Almost everyone associated with the Michigan-Ohio State game has a name for the finale of the Big Ten season. Some call it the Border Battle. Others named it the Big Game.

But now this annual conference rivalry game has an official moniker: the SBC Michigan-Ohio State Classic.

SBC Communications purchased the naming rights to the game for $1.06 million over the next two years. Each school will receive $530,000 in the deal.

The order of the two school names will be switched before next year’s game in Ann Arbor, Mich.

“We sponsor 36 sports; we took on a major renovation of our stadium five or six years ago that was obviously very costly; and the price of doing business is substantial,” Ohio State coach Jim Tressel said. “So anything that we can be a part of to help the overall cost of the overall department, obviously we’re on board with.”

The selling of the game’s naming rights comes after SBC purchased the naming rights to the Big 12 Conference game between rivals Texas and Oklahoma. That matchup is now called the SBC Red River Shootout.

SBC also owns the naming rights to the SBC Cotton Bowl Classic, a Jan. 1 bowl game that pits the Southeastern Conference against the Big 12.

“This new agreement is much preferred to (playing) a 12th game,” Michigan coach Lloyd Carr said. “(But) some of the things we are doing and the directions we’re taking speak too much to money … and put more and more pressure on the people that compete.”

SYMPATHY FOR ZOOK

Big Ten coaches reacted negatively to the firing of Florida coach Ron Zook, the major story this week in college football.

The coaches mainly criticized the short time Zook had to develop his program.

“I’m certainly glad I don’t work for the president of the University of Florida,” Carr said.

Zook, who is in his third season as the Gators’ head coach, has decided to finish the season at the school.

Indiana coach Gerry DiNardo was in the same position as Zook when he was fired from Louisiana State after the 1997 season. DiNardo was fired before the team’s final game and decided to leave Louisiana State instead of finishing the season.

“My situation is a little different than Ron’s,” DiNardo said. “I felt like I would be an ineffective leader with my power being more or less taken away.

“I think Ron should do what he thinks is right, and in his case, that’s staying on. I can absolutely understand him wanting to stay on.”

NO HARM, NO FOUL

Either conference officials are avoiding making calls or coaches are instilling more discipline into their programs because Big Ten teams are among the least penalized teams in the nation.

The conference has six teams ranked in the top 25 of squads with the fewest penalties per game. The Big Ten also has five teams ranked in the top 25 in fewest yards penalized per game.

“I don’t remember a time when we had that many Big Ten teams that high in fewest penalties,” Carr said. “I think it’s an emphasis. Obviously, the guys who get the credit for it are the players.”

Illinois sits atop the nation in both rankings, which is confusing considering the Fighting Illini haven’t won a Big Ten game in the past two seasons.

The top ranking is something Illinois coach Ron Turner said he takes pride in.

“To me it’s a sign of focus when you’re not getting many penalties,” he said. “I think it’s unusual that seven of the top 15 have losing records because usually the teams with discipline play better.”

Reach Zach Silka at [email protected].

RUSHING CAR YDS AVG YPG

Maroney, Minnesota 145 941 6.5 117.6

Hart, Michigan 187 936 5.0 117.0

Herron, NU 155 781 5.0 111.6

Barber, Minnesota 138 816 5.9 102.0

Stanton, Michigan State 61 454 7.4 75.7

passing att cp yds TD RTG

Orton, Purdue 247 158 2090 20 158.5

Cupito, Minnesota 170 81 1509 11 140.0

Tate, Iowa 201 126 1467 9 131.8

Stanton, Michigan State 151 94 1043 6 128.1

Henne, Michigan 250 152 1728 13 128.0

RECEIVING REC YDS AVG YPG

Edwards, Michigan 58 806 13.9 100.8

Roby, Indiana 39 671 17.2 95.9

Stubblefield, Purdue 39 618 15.8 88.3

Philmore, NU 50 574 11.5 82.0

Holmes, Ohio State 37 562 15.2 80.3

TOTAL OFFENSE PLAYS YDS YPG

Orton, Purdue 305 2173 310.4

Basanez, NU 339 1923 274.7

Stanton, Michigan State 212 1497 249.5

Tate, Iowa 252 1452 207.4

Henne, Michigan 289 1650 206.2

scoring GMS PTS PPG

Stubblefield, Purdue 7 66 9.4

Herron, NU 7 60 8.6

Barber III, Minnesota 8 60 7.5

Edwards, Michigan 8 48 6.0

Thomas, Illinois 8 42 5.2

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Name Here, Team XX XXX XX.X

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