The first real test for No. 1 Ohio State

It's not November, so the Ohio State-Michigan game isn't on Saturday. Instead, it's September, and Ohio State's summer school grades are expected in.

This could be considered the first game for No. 1 Ohio State, as this is the first test it will come across in its attempt at winning the national championship. If junior All-American linebacker and Heisman candidate Andy Katzenmoyer doesn't pass golf, Music 140 and AIDS awareness and bring his GPA above 2.0 in doing so, he doesn't play.

Instantly, the Buckeyes' hopes of Fiesta Bowl glory will take a giant step back. Their preseason No. 1 ranking in both polls will be hard to hold onto without the Big Kat, and OSU can once again plan their trip to Disney World for the Citrus Bowl in January, instead of the Rose or the Fiesta.

And once again, they'll be reaping the benefits in Ann Arbor.

I understand there's pressure, but really, how hard can it be to pass those three classes? I'm not on the dean's list either, but golf, AIDS and music? Please.

The difference between me and the Big Kat is 6 inches and 100 pounds, plus the fact that there are millions of dollars waiting for him in the pros. I can at least take solace in the fact that I'm smarter. Had I known I would skip all my classes last semester, I would have gladly taken the lifetime financial security of the NFL.

It may sound like an easy task to every other college student in the country, but Katzenmoyer is making his head coach, John Cooper, and all his fans sweat. His golf and AIDS teachers say that they would flunk him if they had to, and these are considered the easy courses.

The AIDS instructor said that she didn't know who he was, but her husband did, and her decision might ruin the marriage. That would be pretty sad if it came down to one woman's fear of domestic violence, but that's the importance of the team there. Even if she passes him, everybody's eyes would turn to the golf instructor from New Zealand, who flat out says that football is unimportant to him. However, if it was rugby, it would be a different story, he says. Put your money on both of those two to crack and give him the necessary grades. If they don't, expect some changes to be made.

No matter what happens in those two classes, Music 140 will be the thorn in the Buckeyes' side. It's those five credits that could make or break a Buckeye holiday in Pasadena or Tempe. In Katzenmoyer's defense, that might be a harder class, especially when you can legitimately fail a music class, but learning about the subtle differences between Beethoven and The Beastie Boys is certainly a little different than trying on condoms and evaluating their performance.

Maybe, just maybe, athletics will prevail over education once again. I think that's inevitable, but one thing's clear - while nobody would give a rat's ass if I was failing, an entire nation watches one man's troubles with sex, tunes and leisurely activities.

Isn't that what Katzenmoyer's time at Ohio's finest learning institution is about, anyway?

Bryan Rosenbaum is a journalism sophomore and covers volleyball for the Arizona Daily Wildcat. He can be reached via e-mail at Bryan.Rosenbaum@wildcat.arizona.edu.