EAST LANSING, Mich. -- A funny thing nearly happened on the way to The Game we've all been waiting for.
Both No. 2 Ohio State and No. 3 Michigan almost spit the bit. The Buckeyes had to intercept a two-point conversion try at Michigan State to escape with a 17-16 victory, while the Wolverines trailed Indiana into the third quarter before pulling away at home.
Whew. What a downer it would have been if both teams had suffered their second losses of the season on the Saturday before their long-awaited showdown. ESPN's planned five-hour "College GameDay" extravaganza from Columbus would have needed a sad trombone soundtrack.