COLUMBUS - Mark Snyder, welcome to "The Game."

Snyder, the Ohio State first-year defensive coordinator, will be designing his first defense in the Michigan game as the Buckeyes face the Wolverines at 1 p.m. Saturday in Ohio Stadium.

With that first Ohio State-Michigan game comes a river of emotions. Snyder admits he is already feeling the importance of the game.

"This is my first gig. There's a lot of anxiety. I'm going to take in everything I see. When the ball's kicked and the game starts, it's all irrelevant. I know one thing, I talked to Dino (Cincinnati coach Mark Dantonio) and Earle Bruce and everyone I can talk to," Snyder said. "The one thing I've learned is to take it all in and give my 'I love you' to my wife and kids and when the game kicks off, I'm going to work."

Snyder doesn't want a repeat of last season when Ohio State's defense yielded 35 points in a 35-21 loss at Ann Arbor. But the Wolverines boast such offensive weapons as wide recievers

Braylon Breaston, one of three finalists for the Biletnikoff Award, and Steve Breaston.

"Last year they kept us off-balance. We didn't play very good defense. That is going to be our challenge," Snyder said.

Freshman quarterback Chad Henne has played well down the stretch.

Besides the passing game, running back Mike Hart, a 5-foot-9, 194-pound freshman, averages a Big Ten-best 131.1 yards rushing a game.

"They have so many weapons. They kind of dictate to the defense what they're doing. Our job is to make them

one dimensional. Even then they have lots of weapons. We have worry about Hart and Chad is pretty good to be a freshman."

Although Michigan is a 5 and one-half point favorite, Snyder said the emotions of the game and playing at home could be the equalizer for the Buckeyes.

"Our seniors took control of that this week. I wasn't pleased with practice (Thursday). I did not think we were as emotional as we should be.

I told them this is the calm before the storm. The seniors assured me there would be no problem," Snyder said.

If the Buckeyes can pull off the upset, a better bowl game could be in the waiting. Early reports have Ohio State playing Florida in the Music City Bowl on New Year's Eve.

Snyder said there is no bowl incentive.

"This is Michigan. No question, that's all that matters. It's the team up north. Period. I'll be very disappointed if our guys don't come to play," Snyder said.

Of course, Snyder doesn't expect any more from the players than he does from himself.

"I want to do a good job," Snyder said. "We have a good game plan. I hope we execute and play well. I've learned a lot of lessons playing these guys the last three years."