MOBILE, Ala. — Teammates at the Senior Bowl certainly aren’t trying to rip each other’s heads off … unless we’re talking about players from Ohio State and Michigan. Then it becomes a different story.

The 114-year old rivalry between the two schools found its way here front and center Tuesday, with Buckeyes center Mike Brewster and Wolverines defensive tackle Mike Martin refusing to back down from each other during contact drills.

“It’s always heated, but it’s fun. It’s good competition,” Martin said. “We always go after each other, and he’s a good player. We’re both here at the Senior Bowl trying to show our stuff, so it’s great.”

If trying to impress NFL scouts and general managers wasn’t enough of an incentive, Brewster and Martin aren’t about to let one be outdone by the other.

It’s not that they hate each other. They just can’t ignore where they come from when they’re lined up across each other in the trenches.

“We’re definitely cool off the field,” Brewster said. “He’s one of my best competitors. We’ve been going at it for four years. We know if we don’t bring it 100 percent, one is going to eat up the other one.”

Said Martin: “It’s been a four-year war between us. Like I said, he’s a good player. We’ll both say the same thing about each other, but when we get out here, we’re out here for each other’s heads. You can’t ask for anything better than that when it comes to competition.”

Oh, this ought to be a fun one to watch all week.

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