During the taping of the "Big Ten Ticket" show at a television studio in Detroit, Michigan, Bo Schembechler, former coach for the University of Michigan football team, collapsed and died this morning. He was 77.

Tomorrow's game aside, this is a sad day for college football — not just for Michigan.

He was a classy guy, a nasty opponent, a great teacher, and the consummate college football coach. He will be missed. Having been through the loss of Woody Hayes, I feel for Michigan fans.

No doubt his death will have a profound impact on tomorrow's game, the Big Ten, and NCAA football as a whole. And the normally-high stakes may be even higher for Michigan given their rankings, but Saturday's game is just Saturday's game.

Good sportsmanship requires many things, but for Saturday it requires a few more: I would exhort Buckeye fans not to boo Schembechler when his death is announced at tomorrow's game (and it will be). Respect the man and his accomplishments because he is as much of Ohio State's tradition as he is Michigan's. I would exhort Jim Tressel to understand (and he will) and communicate to his team that tomorrow's game is still strictly business — they have the better team, they're playing at home, and they can best deflate Michigan emotionally by playing solid football.

And the single, most respectful thing the Buckeyes can do tomorrow afternoon is to soundly whip the Michigan Wolverines and send them home 10-1. For Woody — in Bo's memory.