Mil il 71 UfStdmx 1Mga Scoreboard NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION DETROIT 96, New Jersey 88 Cleveland 89, TORONTO 81 Charlotte 90, INDIANA 87 ORLANDO 90, Minnesota 86 DALLAS 105, L.A. Clippers 94 HOUSTON 115, Phoenix 105 Atlanta 73, MILWAUKEE 65 Chicago 110, DENVER 92 UTAH 109, Golden State 104 (OT) NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE Montreal 6, BOSTON 2 PHILADELPHIA 7, Pittsburgh 3 BUFFALO 6, Toronto 3 ST. LOUIS 4, Phoenix 3 (OT) Detroit at SAN JOSE, inc. EDMONTON 3, N.Y. Rangers 2 Chicago at VANCOUVER, inc. Friday November 22, 1996 11 a 0A V°i i Is it still the same? Does the Michigan-Ohio State rpatchup have the same meaning this year as in seasons past? "Definitely not. Michigan a lot weaker than in past years, as you could see wit/h the Purdue loss. We don't } have somebody like Biakabutuka thisnyear, and Ohio State is clearly a lot better than we are." - Andres Soruco LSA freshman "Yes, because this game goes a long way ind etermining who gets the No. 1 recruits out of the state ofMchigan and the state ,of Ohio." - Will Smith Engineering junior "No, because we don't have as much invested in fwhether we win or lose compared to last year. My brother goes to Ohio State, and even he said the game wasn't going to be as good, because there isn't as much depending on the game" - Jennifer Reid LSA junior "Yes, because it i a good, traditional rivaly, and it has national title implica- tions for Ohio State. We could spoil their hopes or they could add another accomplishment to their list this season." - Tim Harden LSA sophomore M' tries to derail Bucks ' title hopes i, # By Nicholas J. Cotsonika Daily Sports Editor Eddie George is gone. Bobby Hoying is gone. Terry Glenn is gone. Three standout players are no longer part of the Ohio State football pro- gram that entered the final week of last season ranked second in the nation. But to Ohio State, change is good. The Buckeyes (7-0 Big Ten, 10-0 overall) may be ranked second once again in late November, heading into their game against No. 21 Michigan (4-3, 7-3) at Ohio Stadium tomorrow at 12:10 p.m., but they've changed quite a bit. Last year, they needed to beat Michigan to go to the Rose Bowl, and they lost. This year, they have already locked up a Rose Bowl berth. Last year, they had a solid quarter- back whose play was among the nation's best. This year, they can't decide who will be quarterback, but that's because they have two good ones. Last year, players like Glenn gave the Wolverines extra motivation with comments like, "Michigan is nobody." This year, they've kept their mouths shut. "They're an outstanding football team - maybe a great one," Michigan coach Lloyd Carr said. "We're going to have to play our best game to beat them." Look at the statistics. After losing their three dominant offensive stars, the Buckeyes are having no +rouble putting points on the board. They have scored 426 points this season, accumulating the third-high- est total in Ohio State history. They are currently averaging 42.6 points per game, third best in the nation. They are I11th in the nation il total offense (465.8 yards per game), 10th in rushing (245.9) and 43rd in passing (219.9). And this is with a running back starting for the first time, Pepe Pearson, and a two-quarterback rota- tion, consisting of Stanley Jackson and Joe Germaine, two situations that are hardly ideal for a potent offense. "They always come up with an out- standing back, and Pearson is just one in a long line," Carr said. "I don't think their offense is going to change depending on who the quarterback is. They both know the offense. They've both had a lot of experience. With Jackson in there, he gives the added dimension of being able to make a play with his running ability." Carr won't be able to prepare too much anyway, because Ohio State coach John Cooper isn't going to announce the starter until game time. "We have not made a final determi- See BUCKEYES, Page 13 Michigan tailback Tshimanga Biakabutuka ran around and through the Ohio State defense last year, racking up 313 yards to M / lead the ~ >r Wolverines over { then-No. 2 Ohio State. If Michigan is to knock off the Buckeyes, ::