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Game Thread Game Eleven: Ohio state 25, Michigan 21 (final)

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Just a few observations

- I got on the Troy Smith bandwagon after last year's victory and I don't think I'll ever get off that bandwagon now.

- JHC Gonzo, what a catch, what an amazing freaking catch.

- Pittman just kept getting better and better this year and he looked damn good today.

- 4 and 1 Tress, wow, I mean just wow!

- The game's been over for 12 hours now and my heart is still pounding! :)

- I'm melting down every piece of brass in my house right now so I can make a Jim Tressel statue for my back yard!

- Maybe I'm seeing things or I had one too many during the game but I swear, either Michigan's kicker swallowed one of those ugly ass Michigan cheerleaders or that's a backup center that lined up to kick their field goals?

- If you ever see someone swollow a turd, they'll have the same expression on their face that Lloyd did after the game today.

- Go Bucks!
 
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Wojo is a funny man. Michigan Mausoleum - good one Wojo.

Sunday, November 20, 2005
U-M heartbreaker

Wolverines never ran out of hope, just time
By Bob Wojnowski / The Detroit News

ANN ARBOR -- It was there again, right there. And then just like that, it was gone again.

Michigan's season got a bitterly appropriate epitaph on a brilliant Saturday, when the Wolverines couldn't hang on, no matter how desperately they tried. Ohio State did it to them again, for the fourth time in five years. Coach Jim Tressel did it to them again. And, oh yes, quarterback Troy Smith did it to them again, slipping repeatedly out of their grasp.

U-M lost to the Buckeyes, 25-21, in a classic renewal of the rivalry, a game that surely will garner legendary status in Columbus but groan status here. The Wolverines teased this way all season, constantly getting close enough to make you think they're not that far away.

OSU wiped out a 21-12 deficit in the final seven minutes and won on Antonio Pittman's 3-yard touchdown run with 24 seconds left, turning Michigan Stadium into Michigan Mausoleum, except for the cheering pockets of Buckeye fans amid the 111,591.

OSU (9-2) advances to a major bowl while the fate for the Wolverines (7-4) won't be as kind. Ultimately, they'll get what they deserve, perhaps the Outback Bowl in Tampa, after losing three times at home, and four total games by a combined 17 points.

U-M quarterback Chad Henne was nearly as spectacular as Smith, but in the end, there was no denying the evidence. The Buckeyes were the better team, marching 88 yards to the winning touchdown, shredding a U-M defense that had played well most of the day.

"We were fired up -- we wanted this one bad," said Henne, 25-of-36 for 223 yards. "It's tough because a lot of our games came down to the last minute. We said all year that was one of our goals -- just to finish. We didn't finish some of the games we should have."

This one had all the churning emotions and twisting storylines of a standard U-M-OSU game. It also had the requisite repercussions -- delirium and a share of the Big Ten title for the winners, devastation for the losers.

When asked what it was like in the locker room, Henne swallowed hard and answered quickly.

"Silent."

For all the compelling noise they generated the past four games, rising from their 3-3 start, the Wolverines didn't run out of energy. They ran into a ferocious defense and a rapidly developing quarterback. In a long season, themes eventually recur. For U-M, two resurfaced on this day, although the Buckeyes had something to do with it.

The Wolverines couldn't run the ball (32 yards total) even before star tailback Mike Hart left with another flare-up to his injured ankle. And as much as U-M's defense had improved, it again couldn't stop its opponent in the end. Not even close, actually.

Smith completed seven of eight passes on the final drive, and the signature moment summed up the game, and the teams. He evaded defenders and heaved a 26-yard pass to Anthony Gonzalez to U-M's 4 with 37 seconds left. That was basically it, too close for U-M to stop them, too little time for the Wolverines to recover.

Now this rivalry officially has turned, with Tressel 4-1 against Lloyd Carr, which is sure to inflame a few fans around Ann Arbor. This one will be dissected like most of the others but the truth is, OSU controlled play, holding a substantial lead in yardage (418-255). If not for several miscues, the Buckeyes might not have needed Smith's magic, which looked startlingly similar to his magic in last year's OSU victory.

"It was another great game in the Big Ten and another great Ohio State-Michigan game," Tressel said. "Both teams played their hearts out. ... Our kids wanted it so badly, they did what they had to do to overcome (the mistakes), and I'm awfully proud of them."

Across the way, Carr was saying similar things about his team, without quite the enthusiasm. Yes, the injuries did pile up. The Wolverines suffered more injuries to their offensive line, although OSU lost standout linebacker Bobby Carpenter with a fractured leg on the game's first play.

U-M recovered from a shaky start to take tenuous control but never command, no matter how hard Henne tried. At one point in the fourth quarter, with U-M facing fourth-and-inches on its 38, Henne charged to the sideline and loudly demanded to go for it. Carr smiled. And then he concurred. Henne sneaked for the first down, which led to Garrett Rivas' 19-yard field goal and a 21-12 lead.

It wasn't enough. On their final two possessions, the Buckeyes were flawless. Smith hit Santonio Holmes for a 26-yard TD. On OSU's winning drive, U-M coordinator Jim Herrmann mixed it up slightly, but not enough. The Buckeyes never even faced a third down.

"It's a disappointing loss, that's pretty evident," Carr said. "But give Ohio State credit. Troy Smith made unbelievable plays to pull that game out. ... We did some good things. But there's nothing that can make you feel better after losing this game. Absolutely nothing."

We can question the defense at the end and the missed tackles on Smith, certainly. We can wonder why the running game never got going this season, although Hart's injury had plenty to do with it. And yes, we can wonder why Tressel's formula -- great defense, efficient offense -- is working better than Carr's right now.

But you can't question the effort or the tension or the oh-so-close nature of this one. It was there for the Wolverines again and then it was gone, whisked away in a brutal manner, a manner they know too well.

You can reach Bob Wojnowski at [email protected].
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OSU_Buckguy said:
[FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif]Collegefootballnews continues to show why it lords over ESPiN:[/FONT][FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif]

Instant Analysis
[/FONT][FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif]Ohio State 25 ... Michigan 21[/FONT][FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1]

[/SIZE][/FONT]ByMatthew Zemek
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I agree with you. I think the Zemek is one of the best sports writers around. Always cogent and always an interesting read. He knows and loves the game and its evident in his writing.
 
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Brickeye said:
I tell ya this victory feels so good. Being only 22 I had to endure through the rough Cooper years and it sucked. I have so many friends who are unfortunaley scUM fans and today when I went in to work I did a happy dance in front of all my scUM counterparts.
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Well, son, then get used to this. Take away the Cooper years and we have owned these guys that last half century. And now, we own them in this century! :oh: :osu: :io:
 
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