COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) -- What's brewing today with the 2009 Ohio State Buckeyes ...

BUCKEYES BUZZ:@ One of the most treasured traditions at Ohio State is for each member of a Buckeyes team that defeats Michigan to receive a small charm in the shape of "gold pants."

The origin of the gold pants is coach Francis Schmidt's saying before the 1934 game against Michigan that the Wolverines "put their pants on one leg at a time, the same as everyone else." After the victory, a tradition began - and the Buckeyes hope to continue it in the wake of Saturday's noon start at The Big House.

S Kurt Coleman says not everyone understands the importance of the trinket.

"Someone asked me if we really wear gold pants," he said. "So some people don't even know what's going on with the whole gold pants tradition. It's funny to hear people's reaction when I tell them, 'No, it's just a little necklace thing,' and how it came about. There's a lot of tradition that goes into it. My mom cherishes those gold pants. She won't take them off her neck."

Coach Jim Tressel was asked what he did with his gold pants.

"I just take mine home and give them to (wife) Ellen, never to be seen again," he said.

Since Ohio State has won the last five meetings and has already clinched a Rose Bowl berth and at least a share of the Big Ten title, some think the Buckeyes have less to play for against Michigan.

"You know, this year you could think there's not going to be an edge because we've already clinched the Rose Bowl and they're losing, but it's still 'The Game.' It's still about getting gold pants for us, it's still about a bowl game for them. It's still about pride," OL Jim Cordle said.

The gold pants only add to the magnitude of The Game.

"Yeah, that's very special. It sets Ohio State apart," he said. "You see some of the players that have been here that have parents, their dads played here, so someone like Ryan Lukens, his dad gave his mom the gold pants and then Ryan gave his mom the gold pants. She was just littered with gold pants.

"It's just something special. It's very cool, and I want five of them."

ANN ARBOR BOUND:@ The Buckeyes left campus around 1:15 p.m. Friday headed north.

PROGRAMMING NOTE:@ At 10:30 a.m. Saturday, the Big Ten Network profiles legendary Ohio State RB Chic Harley.

In 1919, Harley led Ohio State to its first victory over Michigan in what some consider the official beginning of the rivalry. After a stellar career at Ohio State, Harley suffered from mental illness and spent most of his adult life in mental hospitals except for a brief period during which he was honored with a huge parade in Columbus.

OH CAPTAIN, MY CAPTAIN:@ The fourth, or offensive-team captain, for the Michigan game is WR/KR Ray Small.

The honorary captain is none other than two-time Heisman Trophy winner, Archie Griffin.

COOOOOP:@ Former Ohio State coach John Cooper's take on Saturday's showdown in Ann Arbor, Mich.:

"I don't think there's any question that (Michigan's) Rich Rodriguez is a great coach, and the offense he is running is a step ahead of the time, but you've got to have some horses to run it. Combine that with the fact they don't have the stellar defense they normally have, and it looks like a mismatch," he said. "There is one great defensive team in the Big Ten and that's here at Ohio State. Michigan is not going to score much on Ohio State. They will play hard and play their guts out, but I don't know if they have anything left."

LACHEY'S VIEW:@ Ex-Ohio State All-American OL Jim Lachey is a Buckeyes football radio analyst.

He thinks Ohio State will win, but adds a caveat:

"I think Rich Rodriguez is a good football coach, No. 1. These last two years people have told me that I am crazy for saying that, but I think he understands what he needs to do and he might not have the right personnel and maybe the right situation like he had in other places to get it done as fast as he needs to get it done," Lachey said. "He has a good system and a good scheme, and I think we have seen them make some good strides this year with (QB) Tate Forcier who can make some plays back there. It is about building that whole thing. It is not about that one unit (offense), but all three units and they are struggling a little bit on special teams and giving up some big plays on defense. All it takes though for it to turn around is one game and I have played enough football to know that."

PRYOR CONVICTION:@ Former Ohio State coach Earle Bruce believes Saturday's game will tell a lot about Buckeyes QB Terrelle Pryor.

"He's made headway. We'll see how much up there (in Ann Arbor)," Bruce said. "You can't make mistakes on the road, and that's where he had his biggest problems, at Purdue. Then he made headway a couple of weeks ago at Penn State. This game will be a real test of our quarterback. How do you play against Michigan?"

FOUR-LETTER WORD:@ One word that is bandied about this week, particularly by Ohio State fans toward their nemesis to the north, is hardly the sentiment displayed by Tressel. He said he does not HATE Michigan.

"That's probably a little bit strong of a word to use, most especially in athletics, and maybe anytime," Tressel said. "But what do I think (when Ohio State fans say they hate Michigan)? I guess I think that's their opinion. It's not necessarily mine."

TURKEY, THEN FOOTBALL:@ This is the last year in the foreseeable future that the Ohio State-Michigan game will be the week before Thanksgiving.

Big Ten coaches voted to push the season back a week in order to have a bye week.

So, starting in 2010, The Game will be two days after Thanksgiving.

INDOCTRINATION TO FOOTBALL:@ The Toledo Blade reports that a Glass City attorney told 47 men and women about to be sworn in as U.S. citizens on Thursday that they should embrace the Ohio State-Michigan game.

"Americans are crazy about college football and now that you are new Americans, you should be crazy about college football too," Timothy Nackowicz told the new citizens in a ceremony at Owens Community College. "You're in Ohio so you should be an Ohio State Buckeyes fan."

Nackowicz also advised the newest Americans that they should wear scarlet and gray instead of anything maize and blue.

He also led the group in the O-H, I-O chant.

Discovering that there was a Wolverines fan in the group, Nackowicz added, "It's unfortunate, but in America all views are welcome."

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