COMMENTARY
Northwestern doesn’t register with Michigan game on tap
Sunday, November 13, 2005
BOB HUNTER
The final, fading postgame note of Carmen Ohio was still audible when a fan in A Deck could restrain himself no longer.
"C’mon," he yelled. "Let’s beat Blue!"
Hmmm. Does anybody remember when the Buckeyes played Northwestern?
"Kill Michigan!" another fan yelled, as the players headed up the tunnel that leads to the Ohio State locker room. Some of the Buckeyes stragglers were still trying to squeeze into it when the band broke into a rousing chorus of We Don’t Give a Damn for the Whole State of Michigan and some risque fans joined in.
Northwestern’s in Michigan?
That’s just a joke. We know Northwestern is located in Evanston, Ill. We know that Ohio State beat Northwestern back on . . . wait a minute, that was just yesterday afternoon.
"(Thinking about Michigan) kind of started for me when I got taken out of the game," Ohio State senior guard Rob Sims said.
Sims gets the honesty medal this week. He left for good with something like nine or 10 minutes remaining.
"We know here that the Ohio State-Michigan game, that’s really all that matters come this time of the year," Sims said, "so I’m . . . you know, we’re thinking about it right now."
There is no reason to be embarrassed about that. This yearround Michigan fixation has been around for a long time, even if Ohio State players and coaches can’t always admit to it.
Northwestern was a scary opponent before the game because of all that offense, and its 80-yard touchdown drive on its first possession showed why. But two quick Ohio State touchdowns served as a timely reminder that this wasn’t that sputtering offense that created so much angst early in the season, and a blocked punt by Quinn Pitcock and an A.J. Hawk touchdown later, Northwestern was already in the rearview mirror.
By now, we should have expected this. This Ohio State team is different from the one that once had people jabbing at the panic button like a frazzled businessman tired of waiting for an elevator. This Ohio State team has come a long way since a 17-10 loss to Penn State on Oct. 8.
"It’s just leaps and bounds," senior defensive end Mike Kudla said. "If you look across the board, offense, special teams, defense. . . . I mean, that was a rough loss up there, and a lot of us took it to heart. It kind of motivated everyone. . . . We just said, ‘We’ve still got a shot at the Big Ten title, let’s make a run for it.’ "
Truthfully, the part of the schedule between Penn State and Michigan seems like a lot of filler now. It wasn’t — this team clearly needed it to get back on track — but it’s amazing how different the road can look after you’ve traveled it.
Does anybody remember the hysteria in these parts after the Buckeyes lost to the Nittany Lions and fell to 3-2? The criticism of Troy Smith for his inconsistency? The unhappiness over OSU’s failure to recruit a decent running back? The calls for offensive coordinator Jim Bollman’s firing?
After five straight Buckeyes wins, the past four with more than 40 points on the scoreboard, all that seems like ancient history. Smith has matured at quarterback, Antonio Pittman has blossomed at running back and the offense has been admirably efficient. Meanwhile, a strong defense might have even gotten better, as the stifling of Brett Basanez and the Wildcats proved.
Actually, it’s kind of crazy how close this came to being a great season, if you think about it.
"The difference between us being unbeaten and us having two losses is two big plays," sophomore split end Anthony Gonzalez said. "If we make one big play against Texas, we win that game. If we make one big play against Penn State and we tie it up, we win that game. That’s the difference."
But even without those plays, the Buckeyes are back in a familiar place, facing the all-ornothing Michigan scenario that has confronted so many other OSU teams in the past: Beat the Wolverines and they’ve had a pretty good season, maybe get a bid to a Bowl Championship Series game and possibly even a share of the Big Ten championship. Lose to Michigan and a successful season pretty much becomes a throwaway.
It is almost enough to make you forget about a 48-7 win over Northwestern.
Bob Hunter is as sports columnist for The Dispatch .
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