Michigan at Ohio State Running Diary

6:59 EST: Dinner is almost ready. Since The Editor is out of town, I'm reverting back to my single days - the menu consists of a salad with ginger dressing, macaroni with vodka sauce, and a glass of wine...um, I mean beer...yeah, beer!

7:00: ESPN teases the game by showing clips from this year's football game. Thank you, I feel better now. Oh yeah, it's also rivalry week and to promote it, ESPN is showing clips of real people divided by rivalries. In this one, the daughter goes to Michigan while the rest of her family are OSU grads. She starts singing Hail to the Victors and her father ends it with oh so much class, "cesspool of the west." I wonder if he can define cesspool let alone spell it.

7:03: Erin Andrews is easy on the eyes...Courtney Sims is profiled on Star Watch...Andrews says something about OSU focusing on fundamentals. Michigan focusing on avoiding the 20 point rule in the 1st half.

7:04: A shot of Tommy Amaker wearing a grey jacket with a grey mock turtleneck. Insert joke here. Musburger says that Amaker is one of the nicest guys he's met. Oh, by the way, Amaker is 3-6 against the Buckeyes.

7:05: Time for the tip. Let's see how bad Oden makes Michigan look. I think the Wolverines will be down 20 at the 6 minute mark of the 1st half. OSU commits an over and back on its first posession. OSU - 1TOs, Mich - 0TOs. So far, so good.

7:06: Lavin says that Conley, the OSU point guard escorts the ball well in transition. Apparently, he's a man whore.

7:07: Courtney Sims is softer than the Pillsbury Doughboy but not as fat. 24 second violation. Yay Michigan basketball! At this rate I'll have a headache by 7:15.

7:14: A little distraction. Back. 14:47 left, score tied at 6. Immediately after I type the score, OSU hits a 3. OSU presses and almost creates a turnover.

7:16: Dion Harris with 5 points in a row. No headache. Lavin talking about Bruce Pearl painting his chest being a carnival barker move. Huh? 12:46 left, Michigan up 1.

7:17: Dinner finally ready. Can I manage to eat and keep notes? I predict "no."

7:18: Need a bigger fork. Buckeyes score and intercept a pass. OSU 14, M 11. Awesome.

7:19: Citibank needs new commercial. The Spice Girls are so yesterday.

7:20: The Sims connection for 2. Lavin says that Courtney Sims always seems to have a good game when Lavin is present. Maybe he's coaching him unlike Tommy Amaker.

7:22: I love Scrubs. It's one of the funniest shows on tv. I hate women's basketball. If I ever have a kid, its gonna be a girl, I just know it.

7:25: You know how its early February? Michigan has 16 wins and will

7:26: OSU is pressing and why wouldn't it? Name the last true Michigan PG. I'm guessing Avery Queen.

7:30: Mmmm...Vodka Sauce

7:32: What's with the multiple soccer references?

7:34: Greg Oden is big. Courtney Sims is still soft. Way to put the ball on the floor in traffic.

7:39: Oh that janitor. Trying to con Dr. Reid into a date. I love Scrubs.

7:40: At 2:42 left in the 1st half, M has 1 assist. Okay, with that basket, probably 2. Oh Avery Queen, how I miss you. I can't believe M is only down 1.

7:42: Conley +1. OSU 33, M 29. Okay, keep it close - under 8 at the half should be good. And a terrible 3 point shot by M. Yay Michigan basketball.

7:43: Apparently Musburger and Lavin don't find the game interesting. Lavin's trying to hit on Erin Andrews on the air. I would too.

7:44: Halftime.

7:45: Teen Jeopardy = Freak Show. Eliza has this look that says "if I don't win, my parents are going to tie me to my bed and make me do math problems."

7:50: Heather Graham is HOT. Good God.

7:58: Is it wrong I want to see Norbit? Ok, dinner over. Think I handled the keeping notes and eating at the same time thing pretty well. Food didn't get too cold.

8:01: Start of the 2nd half and Michigan is shooting 45% so far. OSU hits a quick 3. OSU 36, M 29. Uh-oh.

8:02: Bad shot by Lester Abram. I miss Lester Abram, circa 2001. OSU hits another 3. OSU 39, M 29. Wheels...falling...off?

8:04: Seriously, I miss true-freshman-Lester Abram. Oden misses, gets his own rebound against 3 M defenders and dunks. Oh yeah, Courtney Sims is soft. It's getting ugly.

8:05: Michigan with a nice transition from defense to offense. Blocked shot, fast break, Oden fouls Shepard and goes to the bench with 3 fouls. Nice job M! OSU 41, M 34. 17:20 left.

8:07: Argh! With Oden out, Harris takes a terrible off balance shot. OSU fast break. Sims comes back and gets a dunk off a broken play.

8:09: Commerical for Disney World featuring Tony Dungy and Dominic Rhodes. Read today in SI that even though its tradition for the MVP to do the commercial, Peyton didn't want to. Either he had a unfortunate experience at the Magic Kingdom involving Tigger or Disney doesn't pay as as much as MasterCard.

8:12: Harris with 5 straight points. OSU 45, M 41. Oddly enough, M is playing well. I thought I'd be playing video games by now.

8:13: Strong drive to the basket by Lester Abram. OSU 47, M 43. 13:49 left. Cautiously optimistic.

8:14: This team makes me want to smash things. They get close but can't get over the hump. It's mindboggling. Its like they have an internal clock that causes turnovers automatically when the game is close.

8:15: Michigan taking advantage of Oden's absence by going to the basket and getting offensive rebounds. Shepard at the line for 2. Fans singing something about owning the state of Michigan. I hate the Buckeyes.

8:18: Coming out of halftime, Erin Andrews said that Amaker wanted M to box out better. Still not doing it. OSU up 8...wait, now only 6. Great job breaking the trap.

8:24: Oden has bodyguards? Really?

8:25: Buckeyes have killed the Wolverines with the high pick and roll all night. The guard comes around the pick, no defensive rotation, easy 3.

8:26: Sims splits the double team and scores. OSU 54, M 51.

8:28: Sims going up strong! Thank you Steve Lavin.

8:29: Classic Michigan basketball. Oden checks in and immediately M turns the ball over. Udoh telegraphed his pass to Abram.

8:30: Michigan going to the basket a lot. They need to attack Oden if they have any chance of winning.

8:33: It's troublesome that a team with 4 seniors can bring the margin to within 3 or 4 points but can't get any closer. With the score 52-56, M takes a bad shot and OSU gets the ball back easily.

8:34: OSU has now hit 7 threes tonight. Damnit! Attack Oden!

8:36: Its unraveling now. Surprised it took so long. Oden blocks Sims' shot, then Shepard's shot, and Abram commits a loose ball foul. OSU 63, M 53. 5:56 left. Not looking good

8:37: Dion Harris trying to do too much. Can you blame him. He's the only legitimate offensive threat on this team. Anyway, turnover. Sigh.

8:38: Conley to the hole. Reed Baker hits a shot. OSU 65, M 55. 4:57 remain.

8:40: Another Harris turnover. The only consistent thing about Michigan is that its offense fails in big spots.

8:41: Harris with an awesome reverse. I really feel bad for him. Easy basket for OSU. Michigan is a fake good defensive team.

8:42: Three of the last 5 possessions for Michigan have resulted in turnovers.

8:45: OSU backcourt 41, M backcourt 16. Great job recruiting Tommy.

8:46: I swear Sims has only one move in the post - fake to the baseline, turn into the lane, dribble, dribble, turn back to the baseline, take contested shot or turn ball over. Here, he managed to get a shot somehow. Keep it under 20. How the standards have fallen.

8:48: Oden runs over Sims. Completely legal. Sims gave the resistance of a feather. Oden dunks, OSU 70, M59. 1:00 to go.

8:51: Lavin is apparently buying tonight.

8:54: 10 blocks for Oden.

8:55: Game over. I'm tired of losing to OSU. Final: OSU 76, M 63. 16-8 (4-5). Four game losing streak. Goodbye NCAA, hello NIT!