Former Buckeye talks about the big game - 13abc.com Toledo (OH) News, Weather and Sports

In case you didn't know there's a little football game in Columbus this weekend. The Ohio State- Michigan game is of course one of the greatest rivalries in college football. The two take to the gridiron on Saturday and Toledo is full of fans on both sides of the pigskin.

13 ABC's Lissa Guyton had a chance to sit down with a former Buckeye to talk about his college career and of course the big game. The very last time Park Blubaugh suited up for the Buckeyes was a Michigan game.

He wore the scarlet and gray in the 1940's and after football he had a very successful local business for five decades. Although he played more than 60 years ago, Park remembers those days like they were yesterday.

A look back through the fading pages that tell the story of his football career brings a big smile to Park Blubaugh's face, "Even though I am almost 84 I still remember it all because it was a very pleasant experience for a kid raised on a farm in Pennsylvania. It was marvelous."

Blubaugh moved from Pennsylvania to Ohio his senior year and he was a highly recruited half back out of Lima Central. In fact, he says had offers to play college ball from 38 different schools, "When people ask how old I am I say when I played football there were no facemask's and I played before Woody Hayes and that ages me a little because Woody was there for 27 years!'

The Ohio State-Michigan game his junior year changed the course of his life,"I got hurt at Michigan and those memories you'll always have because that ended my football career."

He says his coach eventually lost his job because of his record against Michigan, "When I played Wes Fessler was the coach and couldn't beat Michigan enough so he lost his job. Ann Arbor is the graveyard for Ohio State coaches who can't beat Michigan enough."

While football was such an important part of his life, he says he has a tough time watching college games nowadays,"In fact, I have a tough time even watching Ohio State because they have had some pretty slow starts, so I get bored.  Although I am always curious to know the score, so I'll turn it back on to see the scores."

So what about this year's game? Of course he'd love to see his Buckeyes go undefeated, but, "I have no predictions. I think they've been a surprise football team all year.'

Remember this Saturday is one of our biggest shows of the year. The Northwest Ohio Ford dealers Border Battle kickoff show it starts at 10am. Two hours live from the horseshoe, right up until the kickoff at noon. It's all right here on 13ABC.