The Greatest "Drive" since.......

[bkochmc]

The '96 Rose Bowl drive was definitely special. Other drives I vividly remember:

2004 Michigan: Troy orchestrated two drives of 95+ yards... a 99-yard drive at the beginning of the second quarter to tie the game at 14 and a 97-yard drive after Ted Ginn's punt return touchdown to essentially bury the Wolverines.

1995 Boston College, Pigskin Classic: Not necessarily a big game (OSU won 38-6) but a memorable drive for me. BC pinned Ohio State at their 99 and 3/4 yard line. Bobby Hoying and Eddie George led the charge down the field, culminating in a 12-yard touchdown grab from Ricky Dudley.

 

[DaddyBigBucks]

Good call on '95 BC

The key to that drive was 3rd and long from inside our 5. The swing pass to the left to Eddie George was HUGE. That play, that drive; may have been the difference in that game.

But 88 yards vs. scUM, in their house, using all but a scant few seconds and draining them of time-outs, for a game-winning TD when a FG would have been sufficient, and PB was planted on his A on the TD play. If it gets better than that, I hope to live long enough to see it. It could be a long wait.

 

[ScarletBlood31]

im too young to really have an opinion about all of this, but yesterday's drive, to me, is just about as good as it gets considering the circumstances.

 

[AKAK]

I actually said the phrase, "I hipe Troy has a little Joe Germaine in him right now." Not that I didn't think he did..

But it felt pretty similar even starting off...

Although... in the Rose Bowl, ASU had all the momentum following the Plummer Touchdown... on the other hand... they also gave us a lot of yards on penalties in that one... and in this one Troy Just picked them apart... well.. until that pretty catch... Great Shot Hayn, btw)

Anyway, it was a clutch as they come...

Edit...

Just thinking... big icing on the cake for that 88 yard masterpeice...(that no one will remember) was the 67 yards in 5 plays on the drive before... how many times have you seen a team needing two scores and take their sweet damn time on their first one to the degree that they end up with jsut a couple plays on the next one to do anything but high risk plays... so even more Kudos for the quick strike to set teh last drive up with some Timeouts in the bank and enough time to take advantage of scUM playing prevent.

 

[Dryden]

this was much better than the rose bowl drive. ASU's secondary totally choked in that one. Weren't there like 2 pass interference penalties also? I'd rather have a drive where we made plays, rather than the other team making mistakes. the rose bowl drive was great because it was the rose bowl and it was so tense, but what just transpired is head and shoulders above that IMO.

Agree 100%. Troy's final drive in the Big House, against UM of all teams, trumps Germaine's comeback performance in the closing 1:40 in the Rose. The Rose Bowl drive started at the 35, included two pass interference penalties on ASU which accounted for half the drive plus two 3rd and 10 conversions (after seeing half a dozen balls thrown five rows deep out of bounds). It was sloppy, and for me has somewhat lost some of its luster in recent years because of Boston's troubling character issues and Stanley Jackson's selfishness on the sidelines. That game was a microcosm of everything right and everything wrong with John Cooper's teams.

 

[Zurp]

I think this drive is more special than the Rose Bowl drive for a couple of reasons: first, it's Michigan. Second, it was 88 yards, compared to how many.. 80 yards against Arizona State. Third, it was IN Michigan, compared to a theoretical neutral site against Arizona State.

However, a field goal would have beat Michigan, but a field goal would have sent the Rose Bowl into overtime. And I have more faith in Huston than I did whoever OSU's kicker was.. was that Stultz? No.. before Stultz. Regardless, the only former OSU kicker I'd prefer to have in Huston's place is Mike Nugent.

Both were awesome drives, but this one sticks out better in my mind.

Speaking of field goals, if you were in JT's shoes, and not knowing what you actually do know of the outcome of the game, would you prefer to have Huston kicking the winning field goal from the center of the 3 yard line as time expires (Pittman DOESN'T score the touchdown), or have Ohio State up by 4, with 20 seconds left and Michigan has to score a touchdown? Personally, I like both options a lot. Huston isn't missing that field goal. But the defense isn't giving up a touchdown, either..

 

[AKAK]

Speaking of field goals, if you were in JT's shoes, and not knowing what you actually do know of the outcome of the game, would you prefer to have Huston kicking the winning field goal from the center of the 3 yard line as time expires (Pittman DOESN'T score the touchdown), or have Ohio State up by 4, with 20 seconds left and Michigan has to score a touchdown? Personally, I like both options a lot. Huston isn't missing that field goal. But the defense isn't giving up a touchdown, either..

Well either or really... if we had to kick the FG, there would have been pretty much no time left on the clock (as you mention... so... doesn't really matter...

I was surprised that Michigan bit on that formation on the Pittman run... I think everyone in the Stadium knew the play call was left... either get in OR center the ball and kick on 3rd down.

Michigan was out of Timeouts? no?

 

[WestEnd]

Agree 100%. Troy's final drive in the Big House, against UM of all teams, trumps Germaine's comeback performance in the closing 1:40 in the Rose. The Rose Bowl drive started at the 35, included two pass interference penalties on ASU which accounted for half the drive plus two 3rd and 10 conversions (after seeing half a dozen balls thrown five rows deep out of bounds). It was sloppy, and for me has somewhat lost some of its luster in recent years because of Boston's troubling character issues and Stanley Jackson's selfishness on the sidelines. That game was a microcosm of everything right and everything wrong with John Cooper's teams.

yup, no way I've ever seen a better, more awesome drive. I'm trying to remember plays that were made on that rose bowl drive and all I can think of I think of germaine doing is throwing the TD pass on an out to boston and one on 3rd down over the middle to demetrious stanley. I think he may have only had 3 completions on that whole drive.

This drive on the other hand, has the spin move, obviously the catch by gonzo, the one handed snag by Ginn ... Troy's elusiveness on a couple other plays, and then Pittmans CRAM job, not to mention a couple completions to santonio I think. Much better drive.

Oh yeah, and it was IN ANN ARBOR. The Rose Bowl is great and everything, but it is almost always just icing over the cake that is beating michigan.

 

[buckeyeboy]

Best one I ever saw before Saturday was Germaine in the Rose Bowl vs. ASU, as has been said many times here before. I'll never forget how Boston strutted into the end zone after making the winning TD catch.

 

[LoKyBuckeye]

for those who are interested and don't venture over the the video clips forum... I just posted the whole drive.


:osu:

 

[Buckinghorse]

Best one I ever saw before Saturday was Germaine in the Rose Bowl vs. ASU, as has been said many times here before. I'll never forget how Boston strutted into the end zone after making the winning TD catch.

I'll dito this, but the two drives this year are right up there.

 

[BB73]

All great drives but the 99 1/2 yard drive against Michigan in 1954 I feel was the best. I was there, sitting in section 13A. The stopping of Michigan at the 1/2 yard line and the following drive really started the winning Woody Era at Ohio State and his first National Championship.
There was no televised games then so you had to be one of the 80,000 in attendance to truly appreciate the Bucks smashing the ball down Michigan,s throat play after play with the croud getting louder with each play.
I think it also started my 50+ year love affair with Ohio State football.

I also have to toss in the drive against a great Iowa team when Bob White (our fullback) ran the ball vertually ever play in a 70+ yard drive. Bob smashed out 8 or 9 nine yards at a crack with Iowa knowing exactly what what was coming and were powerless to stop. All those plays were over guard or tackle. I believe that drive (and win) also led to a another National Championship.
We had a lot of those NCs back then.

Great stuff, Charlotte. I was unaware of the 1957 drive against Iowa until just last week. It was mentioned on the 'Ultimate Buckeye Football Collection' DVD I got from the Alumni Association (thanks Archie). I just watched it again to get the details.

It was the week before heading to Ann Arbor, Iowa was undefeated and ranked 5th, and tOSU was #6 (having lost the opener against TCU). With a little over 7 minutes left, tOSU got the ball on their own 32, trailing 13-10 (DVD says 14-10 by mistake). 8 plays later, including 7 runs by fullback Bob White for 66 yards, his TD gave the Buckeyes a 17-13 win. After beating #19 scUM in AA the next week, tOSU was #2 in the AP poll, but won the NC in the final UPI poll.

Bob White had 7 runs for 66 yards, all between the tackles. And Iowa had Alex Karras, the Outland Trophy winner, at DT. Yes, the guy from MNF years ago with Cosell, and then on the Webster TV show.

 

[Sloopy45]

I've got one to put up there:

2002: Craig Krenzel against scUM, capped off by an option TD to Maurice Hall.

a.) The final score of the game was 14-9, so without that drive & TD, we don't win the game OR the National Championship.

b.) It was also in "The Game"

And, what about "Holy Buckeye?"

Actually, come to think of it, there were a ton of these "drives" in '02 ..

 

[Zurp]

All great drives but the 99 1/2 yard drive against Michigan in 1954 I feel was the best. I was there, sitting in section 13A. The stopping of Michigan at the 1/2 yard line and the following drive really started the winning Woody Era at Ohio State and his first National Championship.
There was no televised games then so you had to be one of the 80,000 in attendance to truly appreciate the Bucks smashing the ball down Michigan,s throat play after play with the croud getting louder with each play.
I think it also started my 50+ year love affair with Ohio State football.

I'm reading a biography on Woody Hayes, and just last night read about the 1954 drive against Michigan. I thought I'd nominate that drive on this thread, but I see you beat me to it, CB62. I think that what makes that drive even more outstanding is that it used Hayes's "Spread-T" formation (not exactly sure how that's different from a "T" formation), and it used Hayes's typical "run-that-other-team-over" philosophy.

 

[cincibuck]

All great drives but the 99 1/2 yard drive against Michigan in 1954 I feel was the best. I was there, sitting in section 13A. The stopping of Michigan at the 1/2 yard line and the following drive really started the winning Woody Era at Ohio State and his first National Championship.
There was no televised games then so you had to be one of the 80,000 in attendance to truly appreciate the Bucks smashing the ball down Michigan,s throat play after play with the croud getting louder with each play.
I think it also started my 50+ year love affair with Ohio State football.

I also have to toss in the drive against a great Iowa team when Bob White (our fullback) ran the ball vertually ever play in a 70+ yard drive. Bob smashed out 8 or 9 nine yards at a crack with Iowa knowing exactly what what was comind and were powerless to stop. All those plays were over guard or tackle. I believe that drive (and win) also led to a another National Championship.
We had a lot of those NCs back then.

I beg to differ, but I watched that Michigan game from our living room at 107 Malcom Dr., Kettering, Ohio. I had to listen to the Bob White, Iowa comeback as teams only received 1 national broadcast and 1 or 2 regional broadcasts per year... and the networks always picked The Game for the national game.