So that was that. What a rush that game was. I’ve only experienced one other game of this magnitude that actually meant anything to my team. That was the last game of the 1997 World Series when my Indians lost to the Florida “Buy your way into the World Series” Marlins. But that experience paled in comparison to what the Fiesta Bowl meant.
People are already saying this might be the best College Football game ever. I know it most certainly lived up to my expectations. I usually get nervous a few days before big OSU games. It usually starts on Sunday before the Michigan game. It started around Christmas time for the Fiesta Bowl. With so much hype here in Columbus, it was impossible not to think about it. We had a party at our house before the game started (ironically, not a Tostitos party, but a sushi party. Mhhhmmm, spider maki roll). Anyway, by 8:00pm I was a mess. I wanted kick off and I wanted it now.
The game started out just how I hoped it would, with us on offense first. I wasn’t expecting much, and not much happened. I wanted to see our defense line up against that Miami O-Line,hit some people in the mouth, just to show people we are for real. The first play Will Smith takes down Dorsey with one arm. One ARM! I’m thinking this guy was gonna be a pushover (pun intended), just like I thought he would be. People were saying that if the Buckeyes focus on stopping McGahee and making Dorsey beat them, they were making a big mistake. I thought otherwise. I thought there was no way Dorsey could beat us by himself. After we stopped the run a few times, I was getting pretty psyched.
Miami struck first, with a TD pass to Parrish from Dorsey. I still wasn’t worried. Seven points is nothing. We get the ball and promptly throw an interception. Ok, the “uh-oh” alarms haven’t gone of yet, but we’re getting dangerously close. The defense steps up and forces Miami to punt. Then we get a great Groom punt (is there any other kind?) and we pin Miami back in deep. We intercept Dorsey but can’t do anything with it. We then pull a fake field goal which goes for one yard. We needed two. Miami takes over and Dorsey promptly throws in interception into one Mike Doss’s hands. He scampers for 35 yards and the Bucks are in business. Krenzel drives the Buckeyes down to the goal line and then takes it in himself on a QB sneak. Okay, things look much better now. 7-7 is good. After the kick return, Dorsey drops back, gets rushed, fumbles the ball and Darion Scott pounces on the ball, giving us GREAT field position at the 14 yard line. Two rushes later, Clarett is in the end-zone and the Buckeyes are winning!
It’s half time and I’m thinking, “Holy crap, not only are we in it, we are leading! We have a chance to pull this off.” Nevermind there was thirty minutes left to play, but from that moment in time on I knew we were gonna do it.
The third quarter started out with more futility on the part of the ‘Canes. We get the ball back, start another drive and Wham! Krenzel hits Gamble for a big 57 yard pass, taking us down to the Miami 6 yard line. The next play is a pass play and Krenzel, in a moment of Ken Dorseyness, throws an errant pass which is intercepted in the end-zone by Sean Taylor. Being the smart football player he is (or perhaps feeling the impending doom of losing), Taylor decides not to down the ball in the end-zone for a touch-back, but insteads sprints out of the end-zone like a possessed crazy person. Clarett, not one to ever quit, sees how lazily Taylor was protecting the ball goes full throttle and says, “excuse me, Mr. Taylor, but that belongs to my team.” He then proceeds to strip the ball and we regain possession at the Miami 28. This play undeniably shut up every moron who said Clarett’s heart wasn’t with the Buckeyes. If that play didn’t take heart, I don’t know what would. We came away with a field goal and were winning 17-7. Are you kidding me?
Miami would score another touchdown in the third quarter. They finally pulled the head out of there nether regions and began throwing the ball. Winslow Jr. starting hurting the Buckeyes bad. (On a side note, Miami has really come along way in dispelling their bad-boy image and dirtiness but Winslow continually shot off at the mouth and played like the Hurricanes of old. I for one was disappointed in his lack of sportsmanship). The third quarter ended 17-14, but the Buckeyes were still on top.
The fourth quarter started with both teams trying and failing to put points on the board via the field goal. Maimi started to drive (and make the Buckeye Nation nervous) but then Parrish fumbled the ball after a great catch. After one first down, the Buckeyes were forced to punt. There was less than three minutes, and I was confident that Groom would pin the Canes deep and the defense would win the game. Unfortunately Parrish has a big 50 yard punt return, putting them instantly in field goal range. Even their sorry kicker could hit from that distance. After three consecutive timeouts, Sievers kicks the field goal and we go to overtime. Unfortunately for the Canes, they would be without star RB McGahee, as he was injured during the fourth quarter on one of the worst hits I have ever had the displeasure of watching on instant replay. Everyone I was watching with did a collective “ouuuch”. That was horrible to see. The good thing is, he is expected to make a full recovery.
So we’re going to overtime, the first time ever. Miami gets the ball first and only needs five plays for Dorsey to get the ball to Winslow for the score. That didn’t look good for the Buckeyes and things started looking worse. The first three plays for the Buckeyes netted them -4 yards. On the most stressful (up to that point) play of the season, Krenzel (Clutch) comes through with a 17 yard strike to Michael Jenkins (MJ coincidence is duly noted). Then on the next most stressful play, on a fourth and 4 from the 5 yard line, the “call” occured. Gamble was one-on-one in the corner. Krenzel throws in that direction, but there was some action going on. After an agonizing few seconds (with Miami rushing the field, foolishly thinking they had won) a flag comes out. Yes, there was a holding penalty. But wait, the ball was already in the air, so that’s a pass interference. Automatic first down from the one-yard-line. No problemo, Craig sneaks it in and we are tied, 24-24.
Now were in the second overtime. Buckeyes get the ball first and strike quickly. Lydell Ross goes right up the middle for 9 yards. Krenzel rushes for another 5, passes to Jenkins for another 6 and Mooooooreese takes it in from five yards out. We are winning, 31-24. Holy Crap, is this really happening??
Miami’s first play is a run. Perhaps the offensive coordinator didn’t see the other 60 minutes when the Buckeyes held his running game to two yards a crack. Guess what? The play gained -1 yards. Dorsey drops back to pass and the Kaiser Wilhelm comes on a blitz and smacks Dorsey in the mouth. He is shaken up and some dude named Crudup has to come in. He completes an 8 yard pass and we’ve got a fourth and three yards to go. Holy crud, stress is now at an all time high. Dorsey completes a pass to Winslow who gets it to the 11 yard line. After two stupid OSU penalties, the Canes have first and goal from the 2 fricking yard line. First down is a run. What a surprise, they don’t get in. Second down is a pass. Oh no, the tight end not named Winslow is wide open. Dorsey, obviously still smarting from the SMACKDOWN Wilhelm laid on him a couple plays earlier throws wide. Incomplete. Third down. Run. Nothing. Nada. I know you don’t think yer coming into this end-zone. Fourth down. Easily the most stressful moment of the entire game. Dorsey drops back to pass.
Cie Grant is coming on the blitz.
He gets a hand on Dorsey’s jersey.
He throws Dorsey to the ground but he managed to heave the ball.
Which falls harmlessly in front three Buckeye defenders. There’s no flags! There’s no time left! The Buckeyes just won the greatest game of all time! And I didn’t miss a single femtosecond of it.
All at once, everyone I was with let out unified sigh of relief and then began to shout and hoot and holler. (Outside, of course. Didn’t want to wake the sleeping baby).
Wow. What a rush. Indescribable. This feeling isn’t like getting married or having a kid. You had a hand in those experiences. You were personally and physically invovled in those instances. This is more like winning the lottery. You just got lucky. Your team hit the college football lottery. It sure felt (and still feels) absolutely wonderful. It’s simply a different type of joy. The joy of sharing a few hours with some close friends when everyone goes home happy and you are still smiling.
You couldn’t beat this smile off my face with a brick hammer.