By Louis Bien
GameDay
After two weeks of play, the Big Ten conference championship race is looking a lot like it did in the '70s, when the Big Ten was less affectionately referred to as the ""Big Two, Little Eight"" and Michigan and Ohio State dominated the college football landscape. Back then, Michigan or Ohio State won outright or shared every conference title from 1968 to 1982. This season looks to be a return to the old days, as both teams can lay claim to being not only the best team in the Big Ten, but also the nation.
Both teams have cruised to 5-0 in impressive fashion. No. 1 Ohio State dismantled Texas 24-7 in its second game of the season, and No. 6 Michigan lit up a heavily hyped Notre Dame squad 47-21 just a week later. Texas and Notre Dame were both ranked second in the nation at the time.
Ohio State came into the 2006 season ranked No. 1. Still, many thought that the Buckeyes would not be able to replace the nine starters from their stingy 2005 defense who either graduated or turned to the NFL. So far they haven't missed a beat. The defense is giving up just 9.8 points per game, helping the Buckeyes knock off three ranked teams in the early going: No. 24 Penn State, No. 19 Iowa and No. 2 Texas.
Buckeyes quarterback Troy Smith steals the show. Midway through the season he is the clear Heisman favorite, having already thrown for 1,070 yards and leading the Big Ten in pass efficiency (163.7). And Smith is just as dangerous with his legs. Just ask the Penn State front seven who had the task of attempting to tackle him. Wide receivers Anthony Gonzalez and speedster Ted Ginn have thrived on the deep ball this season and have thrown defensive coordinators into fits.
Michigan has playmakers of its own, starting with wide receiver Mario Manningham. The deep ball specialist became a household name after his performance against Notre Dame, when his first three receptions went for long touchdowns on the way to a 131-yard performance. New offensive coordinator Mike Debord implemented a new zone-blocking scheme that has lit a fire under Michigan's running game which was listless in 2005. Running back Mike Hart has thrived under the new scheme, rushing for 672 yards so far this season. Quarterback Chad Henne has shown a strong arm and is right behind Troy Smith in Big Ten pass efficiency (156.2).
The Wolverine defense played poorly last season, giving up long late-game scoring drives all year. As a result Michigan fired long-time defensive coordinator Jim Hermann and promoted the secondary coach Ron English to the open position. English has placed an increased emphasis on aggressiveness, which the Wolverines were missing throughout 2005. Now, Michigan has the nation's best run defense, giving up a paltry 36.4 yards per game.
The possibility of the two titans meeting undefeated and ranked No.1 and No.2 in the nation has football fans and TV networks drooling. Ohio State and Michigan have played each other eight times when both teams were ranked in the top five. Five of those times were between 1968 and 1975. For Ohio State and Michigan, these are just like the good 'ole days.
