Game Thread THE GAME: #1 Ohio State 42, #2 Michigan 39 (11/18/06)

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

DDN

Columbus has wild day of jubilation


By Lucas Sullivan
Staff Writer

Sunday, November 19, 2006

COLUMBUS ? Some Ohio State fans arrived Friday night for the Michigan football game and never went to bed. Others started with "kegs and eggs" (a pregame ritual for the fan who needs to take the edge off) before the sun came up.
They all had one common goal ? watch Ohio State slaughter Michigan on Saturday in front of the nation.
They got their wish, though some paid a little bit more for it.
Before the game, one fan carried a sign toward ESPN's College GameDay show that read "1989 Ford Escort = $950. One Ohio State-Michigan ticket = $850. Selling your car to see OSU destroy UM? Priceless." Two other signs read, "Jim Tressel owns one Carr and its name is Lloyd," and, "We drove 856 miles last night from Fla. to be here."
One fan dressed like the former WWF wrestler Ultimate Warrior, wearing nothing but face paint, arm straps and short shorts, told a woman dressed in Michigan gear, "You look like an idiot."
Here's what else happened between and after the whistles Saturday:
It's game time
Inside the Horseshoe, the booing from the Ohio State fans was so loud it drowned out the Michigan band playing Hail to the Victors.
Ohio State coach Jim Tressel followed Heisman Trophy running back Eddie George out of the tunnel while shouting, "Wooo, boys! Let's go!" bouncing around like a kid at Christmas.
The decibels reached migraine level when OSU quarterback Troy Smith was introduced individually for senior day.
Buckeyes fans were rocked on their heels when Michigan scored on their first drive. Then Smith and company took over.
Things got a little dicey toward the end, and former OSU cornerback Mike Doss, now with the Indianapolis Colts, was screaming, "Are you serious?" when the referees called pass interference on Ohio State late in the fourth quarter that led to Michigan's final touchdown. He almost threw his fedora he was so mad.
On the field and lovin' life
As the clock hit 0:00, Tressel was so hoarse from yelling he could barely talk to ABC reporter Bonnie Bernstein while being mobbed in the middle of the field.
Ohio State officials prepared for fans rushing the field, like they did in 2002, by calling in branches of the Columbus police, the Franklin County Sheriff's Office and Ohio State Highway Patrol to control the melee.
Oh, they also greased the goalposts for anyone who decided to take a run at ripping them down. They stayed up, but the sod didn't stay down as fans took horticultural keepsakes from the game.

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

DDN

Bo's death played no role, Carr says


By Lucas Sullivan
Staff Writer

Sunday, November 19, 2006

COLUMBUS ? Michigan head coach Lloyd Carr tried to persuade Glenn "Bo" Schembechler not to speak to the team on Thursday.
"When I went down to get him at about 2:20 p.m., he said he was having a hard time breathing and he had had a hard time breathing since he had the (second) pacemaker put in (in October)," Carr said after Saturday's 42-39 loss to Ohio State. "But he said, 'Nah! I'm going to talk to them.' "
Carr didn't know Schembechler, 77, had skipped a doctor's appointment that very afternoon to address the team.
"So, he went down and he spoke to them for 10 to 12 minutes," Carr said.
Then, just before heading into a noon team meeting on Friday, Carr heard that Schembechler had collapsed and died while taping a weekly talk show.
"To walk in there ? we had a noon meeting, and I found out about two minutes till noon (that Schembechler had passed away)," Carr said.
Schembechler had two heart attacks (1970, 1987) and underwent two quadruple heart bypass operations.
"I'm a little mad at him because he didn't stay around for this game," Carr said. "But it wouldn't be fair to use that (as an excuse) in any way and we don't. And all I can say about him is I loved that man."
He added that Schembechler's death did nothing to help or hinder the game plan.
"I told our team that we weren't going to use Bo and his passing away as a motivational deal," Carr said. "That would have been to dishonor him."
The university, along with Schembechler's family, is hosting a Celebration of Bo's Life memorial at 1 p.m. Tuesday in Michigan Stadium. It is open to the public.
There is a public viewing at St. Andrews Episcopal Church, 306 N. Division in Ann Arbor, Mich., today from noon to 3:30 p.m.

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

DDN

Smith carries OSU to thrilling 42-39 win over Michigan


By Doug Harris
Staff Writer

Sunday, November 19, 2006


COLUMBUS ? As Ohio State fans were streaming onto the field ? turning it into a giant mosh pit ? quarterback Troy Smith gave childhood friend and teammate Ted Ginn Jr. a facemask-to-facemask hug and then turned in his best scramble of the day.
Grabbing the back of receiver Devon Lyons' shoulder pads, Smith dropped his head and weaved from midfield to the players' tunnel without being stopped, running up the ramp and disappearing into the night.
Already taking off for the national championship game in Glendale, Ariz.?
Motoring to the Heisman Trophy ceremony in New York City?
Smith reserved a spot in both of those hallowed places by leading the Buckeyes to a scintillating 42-39 win over Michigan on Saturday before a stadium-record crowd of 105,708.
He completed 29-of-41 passes for 316 yards and four touchdowns, all but locking up the Heisman, and he's believed to be the first QB in school history to beat the Wolverines three straight times.
"Words can't express how I feel right now," Smith said after a belated entrance into the interview room. "I'll probably be wearing this smile for the rest of the week. I love every single one of my teammates with the deepest passion you can probably have for another person."
OSU (12-0) took a 42-31 lead on Smith's fourth scoring toss with 5:38 to go and then survived one final flurry from Michigan (11-1). After allowing a TD and two-point conversion with 2:16 left, the Buckeyes recovered an onside kick and ran out the clock.
They won their first outright Big Ten crown since 1984, have won five out of six games against their arch-rivals under coach Jim Tressel and clinched only their second 12-win season in school history.
Turning point
Leading just 35-31 early in the fourth quarter, the Buckeyes suffered their third turnover after a bad shotgun snap. But the defense held, and Smith choreographed an 83-yard TD romp with the help of a 15-yard late-hit penalty on Michigan's Shawn Crable.
Stat of the day
Smith is the first OSU player to throw four TD passes against Michigan in 103 meetings, and he set a school record with his 30th scoring toss of the year.

Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2125 or [email protected]

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

DDN

Who's next for Buckeyes?


By Brian Kollars
Staff Writer

Sunday, November 19, 2006


Ohio State will finish the regular season top-ranked and 12-0. Next stop: The Bowl Championship Series title game, Jan. 8 in Glendale, Ariz. It will be the Buckeyes fourth bowl game in Arizona in five years.
So, who will the Bucks play? Some possible opponents, with last week's BCS rankings in parentheses:
Michigan (2) ? Yep, a rematch is possible. Say Notre Dame beats Southern Cal next week. How could pollsters rank the Fighting Irish ahead of the Wolverines, who pounded them early in the season? Michigan is 11-1, but probably needs help.
Southern California (3) ? The Trojans were 8-1 when this edition went to press. If they survived Cal late Saturday, there are two more major tests that could boost their ranking: Nov. 25 vs. Notre Dame; Dec. 2 at UCLA.
Florida (4) ? The Gators are 10-1 with two tough games between them and a big bowl: Saturday at rival Florida State and Dec. 2 against Arkansas (Southeastern Conference title game). Plenty of style points are out there for the Gators.
Notre Dame (5) ? The Fighting Irish are 10-1 after breaking out the green jerseys against Army (what was that about?). An impressive prime-time victory at USC next Saturday could make everyone forget that meltdown against Michigan.
Arkansas (7) ? The Razorbacks (10-1) will move up thanks to Rutgers (6) losing to Cincinnati, but they'll need help, especially after being out-gained Saturday by Mississippi State. Arkansas has two games left: Friday vs. LSU and the SEC title game against Florida. That 50-14 loss to Southern Cal is tough to forget.

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

DDN

Rematch anyone?



Sunday, November 19, 2006

COLUMBUS ? At the end of No. 1 Ohio State's thrilling 42-39 victory over No. 2 Michigan on Saturday, former Buckeyes great Keith Byars exhaled in relief.
"Clearly, these are the two best teams in the country," he said. "But once every 365 days is enough for me ? I don't want a rematch."
Byars is right about the former ? Ohio State and Michigan clearly are America's two best teams.
But the latter?
My apologies to Byars, and for that matter, USC, Florida and Notre Dame, too, but after watching the Buckeyes and Wolverines play one of college football's greatest games ever, I do want a rematch.
After all, who wants to wait another hundred years for the next Game of the Century? Especially when we can have it in a mere 51 days ? Jan. 8 in the BCS title game.
Saturday's game had everything ? Heisman-caliber athletes, tremendous plays and the largest crowd in Ohio Stadium history with 105,708 watching.
Not until Antonio Pittman's first-down run in the waning moments was the game no longer in doubt.
I think college football fans everywhere want a rematch.
And I know Michigan wants one.
Wolverines coach Lloyd Carr stopped short of saying it after the game, though it seemed as though he was thinking it.
"I really don't have any thoughts that I want to ? I don't have any thoughts right now on that," he said, catching himself in mid-sentence when asked if he thought there should be a rematch.
Running back Mike Hart wasn't so shy.
"I guarantee if we play them again it would be a whole different game," Hart said. "We should have gotten them the first time around."
How far Michigan falls in the updated BCS standings ? to be released this evening ? will reveal if the Wolverines do have a shot. Michigan held a big lead in the BCS over No. 3 USC in last week's standings, though that's sure to narrow with the Trojans' win over California on Saturday. If Michigan can hold on to its No. 2 spot, then a rematch will be more likely.
"It would be great," said Michigan quarterback Chad Henne. "But it's not up to us."
Only once in the last 25 years has regular-season opponents met again in a bowl that had national-title implications.
In 1996, Florida State upset top-ranked Florida 24-21 in a November regular-season finale. But the Gators only fell to No. 4 in the polls and slipped back into the national title game after No. 3 Nebraska lost to Texas in the Big 12 championship.
The Gators met the Seminoles weeks later in the Sugar Bowl, blowing out FSU 52-20 to win the national championship.
But I don't see a second Ohio State-Michigan game ending in such disappointment, because these two are bigger rivals and because these two have proven to be the nation's top teams ? no one else can seriously argue they've been left out.
Undefeated and No. 2 Arizona State got snubbed in 1996. But this year, no other team besides Ohio State and Michigan has a legitimate gripe.
USC lost to lowly Oregon State.
Michigan blew out Notre Dame in South Bend.
And Florida got knocked off at Auburn, a team worse than originally thought.
Rare in college football these days can the top two teams be generally agreed upon.
So, why not let them play again?
"Right now, quite honestly, the only thing in my mind is the joy of winning the OSU-Michigan game," said Buckeyes coach Jim Tressel when asked if he thought Michigan deserved a rematch. "But Michigan is very deserving. There can't be many better teams."
Because there isn't.

Contact this columnist at (513) 705-2837 or [email protected].

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

DDN

OSU-Michigan Recap



Sunday, November 19, 2006

OSU-Michigan Recap
In the first No. 1 vs. No. 2 matchup in the history of this storied rivalry, Ohio State defeated Michigan 42-39 on Saturday night, winning the Big Ten title outright and assuring itself a spot in the BCS title game
The two top scoring defenses in the Big Ten couldn't stop each other's offense as the 103rd Ohio State-Michigan meeting also was the second-highest scoring with 81 combined points, the most coming in 1902 when Michigan defeated the Buckeyes 86-0.
The game was played just one day after the death of former Miami University and Michigan coach Bo Schembechler, who was honored before the game with a video tribute that received a standing ovation from the Buckeyes-partisan crowd.
Star of the game
The Wolverines brought out the best in Buckeyes quarterback Troy Smith for the third time in his career as Smith completed 29-of-41 passes for 316 yards and four touchdowns, essentially clinching himself the Heisman Trophy.
Though Smith committed three turnovers in the second half, his 13-yard touchdown pass to Brian Robiskie in the fourth quarter put the Buckeyes ahead 42-31 and finally put the Wolverines away.
Quotable
"Our crowd was out of this world," said Ohio State coach Jim Tressel, referring to the 105,708 people at the game, a new Ohio Stadium record.
Up next
This much is certain ? the Buckeyes will be playing Jan. 8 in Glendale, Ariz., for the BCS national title.
Who they will play is not certain.
USC, Florida, Notre Dame, Arkansas and even Michigan all have a shot, with USC likely controlling its own destiny.
The result of USC's game against Notre Dame next Saturday will go a long way in determining who OSU will play at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale.
? Jake Trotter

 

[sandgk]

Tough Man on Campus

Yahoo

Tough man on campus By Dan Wetzel, Yahoo! Sports
November 18, 2006 COLUMBUS, Ohio ? After they had hit him high and hit him low, after they had knocked him in the chest and bashed him in the helmet, after the Michigan Wolverines had tossed Troy Smith to the Ohio Stadium turf for the umpteenth but last time, he didn't want to leave it.
Surrounded by a sea of scarlet as the Best Damn Band in the Land played for its best damn quarterback and its best damn team, Troy Smith just soaked the moment into his sore body. The locker room celebration could wait. The press conference could start without him. This was worth the hurt.
Twelve wins on the season secured, an outright Big Ten championship won, a Bowl Championship Series title-game bid earned, a Heisman Trophy all but clinched, a third consecutive conquering of the Wolverines ? 42-39 ? in the history books and a legend etched in stone the hard way, who could blame him?
The Buckeye quarterback had taken a beating at the hands of his archrivals, but he never buckled, never bled.
Troy Smith might be the most sensationally electrifying player in America ? as a trophy ceremony in Manhattan next month should prove ? but you don't beat Michigan, you don't win the Big Ten without a different quality. You don't win with just slashing speed and perfect spirals. You win with toughness.
"You can't be a championship quarterback and can't be what I believe is an All-America quarterback without toughness," Ohio State coach Jim Tressel said. "His No. 1 quality is his toughness."
Michigan tried every way it could to knock Smith out of this game for the ages here on a good, gray day. This was No. 1 vs. No. 2, and the first priority for Michigan was finding a way to stop Smith, who had tortured the Wolverines the last two seasons.
There is no better way to contain him than a hard, clean shot by a LaMarr Woodley or a Rondell Biggs that might pound him senseless.
And so they blitzed and rushed and smacked Smith when he dared to stay in the pocket and crushed him when he ran. And each time he just bounced back up, quicker each time.
"He took a big hit in the first quarter [courtesy of Biggs], and he was the first guy up," marveled OSU defensive tackle Joel Penton. "He helped the defensive players up."
The Wolverines weren't going to break Smith, and thus they weren't going to beat Ohio State. Not here in the Horseshoe, not here on Senior Day. Smith completed 29 of 41 passes for 316 yards and four touchdowns and drew so much focus that twice simple Buckeye running plays were broken for touchdowns of 50-plus yards.
All the while he kept taking those Wolverine whacks and springing back into the huddle to remind everyone that in this game, being tougher is the same as being better.
"[When] I come back to the huddle, I stare at 10 guys in the huddle, eyes wide open, alert, ready to dominate," Smith said. "So there's no way that I can feel as if my legs hurt, my knee is hurt, my elbow is hurt and limp or act like something is wrong with my body. I could never shortchange any of my teammates."
Smith kept deflecting attention after the game, praising his teammates, praising his coaches, saying (correctly) that he would be nowhere without them. But it is a two-way street. Smith turns this team from good to great. He is the leader who gathered his teammates on the sideline at one point to scream at them to correct some failures.
This was a brutally physical game, intensely emotional, played on the grandest scale imaginable with enormous stakes, a six-figure crowd and a palpable energy that only these two ancient rivals can churn up.
It was a game Smith dreamed of playing while growing up in Cleveland and a game he forever has left his mark on ? winning three times as a starter, this one the most high risk and historic of them all.
As close as the final score was, as much as the game technically was in the balance until the final play, this also was a game Ohio State controlled. It was Michigan that was constantly digging out of a hole, fighting its way back because it just couldn't stop the Ohio State offense, just couldn't stop Smith.
The Buckeyes attacked a vaunted Michigan defense to the tune of 503 yards. OSU punted only three times.
Now it is on to Arizona for the Buckeyes, Smith promising to finish this out regardless of the opponent. Maybe it is Michigan again, maybe someone else. He said he hardly cared at this point.
After the game, everyone wanted to talk BCS with Smith. Everyone wanted to talk Heisman. Everyone wanted a word, an autograph, a picture, a moment.
But Smith, the band still ringing in his ears, the bruises still fresh, just wanted to get away from it all, get back outside, get back to the most familiar face in this massive crowd.
The toughest SOB in college football had just won the toughest game of his life. Troy Smith just wanted to go hug his mother.

 

[Best Buckeye]

Checking... yes the glow is still there. Still not ready to put all my thoughts down. My mind is a kalidiscope of the game.
Mike Hart guarenteed a diff outcome if the game was replayed. I don't remember if he said that two years ago or not. Or last year or not.
I have changed my mind. I don't want to play them again. We already beat them. That game can't replace yesterday's.
Bring on the trophy.
tOSU buckeyes;
BIG TEN CHAMPIONS
NC GAME
PROBABLE HEISMAN FOR TROY ( last night on gameday he said Ted should get it)
TRESS IS 5 OF 6 AGAINST CARR AND MEEECH
19 STRAIGHT WINS = 2ND BEST IN OSU HISTORY AND BEST IN THE NATION

WELL DONE BUCKEYES :cheers: :cheers: :cheers: :cheers:

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

ABJ

NO. 1 BY MANY YARDS

Akron duo helps OSU take title

By Marla Ridenour

Beacon Journal sportswriter

COLUMBUS - Few thought it was possible.
Looking at the big picture, many doubted that a team could replace nine starters on defense and reach the national championship game. In the smaller scope of one afternoon, no one figured Ohio State could find success against the nation's stingiest run defense.
Akron's running back tandem of Antonio Pittman and Chris ```Beanie'' Wells smashed the second notion in spectacular fashion Saturday.
And while its defense didn't have a memorable day in a game dominated by big plays, top-ranked Ohio State survived the pressure of the so-called ``Game of the Century'' and escaped with a 42-39 victory over second-ranked Michigan to earn a trip to the national championship game Jan. 8 in Glendale, Ariz.
The most points given up by Michigan in a game all year had been 26 against Ball State.
``It was hard to sum up this emotional experience,'' senior receiver Roy Hall said. ``If I was an old guy I probably would have had a heart attack. When it was over, the people jumping on top of you, I couldn't breathe for a second.''
The game-winning score came on sophomore Brian Robiskie's 13-yard touchdown pass from Troy Smith that put OSU up by 11 with 5:38 remaining. The 83-yard march was aided by a roughing-the-passer penalty on Michigan linebacker Shawn Crable of Massillon, who delivered a helmet-to-helmet hit on Smith out of bounds after an incompletion to Robiskie on third-and-15 at the Michigan 38.
Ohio State (12-0, 8-0) captured its first outright Big Ten title since 1984 and earned its second trip to the title game in five years. OSU coach Jim Tressel improved to 5-1 over Michigan, and Smith ran his record to 3-0 against the Wolverines. He threw for 316 yards and four touchdowns to cement his status as the Heisman Trophy winner, at least in Tressel's mind.
``I would think he clinched the Heisman Trophy. I don't think there's any question about that,'' Tressel said.
Wells, a freshman from Garfield, atoned for his four fumbles this season, breaking through the middle of the line for a 52-yard touchdown jaunt in the second quarter that gave OSU a 14-7 lead. Pittman, a junior from Buchtel, dashed untouched for a 56-yard touchdown in the third quarter that put the Buckeyes ahead by 11.
``They're both great backs,'' junior right tackle Kirk Barton said. ``We broke their hearts with those long runs. Nobody had run on them all year, allegedly, and we show up and block them a little bit, then we get about 200 yards rushing on them.''
It was 187, actually -- 142 shy of Michigan's total surrendered in its 11 victories. Only Minnesota had rushed for 100 yards as a team on the Wolverines.
Pittman led the way with 139 yards on 18 carries. Wells contributed 60 yards on four attempts. He also helped sell Smith's play-action fake on second-and-1 in the second quarter that resulted in a 39-yard touchdown pass to Ted Ginn Jr.
In the interview room, Barton was puffing on a cigar from a $125 box that Cuban teammate Anthony Gonzalez bought for the Buckeyes. Barton, a Perry graduate, said he laid out $350, half of his monthly scholarship check, for a bottle of champagne.
``Sometimes you've got to be confident in what's going to happen,'' Barton said. ``Some people didn't know how we were going to do today, said we hadn't played anybody. I bought a bottle of Dom Perignon. You've got to put your money where your mouth is sometimes. Michigan is a great team, but we're a great team. We felt like winning today and I wanted to back it up. I had that bottle on ice, and when we got in the locker room, it was a good time.''
Pittman said he'd didn't partake. ``No, I'm under age,'' he said.
But he and Wells certainly celebrated. When Pittman came to the sideline after his long run, Wells lifted him off the ground.
``I had to, that's my boy, that's my brother,'' Wells said. ``I had to be the first person to congratulate him. He didn't feel heavy at all.''
Wells said that when he burst through a huge hole on his touchdown and eluded one tackler, he looked up and was surprised no one else was there.
``I was like, `Thanks. This is Michigan defense?' '' Wells said.
Pittman was proud that he and Wells and the offensive line were up to the challenge.
``This says a lot about our offensive line,'' Pittman said. ``Those guys took that personally. Those (Michigan) guys were saying quotes all week, `Troy's not going to win the Heisman. They're not going to be able to run on us. Our two running backs aren't good enough.'
``We challenged ourselves. Those guys take pride in getting me my yardage and I take pride in them blocking for me. For Beanie to break that long one, that was a challenge to me. A young guy can't outdo me in a big game like this. That's my boy and we challenge each other. He told me to go out there and get me one. When I broke through there and I split the defenders, it was probably one of the best feelings ever. That play will probably be remembered forever.''
The biggest blemishes on the day were two fumbles on bad snaps by senior center Doug Datish that Michigan turned into seven points and a batted Smith pass picked off by defensive tackle Alan Branch that the Wolverines converted into a 39-yard field goal by Garrett Rivas. Following OSU's 13 previous turnovers this season, its defense had not allowed a point.
``The first one was high,'' Datish said. ``The second one got caught in a divot on the (newly resodded) field. There's no excuse. I didn't do very good on those two plays, but I'm proud of my teammates for not coming after me and really supporting me with everything that was going on.''

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

ABJ

Promise fulfilled: Game goes down as one for the ages

By Sheldon Ocker

COLUMBUS - Was that big enough for you? Did Ohio State's victory over Michigan justify the epic hype that preceded it?
Seriously. I think it's important. I know it was ``only'' a college football game. But it was an event that touched the hopes and aspirations of millions of people in two states, if not tens of millions throughout much of the country.
So was it worth the ballyhoo generated by the ABC-TV publicity juggernaut and by ESPN, which instituted a countdown to kickoff weeks ago? Put it this way: It was no Super Bowl, where one combatant outclasses the other, and the TV audience turns its attention to a hot game of Trivial Pursuit for the bulk of the second half.
It's a rare year when anyone can doze off during an Ohio State-Michigan game. And this season, so much more was at stake. In addition to the rivalry, the outright championship of the Big Ten was on the line, something the Buckeyes had not owned since 1984.
Then there was the icing on the cake, No. 1 ranked OSU against No. 2 ranked Michigan, with a trip to the BCS national championship game hanging in the balance.
That hardly guaranteed excitement and drama with superb athletes executing exceptional feats of derring-do. Those elements had to come from the players themselves.
Who would have guessed that two teams with defenses capable of frustrating a small army would give up 81 points? On the other hand, nobody who has watched the Buckeyes and Wolverines go at one another could have been surprised that the game came down to Ohio State recovering a Michigan onside kick with 2 minutes, 16 minutes left in the game.
For both teams and their partisans, there were incredible emotional highs and lows:
? Troy Smith's eight-yard touchdown pass to Anthony Gonzalez with 20 seconds left in the first half that gave OSU a 28-14 lead that teased Buckeye fans into believing their team was on the verge of a rout.
? Brian Robiskie's marvelous catch of Smith's 13-yard pass for a touchdown that gave Ohio State an 11-point lead with 5:38 to play in the fourth quarter, an advantage that seemed almost insurmountable.
? Chad Henne's 16-yard touchdown pass to Tyler Ecker that raised false hopes among Michigan fans, moments before the failed onside kick.
? Two Buckeye turnovers, committed when OSU seemingly had the game well in hand, that gave the Wolverines 10 points and raised false hopes among Michigan fans.
So was this truly a great game, a confrontation that might be stamped with the label, ``Biggest College Football Game'' ever? And did the participants get a sense that they were part of that kind of history?
``I remember before the game,'' Gonzalez said, ``thinking to myself: How many people are fortunate enough to wake up in the morning and know that this is one of the most important days of their lives?''
Smith, who as usual performed like he was cast in the role of superhero for a Hollywood film, said: ``I definitely feel like we are part of history. We get to write Big Ten champ next to our names. You can't take us down now.''
For games to reach up into the stratosphere, they must necessarily be lifted by the achievements of great players. Smith is the guy who executes the acrobatic plays, the plays that lead directly and dramatically to victory.
With coach Jim Tressel determined to counter the potentially lethal effects of Michigan's powerful defensive line by employing five receiver sets (thus attacking a secondary that is relatively weak), he put the burden on Smith's shoulders.
The quarterback responded with an almost flawless first half, completing 21-of-26 passes for 241 yards and three touchdowns. Most of the time, Smith's receivers were open, but he had to be wary of the Wolverine rush. And how many quarterbacks have the presence of mind to scan downfield for the whereabouts of each of five potential pass catchers?
Smith has been the leading candidate to win the Heisman Trophy almost the entire season. That means he has had plenty of time to fail, to mix in a lousy game or two.
Instead, he has come up biggest in the biggest games. This is the third consecutive year that he has personally left the Michigan defense in ruins.
So what about the Heisman?
``I would think he clinched the Heisman Trophy,'' Tressel said. ``I don't think there would be any question about that.''
Smith's reaction to such high praise might have been different when he was a brash freshman. But probably no player on the team has matured as much.
``I think the Heisman Trophy is a team award,'' he said. Sounds good, a little too good and too pat. The right cliche at the right moment. But Smith's rationale was eminently sound.
``I don't care who you are. You can be the most electrifying player in college football and lose two or three games, and you're out of it,'' he said. ``It's a team award first and foremost, because our team is 12-0. I owe them everything in the world.''
Well said, following an epic game. And without addressing that issue, you knew Tressel thought so, too.
When he sat down to face the media, the first thing he said was, ``You guys tired?''

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

ABJ

Notebook

Decisive moment foretold

Sideline pundits share a passing premonition about Robiskie's TD

By Marla Ridenour

Beacon Journal sportswriter

COLUMBUS - Brian Robiskie's brother Andrew had a feeling.
So did Braylon Edwards.
A few weeks ago, the Browns' first-round pick from Michigan suggested to Andrew, the son of his receivers coach, Terry Robiskie, that Brian might catch the winning touchdown pass against the Wolverines.
Brian Robiskie delivered, pulling in a 13-yarder on another one of his improvisational masterpieces with quarterback Troy Smith.
The score with 5:38 to play gave top-ranked Ohio State an 11-point lead, and the Buckeyes hung on to win it, even though Michigan answered with another touchdown drive.
Robiskie's catch survived a replay review to make sure that he got a foot inbounds.
``It was close, close enough for them to review it,'' Robiskie said. ``Right after I caught it, I looked down and saw I had one foot in -- and that's all I need. I felt it should be called a touchdown. Unless they were going to take it from me, I felt I had it.''
The sophomore from Chagrin Falls recorded his fifth touchdown of the season and the biggest of his life. Heisman Trophy front-runner Smith praised Robiskie afterward.
``Robiskie made a great catch,'' Smith said. ``It was an adjustment that he made that not too many people could make.
``The offensive line did a great job of holding those guys they had been battling with the whole game, and Robiskie came back and made a Division I college athlete play on the ball.''
Robiskie was running a hitch route, but when Michigan cornerback Morgan Trent pressed him, he switched to a fade. He also was watching Smith, waiting to see whether he needed to improvise.
``I thought Troy was going to throw it over my shoulder,'' Robiskie said. ``But I saw him holding it. Any time the quarterback is holding it like that, he wants you to do something. So I kinda stopped. I knew I didn't have much room to work with. So I stopped and threw the defender back.''
Where there's a will
Edwards found a way to see the Wolverines and still make it to a team meeting at 8:30 last night in Cleveland ahead of today's game against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
He told Channel 19 that he flew by helicopter and had to leave Columbus at 6:50 p.m., regardless of the score. Wearing a No. 20 jersey of tailback Mike Hart, Edwards watched the game from the Michigan sideline.
Hall reappears
Fifth-year senior Roy Hall of Lyndhurst Brush High School came in with just 10 catches for 109 yards and one score this season. But the receiver played a huge part in OSU's first touchdown drive, catching three passes.
Hall pulled in a 27-yard pass on third-and-16 from the OSU 49, a 10-yarder on third-and-5 from the Michigan 19 and a 1-yard TD pass on third-and-goal. Hall was uncovered on the score, standing alone in the right front corner of the end zone.
``It was a great feeling. I was just hoping Troy was going to find me,'' Hall said of the touchdown. ``As always, he makes good decisions. That was the best decision at the time.''
Those were his only catches of the game, but Hall didn't care.
``I had a long talk with the other receivers today -- how much I loved them and cared about them, thanks for always being there for me,'' he said. ``The last five years I've been close with a lot of receivers: Mike Jenkins, Santonio (Holmes). But a group as a whole as far as talent -- as far as being the best receivers we can be -- this is the best group by far and it showed.''
Carr on Bo's death
Michigan Coach Lloyd Carr refused to let the death of the Wolverines' football program patriarch be a detriment to his team.
``I told the team Friday, I tried to tell them that he would not have wanted to be a distraction and I told them we weren't to use Bo and his passing away as a motivational deal. That would dishonor him,'' he said as he fought to maintain his composure.
``And I told them the way we could honor him was to coach and to play in a way to make him proud. This has nothing to do with what happened today. It was part of the weekend. But we lost to a better team today.''
Back in the 'Shoe
About 900 former Buckeyes received invitations to return to Columbus to take part in the weekend's festivities. Between 300 and 400 were on the field before the game during Senior Day introductions. Because of the large turnout, the traditional Senior Tackle pep rally was moved from Thursday to Friday so former players could attend.
Buckeyes . . .
Smith's four touchdowns against Michigan gave him 30 for the season, breaking Bobby Hoying's single-season mark of 29 in 1995.... Ex-Buckeye and Cleveland Browns offensive and defensive lineman Bill Willis was honored on the field after the first quarter. Sixty years ago, Willis was one of four players who broke the color barrier in professional football that dated to the end of the 1933 season.... Sophomore left tackle Alex Boone did not start after missing two games because of a knee procedure, but he alternated with senior Tim Schafer.

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

ABJ

Columbus police keep celebrating OSU fans in line

By Rick Armon

Beacon Journal staff writer

COLUMBUS - With the spotlight from a police helicopter illuminating them from above, football fans poured onto streets and sidewalks Saturday night after Ohio State's nail-biting victory over archrival Michigan.
Police sirens, car horns, irrepressible screams and rhythmic chanting of ``O-H-I-O'' mingled in the cold night air as strangers offered each other high-fives.
Some revelers didn't have a hand to spare: They were carrying pieces of sod taken from the stadium as they walked to their homes and cars.
``I'm going to grow my own victory field,'' said 22-year-old Michelle Haizlip, an OSU graduate student from Canton.
Along Lane Avenue, police tried to disperse heavy crowds early. A row of 11 horses walked down the street and sidewalk, urging people to move along. Students stood to the side, snapping pictures with cameras and cell phones.
Some people gawked at the affair from their porches; others sought a better view perched on roofs. Still others were trapped, celebrating in their cars as streets quickly became gridlocked after the game.
Inside Larry's, a college bar along High Street, students erupted at the final 42-39 score, then spilled outside to join the communitywide celebration.
``Jim Tressel is the greatest coach in Ohio State history,'' 23-year-old Tyler Reed of Norwalk offered as he maneuvered through a sea of scarlet and gray.
Floodlights on portable generators cut the darkness on heavily populated streets.
Columbus police were out in force, a presence on nearly every corner. In some cases, their cars were lined 10 deep, with red and blue lights flashing a reminder of their ever-watchful eyes.
They were fulfilling the city's promise to avoid a repeat of 2002, when fans rioted after Ohio State beat Michigan in a 14-9 thriller.
That year, about 20 vehicles were burned or overturned, and windows at homes and businesses were broken.
Firefighters were pelted with rocks and debris, and police ended up arresting 54 people on charges ranging from rioting to open burning.
Experts in fan behavior said conditions were ripe for problems this year, too.
Emotions always run high leading up to a contest in an epic rivalry, considered one of the greatest in all sports.
The buildup this year was even more intense because the schools were ranked No. 1 and 2.
But city and university officials put several initiatives into place to quell fan misbehavior, including a ban on porch couches that could become fire starters, a crackdown on alcohol violations, and a parking ban on several streets.
Also in recent weeks, OSU officials rolled out four television and radio ads with the slogan ``The Best Fans in the Land'' to promote good sportsmanship.
Concern about what could happen certainly seemed to be playing in the mind of Dustin Kuhlman, a 20-year-old from Norwalk who happens to be a Michigan fan.
As he watched the game at a High Street bar surrounded by OSU fans, Kuhlman threw out a ``Go Blue'' in support of his team.
When someone responded ``Shut up,'' he did the smart thing: He answered ``OK'' and turned back to the game.
He remarked that he knew better than to wear any blue.
``I didn't want to start anything,'' he said. ``I was afraid of potential violence.''
But as the evening wore on, concern about serious violence appeared to be unwarranted.
Late Saturday, Sgt Kevin Corcoran reported 18 people had been arrested, most for misdemeanors. Four people were arrested for arson for setting fires in a couple of trash bins, but otherwise, there were no serious incidents.

 

[sandgk]

The Game now showing on ESPN Classic.

 

[wadc45]

ESPN Classic is showing the game right now...

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Canton

Ohio State?s backs do just fine vs. Michigan?s rushing defense
Sunday, November 19, 2006
By CHRIS BEAVEN

COLUMBUS They heard the questions over and over all week.

How could they run the ball against Michigan?
Saturday afternoon, the Ohio State Buckeyes delivered their answer in emphatic fashion at Ohio Stadium. They chewed up 187 rushing yards, broke two huge runs and helped key a 42-39 win that puts Ohio State in the Tostitos BCS National Championship Game on Jan. 8 in Glendale, Ariz.
?I took it very personal, our offensive line took it very personal,? junior tailback Antonio Pittman said of the talk about Michigan?s feared run defense.
?Our offensive line did a tremendous job blocking today,? freshman tailback Chris Wells said.
Michigan had allowed just 29.9 rushing yards per game to its first 11 opponents. The only team to break the century mark was Minnesota with 108 on Sept. 30.
Pittman went for 139 by himself. He had a clutch 56-yard TD run in the third quarter. Wells delivered a 52-yard TD run in the second quarter that gave OSU the lead for good, 14-7.
?I think it really showed the Michigan defense we were a team capable of running it on them,? Wells said of his big run.
The Wolverines had allowed just three runs of longer than 20 yards and none longer than 25 before Saturday.
?Basically, we just executed,? right tackle Kirk Barton said. ?We blocked them all up and they were off to the races.?
Wells said the Buckeyes entered the game confident. Head Coach Jim Tressel said that is with good reason.
?Pittman and Wells were good, and those guys blocking for them did a great job,? Tressel said. ?Those guys have another gear, and our guys know how to block.?
Reach Repository sports writer Chris Beaven
at (330) 580-8345 or e-mail
[email protected]
Holding on
Chris Wells also answered some critics who worried about his ability to hang on to the football. He was benched in the Illinois game earlier this month because of fumbling. Wells talked with former OSU Heisman Trophy winner Eddie George after that game.
?He told me he?d been in the same situation,? Wells said. ?He just told me to hold the ball and run hard.? Pittman gave similar advice. ?My thing is just don?t worry about it,? Pittman said. ?Everybody fumbles. Nobody?s perfect.?

Buckeye bits
n Ohio State has the nation?s longest win streak at 19 games. It is the second-longest streak all-time at OSU.
n Troy Smith became Ohio State?s single-season touchdown pass leader with 30. He broke Bobby Hoying?s record of 29 set in 1995.
n Smith also is the first player to throw for four TDs against Michigan in 103 meetings
n Smith has 2,507 yards passing this season.
n Antonio Pittman?s 56-yard TD run is the longest of the season for the Buckeyes.
n Michigan is plus-5 in turnovers the last two games against Ohio State, but lost each time.
n Michigan?s game-opening TD drive is the first allowed by OSU this season.

Victors celebrate
Kirk Barton, who played one of his best games at right tackle going against Michigan?s Rondell Biggs and LaMarr Woodley, looked like a guy ready to celebrate.
The Perry High School graduate held court with reporters after OSU?s win over Michigan with a Cuban cigar in his right hand.
?It?s a $125 cigar,? Barton said. ?I didn?t buy it, are you kidding me? One of my friends got it for me.? Barton said he spent half of his scholarship check, money used for room and board, on a $350 bottle of Dom Perignon and brought it to the locker room.
?I?m such a hillbilly, I had to ask the lady how to open it. ... I popped it and Coach (Jim) Tressel looked at me like I was insane.?
Similar teams
The only time Ohio State trailed in the game came after Michigan scored in seven plays on the game?s opening possession. The Buckeyes have been behind for about 30 minutes the entire season. Michigan had trailed less than 17 minutes coming into this game.

Early start
Smith was the first Buckeye out of the locker room and on the field at Ohio Stadium. Wearing shorts and a T-shirt, Smith jogged around the field with headphones on.
He stopped briefly to talk when former Buckeye RB Eddie George swallowed him with a hug. George is the last OSU player to win the Heisman Trophy.

Braylon here
Browns WR Braylon Edwards, a Michigan graduate, attended the game. He wore a No. 20 Michael Hart jersey.
Edwards made kickoff, thanks to a helicopter ride. He left before it ended because Head Coach Romeo Crennel wanted him at the team?s hotel before 8.

Zwick?s ovation
All OSU seniors were introduced before the game, and when Massillon graduate and backup QB Justin Zwick was announced, the largest crowd in Ohio Stadium history (105,708) gave him the loudest ovation before Smith was introduced.
Fans have been, at times, critical of Zwick and booed him often.

Game plan
Tressel?s game plan was to spread Michigan?s defense out and make the Wolverines try to guard five receivers.
?There were five or six things on the board,? Anthony Gonzalez said. ?One of the things we wanted to do was spread them out. Another was to make their big guys tired. Those go hand in hand. You spread out their big guys, you?re gonna make them tired running all over the field.

BCS matchups
John Junker, the president and CEO of the Fiesta Bowl Committee, which will run this year?s Tostitos National Championship Game, took in the game.
Asked if the national title game could top Saturday?s game, Junker shrugged. ?I think we saw a pretty great national championship game a few years ago when Ohio State played Miami in all those overtimes,? Junker said. TODD PORTER, CHRIS BEAVEN