Coming in a day late (I was on a little vacation)...
Happy Birthday to me...
Happy Birthday to me...
Ya know, I sure hope L-L-L-loyd doesn't lose his job...
I'm starting to really like that guy.
Check out Burgess in the background. Wonder what's going through his mind? Maybe something like, "Damn, that bitch wasn't worth getting my ass kicked every year by The Ohio State University."
<TABLE cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=0 width="98%" align=center border=0><TBODY><TR><TD colSpan=3>Photo Gallery - More Post-game Celebration
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A.J. Hawk was all smiles
</TD><TD noWrap width=3></TD><TD vAlign=top>By Gary Housteau
Date: Nov 20, 2005
There couldn't have been a finer way to send out A.J. Hawk and the other 15 seniors then to be able to celebrate on the field in the Big House and earn a share of the Big Ten championship in the process. It was as dramatic a victory over Michigan that you will ever see. It's an instant ESPN classic and here's some of the photos from down on the field after the game to help remember this victory through the ages.
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<TABLE cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=0 width="98%" align=center border=0><TBODY><TR><TD colSpan=3>Babb Bits: Momentum Has Shifted In Rivalry
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Lloyd Carr
</TD><TD noWrap width=3></TD><TD vAlign=top>By Charles Babb
Date: Nov 20, 2005
It doesn't seem like that long ago that Ohio State fans were feeling the same way Michigan fans do now. Charles Babb talks today about the reversal of fortune in the OSU/UM rivalry and much more.
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Haven’t I Seen This Somewhere Before?
The similarities were striking, but the differences were stark.
I had heard the conversations before – a decade ago. “What is wrong with our coach? Why can’t he beat his rival? Why do our players not make the big plays? Why do we have to lose at the end like that? We had the game won but just found a way to lose; if we lose again next year should we fire our head coach? Sure he wins other games, but this one is The Game.”
The last time I heard such talk, it was Ohio State fans bemoaning their fortunes with John Cooper. Cooper, whose win over the Wolverines in the Rose Bowl endeared him to the Buckeye search committee, ironically saw his career tarnished in Columbus by Michigan dominance. His legacy is often summed up in one phrase by the average fan or alumni; ‘two, ten, and one – enough said.’
Yes, I had heard it all before, but now the shoe is on the other foot.
Michigan is feeling the pain suffered by Ohio in the 1990’s. Ann Arbor is in a state of stunned shock and disbelief made even more painful by their recent dominance.
Once upon a time, Michigan fans and players lived a spoiled existence. Their confidence bordered upon arrogance when facing the constantly under whelming, always find a way to lose Buckeyes under John Cooper.
They chortled as Cooper’s name was announced in their stadium, even mocking him via standing ovations. They celebrated as his contract was extended and expressed their fervent desire that he remain and only retire at a ripe old age. They pointed out that the problem was clear; Cooper tightened up like a noose around a condemned man’s neck when Michigan appeared on the schedule. The colors of Maize and Blue did something to the man – the opposite of red to a bull. Taking a further shot across the bow, Wolverine fans demeaned their Buckeye counterparts by claiming Ohio State was no longer even their biggest rival; Michigan State and Notre Dame both beat them more frequently than the guys in Scarlet and Gray. Even after Cooper’s termination, Wolverine fans had not lost their braggadocio, announcing via the Internet the second Saturday of 2001 was John Cooper day.
The date was 2-10-01.
Saturday’s loss by Michigan had the same feel as several of those suffered by the Buckeyes prior to Jim Tressel’s arrival. Leading up to The Game, Lloyd Carr and his players were grilled, “Do the Buckeyes have your number? Why is Tressel 3-1 against Michigan? How will you prepare differently this year?” They outwardly scoffed at the notion, but behind those words the uncertainty spoke volumes. Meanwhile, Tressel and Ohio State quietly but confidently prepared and embraced the challenge. Like Buckeye teams of the 1990’s, Carr and Michigan alumni whined about extraneous reasons or offered justifications for the previous year’s thrashing. Buckeyes simply pointed out they had overlooked Michigan in 2003 and didn’t intend to make that mistake again.
During the game, the Buckeyes seemed destined to lose. Michigan charged from behind on their opponent’s costly turnovers, foolish penalties, and bone-headed special teams play. Ted Ginn’s muffed punts, pass interference calls on the defense, Maurice Wells’ one and only carry (and fumble), a missed extra point, and a missed field goal seemed to signal the Wolverines were due. A last second loss in 2002, a close but no cigar comeback in 2001, and a 2004 thrashing must be and finally would be avenged. Ohio State was down by 9 points with less than seven minutes remaining, and the ball was deep in their own territory. The normally quiet stadium began to rock with emotion; everyone could sense it would be over with one last stop by the Michigan defense. A season of pain would morph into a moment of joy.
Enter Mr. Lighting Strikes Twice, Troy Smith. Saddling up his horses on the offensive line, he and the rest of the Buckeye skill players proceeded to plow through a Michigan defense accused of being soft earlier this season. Like a hot knife through butter, they stuck the ball into the end zone. After Michigan’s next drive stalled – they did their best Henry VIII impression, ‘second verse same as the first.’
Smith finished the day with 300 yards passing, two touchdowns (one rushing and one passing), and 48 yards on the ground. His most critical play came as he danced out of a certain sack, jumped backwards, and fired the ball downfield for a leaping Gonzalez. Suddenly it was no longer about scoring a field goal; they were going for the touchdown. Smith’s attempt to the right was sniffed out and then snuffed by desperate Wolverine defenders. With Pittman they were not so fortunate. Bouncing off the pile and then breaking a tackle, he scampered into the end zone with just 24 ticks remaining on the clock.
The blow he struck to the 90,000+ Michigan fans in Ann Arbor was palpable. Silence descended upon the crowd as they sat stunned. It was more gut wrenching or painful than a physical punch in the solar plexus. At least that pain would have eased in a few minutes, but now they will have to suck in their breath each time an Ohio State fan passes them for the next 12 months.
Not again was their agonizing response.
Yes, again. Again like the Buckeyes endured in 1991. Again like the horror in 1995 and 1997. Again, in suffering resignation, like the 1999 and even 2000 contests.
The shoe is now on the other foot, and it appears not to wear well.
Leaving the stadium, one less than gracious Ohio State fan yelled out, “Yeah…This isn’t the Big House – this is OUR house.”
Poor sportsmanship?
Perhaps. Then again, it has been said that it’s not bragging if you can do it.
After a collective physical wince by those in earshot, one Michigan fan waited until the offender was safely away and said loudly, “Well, he is right you know…it’s not like we doing anything to stop them from saying stuff like that.”
And so it’s déjà vu all over again as now Buckeye fans begin to snigger and say, “It used to be Michigan was our biggest rival…” and “You know I hope Carr has a great season next year and is able to get a contract extension; I would hate for him to retire…”
One post on a Michigan Internet board succinctly summed up the situation in just two words.
“Lloyd Cooper.”
The Buckeyes in the BCS?
Late yesterday afternoon, the tiniest bit of joy was robbed from the Buckeye win as Penn State defeated Michigan State to win the Big Ten Title (shared) and claim the automatic BCS berth. That left three at large teams more likely to receive invites than Ohio State – Virginia Tech, Alabama, and Notre Dame. Arguments could have been made that the Buckeyes would bring a better crowd than the Hokies or fatter television ratings. Bama was thought to be a one faceted team with a poor offense and great defense, but they had just one loss. Notre Dame, despite a loss to Michigan State at home, is somehow inequitably ranked ahead of the Buckeyes. Yet the simple fact remained; Virginia Tech, Miami, Texas, Penn State, USC, West Virginia, LSU, and Notre Dame appeared ‘in’ with Ohio State waiting in line behind Alabama.
All that changed when Georgia Tech upset #3 Miami and Auburn whipped Alabama in the Iron Bowl.
The current scenario barring further upsets:
This leaves one slot remaining with Ohio State and Oregon the top two teams in position to grab the prestigious opening. Given their national following, rankings, and quality losses (by a combined margin of 10 points), the Buckeyes will likely play in their third BCS bowl in the last four seasons.· USC will be the representative of the Pac Ten.
· Penn State snapped up the Big Ten berth.
· The winner of the Virginia Tech/Florida State championship game will represent the ACC. No matter who wins, the Buckeyes now have nothing to fear. There will be at most one single loss team out of the conference. If Virginia Tech loses they will not be ranked ahead of Ohio State.
· Texas is unlikely to lose to either Texas A&M or Colorado. The Longhorns will represent the Big 12 and play for a national title.
· Notre Dame will claim one at large berth barring a loss to a less than decent Stanford.
· The winner of Georgia/LSU will claim the SEC crown and their league’s BCS bowl. The loser is out of the BCS – or will at least fall below Ohio State.
· The winner of the South Florida/West Virginia contest will claim the Big East bid, and the loser will find themselves in a second rate bowl befitting their second rate conference.
An Ohio State game against LSU or Notre Dame would probably be the highest rated game this side of the national championship contest.
Kudos to Bill Snyder
Much has already been made of his retirement from Kansas State, but I cannot refrain from at least acknowledging the incredible job of coaching he did in Manhattan. To build a program at that school is a feat of genius perhaps unmatched in the last 40 years. He took the losingest program in the entire sport in a state that loves Basketball and was within one game of playing for a national championship. He pulled off upsets the like of which were never fathomed before his arrival and transformed the hapless Wildcats from chumps to champions.
He changed the very nature of the game. If Snyder could win at Kansas State, why couldn’t coaches at schools like Northwestern, Vanderbilt, Purdue, and even Duke win a few more? Alumni pressured their presidents, upgraded facilities, and searched for another man in his image.
Most impressive of all, Snyder showed the true mark of brilliance by retiring before it was necessary. Instead of sucking up the glory for himself (with 18 starters projected to return in 2006), he has left the cupboard stocked for the coach who follows him. He wants to see his work continue.
Buckeye Leaves
While the whole team will receive leaves for their win in Ann Arbor – along with gold pants – a few players/units and their play stand out above the rest.
The Offensive Line. While not perfect, they consistently opened gashing holes in the Michigan front and gave Troy Smith the chance to find open receivers. Late in the game when it counted most, Smith had enough time to find Ted Ginn, Anthony Gonzalez, and Santonio Holmes coming from the opposite side of the field – dropping the ball into their hands to move the chains. This unit has taken some serious heat, but it may be the best edition at its position since the mid-1990’s.
The Buckeye Linebackers. While it certainly suffered without Bobby Carpenter’s presence, A.J. Hawk and Anthony Schlegel stepped up their play to compensate with 17 tackles. Those three Amigos will be missed in 2006.
James Laurinaitis. Schlegel and Hawk had bigger games, but for a true freshman to step onto the field and play in Carpenter’s stead is impressive. Clearly the Ohio State coaches schemed to keep him from being placed in a position where he might be asked to do too much. Yet he should still take a bow for being ready.
Troy Smith. After slaying the Wolverines almost single handedly in 2004, Smith dressed and gutted them yesterday in Ann Arbor. Two touchdown drives in the last six minutes – one of them for 88 yards – is impressive no matter who you are playing. To accomplish this feat against your hated rival is simply mind-boggling. In the two games combined his statistics are 40 of 60 with 541 yards passing, 3 touchdowns passing, 2 touchdowns rushing, 193 yards rushing on 29 attempts, and no interceptions. He is the anti-Wolverine.
Anthony Gonzalez. Recruited as a defensive back out of high school, Gonzalez preferred that side of the football but ‘took one for the team’ when coaches asked him to move to wideout. Now he is ‘taking one from the other team’ on a regular basis. His circus grab inside the five with less than a minute to play is the buzz of the Buckeye nation; “Did you see that catch?” they are asking in near awe. Normally a reception loses its luster in slow motion, but this one simply becomes more incredible.
Nate Salley. Salley has at times been a disappointment this season. He has been a foot here or a foot there out of position and a second too late. Yesterday Salley was right on time in his final regular season game – breaking up a pass and intimidating Michigan receivers.
The Defensive Line. It’s amazing what a healthy Mike Kudla and David Patterson add to this unit when placed alongside Quinn Pitcock and Marcus Green. The linebackers for Ohio State normally get the lion’s share of the credit for holding down opponents’ rushing totals, but when a team with the talent of Michigan can manage only 32 yards rushing on 24 attempts…the domination starts and ends on the defensive line. With the Wolverines’ offensive front nicked up, the Buckeyes feasted on Mike Hart, Chad Henne, and Kevin Grady.
Antonio Pittman. Though he didn’t reach 100 yards, he gained the ones that counted. His last minute heroics to bounce off the pile, move along the line of scrimmage, search for a hole, break a tackle, and score the winning touchdown were enough to earn him half a dozen leaves on one play. He took care of the football and his blocking assignments; then he took care of the Wolverines.
Other Notables: Santonio Holmes (as always), Tyler Everett, Marcel Frost, and Roy Hall.
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<TABLE cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=0 width="98%" align=center border=0><TBODY><TR><TD colSpan=3>Ohio State Post Game: Coach Carr
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</TD><TD noWrap width=3></TD><TD vAlign=top>By Sam Webb
Columnist/Photographer
Date: Nov 20, 2005
In Coach Lloyd Carr's post game presser he commented on injuries, the play of Troy Smith, whether the offense played to its potential this year, and more.
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Opening statement:
"Disappointing loss. I think that's pretty evident. It was a great football game. Give Ohio State credit. I think Try Smith obviously made some unbelievable plays that enabled them to pull that game out. I thought we did a lot of great things. We won the turnover battle, which normally means that you've got a great chance to win. I thought we did a great job in the kicking game and we did some very good things defensively, but we couldn't run the football. In the end Try Smith was the difference in the game."
On if so many close losses this season tells him anything about the team:
"It tells me lost to a great football team today. I'm disappointed…we're all disappointed in the game, but I'm not disappointed in the guys we have. I think they played their hearts out. I thought they played with great effort, but it just wasn't good enough today."
On if he gave any thought to going for in on 4th down on the last offensive series:
"I didn't give any thought to it. Houston, I think, is a great field goal kicker. We gained 26 yards on the exchange, which is almost three first downs. They needed a field goal to win there, so I never gave that a though because had we gone for it and not made it then they're on the 36 yard line and they're two, maybe three first downs away from field goal position. So that was an easy call."
On injuries:
"Well, there's no question that injuries have impacted our ability to run the football. Jake Long is as courageous a guy as you'll ever see. They're all courageous up there, but Jake Long hurt is other foot (not the one that sidelined him for the first seven games of the year) last week in the Indiana game and he is going to have surgery sometime this week. He'll miss the bowl game. They felt that he couldn't damage it or hurt it anymore, and that it was safe to play. He played….I don't know how he played. Leo Henige broke his leg and he will miss the bowl game. Of course Adam Kraus was out. Injuries are all part of it, and we've certainly had more than our fair share, but that's part of the game as well. That's just what it is."
On Mike Hart:
"He could not go back in. He was not full strength going in. I don't know how close he was, but he got nicked up in there. My guess is it will be hard for him to come back, but we'll have to see. He's a resilient guy."
On going for in on 4th and inches earlier in the game:
"I went into this game with the standpoint that we were going to play to win. I went for it early…I don't know from what yard line we were on…but we were probably in field goal range. But we felt 4th and a yard…we had a good call if they ganged up…we checked to a pass that we thought would be good. And on 4th and an inch we felt it was a big opportunity to maintain possession and help our defense. It was worth the gamble."
On if he can say anything to make the team feel better after the loss:
"Well there is nothing that can make you feel better after losing in this game. There's absolutely nothing. And yet, I think they know that I'm proud of them as people. As competitors. As guys who fought the great fight all year long. "
On the Troy Smith Long completion to Tony Gonzales on the last drive:
"Well, we had him. There were two plays that Smith made. We had them 3rd and 10 and he scrambled to his left to our sideline. We had position to make a tackle. We would have had him fourth and probably four to five yards. But he made a great move there to evade a tackle. It looked to me like we had him for a sack on the play where he scrambled out of there. I don't know exactly what happened. But that was without question the biggest play of that drive…maybe the biggest play of the game."
On if they played defense any differently in that last drive or if it was it just a great showing by Smith:
"I think he threw the football awfully well, for the most part, all day long. He made some big throws. They dropped a couple, but I thought he did a great job. I think defensively we did a great job. That's a difficult offense to defend when you have three receivers that have the speed that they have with Ginn, Holmes, and Gonzales…and really, a very good back. I thought we did some very very good things. They put together a drive to start the game which made it very very difficult for us. I thought the way we responded…we played well the rest of the half defensively. We held them to a field goal there at the end of the half, where a touchdown would really have put us in a bad situation. And then we came out and we caused two turnovers that gave our offense great field position. We mixed the coverages. We played zone, w played man, we blitzed…he made some plays."
On if he looks back on the losses this season and thinks about what might have been:
"No because I'll have time to evaluate all of the games in this season when we're done. I think the main thing is to try to stay focused on the next game. Try to get ready to compete, and try to win."
On if the offense reached its potential this year:
"Well, I told you earlier in the season…and again, I think you have to be fair to the players…this team has been the most unlucky team I've ever been around. We've not had the continuity you need to develop as a team. If you ask me could we have been a more productive offense…yes we could've. But I think based on the situation we had today, I thought our offensive coaches found some ways to do some things without Mike Hart. Jerome Jackson missed Tuesday's practice. Without getting hit, he planted and turned his ankle. So he missed the game. But I'm not here to talk about what ifs or injuries or anything else."
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<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=yspsctnhdln>The heat switches seats</TD></TR><TR><TD height=7><SPACER width="1" height="1" type="block"></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD>Stewart Mandel, SI.com
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</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>No one wants to run Joe Paterno out of Happy Valley any more. But the vultures may want to fly north to Ann Arbor, Mich.
With a 31-22 victory at Michigan State on Saturday, Penn State's legendary coach completed 2005's ultimate redemption tour -- from 4-7 to 10-1, from ninth in the Big Ten to conference co-champion and first-ever BCS berth. After five years playing the unfamiliar role of laughingstock, thousands of Nittany Lions fans -- many of whom had, as of a year ago, given up hope of ever returning to prominence under the seemingly outdated Paterno -- were rejoicing Saturday night in East Lansing, Mich., after witnessing the crowning moment of their season-long return to national preeminence.
Three hours earlier and 60 miles away, 110,000 stunned Michigan fans filed out of the Big House in Ann Arbor with a decidedly different emotion. Following a stunning fourth-quarter collapse against arch-rival Ohio State -- the Big Blue's most crushing disappointment in a season filled with them -- Wolverines fans are have to be asking themselves many of the same questions about 11th-year coach Lloyd Carr that Penn State fans were asking themselves about Paterno not so long ago.
The three Rose Bowls, the national championship, the .756 winning percentage -- none of them matter as much to Wolverines fans right now as this number: 1-4. That's Carr's suddenly John Cooper-esque record against Ohio State's Jim Tressel.
Tressel has administered Carr's beatings in all variety of different manners, but Saturday's had to be the most frustrating yet. Leading 21-12 on its home field with 7:52 left, Michigan was well on its way to a satisfying victory. For the second straight season, however, Buckeyes quarterback Troy Smith carved up Michigan's defense, engineering consecutive late-game touchdown drives to score a 25-21 comeback victory.
One minute, the Buckeyes were staring down the barrel of a disappointing three-loss season; the next, Smith was dancing around the field celebrating a share of the Big Ten championship and a likely Fiesta or Orange Bowl berth. One minute, Michigan was about to salvage its once-disastrous season by winning its fifth straight game and ruining its rival's BCS hopes; the next, the Wolverines were 7-4 and about to make their umpteenth trip to the Capital One or Outback bowls.
That, in a nutshell, sums up the conundrum that is Carr. It's hard to knock a guy who takes you to New Year's bowls every year, who consistently wins far more games than he loses, whose program has never, ever experienced anything resembling the kind of downturn that Paterno's did the past couple of seasons.
Throughout that period, Carr has been a standard-bearer for the "Michigan Way," a Bo Schembechler disciple groomed in the history and tradition of the Maize and Blue who runs his program with class and dignity.
Unfortunately, for the past six years, the "Michigan Way" has also meant annually bowing out of the national-title race by the end of September and finishing 8-3 or 7-4.
Seeds of discontent began sprouting up in Big Blue Nation the past couple of years, even as the Wolverines were going to Rose Bowls, but they're sure to grow much stronger following what can only be termed a humbling season (Michigan began the year ranked fourth nationally) in which Saturday's colossal letdown served as a final punch to the stomach.
The criticism facing Carr today, however, is nothing compared with that experienced by Paterno the past few years. If anyone can serve as a model for shrugging off scrutiny and emerging that much stronger, it's the 78-year-old Penn State coach, who, after winning three Big Ten games in two years, won all but one this year en route to his first conference title since 1994.
Paterno and Carr share a common characterization as stubborn rulers, a trait that can be empowering when things are going well and regrettable when they're not. In turning things around, however, Paterno showed a willingness to change, shaking up his staff, modernizing his offense and altering his recruiting philosophy.
It's time for Carr to do the same, whether it's adding new wrinkles to a largely vanilla offense, rethinking his approach on defense or infusing his coaching staff with some new minds.
Wolverines fans deserve better than 7-4, particularly when they can see the potential for so much more literally oozing from their TV set. The Ohio State team that beat them Saturday is unquestionably loaded with talent, but so, too, is Michigan. That much was apparent watching quarterback Chad Henne work in the pocket, receivers Steve Breaston and Mario Manningham fly in the open field, defenders Gabe Watson and LaMarr Woodley bottle up Buckeyes running back Antonio Pittman. These are the same Wolverines who also inexplicably blew late leads against both Wisconsin and Minnesota.
But for all its four-star recruits, Michigan's defense had no answer for Smith (27-of-37 passing, 301 yards) just like it had no answer for him last year, nor quarterbacks like USC's Matt Leinart or Texas' Vince Young the past two seasons. Penn State's phenomenal defense, however, had no such problem against Smith during the Nittany Lions' 17-10 win over the Buckeyes on Oct. 8, which is why PSU, not OSU, captured the Big Ten's automatic BCS berth.
While the dramatic improvement of quarterback Michael Robinson and the rest of Penn State's offense has keyed Paterno's return to dominance, the Nittany Lions' backbone was unquestionably their Paul Posluszny-Tamba Hali-Alan Zemaitis-led defense. It shut down Michigan State quarterback Drew Stanton on Saturday (notching three interceptions) the same way it contained Smith, Minnesota running back Laurence Maroney, Wisconsin running back Brian Calhoun and every other weapon it faced this season.
All except one, that is. In an otherwise disappointing season, Michigan's Henne did produce one unquestionable high point when he hit Manningham in the end zone with one second left on Oct. 15 to hand Penn State its only loss (one might argue that Carr's greatest achievement this season was getting those extra seconds put back on the clock against the Nittany Lions). That game, more than any, shows just what might have been for the 2005 Wolverines.
Instead, the team they beat (Penn State) and the team they should have finished off (Ohio State) are the ones taking Big Ten trophies back to campus.
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carr does not think hart is coming back. do not underestimate the chances for Voyd this year.
fantastic work fowler
