The frothing at the mouth between both team's fans, what with a national championship at stake with No. 1 hosting No. 2, had reached a fever pitch, enough for Michigan student and alumni leaders to send a campus-wide email advising Wolverines fans on how to act in enemy territory to lessen their chances of a butt-kicking. The e-mail offered such advice as carpooling, if possible, in a vehicle with non-Michigan license plates, keeping Michigan gear to a minimum, and avoiding the High Street campus nightlife district. The e-mail also noted that Michigan campus police would be making the trip to Columbus.

"We know that it can be uncomfortable being in an opposing team's environment, especially when the stakes are so high," the e-mail empathized.

But with Schembechler's death, Ohio State fans are more likely to lay off the Michigan faithful. That is, until kickoff. Then, the players will hit hard, the fans will scream, and all will look normal. But on the sidelines, there will be heavy hearts, particularly in current Michigan coach Lloyd Carr, who was a defensive assistant for Schembechler during his final 10 seasons.

When the game is over, one team's fans will be ready to needle the others', just like always. But Schembechler's death reminds fans, players and coaches, perhaps on a deeper level than they realize, how special the Michigan-Ohio State rivalry really is.

To his final days, Schembechler certainly did. When Schembechler found the Dead Schembechlers Web site for the first time — about two weeks before his death — he was amused and flattered. He might not have gotten that the band's name is a takeoff of the old punk band the Dead Kennedys, but he recognized the humor and was honored by the homage.

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"Holy smokes, I couldn't believe it," Schembechler told a Columbus Dispatch reporter he had contacted to see if he had ever heard of the band. "They're all dressed like Woody. I think it's crazy."

"When we learned that Bo had seen our Web site and was amused by it we were delighted," the band said on its Web site. "He said to those with him as he read it, 'See, I still matter in Columbus!' That may have been the greatest understatement in football history."