"THE GAME"
ON NOVEMBER 19TH, 2005 THE OHIO STATE BUCKEYES HEADED NORTH TO TAKE ON THEIR BITTER RIVAL IN ANN ARBOR. THE GAME LIVED UP TO THE HYPE AND THE BUCKS RALLIED TO BEAT MICHIGAN 25-21. I WAS HOPING TO POST A NICE PICTURE OF ANTONIO PITTMAN RUNNING IN FOR THE FINAL SCORE OF THE DAY BUT MY SYSTEM IS STILL MESSED UP, SO I GUESS YOU PEOPLE JUST HAVE TO READ MY WORDS. THIS WAS COLLEGE FOOTBALL AT ITS FINEST AND THE PLAYERS DIDNT DISAPPOINT THE LARGE CROWD, WELL EXCEPT MAYBE MICHIGAN FANS OF COURSE. THERE IS NOTHING WORSE THAN WAITING FOR THIS GAME AND THEN ONE TEAM BLOWS THE OTHER OUT. THIS WAS NOT THE CASE AT ALL. I HAVE BEEN READING ABOUT THE RIVALRY ALL WEEK AND HOW PLAYERS FEEL ABOUT THIS GAME. MOST SENIORS IN THIS GAME TELL THE FRESHMAN, THAT IF THEY GET A CHANCE TO PLAY, THEY ARE GOING TO GET HIT LIKE THEY HAVE NEVER BEEN HIT BEFORE. THIS GAME APPEARED TO BE NO DIFFERENT. THESE 2 TEAMS WENT BACK AND FORTH AT EACH OTHER ALL DAY LONG. I HAD ONE PREDICTION RIGHT IN THAT MICHIGAN WOULD BE ABLE TO KEEP TROY SMITH FROM HAVING A FIELD DAY RUNNING THE FOOTBALL. I DID SAY THAT THE TEAM THAT COULD ESTABLISH THE BEST RUNNING GAMER WOULD WIN. I WAS PRETTY MUCH WRONG HERE. WE DID HAVE THE BETTER RUNNING GAME, BUT THAT WAS NOT THE DIFFERENCE. THE DIFFERENCE WAS THE FACT THAT SMITH COMPLETED 27 OF 37 PASSES FOR 300 YARDS. I DONT THINK ANYONE EXPECTED THIS. MICHIGAN PROBABLY DID SET A GOAL TO HAVE SMITH BEAT THEM WITH HIS ARM, AND I GUESS THAT YOU CAN SAY HE DID. THE MOST IMPRESSIVE TO ME WAS IN THE WAY THAT HE WAS ABLE TO AVOID THE PRESSURE AND THEN FIND THE OPEN RECEIVER. HE WAS NEVER KNOWN FOR THIS IN THE PAST. IN THE PAST HE WOULD HAVE AVOIDED THE RUSH AND TOOK OFF WITHOUT HESITATION. SO YES HE SHOCKED ME AND YES HE DID FORCE PEOPLE LIKE ME TO PUT MY FOOT IN MY MOUTH. MY APOLOGIES GO OUT TO HIM NOT THINKING HE COULD EVER BEAT A TEAM WITH HIS ARM. YOU WERE BRILLIANT TROY AND I WILL FINALLY NAME YOU MY PLAYER OF THE GAME. TED GINN JR HAD 9 CATCHES AND HE SEEMS TO BE PROGRESSING AS A RECEIVER, SO I WILL TAKE IT A LITTLE EASIER ON HIM SINCE HE HAD SOME BONEHEAD PLAYS ON PUNT RETURNS AND HE NEEDS TO TAKE OUR DEFENSE TO DINNER FOR ALL THE HELP THEY GAVE US HOLDING MICHIGAN TO A COUPLE OF FIELD GOALS AFTER THE FIELD POSITION THAT THEY GOT. WITH ALL OF THE PRESS THAT SMITH WILL GET THIS WEEK, LETS NOT FORGET ABOUT OUR DEFENSE AND HOW THET TOUGHED IT OUT WHEN HOPES APPEARED TO BE GONE, AND THE FACT THAT THEY LOST BOBBY CARPENTER FOR THE GAME. MAN THAT HAD TO BE TOUGH ON HIM, BUT HE CAME OUT ON CRUTCHES AND TURNED INTO A COACH TO HELP HIS TEAMMATES. LETS HOPE HE WILL BE OK FOR WHATEVER BOWL GAME WE GET. ALL IN ALL, I THOUGHT WE PLAYED GREAT AGAIN. WE HAD SOME BAD BREAKS WITH THE SPECIAL TEAMS, BUT OVERALL WE PLAYED A GREAT GAME. WE STILL PUT UP OVER 400 YARDS OF OFFENSE WITH 300 IN THE AIR AND 118 ON THE GROUND. WE HELD MICHIGAN TO 255 YARDS OF OFFENSE WHICH IS NICE, BUT YET NOT THEIR FAULT SINCE WE DID GIVE THEM PLENTY OF GOOD FIELD POSITION, ESPECIALLY IN THE 2ND HALF. THE DIFFERENCE IN THE MICHIGAN OFFENSE IS WHETHER OR NOT THEY HAVE BALANCE. CHAD HENNE PLAYED HIS BEST GAME ALL YEAR IN MY EYES, BUT WE TOTALLY SHUT DOWN THEIR RUNNING GAME HOLDING THEM TO 32 YARDS. YES WE DIDNT RUN FOR A TON, BUT IT WAS ENOUGH WHERE WE KEPT THE DEFENSE GUESSING AND THEY COULDNT FORGET ABOUT PITTMAN. THE GAME WAS FUN AND YES I EVEN HAD MY DOUBTS IN THE 4TH QUARTER. IF IT WASNT FOR THE D HOLDING THEM TO A FIELD GOAL TO MAKE IT 21-12, I AM NOT SURE WE COULD HAVE COME BACK FROM THAT. ALSO GIVE ME SOME THOUGHTS ON WHAT MAYBE WE SHOULD HAVE DONE DOWN IN THE RED ZONE DOWN 21-19. I LIKE THE DECISION TO TAKE THE POINTS SINCE PITT RAN IT IN, BUT LIKE CHAD BROUGHT UP TO ME, WHY NOT SNEAK IT TO THE CENTER OF THE FIELD, RUN THE CLOCK DOWN AND KICK THE FIELD GOAL FOR THE WIN AND NOT GIVE THEM A CHANCE TO HAVE THE BALL BACK. I TOLD HIM I WOULDNT WANNA BE THE GUY TO MAKE THAT DECISION SINCE WE DID MISS AN EXTRA POINT EARLIER IN THE GAME. MICHIGAN DID START TO GET IT DOWN FIELD SINCE WE KEPT THE RECEIVERS IN FRONT OF US. ALSO WHAT IN THE WORLD WAS THEIR TIGHT END ECKERT DOING? LUCKY FOR US, HE IS A BONEHEAD TOO. IF HE WOULD HAVE TURNED THE OTHER AND WENT OUT OF BOUNDS WHO KNOWS WHAT WOULD HAVE HAPPENED. SO ANYWAY, WE GET THE BRAGGING RIGHTS FOR ANOTHER YEAR AND TRESSEL WILL BE LOVED BY ALL NOW THAT HE IS 4-1 AGAINST THOSE OTHER GUYS. I KNOW THE GUYS AT WORK TOMORROW WILL BE SAYING THAT LLOYD CARR SHOULD BE CANNED. THE GAME COULD HAVE WENT EITHER WAY JUST AS THEIR OTHER LOSSES THIS YEAR AS WELL. MAYBE THEIR PLAYERS NEED TO JUST STEP UP AND MAKE SOME MORE PLAYS FOR THEIR COACH. NAH THAT WILL NEVER BE THE CASE IN THIS SERIES. IT IS ALL ON THE COACHES. NOW WHAT BOWL GAME ARE WE GOING TO GET OUT OF THIS? THERE IS A LOT OF FOOTBALL LEFT TO GO YET SO A FEW TEAMS MAY STILL GET KNOCKED OUT OF THE BCS PICTURE. WE SHARE THE BIG TEN TITLE WITH PENN STATE AND THEY GOT THEIR AUTOMATIC BID. THEY DESERVE IT BUT IT STILL SUCKS. MIAMI GOT BEAT LAST NIGHT SO WHO KNOWS. IF WE DONT GET AN AT LARGE BID I AM GONNA BE PRETTY UPSET. I AM NOT SURE IF WE WOULD GET TO PLAY NOTRE DAME OR NOT WHICH IS WHAT EVERYONE WANTS NOW, BUT IF THEY WIN OUT AND GET A BID AND WE DONT, THEN THERE IS A PROBLEM. ALSO IF A TEAM LIKE OREGON GETS IT OVER US, I MIGHT STOP WATCHING COLLEGE FOOTBALL ALL TOGETHER. ANYWAY TIME WILL TELL. ALSO, DID ANYONE WATCH THE USC GAME LAST NIGHT? IS ANYONE GETTING SICK OF THEM YET WINNING WITHOUT PLAYING DEFENSE OR PLAYING TEAMS THAT DONT PLAY IT EITHER? YOU JUST HAVE TO WONDER WHAT WE COULD DO AGAINST THEM SINCE WE PRIDE ON DEFENSE? I KNOW WE COULD MOVE THE BALL ON THEM. ARE THEY DESERVING? YES THEY ARE SINCE THEY KEEP WINNING AND THEY ARE ON TOP UNTIL SOMEONE PROVES THEM OTHERWISE. MAN I WISH WE COULD HAVE A SHOT AT THEM. WELL THATS ALL FROM HERE, GO BUCKEYES, AND TO MY MICHIGAN FRIENDS-BETTER LUCK NEXT YEAR BOYS. 364 DAYS OF BRAGGING RIGHTS BOYS!!!
posted by jason at 8:01 PM
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