Ohio State beats rival Michigan in thriller
GENERATIONS of Ohio State and Michigan fans will debate the latest episode of one of college football’s most impassioned rivalries, a 30-27 victory for Ohio State in two overtimes on Saturday, its fifth straight against the Wolverines.
What if Michigan quarterback Wilton Speight, who generally played well (23 of 36 for 219 passing yards and two touchdowns), had not fumbled the ball away at the Ohio State 1-yard line early in the second half?
What if Ohio State kicker Tyler Durbin, a senior who began the game 16 of 16 on field-goal attempts this season, had not missed two attempts, one from 37 yards and one from 21? A nd, of course – what if, with Ohio on a do-or-die fourth-and-1 play in t he second over t ime, t he of f icia ls had not r uled t hat qua r terback J T Ba r ret t had made a first down?
In t hat la st i nsta nce, t he debat a ble f i r s t- dow n c a l l stood up to a video review. On the next play, half back Curtis Samuel ran it in 15 yards for the win.
The upshot was that the No2 Buckeyes (11-1) beat the No3 Wolverines (10-2) on a crisp, grey autumn afternoon – the most consequential matchup in a decade for a rivalry contested 113 times.
No8 Penn State (10-2) also won on Saturday, beating Michigan State 45-12 in State College, Pennsylvania.
The Nitta ny Lions’ v ictor y denied Ohio State a spot in next Saturday’s Big Ten championsh ip ga me versus No5 Wisconsin (9-2), but nonetheless, t he Buckeyes rema i n a pr i me ca nd idate for t he fou r-tea m Col lege Footba l l Playof f. If t hey adva nce, it will be t heir second appeara nce si nce 2014, when t he playof f began.
The loss has very likely eliminated Michigan from the playoff.
Ohio State won, but the scoreboard is an unreliable narrator. The Wolverines outplayed Ohio State in many respects: on offence, converting nine of 19 third-down attempts; on defence, sacking Barrett eight times; and overall, keeping the game close despite a turnover margin of minus two.
And then there was that crucial rush by Barrett. Needing either a field goal to force a third overtime or a touchdown to win, Ohio State elected to go for it from the 16-yard line on fourth-and-1. Barrett took the snap in the shotgun, faked a handoff to Samuel running right and then took off to run over the left guard.
Safety Delano Hill hit Barrett well behind the 16, Barrett fell forward into a scrum and landed . . . somewhere.
It could just as easily have been called short; a replay review would most likely have confirmed either call.
“When I got hit, I wasn’t 100 percent certain, to be honest with you,” Barrett said.
Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh held his hands about a half-yard apart and said: “My view of the first down is it was – that short.”
Harbaugh pointed also to a pass interference call on Hill (“a gift”) and one not called on an incomplete pass to Michigan wide receiver Grant Perry, and said: “I’m bitterly disappointed with the officiating.”
The Michigan-Ohio State series has retained its status in recent years, with the teams refusing to say each other’s names and seeming to put nearly as much on the outcome of the one game as they do on their seasons, despite an indisputable dynamic: its lopsidedness. Ohio State has now won 14 of the past 16 games.