They come out of the stalks, like so many over-popped demon
kernels - which also play football. There are too many other
types of corn to count. Corn on the cob. Corn off the cob. Corn
chowder. Corn bread. Creamed corn. Popcorn: Hardcore corn.
(Typo, sorry). None are as good at football as the Cornhuskers.
Sorry this got so corny. Enjoy the game.
Everett Cook, Zach Helfand, Matt Slovin and Liz Vukelich.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
3 Nebraska has a powerful offense. Mich-
igan has a mediocre defense. Who has
the advantage?
The last man left from the Bo Schem-
bechler days will retire at the end-of the
year. A look at their friendship.
This is Michigan's last chance to be the team
it wants to be. Win, and the season is sal-
vagable. Lose, and it could go downhill.
Cover photo by Erin Kirkland
0 e
2013in ScheduleE
i
"
n
Central Michigan (Aug. 31): Michigan beat the
Chippewas by their largest opening-day margin
since 1905.
Notre Dame (Sept. 7): Eminem is still in the
ESPN booth, wondering where he is and where
all the people went.
Akron (Sept.14): Unfortunately, Akron is chick-
ening out of this great rivalry after this year's
game.
Connecticut (Sept. 21): UConn lost to Buffalo.
Buffalo. Buffalo. But almost beat Michigan. Buf-
falo.
Minnesota (Oct. 5): Against Michigan last year,
Minnesota promoted epilepsy awareness. For
information, visit: epilepsyfoundationmn.org.
Penn State (Oct. 12): Unhappy Valley! Crappy
Valley! Funny play on wordsl
[
III
S
Indiana (Oct. 19): How high must one man fly
before he hits the sun? Jeremy Gallon almost
found against Indiana. What a game, what a
game.
Michigan State (Nov. 2): This was a freaking
beatdown in every sense of the word.
Nebraska (Nov. 9): The problem with Nebraska
fans is they're much too nice to hate. Unless, of
course, the 'Huskers win again this year.
Northwestern (Nov. 16): The best 0-5 Big Ten
team around.
Iowa (Nov. 23): Vodka Saml
Ohio State (Nov. 30): Urban Meyer has been
playing eshibition games for two years now.
ing up his pant leg to reveal
a brand-new pair of cowboy
boots, courtesy of the Dallas
Cowboys, emblazoned with
his name.
That afternoon, players
and coaches were gather-
ing to begin practice, and
uncharacteristically, Bo
was nowhere to be found.
He eventually made it into
the equipment room and
half-dragged, half-carried
Falk into the coaches' locker
room, slamming the door
behind them.
As Falk remembers it,
Bo said, "Look, I'm going to
have you do something to
me: If I ever hear that you
tell' somebody what you're
about to do, I'm going to hit
you in the face. Now pull
these boots off my feet!"
Falk straddled Bo's legs
and yanked on the boots to see your ugly face in all my
until they came off. life,' " Falk recalled Bo say-
"He and I giggled about ing.
that for a good five minutes," Once Bo was in Falk's pas-
Falk said. "But that's the senger seat defrosting, on
fun you have with a coach. the way to the airport for a
That's the fun you have with recruiting trip, he grumbled
the players." that three state troopers had
Then there was the time passed him - the most cel-
in 1985 when Falk rescued ebrated personality in the
Bo. He was cruising along on history of Michigan athlet-
Interstate 94 near Ypsilanti ics shunned mere miles from
when he saw a hitchhiker up the Big House.
ahead. Falk listened to Bo's com-
"It's almost 40 below. plaint but didn't fully sympa-
February. Snowing," Falk thize.
remembers. "I say, 'Wow! "Bo, you gotta remember,"
That guy's got a hat that Falk said, "you were 6-6 last
looks just like Bo's hat.'" season."
Falk drove up a little fur-
ther and noticed Bo's car on ***
the side of the highway. He
pulled over right next to a The last time Falk saw
red-nosed, red-cheeked Bo. Bo - the Monday before he
"'I've never been so happy passed away - isn't how he
remembers him.
The feeble man Falk
helped out of his car hard-
ly resembled the power-
ful man that Falk truly
believed could do anything.
After all, he transformed a
would-be farmhand from
a rural corner of Ohio into
the epitome of a Michigan
man.
Bo stumbled out of Falk's
car and, despite the coach's
protests, Falk grabbed his
arm and assisted him into
his house.
Then Bo did one thing
that night that reminded
Falk that this was the same
coach he'd grown up under,
the one his mother had accu-
rately predicted would take
care of him.
One last time, Bo took his
index finger, "like he always
does," Falk said, and jabbed
it in the meaty part between
his ribs.
"Falk, I know exactly
what you're doing to me," Bo
growled. "If something hap-
pens to me tonight, you'll tell
everyone, 'I got him in the
house. He was OK when I
left.'"
Four days later, Bo was
dead.
Falk and Bo had spent
countless hours in a car
together, but that final ride,
like Bo's last trip to Colum-
bus, felt different. All Bo
cared to talk about was his
rivalry with Woody Hayes
and their battles that would
outlive both of them. It was
as if the last link to Woody
knew his time was coming,
and he wanted to share every
last story before it came and
there was noone left to share
them.
Falkitakes the responsibil-
ity of being the last remain-
ing tie to Bo in the Michigan
locker room very seriously
He sees it as his duty to keep
Bo's presence alive there.
When he addresses the team,
like he did the week leading
up to his last Little Brown
Jug game against Minnesota
earlier this season, Bo's mas~P
terful speeches linger in his
head.
Now, Falk's time with the
football team is coming too.
He strolls across the locker
roomto setup the barricades
that prevent anyone from
stepping on the block 'M'
logo on the floor. Then, he
pauses and looks up. He has
one more story to tell about
his friend Bo.
FOLLOW US ON TWITTER:
@MICHIGANDAILY
IT'S GOOD FOR YOUR SOUL
STAFF PICKS
The Daily football writers pick
against the spread to predict
scores for the top-25 and Big
Ten in the 2013 football season.
Zach
Helfand
Liz
Vukelich
Melanie
Kruvalis,
Editorial
Page Editor
Everett
Cook
Matt
Slovin
I I
No.1 Alabama (-13).vsNo. 13 LSU
No. 2 Florida State(-35)at Wake Forest
No. 3 Oregon (0.5) at No. 5Stanford
No. 6 Baylor (-15) vs. No.10 Oklahoma
No. 8 Missouri ( 14)t Kentucky
No. 9 Auburn (-8) at Tennessee
Nol Miami (FI) -7) vs.VirginiaT ech
No. 14 Oklahoma State-31) vs. Kansas
No 15 Texas A&M (-9)vs.MississippiState
No.16 Fresno State (-10) at Wyoming
No.19UCLA(-1) at Arizona
No.20 Luisville (-28) atConnecticut
No. 21 UCF(-0.)vs. Houston
No. 22 Arizona State (-7) at Utah
No. 23 NotreDm (-4.5)atPitsburg
No. 24 Wisconsin (-7.5) vs. BYU
No25 Texas Tech -3) vs. Kansas State
Minersota(-3)rvs. PenneState
I owa(-15)atPurduee
Indiana(-l0) vs. llinois
Michigan (-7) vs. Nebraska
MichiganState (-271vs. urdue
Indiaver-10)avs.tllinois
Overall
LSUO
Florida State
Staford
Baylor
Missouri
Auburn
Miami (FL)
K ansas
Mssissippi State
Fresno State
UCLA
Connectirut
UCF
Airzona State
Notre Dame
BYU
Texas Tech
Penr State
Indiana
Michigea
Purdue
I21iaea
22-e0
Florida State
Stanford
Baylor
Miseuri
Auburn
Miami (FL)
Oklahoma State
Ter As&M
Fresno State
UCLA
Louisville
UCF
Arizona State
Notre'Dame
Wisconsin
TeasTech
Penn ate
Indiana
Nebr2ska
112-d10
Wake Forest
Oregon
Oklahoma
Missouri
Tenessee
Miami (FL)
Oklahoma State
Mississippi State
Fresno State
UCLA
Conneticut
UCF
Arizona State
Pitsburgh
Wisconsin
Texas Tech
Per State
Illinois
Nebraska
Purdue
140-82
Alabama
Wake Forest
Oregon
Baylor
Missouri
Auburn
Virginia Tech
Oklahoma State
Texas A&M
Wyoming
Arizona
Louisville
UCF
Utah
Notre Dame
BYU
Texas Tech
Mineesota
Indiana
Mi cigar
Michigan State
I2dian2
Alabama
Wake Forest
Stanford
Oklahoma
Kentucky
Auburn
Virginia Tech
K ansas
Mississippi State
Fresno State
Arizona
Conecticut
Arizona State
Pittsburgh
BYU
Kansas State
Minnesota
Indiana
Michigan
Purdue
2 1 FootballSaturday - November 9, 2013
TheMichiganDaily - www.michigandaily.com 7