Michigan paid Eastern Michigan $800,000 for the right to beat up on the Eagles but had to up the ante to $1 million for Delaware State, because DSU had been forced to forfeit a league game to make the date—another good argument against the superfluous and cynical twelfth game. Delaware State earned every penny, losing 63–6. Every Michigan walk-on got in, including senior game captain Ohene Opong-Owusu—“The Big O!” as Rodriguez called him—who made his debut. All the starters stopped to watch when Ohene took the field, and he didn’t disappoint, making the tackle on one kick return, and blowing up his man on another. Rodriguez would honor Ohene’s hits by replaying them at Monday’s team meeting, where his teammates gave him their ritualistic lead-up—“ZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzZZZZZ—POW!” It wasn’t fifteen minutes of fame, just a moment, but Opong-Owusu would never forget it. Beyond notching the fifth win, the game was almost completely inconsequential. But what happened off the field that day would have a much greater impact on Rodriguez, his staff, and his team.
