Ohio State-Michigan: It Will Definitely Be A "Boren" Week

There are going to be so many interesting storylines leading up to the Ohio State/Michigan game this week.  Ohio State has clinched a berth in The Rose Bowl, but has an opportunity to become outright Big Ten conference champions with a defeat of Michigan.  Or maybe people will want to talk about how Jim Tressel has defeated Michigan seven times in eight attempts, and will be trying to make it eight out of nine.

Another storyline to keep an eye on could be how Ohio State has defeated Michigan five straight times, and will be trying to make it six.  Michigan is now 5-6 on the season, needing a victory to become bowl eligible.

All of these are worthwhile storylines.  For what it is worth, I believe all of them will pale in comparison to Justin Boren returning to play against Michigan.

It happened so early on in the spring of 2008 that it is possible people may have dismissed it from memory.  Boren, an Ohio born player with a love of Michigan football from his parents, cited an erosion in "family values" in his reasoning for leaving Michigan during spring football of that year.

While many Michigan fans and players were quick to label Justin Boren a malcontent and quitter, among other derogatory terms, the fallout was exacerbated when Boren decided to become a walk-on at Ohio State , taking the intense rivalry between the two schools to another level. 

Younger brother Zach Boren , who like his brother grew up a Michigan fan, became an Ohio State commit and signed with Ohio State last February.  Zach Boren starts at fullback, while Justin starts at left offensive guard.

One of Justin Boren's quotes regarding this whole incident is something to keep in mind for this game:  "I think about (that game) almost every day.  It will be the happiest day of my life. It's going to be crazy. That's what I'm looking forward to, and it's all the better it's in Ann Arbor."

I have a feeling cameras are going to be watching the line of scrimmage with a little more attention than usual this coming Saturday.  I know I will be curious to see how Ohio State's # 65 is handling this unusual homecoming.