What Is the Best Single Play in THE GAME During the Tressel Era?

[Ttown]

Smith to Gonzo 27 yards. no doubts.

 

[bkochmc]

I had a hard time deciding between Will Allen's INT to seal the Big Ten title and NC birth, Smith's play action pass to Ginn in 2006, and Ginn's 82 yard punt return. They all have amazing precision in their execution but in the end, since the poll is asking for a single play and not the most memorable moment, I chose the one with the most athletic ability on display... Ginn's 82-yard punt return TD. In a way that return kind of healed some of the punt return TD's from some of the traitors in the 90's... it was great to see a Buckeye doing that for a change.

 

[jlb1705]

Jonathan Wells' run also delivered on this promise:

"I can assure you that you will be proud of your young people in the classroom, in the community, and most especially in 310 days in Ann Arbor, Michigan, on the football field,"

 

[Tlangs]

I went with Jonathon Wells run in 2001. That run set the tone for the rivalry under JT. Without that run, who knows if we would have acheived this much the success against those scumbags going forward. JW put the seed of doubt in scUM's head. Damn, these guys can beat us.

 

[naptownbuck]

I went with Jonathon Wells run in 2001. That run set the tone for the rivalry under JT. Without that run, who knows if we would have acheived this much the success against those scumbags going forward. JW put the seed of doubt in scUM's head. Damn, these guys can beat us.

Sweet sweet redemption after the 1999 game. I sadly still remember, J-Wells performed an awesome spin move and was off to the races. But he took a wrong angle, and was ran down by the scUM secondary. tOSU failed to score a TD on that drive, maybe even failed to score at all..went on to lose in typical Coop fashion :(

Wells would own the big house two years later though. I love his endzone celebrations in the 2001 game.

The J-Wells run also started the significance of the 'Wells' name and later the Maurice combinations :)

 

[AKAK]

Jonathan Wells' run. It hit the reset button on this entire program and the rivalry. It was the kind of play and statement that Ohio State had failed to make in The Game for over a decade. Without that play, I'm not sure the rest of them on the list happen (or at least mean as much.) It changed everything.

Will Allen. Will Allen. Will Allen.

If I have a child, and it's a boy...and he one day grows up to intercept a TSUN QB at the goal line to clinch a spot in the NC game...I still won't be as happy as I was at that moment.

It's one of these 2.

I kind of agree with jlb... the Wells Run provided the big play mojo... springs didn't slip... Woodson didn't return 36 punts for a TD and strike the pose...

it was our guy who made the big play, and I think that impacted the whole dynamic of the series after the debacles of the 90's.

Allen's play was... well... symbolic of the era, but, it was defending desperation.

 

[TDG]

I'd be ashamed of myself if I didn't vote for Will Allen's INT. Talk about importance... that sealed the win and sent us to the national championship, it doesn't get any bigger than that. Any Buckeye fan who's watched through the Cooper years had to believe, somewhere in our heart, that Michigan would wreck our title hopes again. And that INT made sure it wouldn't happen. It got the monkey off our back. It was a moment of pure joy and relief.

Now, in terms of a play I'll never get tired of watching, it's the 2006 PA pass to Ginn. That play, for me, perfectly sums up Tressel's coaching abilities in The Game. We never saw that play before, and we haven't seen it since. It was perfected and circled for the game, and used after being masterfully set up by Beanie's TD run. That moment where everyone realizes what's going on, the Michigan LBs frantically start chasing after Ginn, and the crowd explodes... that will never fail to bring a smile to my face.

 

[Bucklion]

In THE game? I would add "Beanie Wells killing the shit out of Michigan defenders...pick a run"

 

[Fungo Squiggly]

"The Catch" - The jubilation and excitement for that play was unbelievable. Will Allen's pick was probably the most important on the list, but my reaction to that was more of "Oh, thank god...." than "Oh, fuck yes!"

 

[scarletngray]

Man does that list bring a smile to my face. Time and time again... Great memories!!

I went with The CATCH!! Sometimes there is nothing better than a come from behind victory in your archrival's backyard.



:osu:

 

[Jagdaddy]

Jonathan Wells' run. It hit the reset button on this entire program and the rivalry. It was the kind of play and statement that Ohio State had failed to make in The Game for over a decade. Without that play, I'm not sure the rest of them on the list happen (or at least mean as much.) It changed everything.

+1

 

[BUCKYLE]

While I completely understand the vote for J. Wells' run, I just think that Will Allen's int is what actually exorcised the demons. Even Coop had two wins against those fucks, so JT winning his first was great...but I still didn't totally believe it would happen with everything on the line the next year. That game...that play, made a full believer out of me.

 

[CookyPuss]

Holy Buckeye. It was the moment I knew that 2002 was a team of destiny.

Edit: Sorry, read that poll wrong. It's Will Allen's INT.

 

[jlb1705]

While I completely understand the vote for J. Wells' run, I just think that Will Allen's int is what actually exorcised the demons. Even Coop had two wins against those fucks, so JT winning his first was great...but I still didn't totally believe it would happen with everything on the line the next year. That game...that play, made a full believer out of me.

I agree with that to a certain extent. In 2001 the Buckeyes were playing with house money. 2002 was the first time something real was on the line for the Buckeyes under Tressel.

However, J. Wells' run was the first time in a damn long time that Ohio State hit M*ch*g*n in the mouth like that. They were put on notice. It's been a virtual hit parade since then.

 

[brodybuck21]

While I completely understand the vote for J. Wells' run, I just think that Will Allen's int is what actually exorcised the demons. Even Coop had two wins against those fucks, so JT winning his first was great...but I still didn't totally believe it would happen with everything on the line the next year. That game...that play, made a full believer out of me.

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