EPIC ENDING
Spartans’ miracle finish could go down as top play in college football history
THE KICK Six. The Play. Hail Flutie. The Miracle at Michigan. They are part of college football lore, and so now is seventh-ranked Michigan State’s ridiculous final-second 27-23 victory over rival Michigan on Saturday, the play that blew up Twitter, overshadowed the baseball playoffs, and kept the Spartans playoff hopes alive while crushing Michigan’s.
And that’s what could separate this play from all the others, what could elevate it to No. 1 as the most memorable play in the sport’s history — if Mic h i ga n State goes on to win it all.
The Kick Six, Chris Davis’ 109yard return of a missed field goal as time expired in the 2013 Iron Bowl, pushed Auburn to the SEC Championship game and the BCS final, but the Tigers lost to Florida State. California’s win over Stanford in 1982 — known as “The Play” when Cal completed five lateral passes on a kickoff return while avoiding the Stanford marching band — improved the Bears to a mediocre 7-4. And in 1994, Kordell St e war t ’s 6 4 - ya rd touchdown pass as time expired
to Michael Westbrook to lead Colorado past Michigan was similar in its dramatics, but it was only September, and neither side played for the title.
Doug Flutie’s 48-yard touchdown pass beat defending champion Miami in 1984 at the horn, but neither team was a national contender.
The Michigan-Michigan State game was all but over, at least it should’ ve been. There were 10 seconds left, No. 15 Michigan had the ball at its own 4 7- ya rd - line, nursing a 23-21 lead. It was fourth down, and the Wolverines were punting. The snap was low, and bobbled by Michigan punter Blake O’Neill. As he tried to pick it up and kick the ball, he was tackled, and the ball wound up in the hands of Jalen Watts-Jackson, who rumbled 38 yards to pay dirt, suffering a dislocated hip in the wild celebration in the end zone, setting off bedlam and hysteria all around college football.
You can make the argument over which play was more unlikely, which game was more significant at the time. But what made this such a big deal were the implications of this victory.
Michigan entered playing as well as anybody, looking like a legitimate Big Ten contender under Jim Harbaugh. Michigan State wasn’t impressive this year, on either side of the ball, escaping one week after another, winning now four times by a single score. It sets in motion the return of this rivalry, with Michigan getting to
the level Mich- igan State has played at for years.
Perhaps, this is the game that finally gets Michigan State right, turns the Spartans into the team we expected to see all season, not the one that plays down to the level of its opponent, that struggles to find consistency, that escaped against pedestrian Big Ten foes Purdue and Rutgers.
If the Spartans go on to beat top-ranked Ohio State Nov. 21, get into the playoff and win it all, we’ll remember this play forever.
AAC-Ya on Jan. 1
For once, the talk about the American Athletic Conference aren’t jokes about how random its configuration is. For once, it is about the surprisingly quality football being played in the league.
One victory did that, Memphis’ stunning 37-24 victory over SEC contender Ole Miss, ranked 13th at the time, the Tigers’ biggest victory since taking down Peyton Manning and Tennessee in 1996. One victory shined a light on the quality under-the-radar seasons No. 18 Memphis, No. 21 Houston and No. 22 Temple are enjoying, all undefeated with quality victories, Houston beating Louisville on the road and Temple defeating Penn State for the first time in 74 years.
Odds are extremely long for any of these teams to reach the playoff, but they should all find themselves in significant bowl games, with more opportunities to help themselves and the new conference. The winner of the league’s title game could get into one of the New Year’s Six bowl games that goes to the highest-ranked champion not from a power conference, another chance for the kind of statement Memphis made on Saturday.