PLAY OF THE GAME: Ohio State was in trouble. With just under a minute left in the third quarter, they trailed 14-12 and had never gotten untracked on offense or defense.
Forced to punt from their own 35, the boot wafted in the air to Ohio returner Mark Parson near the Buckeyes sideline. As he caught it, he took a quick step and was hit by Ohio State's Shaun Lane. The ball popped loose, with Lane then diving over the prone Parson to fall on the ball an instant before it rolled out of bounds.
"I was pressing too hard to make a play," said Parson, also a starting cornerback. "I forgot about my technique and let the ball slip through."
Lane not only covered the punt return, he covered the loose ball. A video review confirmed he had control before rolling out of bounds.
"I'm telling you, Shaun is one of our most exciting players," fellow defensive back Kurt Coleman said. "He always makes big plays when we need them."
Six plays and 25 yards later, Ohio State had the lead on Brandon Saine's short run -- and never relinquished it.