It's the most anticipated college football game of the year in one of the longest-running rivalries in history, as the Michigan Wolverines travel to face the Ohio State Buckeyes Saturday afternoon.

And though the official result of the nation's top two teams will be settled on the field tomorrow, the conduct of fans outside Horseshoe stadium is what many students and staff are focusing on before kickoff.

Robbie Beaulieu of Ohio State's Sportsmanship Council is part of an effort to welcome Michigan fans to Columbus, creating a more positive experience for fans of both teams.

"It's basically a student-run initiative to get the word out about why sportsmanship is important and build more pride in the university," Beaulieu said.

The Sportsmanship Council began its brainstorming efforts last fall and, according to Beaulieu, modeled their efforts after the University of Wisconsin's "Rolling Out the Red Carpet" campaign.

Buckeye Game Day Ambassadors will be roaming the area around the stadium tomorrow, similar to those in Madison.

"We have students walking around before game time handing out buttons, visiting tailgate parties," Beaulieu said, adding all their memorabilia contains the slogan "We Have the Best Fans in the Land."

One other feature of the campaign specific to Saturday, Beaulieu added, will be an effort to try and remove the infamous T-shirts reading "Fuck Michigan."

"Students can swap their 'Fuck Michigan' shirt for a 'Best Fan in the Land' shirt," Beaulieu said. "The athletics department won't allow those ['Fuck Michigan'] shirts in the stadium. We're trying to create a welcoming environment, so it's a friendly program for everyone."

According to UW Senior Associate Athletic Director Vince Sweeney, this tone echoes the goals of Rolling out the Red Carpet, which is just completing its third season.

"We think we've made progress in making Camp Randall a more welcoming place," Sweeney said. "I think it's headed in the right direction."

Sweeney added that the problem of unsportsmanlike conduct is not just limited to Wisconsin and Ohio State, saying it is a national trend.

Beaulieu agreed and added that the efforts at Ohio State extend well beyond conduct at football games, as the Sportsmanship Council is also trying to get students out to athletic events apart from the most popular ones — football and basketball.

Ohio State has a competition among students, and depending on what the event is, students receive 1-5 points per event. Then, at the end of each quarter, the students with the most points get tickets to a bowl game, season tickets for football games, televisions and other prizes.

But Beaulieu does admit a lot of their recent focus has been on the football matchup this weekend.

"We've been walking around the off-campus area with posters and getting people to hang them in the windows," he said. "We need to have pride and respect in the university."

Shelly Hoffman, assistant vice president for media relations at Ohio State, said students have also been partaking in "Beat Michigan Week" all week. Although Beat Michigan Week is an annual tradition, Hoffman said this year's event is particularly fun.

"Michigan Week is traditionally a very exciting time," Hoffman said. "A lot of these are long standing events," including a blood drive and various pep rallies on campus.

The fans at Michigan are also anticipating the big matchup, and a countdown clock to the game has been on display all week.

Catherine Nierko, vice president of marketing and communications for the University of Michigan Alumni Association, said fans from Ann Arbor to New York to London to Shanghai will all be gathering to watch the game.

"People have been looking forward to this game for weeks," Nierko said. "I don't think you could write a better script for the ending of a season."

Nierko said Michigan fans who travel to the game will have plenty to do as they ascend onto Buckeye territory.

"We're hosting a tailgate in Columbus," Nierko said. "We're expecting about 500 alumni and students to be there."

Other events at Ohio State, Nierko added, include a Michigan marching band concert tonight and a Wolverine fan party at a Columbus bar before and after the game.

The first Ohio State-Michigan game was held in 1897; Ohio State won 25-21 in the matchup last year in Ann Arbor. But none of that matters to many at this point, as this year the whole battle will be settled when the two teams meet tomorrow at 2:30 p.m.