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LGHL Cardale Jones belongs near the top of the Buckeye Heroes list
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Cardale Jones belongs near the top of the Buckeye Heroes list
Megan.Husslein via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
That 2014 run was magical.
From now until preseason camp starts in August, Land-Grant Holy Land will be writing articles around a different theme every week. This week is all about Ohio State heroes. Whether they are the biggest names in Buckeye athletic history or underappreciated icons; perhaps even players who made major impacts off the field. You can catch up on all of the Theme Week content here and all of our ”Buckeye Heroes” articles here.
Cardale Jones is a Buckeye Hero for many reasons. The one that takes the cake is obviously leading the 2014 team to a National Championship victory as the third-string quarterback... And a Big Ten Championship... And a TTUN win.
Shall we reminisce on perhaps the greatest three-game stint in Ohio State history?
Let’s back it up to when 12-Gauge first came on the scene. In 2012, Cardale posted this legendary tweet that I’m sure many football players relate to, and made a lot of Buckeye fans fall in love with him.
Two years later, he would be backing up Braxton Miller and J.T. Barrett as QB3. However, Miller tore his labrum in his throwing shoulder right before the season started, so Barrett became the new starter.
Barrett led the Buckeyes to a 10-1 record leading up to TTUN game, as the one loss came against Virginia Tech in the second game of the season. Barrett was having a phenomenal year, and he might have led the Buckeyes to a natty as well. However, he went down in the fourth quarter of TTUN game with a broken ankle.
Cardale stepped in and made history.
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25522610/459718956.jpg "Michigan v Ohio State")
Photo by Jamie Sabau/Getty Images
The Buckeyes won the game 42-28, but now they had to win the Big Ten Championship in a decisive manner to make it to the first College Football Playoff. Urban Meyer spoke about it after the rivalry game:
“We got to go; we got to go,” Meyer said. “We’ve got a lot of confidence in the guy that’s going to be doing it. His name is Cardale Jones.”
It didn’t hurt that Jones had one of the most talented Buckeye teams ever. Devin Smith, Michael Thomas, Jalin Marshall, Curtis Samuel, Johnnie Dixon and Evan Spencer were just some of the receivers. Nick Vannett and Jeff Heuerman were tight ends, and oh, Ezekiel Elliott was the running back. He was also well protected behind the offensive line of Taylor Decker, Pat Elflein, Jacoby Boren and Billy Price. What a team!
Anyway, you all remember what happed against Wisconsin in the Big Ten Championship, right? 59-0 ring a bell? Gosh, that was an unreal game. First off, a shutout. Second, 59 points from the offense!? Cardale threw for 259 yards and three touchdowns. Zeke was the star of the show with 220 yards, but 12-Gauge brought the energy to this team.
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25522623/579673978.jpg "NCAA FOOTBALL: DEC 06 Big Ten Championship Game - Wisconsin v Ohio State")
Photo by Zach Bolinger/Icon Sportswire/Corbis/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
So, the Buckeyes landed the No. 4 spot in the College Football Playoff, and had to take on No. 1 Alabama. Once again, Jones and Zeke attacked in the passing and rushing game, as Cardale threw for 243 yards and Elliott ran for 230 yards in the upset win.
Remember the Bucks were down 21-6 at the end of the first quarter? That second half was just indescribable.
Onto the national title game against Oregon. This one wasn’t even close. 42-20 with very similar stats to the Sugar Bowl. Jones threw for 242 yards and Zeke ran for 246. The threat of 12-Gauge was too much for the Ducks. It was the perfect ending to a storybook season. There will never be another campaign like 2014.
Cardale and J.T. alternated the starting job the following season and didn’t experience the same success, but it doesn’t even matter. Without Jones, who knows how the 2014 season would have ended? His play on the field was enough to get three wins, and his personality off the field is another win.
To this day, he is one of the biggest Buckeye fans ever. Buckeye Nation loves Buckeye Hero, Cardale Jones!
Continue reading...
Megan.Husslein via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
That 2014 run was magical.
From now until preseason camp starts in August, Land-Grant Holy Land will be writing articles around a different theme every week. This week is all about Ohio State heroes. Whether they are the biggest names in Buckeye athletic history or underappreciated icons; perhaps even players who made major impacts off the field. You can catch up on all of the Theme Week content here and all of our ”Buckeye Heroes” articles here.
Cardale Jones is a Buckeye Hero for many reasons. The one that takes the cake is obviously leading the 2014 team to a National Championship victory as the third-string quarterback... And a Big Ten Championship... And a TTUN win.
Shall we reminisce on perhaps the greatest three-game stint in Ohio State history?
Let’s back it up to when 12-Gauge first came on the scene. In 2012, Cardale posted this legendary tweet that I’m sure many football players relate to, and made a lot of Buckeye fans fall in love with him.
Two years later, he would be backing up Braxton Miller and J.T. Barrett as QB3. However, Miller tore his labrum in his throwing shoulder right before the season started, so Barrett became the new starter.
Barrett led the Buckeyes to a 10-1 record leading up to TTUN game, as the one loss came against Virginia Tech in the second game of the season. Barrett was having a phenomenal year, and he might have led the Buckeyes to a natty as well. However, he went down in the fourth quarter of TTUN game with a broken ankle.
Cardale stepped in and made history.
The Buckeyes won the game 42-28, but now they had to win the Big Ten Championship in a decisive manner to make it to the first College Football Playoff. Urban Meyer spoke about it after the rivalry game:
“We got to go; we got to go,” Meyer said. “We’ve got a lot of confidence in the guy that’s going to be doing it. His name is Cardale Jones.”
It didn’t hurt that Jones had one of the most talented Buckeye teams ever. Devin Smith, Michael Thomas, Jalin Marshall, Curtis Samuel, Johnnie Dixon and Evan Spencer were just some of the receivers. Nick Vannett and Jeff Heuerman were tight ends, and oh, Ezekiel Elliott was the running back. He was also well protected behind the offensive line of Taylor Decker, Pat Elflein, Jacoby Boren and Billy Price. What a team!
Anyway, you all remember what happed against Wisconsin in the Big Ten Championship, right? 59-0 ring a bell? Gosh, that was an unreal game. First off, a shutout. Second, 59 points from the offense!? Cardale threw for 259 yards and three touchdowns. Zeke was the star of the show with 220 yards, but 12-Gauge brought the energy to this team.
So, the Buckeyes landed the No. 4 spot in the College Football Playoff, and had to take on No. 1 Alabama. Once again, Jones and Zeke attacked in the passing and rushing game, as Cardale threw for 243 yards and Elliott ran for 230 yards in the upset win.
Remember the Bucks were down 21-6 at the end of the first quarter? That second half was just indescribable.
Onto the national title game against Oregon. This one wasn’t even close. 42-20 with very similar stats to the Sugar Bowl. Jones threw for 242 yards and Zeke ran for 246. The threat of 12-Gauge was too much for the Ducks. It was the perfect ending to a storybook season. There will never be another campaign like 2014.
Cardale and J.T. alternated the starting job the following season and didn’t experience the same success, but it doesn’t even matter. Without Jones, who knows how the 2014 season would have ended? His play on the field was enough to get three wins, and his personality off the field is another win.
To this day, he is one of the biggest Buckeye fans ever. Buckeye Nation loves Buckeye Hero, Cardale Jones!
Continue reading...
LGHL Ohio State five-star offensive tackle target sets commitment date
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Ohio State five-star offensive tackle target sets commitment date
Dan Hessler via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
2025 five-star offensive tackle David Sanders Jr. | via @clt_bigdave
The Buckeyes are also looking to flip a four-star Alabama RB commit.
Ryan Day and the Ohio State football coaching staff have had a busy summer. The Buckeyes earned eight verbal commitments in June, and earned a massive recruiting victory this past weekend when four-star linebacker Riley Pettijohn committed to the Buckeyes in what was seen as a surprise to most until the final moments.
Monday was a slower day for Ohio State when it comes to recruiting, but that does not mean things are quiet on the front. The Buckeyes still have multiple targets remaining in a class already ranked No. 1, and they will need more recruiting wins if they want to hold claim to that spot following the early signing period.
In case you missed it, this weekend Ohio State saw its biggest remaining target in the class announce a top four schools and a commitment date. Five-star offensive tackle David Sanders Jr. (Charlotte, NC / Providence Day School) announced a top four schools of Ohio State, Tennessee, Georgia and Nebraska and he will be making his commitment on Aug. 17.
Sanders has always been a priority target for the Buckeyes, but early on in his recruitment Ohio State was seen as more as an outside contender. Sanders then visited the Buckeyes in March and made a return visit in May. The two unofficial visits went as well as possible for Ohio State and Sanders, and ever since the Buckeyes have become real contenders.
This already established relationship between Sanders and Ohio State led to him taking an official visit to Columbus this summer. Sanders also took official visits with all of his four finalists, along with Alabama, Clemson and South Carolina.
Following official visit season, Ohio State and Tennessee have seemingly separated themselves from the pack. It is the Buckeyes that are viewed as the most likely school of choice. However, Sanders has kept his recruitment rather close to the vest.
The only 247Sports Crystal Ball prediction cast for Sanders was from back in March, and is in favor of Clemson — a school that is no longer in the running for his commitment. Tennessee holds more of the predictions than any other school from On3, but the site still only gives them 28.8 percent chance at earning his pledge.
There will likely be a lot of chatter surrounding Sanders’ recruitment leading up to Aug 17, but do not expect to learn much more information from him until that date.
Sanders would make for a more than excellent addition along the Ohio State offensive line. He would also pair great with four-star OT Carter Lowe and three-star OL Jake Cook. Sanders is the No. 1 OT in the 247Sports Composite Rankings, and he is the No. 2 overall prospect. He is also the No. 1 recruit out of North Carolina.
Ohio State already holds verbal commitments from two of the nation’s top running back recruits in the 2025 recruiting class in Bo Jackson and Isaiah West. The Buckeyes would like to add one more to this haul, and recently saw long-time target and one time favorite, Jordon Davison, spurn the Buckeyes in favor of Oregon.
The Buckeyes seem to already have a backup plan in place, and it comes in the means of 2025 four-star RB and Alabama commit Anthony Rogers (Montgomery, AL / Carver). Despite committing to Alabama in June of last year, Ohio State presented Rogers with a scholarship offer in April, and he took an unofficial visit with the Buckeyes in late May. That visit went as well as possible by all accounts.
Rogers is still committed to Alabama, and the talk surrounding him has slowed down since the spring. However, On3 Vice President Steve Wiltfong mentioned Monday that he thinks Rogers may take an official visit to Ohio State later this summer, and could flip to the Buckeyes before it is all said and done.
Again, it needs to be reiterated that Rogers is still committed to Alabama and has not mentioned anything publicly about decommitting. That being said, if the Buckeyes are able to get him on campus this summer for an official visit, it will be undeniable that he is at least considering it.
Rogers is the No. 6 RB in the 247Sports Composite Rankings, and is the No. 108 overall prospect. He is also the No. 7 recruit out of the talent-rich state of Alabama.
Continue reading...
Dan Hessler via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
2025 five-star offensive tackle David Sanders Jr. | via @clt_bigdave
The Buckeyes are also looking to flip a four-star Alabama RB commit.
Ryan Day and the Ohio State football coaching staff have had a busy summer. The Buckeyes earned eight verbal commitments in June, and earned a massive recruiting victory this past weekend when four-star linebacker Riley Pettijohn committed to the Buckeyes in what was seen as a surprise to most until the final moments.
Monday was a slower day for Ohio State when it comes to recruiting, but that does not mean things are quiet on the front. The Buckeyes still have multiple targets remaining in a class already ranked No. 1, and they will need more recruiting wins if they want to hold claim to that spot following the early signing period.
In case you missed it, this weekend Ohio State saw its biggest remaining target in the class announce a top four schools and a commitment date. Five-star offensive tackle David Sanders Jr. (Charlotte, NC / Providence Day School) announced a top four schools of Ohio State, Tennessee, Georgia and Nebraska and he will be making his commitment on Aug. 17.
Sanders has always been a priority target for the Buckeyes, but early on in his recruitment Ohio State was seen as more as an outside contender. Sanders then visited the Buckeyes in March and made a return visit in May. The two unofficial visits went as well as possible for Ohio State and Sanders, and ever since the Buckeyes have become real contenders.
This already established relationship between Sanders and Ohio State led to him taking an official visit to Columbus this summer. Sanders also took official visits with all of his four finalists, along with Alabama, Clemson and South Carolina.
Following official visit season, Ohio State and Tennessee have seemingly separated themselves from the pack. It is the Buckeyes that are viewed as the most likely school of choice. However, Sanders has kept his recruitment rather close to the vest.
The only 247Sports Crystal Ball prediction cast for Sanders was from back in March, and is in favor of Clemson — a school that is no longer in the running for his commitment. Tennessee holds more of the predictions than any other school from On3, but the site still only gives them 28.8 percent chance at earning his pledge.
There will likely be a lot of chatter surrounding Sanders’ recruitment leading up to Aug 17, but do not expect to learn much more information from him until that date.
Sanders would make for a more than excellent addition along the Ohio State offensive line. He would also pair great with four-star OT Carter Lowe and three-star OL Jake Cook. Sanders is the No. 1 OT in the 247Sports Composite Rankings, and he is the No. 2 overall prospect. He is also the No. 1 recruit out of North Carolina.
Ohio State looking to flip four-star Alabama RB
Ohio State already holds verbal commitments from two of the nation’s top running back recruits in the 2025 recruiting class in Bo Jackson and Isaiah West. The Buckeyes would like to add one more to this haul, and recently saw long-time target and one time favorite, Jordon Davison, spurn the Buckeyes in favor of Oregon.
The Buckeyes seem to already have a backup plan in place, and it comes in the means of 2025 four-star RB and Alabama commit Anthony Rogers (Montgomery, AL / Carver). Despite committing to Alabama in June of last year, Ohio State presented Rogers with a scholarship offer in April, and he took an unofficial visit with the Buckeyes in late May. That visit went as well as possible by all accounts.
Rogers is still committed to Alabama, and the talk surrounding him has slowed down since the spring. However, On3 Vice President Steve Wiltfong mentioned Monday that he thinks Rogers may take an official visit to Ohio State later this summer, and could flip to the Buckeyes before it is all said and done.
Again, it needs to be reiterated that Rogers is still committed to Alabama and has not mentioned anything publicly about decommitting. That being said, if the Buckeyes are able to get him on campus this summer for an official visit, it will be undeniable that he is at least considering it.
Rogers is the No. 6 RB in the 247Sports Composite Rankings, and is the No. 108 overall prospect. He is also the No. 7 recruit out of the talent-rich state of Alabama.
Quick Hits
- On3 released its updated On300 recruiting rankings for the 2025 class, and many Buckeyes saw their status rise or fall within the rankings. One of the bigger winners from the updates was quarterback Tavien St. Clair, who was named a five-star prospect. The biggest winner of the recruiting ranking update was Ohio State tight end commit Brody Lennon, who went from being unranked to No. 137 overall.
Continue reading...
LGHL Buckeye Heroes: Joe Germaine stole Jake the Snake’s storybook ending in 1997 Rose Bowl
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Buckeye Heroes: Joe Germaine stole Jake the Snake’s storybook ending in 1997 Rose Bowl
Michael Citro via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Jake Plummer had the heroic reputation, but Joe Germaine willed his team to a late victory in ‘The Granddaddy of them All.’
From now until preseason camp starts in August, Land-Grant Holy Land will be writing articles around a different theme every week. This week is all about Ohio State heroes. Whether they are the biggest names in Buckeye athletic history, or underappreciated icons; perhaps even players who made major impacts off the field. You can catch up on all of the Theme Week content here and all of our ”Buckeye Heroes” articles here.
The Arizona State Sun Devils were undefeated and ranked second in the country — with aspirations of a possible national title — when they arrived in Pasadena ahead of the 1997 Rose Bowl. Behind charismatic quarterback Jake ‘The Snake’ Plummer, who could make plays with both his feet and his arm, the Sun Devils were 11-0 and had scored a metric ton of points in breezing through the conference then known as the Pac-10.
Averaging about 43 points per game, the Sun Devils were rarely tested during the 1996 season. Washington had played them closely in the opener, a 45-42 thriller, and they needed two overtimes to slip past USC, but aside from that it was smooth sailing. Arizona State started the season ranked No. 20, but jumped into the Top 10 with a 19-0 win over top-ranked Nebraska and slowly worked its way to No. 2 by the end of the regular season.
By winning the Pac-10, the Sun Devils booked their tickets to Pasadena. A win, coupled with a Florida win over Florida State, would likely have given Arizona State an unlikely (when the season began) national title, whether split or outright. Bruce Snyder’s team had a lot to play for in the game known as “The Granddaddy of Them All.”
The Sun Devils’ opponents were an Ohio State team that had been the previous No. 2 team in the country before stumbling hard at home in a 13-9 loss to a three-loss Michigan team at the Horseshoe. The Buckeyes — one of John Cooper’s best squads — felt they still had an outside shot at a national championship if they could topple Arizona State convincingly and the Gators could narrowly upset the Seminoles, but that always seemed unlikely.
Still, it was the Rose Bowl, and in those days, the Rose Bowl was everything in Big Ten country. Ohio State hadn’t won that game in a while, somehow letting a victory slip through its fingers numerous times. However, the Buckeyes hadn’t even managed to reach the Rose Bowl in more than a decade.
The last OSU appearance in the Rose Bowl had been a heartbreaking 20-17 loss to USC in 1985. The Buckeyes had also lost to USC in 1980 by a single point. The last OSU win in the Rose Bowl had come in the 1974 iteration of the game.
The teams threw haymakers in the first half, with each team scoring on long touchdown drives in a game that swung back and forth. Stanley Jackson, part of Cooper’s two-man quarterback platoon — something I hated at the time — put Ohio State on top with a scrambling, 9-yard touchdown pass to David Boston. Ricky Boyer made a circus catch to tie the game on a 25-yard pass by Plummer.
The teams went to the locker room tied at 7-7. Arizona State took the lead for the first time in the third quarter on a 37-yard field goal. The Buckeyes responded with a 72-yard catch-and-run by Dimitrious Stanley from Joe Germaine, Ohio State’s “other” quarterback.
The transfer from Scottsdale Community College was short in stature but played with intelligence and a big heart. I didn’t think he was the better athlete, but I did see him as the better quarterback for that team. Still, it was Stanley who broke open against one-on-one coverage, caught the pass, and blazed down the field to the end zone to put Ohio State back on top. It was Ohio State’s longest bowl game pass play ever.
A big run by Pepe Pearson helped the Buckeyes get in field goal range, but disaster struck when Josh Jackson’s attempt was blocked by Brent Burnstein. A lateral to Derrick Rodgers appeared to give Arizona State the lead, but the pitch traveled forward, and the ball was brought back due to the penalty. Still, the Sun Devils had momentum and just a four-point deficit to overcome in the final five minutes.
Plummer worked the ball down the field, converting a third down, and then hitting a big pass play down the left sideline on a fourth down play. He then lived up to his name, scrambling through the OSU defense to score a rushing touchdown from 11 yards out with just 1:40 on the clock.
Enter Joe Germaine, Buckeye Hero.
With only one timeout, the Buckeyes took over on their 35-yard line, down 17-14. Germaine went to work on one of the biggest drives in Ohio State bowl history. After a couple near-misses to his tight end, Germaine converted a huge third down, hitting Stanley on a curl route. Three plays later, there as another third-and-long situation, and again Germaine hit Stanley down the middle. He hit Stanley again on an out route to move into field goal range and stop the clock.
After an Arizona State penalty moved the ball to the ASU 20. The Sun Devils started to panic in pass coverage, grabbing OSU receivers. The first wasn’t called, but the second was, as Boston was held on a post route, giving the Buckeyes a fresh set of downs.
Germaine made the most of it, dropping back, checking off his first option, and finding Boston in the flat on the right. The freshman wide receiver walked in, and Ohio State led with just seconds remaining. You’ve seen that play in highlight videos over the years. Here’s the entire drive:
It was a 65-yard, big-boy drive engineered by Germaine.
The defense held on for the final seconds and Ohio State had its first Rose Bowl victory in 23 years. In a one-bedroom apartment somewhere in Amarillo, Texas, a 30-year-old version of me wept tears of joy at finally seeing the Buckeyes win a Rose Bowl game for the first time since I was a small child.
Ohio State did not win the national championship when Florida beat Florida State. The Gators won easily and became the national champions. The Buckeyes had to settle for a No. 2 finish.
There were other heroes in that Rose Bowl. Stanley was one of them, as were all-world tackle Orlando Pace, linebacker Greg Bellisari, safety Damon Moore, cornerbacks Shawn Springs and Antoine Winfield, and Pearson. But Germaine was the game’s MVP. He deserved it.
He was a Buckeye hero.
Continue reading...
Michael Citro via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Jake Plummer had the heroic reputation, but Joe Germaine willed his team to a late victory in ‘The Granddaddy of them All.’
From now until preseason camp starts in August, Land-Grant Holy Land will be writing articles around a different theme every week. This week is all about Ohio State heroes. Whether they are the biggest names in Buckeye athletic history, or underappreciated icons; perhaps even players who made major impacts off the field. You can catch up on all of the Theme Week content here and all of our ”Buckeye Heroes” articles here.
The Arizona State Sun Devils were undefeated and ranked second in the country — with aspirations of a possible national title — when they arrived in Pasadena ahead of the 1997 Rose Bowl. Behind charismatic quarterback Jake ‘The Snake’ Plummer, who could make plays with both his feet and his arm, the Sun Devils were 11-0 and had scored a metric ton of points in breezing through the conference then known as the Pac-10.
Averaging about 43 points per game, the Sun Devils were rarely tested during the 1996 season. Washington had played them closely in the opener, a 45-42 thriller, and they needed two overtimes to slip past USC, but aside from that it was smooth sailing. Arizona State started the season ranked No. 20, but jumped into the Top 10 with a 19-0 win over top-ranked Nebraska and slowly worked its way to No. 2 by the end of the regular season.
By winning the Pac-10, the Sun Devils booked their tickets to Pasadena. A win, coupled with a Florida win over Florida State, would likely have given Arizona State an unlikely (when the season began) national title, whether split or outright. Bruce Snyder’s team had a lot to play for in the game known as “The Granddaddy of Them All.”
The Sun Devils’ opponents were an Ohio State team that had been the previous No. 2 team in the country before stumbling hard at home in a 13-9 loss to a three-loss Michigan team at the Horseshoe. The Buckeyes — one of John Cooper’s best squads — felt they still had an outside shot at a national championship if they could topple Arizona State convincingly and the Gators could narrowly upset the Seminoles, but that always seemed unlikely.
Still, it was the Rose Bowl, and in those days, the Rose Bowl was everything in Big Ten country. Ohio State hadn’t won that game in a while, somehow letting a victory slip through its fingers numerous times. However, the Buckeyes hadn’t even managed to reach the Rose Bowl in more than a decade.
The last OSU appearance in the Rose Bowl had been a heartbreaking 20-17 loss to USC in 1985. The Buckeyes had also lost to USC in 1980 by a single point. The last OSU win in the Rose Bowl had come in the 1974 iteration of the game.
The teams threw haymakers in the first half, with each team scoring on long touchdown drives in a game that swung back and forth. Stanley Jackson, part of Cooper’s two-man quarterback platoon — something I hated at the time — put Ohio State on top with a scrambling, 9-yard touchdown pass to David Boston. Ricky Boyer made a circus catch to tie the game on a 25-yard pass by Plummer.
The teams went to the locker room tied at 7-7. Arizona State took the lead for the first time in the third quarter on a 37-yard field goal. The Buckeyes responded with a 72-yard catch-and-run by Dimitrious Stanley from Joe Germaine, Ohio State’s “other” quarterback.
The transfer from Scottsdale Community College was short in stature but played with intelligence and a big heart. I didn’t think he was the better athlete, but I did see him as the better quarterback for that team. Still, it was Stanley who broke open against one-on-one coverage, caught the pass, and blazed down the field to the end zone to put Ohio State back on top. It was Ohio State’s longest bowl game pass play ever.
A big run by Pepe Pearson helped the Buckeyes get in field goal range, but disaster struck when Josh Jackson’s attempt was blocked by Brent Burnstein. A lateral to Derrick Rodgers appeared to give Arizona State the lead, but the pitch traveled forward, and the ball was brought back due to the penalty. Still, the Sun Devils had momentum and just a four-point deficit to overcome in the final five minutes.
Plummer worked the ball down the field, converting a third down, and then hitting a big pass play down the left sideline on a fourth down play. He then lived up to his name, scrambling through the OSU defense to score a rushing touchdown from 11 yards out with just 1:40 on the clock.
Enter Joe Germaine, Buckeye Hero.
With only one timeout, the Buckeyes took over on their 35-yard line, down 17-14. Germaine went to work on one of the biggest drives in Ohio State bowl history. After a couple near-misses to his tight end, Germaine converted a huge third down, hitting Stanley on a curl route. Three plays later, there as another third-and-long situation, and again Germaine hit Stanley down the middle. He hit Stanley again on an out route to move into field goal range and stop the clock.
After an Arizona State penalty moved the ball to the ASU 20. The Sun Devils started to panic in pass coverage, grabbing OSU receivers. The first wasn’t called, but the second was, as Boston was held on a post route, giving the Buckeyes a fresh set of downs.
Germaine made the most of it, dropping back, checking off his first option, and finding Boston in the flat on the right. The freshman wide receiver walked in, and Ohio State led with just seconds remaining. You’ve seen that play in highlight videos over the years. Here’s the entire drive:
It was a 65-yard, big-boy drive engineered by Germaine.
The defense held on for the final seconds and Ohio State had its first Rose Bowl victory in 23 years. In a one-bedroom apartment somewhere in Amarillo, Texas, a 30-year-old version of me wept tears of joy at finally seeing the Buckeyes win a Rose Bowl game for the first time since I was a small child.
Ohio State did not win the national championship when Florida beat Florida State. The Gators won easily and became the national champions. The Buckeyes had to settle for a No. 2 finish.
There were other heroes in that Rose Bowl. Stanley was one of them, as were all-world tackle Orlando Pace, linebacker Greg Bellisari, safety Damon Moore, cornerbacks Shawn Springs and Antoine Winfield, and Pearson. But Germaine was the game’s MVP. He deserved it.
He was a Buckeye hero.
Continue reading...
