8 - Tuesday, November 20, 2012. The Michigan Daily - michigandailycom FOOTBALL Hoke readies 'M' for visit to Columbus Junior quarterback Devin Gardner has started the past two games under center for Michigan, but he may not start against the Buckeyes on Saturday. H oke undecide who will start at artrbackvs. Ohio State By BEN ESTES They're ineligible to take part in Daily Sports Editor any postseason action, whether a bowl game or the Big Ten Cham- All season long, the Michigan pionship game, due to sanctions football team says that the only stemming from the NCAA's game that matters is the one for investigation into transgressions that week. dating to the tenure of former They're focusing only on that coach Jim Tressel. Saturday's game, the Wolverines But at 11-0, Ohio State has say. Michigan coach Brady Hoke a chance to finish the season insists that every week is a "cham- undefeated, which is always a pionship week," and that nobody weighty achievement. There's a is looking ahead to a future game slim chance that the team could or behind to a past game. earn a national championship But the truth is that this week should the voters of the Associ- has been emphasized all season. ated Press Poll decide to rank the "We start every meeting with Buckeyes No. 1 over the winner Beat Ohio," said senior defensive of the BCS Championship Game. tackle Will Campbell. One might think that the Michigan will take on hated opportunity to ruin a perfect rival Ohio State - or simply season would add to the motiva- "Ohio," as Hoke calls the school tion for Michigan. - for the 109th time this Satur- But the Wolverines claim day, and as the Wolverines them- that's not the case at all - Hoke selves said on Monday, 'it's a big said the importance of The Game game. renders side motivations like The Ohio born Hoke has that irrelevant. emphasized the importance "If you need anything to get of the rivalry since he became amped up more or whatever Michigan's coach before last sea- for this football game, then you son, a marked departure from don't know college football and the tenure of former coach Rich you don't understand the impor- Rodriguez, who many fans felt tance of this great rivalry," Hoke didn't appreciate the history said. with the Buckeyes as much as he Added Campbell: "I mean if should have. they were 0-11, it'd still be Michi- But as Hoke said, the rivalry gan playing Ohio. That's all you is bigger than him, Ohio State need. You don't need any moti- coach Urban Meyer, or any play- vational speeches or anything er taking part in this year's edi- coming into this week to get pre- tion of the game. The two teams pared to play Ohio." have a long history of tense, Players have complimented year-end battles and the game Hoke for his ability to educate has spawned countless memo- the team on the importance rable moments. and history of all of Michigan's The week of practice leading rivalries. But even that appar- up to The Game shows just how ently isn't necessary for Ohio much the Wolverines care about State - the awareness comes beating their counterparts to the from the emphasis placed on this 'south. game throughout the whole sea- "It's really hard to put into son, and the older players maker words, I guess," said fifth-year sure that the younger ones know senior center Elliott Mealer. what's coming, according to "It's probably everything you'd Hoke. expect. It's intense. The big- To a man, each of the players gest thing is your focus, the bar that spoke to the media on Mon- is kinda raised on that. ... You day spoke of their excitement for understand when you play in this Saturday and the week leading game, you really have to be at up to it. your best. (It really probably didn't hurt "You got to be your sharpest, that all four of them grew up so your preparation is that much in either Michigan or Ohio, so more focused." the rivalry was never foreign to Like most years, this season's them.) edition of the game has plenty at Junior quarterback Devin stake. Gardner, who appears poised to Michigan still has a shot at remain the starting quarterback the Big Ten Championship, since against the Buckeyes, said he it can take the Legends Divi- remembers the. last trip Michi- sion with a win over Ohio State gan made to Columbus in 2010. and Nebraska loss to Iowa. The Even though the Wolverines Wolverines also have their post- were blown out in that game, season fate to play for - they're Gardner said he was still amazed certain to make a bowl, but at the impact of the rivalry. which one they play in could "Obviouslyyou guys know this change based on Saturday's out- is the greatest rivalry in sports," come. Gardner said. "I think a lot of As for the Buckeyes, there are people feel this way. I just can't no such postseason implications, wait to play in it." Toussaint undergoes - I would say it's probably up in the air." surgery, released Regardless, Hoke said he is happy that both Gardner and from hospital Robinson will be on the field Monday together in some capacity, as y both have proven that they are effective quarterbacks and posi- By LUKE PASCH tion players. Before Robinson Daily SportsEditor injured himself at Nebraska, Gardner had been lining up at With Michigan coach Brady wide receiver. Hoke reserving details about "Well, I think it helps our senior quarterback Denard Rob- football team," Hoke said. inson's progress in healing from "When we moved Devin, and he an elbow injury, it's .anybody's wanted to move to wide receiv- guess who will start at quarter- er, we were helping our football back this Saturday against Ohio team because State. you're put- Robinson took the field last ting your « Saturday against Iowa in his final best 11 on the I WOt appearance at Michigan Stadium, field. I think . lining up most plays in either the Denard fits it spr backfield or the slot. He did take in that either u n some snaps at quarterback from as a quarter- Up ii the shotgun, but didn't attempt a back or as a pass. slot receiver Junior quarterback Devin or wherever it Gardner played at quarterback may be." for most of the game, and he Hoke did not say whether looked impressive, throwing for he would still start Gardner at 314 yards and three touchdowns quarterback if Robinson's elbow in addition to rushing for three is fully healed come Saturday. more. FITZ UNDERGOES SURGERY: On Monday, Hoke said he 'Early in the game against Iowa, doesn't knowyetwho will start at redshirt junior running back quarterback in Columbus. 'Fitzgerald Toussaint was tack- "I'd say probably - Denard led out of bounds on the right continues to get better everyday sideline, and his left ankle got caught under a rolling defender. He needed to be carted off the field, and it was clear that the injury was serious. Over the weekend, Toussaint underwent surgery to repair the apparent ankle injury, and he was released from the hospital on Monday. "Fitz had surgery, went very well," Hoke said. "Saw him (on. Sunday) ... (and he) should have a full recovery. And we'll move forward and he'll move forward. But everything went well, as well as it can as far as having an injury. No one wants that for a kid." Hoke said he thinks that ild say Toussaint will be ready for the start of ,, next season, he air." but for now, the injury presents an opportunity for sophomore running back Thomas Rawls to see more time in the backfield. Against Iowa, Rawls picked up just 22 yards on eight carries, but Hoke said he still likes what he's seen out of the young back. "There's so much more to (the running game) when you're looking at backside reads on linebackers, you're looking at pass protections, all the things that you have to do as a back," Hoke said. "I think that's where Thomas as grown the most." Gardner also has full confi- dence in Rawls being able to fill in. "He has to be ready, and I feel like he is," Gardner said. MORGAN IS BACK: Soph- omore outside linebacker Desomnd Morgan sat out against Iowa with an undis- closed injury, but Hoke says he'll be ready to go for Ohio State. The week before, against Northwestern, Morgan took a hard block toward the end of the game and was not on the field during the last series. Fresh- man linebacker James Ross III filled in for Morgan against the Hawkeyes. Ross led the team with 12 tackles, nine of which were solo. "I thought James, I think from day one, we thought he was instinctive and a good football player," Hoke said. "It doesn't surprise you that he has good instincts. He sees things well and he likes to tackle." Even though Morgan should be full go for Saturday, Ross's solid performance against Iowa provided reassurance that Michigan's linebacking corps has good depth should, some- body go down again. Beilein: Maryland is a good fit for the Big Ten By NEAL ROTHSCHILD Daily Sports Editor Len Elmore, Len Bias, Joe Smith, Steve Francis, Steve Blake, and Juan Dixon. They aren't among the great- est to play in the Big Ten, but as of Monday, they're now among the greatest to play at one of the con- ference's member schools. The University of Maryland Board of Regents voted to join the Big Ten, leavingthe ACC, in which Maryland was a charter member. The move inflates the Big Ten to 13 schools, and the expected addition of Rutgers on Tuesday will bring it to an even 14. Maryland's first season of Big- Ten competition will come in the 2014-15 academic year. "Between the Big Ten Network and the strength of our confer- ence right now, (the Big Ten has) been very good to men's basketball since I've been here," said Michi- gan coach John Beilein Monday. "If they believe Maryland is the right fit, I'm all for it." The Terrapins have a rich bas- ketball tradition, and College Park, Md. became an NBA breed- ing ground under legendary coach LeftyDriesell, and later, Gary Wil- liams, who brought the program its first national championship in 2002. He also brought the Terra- pins to their only other Final Four of-town games on a regu and yhe addition of Mary Rutgers only makes th more difficult. The dis College Park and New Br N.J. is exceeded only by and Minneapolis. ' "I think that with the w allowed to travel right always difficult, but it's st be 18 games," Beilein said care if you're going to M or you're going to Neb you're going to Minnesot still going to be travel." The dis- tance may be exhausting in-season, but could prove to be an advantage in the offseason for Michigan. fe "I always thought it was hard to get some of the kids from ro-Atlantic area to driv Marylands, the Geor the Villanovas to come t gan," Beilein said. "Some they're really looking fo that. They want to get aN home. "But other kids it's them with the emphasis c cial visits. If Maryland w then, between the drive him and Ann Arbor, st lar basis, that's a difficult 'get.' 'land and Michigan basketball has at least ie travel one connection to the Terrapins - tance to a familiar face. unswick, Former Wolverine forward 'Lincoln Evan Smotrycz transferred to Maryland last spring after his waywe're sophomore season and is sitting now, it's this season outper NCAA transfer ill gonna rules. . "I don't His last year of eligibility will Iaryland, . come in the first year that the raska or Terrapins play in the Big Ten. a, there's Depending on how the schedule shapes up, Smotrycz could have one final return to Crisler Cen- ter on the dock- "Coaches en. Athletic neralyylike Director Dave Brandon didn't wer games." tell Beilein about the move prior to the Michigan coach John Beileinthinks Maryland is a good fit in the Big Ten men's basketball landscape. appearance in 2001. Michigan has split six match- ups with Maryland and won the schools' only NCAA Tournament matchup - a 78-71 triumph in the regional semifinals in 1994. With 14 teams, the confer- ence must determine whether to increase the number of Big Ten games during the season, or keep, the schedule at 18 games, with each school playing more teams, but losing a home-and-home two- game series with a few teams each year. The alternative under an expanded schedule would be to retain the home-and-home for- mat, but play fewer teams each season. "I know the coaches generally like fewer games, I know the com- missioners generally like more games and I think there's probably a compromise in the middle," said Big Ten Commissioner Jim Delany in a teleconference on Monday. The difficulty of scheduling with more teams may make the creation of basketball divisions necessary. The football divisions appear to be a solution, but the strengths of schools in basketball could make the split unequal. "In the Big East, we did not have divisions," Beilein said of his time at West Virginia. "We just played and they found a way to do it and it wasn't always a math- ematical plan that had equity. It was just what makes sense for TV, and frankly, that happens a lot." Opening the East Coast to the Big Ten adds big markets and sig- nificant money to the conference, but it could also compound logisti- cal issues. Basketball is the biggest Michi- gan sport that plays midweek out- the Met- e by the getowns, o Michi- of them, rward to way from hard for on unoffi- 'ants you, between ometimes announcement, but it was a frequently addressed topic, and one that the sixth-year Michigan coach is pleased with. "We talked expansion often before," Beilein said. "Maryland was one name that people had heardtalked about, notfrom Dave, from people that talked about dif- ferent options and especially the East-Coast market. We've got- ten more into the Midwest, to go to the East Coast is a pretty good idea."