohio State campus to avoid them possibly being set on fire or otherwise damaged after today's Ohio State-Michigan game. But

Off the streets: The city planned to tow cars left on some streets near the Ohio State campus to avoid them possibly being set on fire or otherwise damaged after today's Ohio State-Michigan game. But if it was any consolation to the vehicle owners, they were told they may not be hit with the bill. Parking was being restricted on six streets from Friday at 6 p.m. to Sunday at 6 a.m. The parking ban was part of a plan by the city and the university to avoid the fires and rioting that followed the 2002 game with Michigan. However, the city said it would pay the towing fees for cars picked up right after the ban took effect Friday evening. For vehicles found on those same streets later on, owners would have to pay at least 130 to get them out of impound, officials said.
Game ball: The game ball for The Game is taking a long route to Ohio Stadium. Members of the Phi Gamma Delta fraternities at Michigan and Ohio State will run 186 miles with the ball from Ann Arbor to Columbus. The run called the Rivalry Run Against Cancer will take about 30 hours. Over the last two years, the run has raised 40,000 for the American Cancer Society. The Michigan chapter of Phi Gamma Delta was to hand over the ball to the Ohio State fraternity members on Friday night in Findlay, which is about an equal distance between the two campuses.
Down the middle: Rob and Jennifer Obenour will watch the Ohio State-Michigan game at home in Van Buren, but that's where they'll draw the line. "We actually put a piece a tape down the center of the house. The north side of the house is hers, and the south side is mine," said Rob Obenour, an Ohio State fan. They've been dividing the house for years, making game day guests go different directions depending on the colors they're wearing. Jennifer Obenour, originally from Michigan, developed a bond with the Wolverines after meeting their former coach Bo Schembechler while she was being treated for cancer in Michigan. "She was always a fan, but meeting Bo, I think that kind of sealed it for her," her husband said. Schembechler died Friday on the eve of the Wolverines' No. 1 vs. No. 2 game with Ohio State.
Golden Bear: Jack Nicklaus didn't have to rearrange his calendar to squeeze in a trip to see Michigan play Ohio State. "This game has always been on my calendar," said Nicklaus, a lifelong Buckeyes fan. "I rearranged the rest of my schedule so it didn't conflict with the Ohio State-Michigan game." Nicklaus, 66, grew up in the Columbus area and attended Ohio State. He was NCAA and Big Ten champion as a junior. Nicklaus, who has lived most of his adult life in North Palm Beach, Fla., attends a few Ohio State games every season when he's not traveling the world designing courses. He was moved to tears last month when he was given the honor of dotting the 'i' in the Ohio State Marching Band's signature maneuver, "Script Ohio," when the Buckeyes hosted Minnesota. "I've been an Ohio State fan for years and Michigan has been the biggest rival every year," he said. "Ohio State can go 0-9 and if they beat Michigan, they have had a successful year. That's always been the way it is at Ohio State. As for this year, let's just say that I normally don't go to Ohio in November for a football game, but I wouldn't miss this for the world." Like any fan, he had an opinion on the outcome, but didn't want to predict a score. "I wouldn't want to get into that," he said. "I'll just say a Buckeye victory."
Associated Press
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