Buckeyes/Wolverines Postgame Recap

By: Guest Blogger Jim from The Buckeye Blog

Great waves of scarlet and gray descended on Columbus Saturday for what would prove to be one of the greatest games in Ohio State football history. And while the game lived up to all expectations and hype, the monstrosity of this event was much bigger than the three hours or so of play on the field.

When I arrived at Baltimore/Washington airport early Friday morning to begin my pilgrimage back to 411 Woody Hayes Drive, the site of so many great Ohio State football memories, it became obvious the moment I entered the airport that this was not going to be just another trip home. As I stood in the security line, I found myself surrounded by fellow Ohio State fans as an occasional shout of "OH" followed by an obligatory "IO" echoed through the Baltimore airport.

Upon landing in Columbus, I found that I had returned to a city that was fully awash in the upcoming game. Planes were flying overhead pulling banners, business were putting the final touches on Friday afternoon employee "tailgate" parties and at least one in every three people that you passed were decked out in Ohio State gear.

Then came the news. At first we all thought it was just another Ohio State/Michigan joke and we waited awkwardly for a punch line we'd all heard before. But the punch line never came. Bo Schemblecher was dead. The coach we all loved to hate, the nemesis who dashed more than a few dreams of his former mentor Woody Hayes and thousands of Ohio State fans, had passed away only hours before one of the greatest games in a rivalry that he, together with Coach Hayes, helped to create.

The surreal irony was beyond belief. At the game, the only moment to silence a stadium of 105,000 fans was during the pregame video tribute to the legendary Bo Schemblecher. We were watching the end of an era and the start of a new epoch in Ohio State/Michigan history.

It was estimated that by Sat. afternoon, while there were 105,000 fans at the game, another 200,000 were outside of the stadium enjoying the atmosphere and festivities. Whether served under the awning of a giant land yacht or a picnic blanket next to the trunk of a family sedan, by 12:00, tailgate picnics stretched for miles around the Ohio State campus.

I have been going to Ohio State games since I was a teenager and I have never seen anything like the gathering for Saturday's game.

Inside the stadium, the traditional cheer of O-H-I-O shook the ground as it circled the Shoe. The roar was so thunderous that it was not possible to talk to the person standing next to you. And stand is what the fans did. The entire stadium was on their feet the entire game, taking quick breaks during the time outs only to rise again in time for the next play.

On the field, Michigan's quick opening drive did anything to silence the crowd. If anything, it energized them even more and we were all relived when Ohio State responded with a confident scoring drive ending the first quarter tied at seven.

As the second quarter got underway, the Buckeyes seemed to have things under control. The defense was starting to contain Michigan running back Mike Hart, who at times appeared to float over the Ohio State defense. On the offense, Buckeye wide receivers Brian Robiskie and Ted Ginn were putting on a show with a couple of big breaks for big yards.

After a brief scare, the Buckeyes ended the half with a quick touchdown drive and headed to the locker room with a 28-14 lead. Even though fans in the stands were afraid to admit it, there was a sense of confidence in the air that Coach Tressel had things under control.

Michigan opened quick in the third quarter with a drive straight to the end zone just like they had done on the opening series of the game. The Michigan defense followed intercepting a deflected pass which they eventually converted for three points.

Even though Ohio State responded, a fumbled Ohio State snap to end the quarter followed by a quick Michigan touchdown in the opening of the fourth made everyone remember that in an Ohio State/Michigan game, it is never over until the final gun sounds.

The game appeared to be over when on a fourth and long, Michigan quarterback Chad Henne threw what looked to be an incomplete pass. A pass inteference, however, extended the drive and Michigan scored with less than a minute to play bringing the score to Ohio State 42 UM 39.

The noise in Ohio Stadium reached a peak as Michigan lined up for the on-side kick. For a moment, 105,000 fans held their breath as the squibbling kick lingered in the air and finally landed safely in Ohio State arms.

The green field of Ohio Stadium quickly turned into a mass of Scarlet and Gray as fans flooded down from the stands. And then suddenly, after a few moments of ecstatic celebration, the crowd gave way, faced the south end of the stands to join Coach Tressel and the team and joined the Ohio State Band in the singing the Alma Mater, a post victory tradition instituted by Tressel.

It was hard to find a dry eye at that moment.

For some time after the game, fans milled around on the field, collected pieces of sod for souvenirs, and tried to savor the waning moments what will be known as one of the greatest moments in Ohio State football history.

Those on the outside who look in at the great tradition that is the Ohio State/Michigan game have trouble understanding. For an Ohio State/Michigan fan, an entire season comes down to this game. And yes, while we are excited to see Ohio State go to the BCS Championship, after a game like Saturday's, it all seems like an afterthought. During the next weeks, we will see all kinds of arguments about the one-loss teams but a Michigan fan quoted in the Columbus Dispatch said it best when he said, "We did not see a #1 team beat a #2 team. We saw a #1 team beat a #1 team."