The Germaines have hit the open road to follow their son's football career many times. They spent 2 1/2 weeks in Columbus for spring practice, then came back for three weeks of fall drills.

"We felt like it was more important to be there for the practices because that's when Joe would really need us," Phillis Germaine said of her son, the youngest of five children and the baby by eight years.

"We follow him, that's for sure," Joe Sr. said. "I don't think his mother has missed one single game since he started Pop Warner ball. Joe started playing when he was about 7 years old and his mother has been his best friend and most loyal fan ever since."

When their son decided to attend Ohio State, it meant some uneasiness for the Germaines.

"It's a long way away and it's hard, but it's really not that tough because he's happy," Phillis Germaine said. "As long as he's happy, we can go through anything. It's where he wants to be. That's the downside of him going to Ohio State -- so far away from home -- but the upside was that it's where he wants to be."

Joe Germaine Sr., who has made a living but not a fortune as owner of a fence business with one of his brothers, saw disappointment in a different light.

"We certainly recognized Ohio State was one of the best one, two, three, five teams in the country and a great honor to have Joe go there," he said. "But we (also) recognized the financial burden it would be on our family.

"His whole entire family, including aunts and uncles, has watched Joe since he was very small and we recognized that they wouldn't be able to see him play every game."

That situation took a positive turn in June, though, when the Germaines realized there was a way to have family at all of Joe's games without sending the tribe to the poorhouse.

"We lucked out," Phillis Germaine said. "America West had a deal -- and I mean a deal. We got a call one night that America West was having a 24-hour special. We could buy round-trip tickets for $114 to Columbus.

"Joe gets to come home for a week after every quarter and the cheapest we've ever been able to get before was $275. Well, when they announced this deal, all the Germaines got on the phone to one another and before you know it we all had tickets for the whole season.

"My husband and I have been back for two games, but someone from our family was able to go back for every home game."

When he returned to Mesa from Ohio for Christmas break, Joe was met at the airport by more than 100 family members. On Wednesday, the contingent won't be so large, Phillis Germaine said.

"Tickets were hard to come by," she said. "My oldest son is here with his wife and their four daughters. And there are four of us here -- my husband and I and two aunts -- and then there are maybe 10 more people coming. Everybody else can watch it on TV."