Kenny Greer/The Lantern“It’s hard to believe because it’s so difficult,” coach Jim Tressel said of his team’s historic victory.
“I remember looking up the statistic about three or four years ago of what the winning streaks were, because you’ve always got to have something in the back of your mind that you’re shooting for.”
The Buckeyes have seen four-game win streaks in both the 1930s and 1960s. Before they made history Saturday, the current Buckeye team heard from a player who was part of the latter run.
“We had Ike Kelly speak to our players today and he was a great player who happened to be in the fifth game and didn’t get it done, and you can tell it’s still heavy on his heart,” Tressel said.
Ohio State’s 28 seniors will forever be able to say that they never lost to Michigan.
“Obviously, to come to Ohio State, you’re kind of embedded with the fact that we don’t like Michigan, and to never lose to a team like that, that says a lot,” senior offensive tackle Alex Boone said. “You have (former Ohio State players) come back and they talk about how they lost and how it still haunts them to this day.
“I can honestly say it will never haunt me.”
With the victory, the Buckeyes (10-2, 7-1) won a share of their fourth-straight Big Ten title and a chance to make it to the Rose Bowl if Michigan State beat Penn State on Saturday. Unfortunately for the Buckeyes, the Nittany Lions routed the Spartans 49-18, but OSU is still in the running for a BCS at-large bid which will be determined Dec. 7.
“It’s why you come to a place like Ohio State because you know you’re going to fight for a Big Ten championship every year,” senior linebacker Marcus Freeman said.
Big plays were the story of “The Game” as Ohio State had six plays of 35 or more yards including a 59-yard touchdown by junior running back Chris “Beanie” Wells and a 53-yard touchdown reception by junior wide receiver Brian Hartline which put the Buckeyes ahead 14-0.
Michigan cut the lead to 14-7 when junior running back Brandon Minor scored the lone Wolverine touchdown late in the first half.
“At halftime I thought we could come back and put up another score to tie it up,” Minor said. “On offense, we weren’t clicking. One group of guys would execute while the other group of guys wouldn’t.”
The attitude in the OSU locker room was one of optimism as the Buckeyes looked to squash the Wolverines early in the second half.
“We went in and said, ‘Look, let’s cut the [crap]; let’s go out there and let’s just play Michigan’,” Boone said. “We came out and made some adjustments, and two plays later, we were in the endzone and we were all happy.”
The Buckeyes began their first drive of the second half at their own 9-yard line. Following a 42-yard run by Wells, freshman Daniel “Boom” Herron ran 49 yards for a touchdown.
After junior wide receiver Ray Small returned a Michigan punt 80 yards, freshman quarterback Terrelle Pryor connected for his second touchdown pass of the game, an eight-yard pass to senior wide receiver Brian Robiskie.
Pryor finished his first game against Michigan five-for-13, passing for 120 yards and two touchdowns with one interception.
“I just kept hearing, ‘This is why you came to Ohio State’,” Pryor said. “It made me think about my very first game at Ohio State. I was so hyped up for that game and even more for this one. We all expect to be perfect and to make big plays against this team.” Herron added a second score at the beginning of the fourth quarter which made it 35-7.
After a fumble recovery on the ensuing kickoff, senior quarterback Todd Boeckman came into the game as the students in the South stands of Ohio Stadium cheered his name.
“I always wished, always dreamt of being the quarterback during the Ohio State-Michigan game in The ‘Shoe,” Boeckman said. “Getting the opportunity to play on this field today meant the world to me.”
Boeckman threw an 18-yard pass over the middle to Hartline for the game’s final touchdown. Boeckman finished Saturday three-for-three for 64 yards passing and one touchdown.
He summed up the sentiment of the other 27 seniors after Saturday capped a flawless career against the Wolverines.
“To beat Michigan five years in a row, five pair of gold pants, that speaks for itself.”
James Crepea can be reached at [email protected].
