In-state, sibling, rivalries make OSU vs. OU contest a family affair

 

 

By Felix Hoover

For Your News Columbus

Sept. 18, 2010

 

Photo by Terry Gilliam

Ohio Stadium was no paradise for the visiting Ohio University Bobcats in their quest to upset the Ohio State Buckeyes today, but the subtext of the intrastate contest dates to the Garden of Eden.

 

The story of older brother versus younger applied not only to Julian and DeVier Posey, of the Bobcats and Buckeyes, respectively, but also to the schools. The result of the September 18 contest metaphorically matched Cain’s slaying of Abel, but with the younger brother prevailing on the gridiron. The roles were reversed in the Genesis account.

 

Ohio University, established in 1804, is the oldest public institution of higher education in the state. The Ohio State University, established in 1870, is one of the nation’s largest.

 

Although the team from Athens had made it close in its two most recent games against OSU before Saturday, there was no close in the Horseshoe this time. The Buckeyes won 43-7, making it seven straight against older brother.

 

The Posey brothers’ rivalry presented a microcosmic version of the schools’.

 

Julian Posey, a starting defensive back and kick returner for the Bobcats, wound up with 74 yards on four kick returns and might have racked up even more yardage and a score before his little brother got on track in Saturday’s game.

 

On his second return, which came about much sooner than he and his OU teammates would have liked, Julian made a couple of moves and eluded the last OSU tacklers before taking the ball to the end zone. No score resulted, however, because a teammate delivered an illegal block during the return.

 

OSU had plenty of offense, including a stretch in which quarterback Terrelle Pryor complete a school-record 16 consecutive passes, and didn’t need DeVier to pick up more than the 62 yards he gained on five receptions.

 

As expected, the Poseys sometimes were matched against one another.

 

The win and respectable individual stats give DeVier bragging rights, but it‘s likely that Julian will continue to have a few things to say at family gatherings, much as he did before the game.

 

OU will have to wait at least one more game before he picks up his 500^th coaching win