Michigan State Spart mascot

Say hello to Sparty, Ohio State's new worthy rival in the Big Ten East.

(A.J. Mast, Associated Press)

CAPITAL CITY OF OHIO -- Like writing a full article without the 13th letter of the alphabet, rooting in an anti-TTUN way cannot be that difficult for any Buckeye fan.

(Forgive the headline. A nod to Google. Unavoidable.)

You have been taught to loathe that group. Announce the word Wolverine, and a reaction? Created.

The rivalry? There, even if the folk in yellow and blue haven't done a great deal on the field to feed the rivalry lately.

A rivalry with the other unit in that area to the north of Ohio ... yeah, a bit of a challenge. But for now, which will be exhibited on the day after Friday, accepting that new rivalry will be rewarding.

For the Buckeye faithful, the group in green and white, led by a tough guy ex-Buckeye coach, will provide the real battle of note in the Big Ten.

Therefore, on the day right now, and the next day and the next day and the next day and Friday and then the day after that, we are going to acknowledge that. For the battle at hand for the red and gray, we are going to treat it like a week vying with TTUN.

The yellow and blue - fallen off. The green and white - earned that. Exceedingly difficult to pull off? Certainly. The tradition - not in place. The built-it grudge – not in place.

Are Buckeye children taught to cringe at the green and white jut-jawed warrior at prowl on the area by the field during a football battle? No.

But plan on that for now.

The other unit up there? Worthy of that.

All week, try to think that way when reading here.

And fabricate a world where the yellow and blue could be tough like the green and white, and think how enjoyable that would be.

The green and white? Headed to an 11-victory year for the fourth year after 2009.

The yellow and blue? Headed for a coaching change after the athletic director already quit.

When the Big Ten changed the league for 2014, the red and gray got joined with each group up north. The idea had been that, ideally, the final tradition-laden battle of the year would be like a playoff to reach the Big Ten title day in Indy.

Nope. Rather, that will happen right now, in the weekend ahead.

The battle the day after Friday will decide that.

A Buckeye will continue on toward a title afterward.

Or a green warrior will continue on toward a title afterward.

If only the Buckeye foe could be that traditional rival, not the new rival down the road above Ann Arbor. Then the tale would not have had to avoid not only 13th letter of the alphabet, but the 19th letter, too. (Why? The new rival? Known by a two-word title.)

The Ohio governor had the idea to ignore the 13th letter a year ago. But that governor? The 19th letter? Required.

Awkward to write? Yep. Oh, for a plural. But in an effort to entice a rivalry worth watching in the Big Ten, it had to be done.