ANN ARBOR, Mich. — It was a bittersweet day for Ohio State guard Justin Boren, heavy on the sweet.

Boren, who played two years at Michigan before transferring to Ohio State, wrapped up his first regular season as a Buckeye by beating his former team to claim the outright Big Ten title.

“It was a little emotional coming into the stadium, but I feel awesome,” said Boren, who was part of an impressive performance from Ohio State’s offensive line that paved the way for 251 rushing yards in a 21-10 victory. “We won the Big Ten outright. It’s awesome. I’m a Big Ten champion and it doesn’t get any better than this.”

Along the way, Boren, a marked man in Michigan since leaving the Wolverines for their archrival, endured plenty of abuse.

Michigan fans showered the junior with obscenities as the Buckeyes warmed up in the end zone prior to the game and he heard derogatory remarks from a number of his former teammates during Ohio State’s sixth straight victory over the Wolverines.

“Not very good,” said Boren when asked how Michigan fans treated him. “But, hey, I zoned them out, so it was OK. I knew it was going to be like that.”

He also expected trash talk from his former Wolverine mates.

“It wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be,” Boren said. “There was some stuff at the beginning of the game, but not much at the end.”

“I’m sure he’s excited, but I’m sure he’s glad this day is over,” said Ohio State coach Jim Tressel. “He has some strong Michigan ties. He came in and competed as hard as he could and came away with a win.”

Boren grew up in Pickerinton, Ohio, but his father Mike played for the Wolverines. His parents were in the hostile crowd, anticipating some harsh words.

“My mom was a little worried,” Boren said of the reception from Michigan fans. “I don’t know how it went for them.”

All in all, it went pretty well for Boren, who in addition to beating Michigan and winning the outright conference title, also got to take out some of his frustrations on Wolverine defensive lineman Mike Martin. According to Boren, Martin was one of the more vocal Michigan players to voice his displeasure with him switching allegiances.

On a 29-yard touchdown run from Ohio State tailback Brandon Saine in the second quarter, Boren laid a pancake block on Martin that helped spring Saine for the score. He stood over Martin and yelled down at him after the play.

“He was talking before,” Boren said. “I’m not one to be talking, but I kind of lost my composure there a bit.”

Next up for Boren is a trip to the Rose Bowl, something he wouldn’t have accomplished had he stayed with the Wolverines. This would have been his final season in Michigan, but he still has one more left in Columbus after sitting out last season due to NCAA transfer rules.

Still, he knows his decision to transfer will follow him forever, no matter where he calls home.

“It’s an intense rivalry,” Boren said. “I grew up in a Michigan family. Some people take it pretty serious. I’m just a kid trying to play football. I came to Ohio State and I’m just trying to make the best of the situation.”

So far, so good.

Contact Chris Assenheimer at 329-7136 or cassenheimer@chroniclet.com.

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