Ohio St OL Boren twice considered a traitor

By RUSTY MILLER
AP Sports Writer

COLUMBUS, Ohio(AP) — In these parts, people don’t change sides
easily. You’re either born a Michigan fan or your bassinet has
scarlet and gray trim.

That’s why, in the days leading up to No. 9 Ohio State at
Michigan on Saturday, there is so much talk about the curious
case of Justin Boren.

Boren is from Ohio and starts at left guard for the Buckeyes.
But he used to play for the Wolverines.

Ohio State coach Jim Tressel did not permit Boren to speak with
reporters this week. But many of his teammates, current and
former, had a lot to say.

“When I was a freshman he came in during one of our meetings (on
a recruiting visit) – and he just fell asleep,” said Ohio
State’s Jim Cordle, who now starts next to Boren at tackle and
calls him one of his best friends. “This big meatball just comes
in and falls asleep. You heard all the talk about him going to
Michigan and stuff, and then he did.”

For the next two years, the Buckeyes seethed that a kid who grew
up less than 20 miles from Ohio Stadium was now wearing maize
and blue. So he was considered a turncoat – for the first time.

“During the Michigan game when you go out for warmups, both
teams are coming out of the same tunnel,” Cordle said,
reflecting on the 2007 game. “When we went out for warmups, he
was coming back in, and I saw him and I kind of stared him down.
I was like, ’There’s Boren.”’

But then Boren grew disenchanted with Michigan when coach Lloyd
Carr retired two years ago and was replaced by Rich Rodriguez.
Boren – whose father played at Michigan – stunned both states
when he announced he was transferring to Ohio State because, as
he put it, “family values have eroded” in the Wolverines’
program.

“That was just an excuse about why he wanted to leave,” Michigan
defensive end Brandon Graham said. “He put that on himself. He
didn’t give (the coaches) a chance when they got here, and he
was just so used to the coach Carr era, he didn’t want to get
used to nothing else.”

Michigan offensive lineman David Moosman clearly didn’t want to
discuss Boren.

“Just didn’t want to be here. … Probably shouldn’t have come
in the first place,” he said. “Who’s fault was that?”

Asked if he would ever allow his own son – should he someday
have one – to attend Ohio State, Graham scowled.

“No. I wouldn’t do that. I couldn’t do that,” he said. “I’m not
Justin Boren. I couldn’t do that.”

Once seen as a traitor by Ohio State fans, now Boren is a
favorite son. Once a starter for the Wolverines, he’s now seen
as Benedict Arnold in shoulder pads by Michigan faithful.

“He came to the good side, and here he is,” Cordle said with a
grin.

Without insight from Boren, no one knows what he is thinking
this week. Even his teammates are wondering.

“He’s going to have a lot of internal things going on,” Ohio
State safety Kurt Coleman said. “It’s going to be a motivation
for him to play. He’s usually an animal out there with his
mindset. I think this is going to be a totally different game. I
would like to watch him throughout the game.”

It’s almost unheard of for one player to switch uniforms in this
most heated of rivalries. Yet Hall of Fame Michigan coach Bo
Schembechler was from Ohio and a loyal assistant to Woody Hayes
at Ohio State before becoming Hayes’ nemesis in their “Ten-year
War” from 1969-78. Gary Moeller was the captain of the 1962 Ohio
State team, but later was coach of the Wolverines.

Sometimes “The Game” splits families.

Perhaps the most famous matchup in the series was the 1950 “Snow
Bowl” game played in Columbus. A blizzard with freezing
temperatures and 40 mph winds hit Ohio Stadium that Saturday,
paralyzing the city.

The Wolverines won 9-3, thanks to a safety and Tony Momsen’s
blocked punt and recovery in the end zone.

Momsen was the older brother of Ohio State’s Bob Momsen, who had
earlier blocked a punt to set up the Buckeyes’ only points.

Must have been an interesting postgame dinner for the Momsens.

Ohio State wide receiver Dane Sanzenbacher grew up in Toledo, in
the middle between the schools and almost split down the middle
in its allegiance this Saturday.

Sanzenbacher grew up an Ohio State fan and wasn’t recruited by
Michigan, but felt the pull of the rivalry at a young age.

“You’re always split down the middle, especially in Toledo,” he
said. “There were always plenty of Michigan fans to tell you
about it.”

More than most, he recognizes how a game like Ohio
State-Michigan can both unify and polarize.

“For both of these teams the passion from their fans runs a
little bit deeper,” he said. “They’re not going to be
flip-floppers about it.”