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sandgk
Watson, Crick & A Twist
Turning Points - Breaking Points - Interesting Statistics
In The Game Early - Out of It Till Late
Manningham was the biggest question mark coming into this contest. He netted a total of 86 yards on six catches - but the vast majority (58) of those yards came on the first drive.
Manningham was then relegated to a decoy role in the passing game until the final Michigan drive.
Most Sacks By
Coming into the game Michigan had the most sacks of any team in the Big 10. They clearly planned to put pressure on Troy Smith, which put their corners often in single coverage against multiple Wide Receiver sets by the Buckeyes.
How many times did the Wolverines manage to sack Troy?
Once - and only on the Buckeyes first drive.
After that a combination of Troy's guts, elusiveness, great timing between the receiver Corps and Smith left the Wolverine Defense without any further sack scalps. They did get into Troy's grill many times and hurried him, but the sack statistic is clearly won by the Buckeyes. They got to Henne 4 times for a loss of 33 yards.
He Who Wins the Turnover Battle Wins the Game?
Well maybe not.
All year the Buckeyes had stuffed teams when they turned over the ball. Not yesterday. They yielded 10 points off 3 turnovers. A field goal followed Troy's only Interception, a touchdown came after the first fumble.
Normally the adage applies that you lose the turnover battle you will likely lose the game - that also did not happen. The Buckeye Offense simply overcame the mental and emotional hurdles to come back with another score when they needed it.
My Favorite Buckeye Down is 2nd & Short
Two huge plays came off 2nd and short situations..
First we have easily the best play action pass execution you will see anywhere other than in Peyton Manning's hands. Smith to Ginn took a huge amount of air out of the Michigan team.
Second you have Pittman's breakaway running score in the 3rd quarter. Again a big turning point as it opened up an 11 point lead.
My Favorite Michigan Down is 4th and 11 in the 3rd.
At 4:31 in the 3rd quater, and far too early to go for it on 4th down in my opinion, Michigan tries to convert on 4th and 11 (ABC had this as 4th and 10). They fail to convert.
Spreading the Wealth
Each Buckeye touchdown was scored by a different player. Smith threw to eight different receivers, four of whom reeled in catches for touchdowns. Two more scores came from the running game.
A Vaunted Rushing Defense Crumbles
And the award for most hyped defensive statistic goes to Michigan's Rushing D. Must be something about those Buckeye backs, or maybe it simply is that the Offensive line for the Buckeyes is better than any that TSUN saw all year. Or perhaps there was something in that Minnesota vs Michigan tape that Tressel found as a point of attack. Whatever it was the Buckeyes were able to run out of passing formations, pass out of running formations and free up more yards on the ground than Michigan gave up all season to any team. Fully Six times their average yield on the ground - let me repeat that 6 times.
Defense Wins Championships?
Not based on yesterdays showing. This was more about punch and counter-punch on offense. However, there was one stretch in the game that was keyed on Defense. Following the first Michigan score the Buckeyes turned away the Michigan Offense on three drives in succession, building a 21-7 lead. That run was one of the biggest turning points in this game in my view. Michigan was always playing catch-up from that point onward.
Why Did I go For One? (When I later Show I can Convert for 2)
I think this is the second most questionable call by Carr in the game. (The first being the 4th-11 in the 3rd quarter). The TD after Breaston's attempted score later in the 3rd quarter is followed by an election to not go for 2. That would have brought it into a field goal spread. In retrospect it might have changed the requirement for Michigan's play calling through the remainder of the 4th quarter. Particularly when you think of the successful 2 point conversion on their 4th quarter scoring drive. In the end the PAT call did not totally change matters, but it was puzzling at best, especially in light of the generally aggressive play calling by Carr.
Manhattan Project Complete
There is not suffiicient ink (or pixels) to capture all the good things one should say about Troy Smith and his career defining performances against the Wolverines. Simply put, Troy is the first OSU QB to OWN the team from up north since the 1930's. The second to go 3-0. And, perhaps, if a rematch is called for the first ever to go 4-0 against the Wolverinies.
This performance will go down alongside the others in a stirring and historic game.
There is no doubt now in the minds of the majority of the Heisman voters, surely, as to the real winner of the trophy. (Well, outside of Desmond How-Wierd can I be). Winning this game, a second #1 vs #2 match-up in this manner is remarkable.
Smith on the day had a completion percentage 0f 70.7% off 29 completions from 41 tosses, 4TD and 1 INT, an NCAA efficiency rating of 162.8
Do-Over in Glendale?
Personally I think a lot has to fall the right way for Michigan to get the nod to go to Glendale.
Rutgers must lose - check
Florida must lose against Arkansas
USC must lose to ND
Michigan must retain a very high human poll and computer rating following this loss. Even then the sentiment may prevail that they had their chance, one and done, someone other than TSUN gets the nod.
2 More Thoughts
Wire 2 Wire #1 - They were challenged early by Gene Smith to do something never before accomplished in the history of the Buckeyes - go wire-to-wire #1. They've come up with the answer all year. They did so again yesterday. #1 from pre-season, now #1 entering the post-season.
One more 2 Go!
Hats of 2 - Our vanquished opponent and (previously?) #2 in the nation. They came, they played strong and hard. They played with focus and emotion following a week with rocky news that could easily have been a distraction. They took advantage of some of the Buckeyes miscues. But in the end Ohio State was simply 2 much for them 2 handle.
In The Game Early - Out of It Till Late
Manningham was the biggest question mark coming into this contest. He netted a total of 86 yards on six catches - but the vast majority (58) of those yards came on the first drive.
Manningham was then relegated to a decoy role in the passing game until the final Michigan drive.
Most Sacks By
Coming into the game Michigan had the most sacks of any team in the Big 10. They clearly planned to put pressure on Troy Smith, which put their corners often in single coverage against multiple Wide Receiver sets by the Buckeyes.
How many times did the Wolverines manage to sack Troy?
Once - and only on the Buckeyes first drive.
After that a combination of Troy's guts, elusiveness, great timing between the receiver Corps and Smith left the Wolverine Defense without any further sack scalps. They did get into Troy's grill many times and hurried him, but the sack statistic is clearly won by the Buckeyes. They got to Henne 4 times for a loss of 33 yards.
He Who Wins the Turnover Battle Wins the Game?
Well maybe not.
All year the Buckeyes had stuffed teams when they turned over the ball. Not yesterday. They yielded 10 points off 3 turnovers. A field goal followed Troy's only Interception, a touchdown came after the first fumble.
Normally the adage applies that you lose the turnover battle you will likely lose the game - that also did not happen. The Buckeye Offense simply overcame the mental and emotional hurdles to come back with another score when they needed it.
My Favorite Buckeye Down is 2nd & Short
Two huge plays came off 2nd and short situations..
First we have easily the best play action pass execution you will see anywhere other than in Peyton Manning's hands. Smith to Ginn took a huge amount of air out of the Michigan team.
Second you have Pittman's breakaway running score in the 3rd quarter. Again a big turning point as it opened up an 11 point lead.
My Favorite Michigan Down is 4th and 11 in the 3rd.
At 4:31 in the 3rd quater, and far too early to go for it on 4th down in my opinion, Michigan tries to convert on 4th and 11 (ABC had this as 4th and 10). They fail to convert.
Spreading the Wealth
Each Buckeye touchdown was scored by a different player. Smith threw to eight different receivers, four of whom reeled in catches for touchdowns. Two more scores came from the running game.
A Vaunted Rushing Defense Crumbles
And the award for most hyped defensive statistic goes to Michigan's Rushing D. Must be something about those Buckeye backs, or maybe it simply is that the Offensive line for the Buckeyes is better than any that TSUN saw all year. Or perhaps there was something in that Minnesota vs Michigan tape that Tressel found as a point of attack. Whatever it was the Buckeyes were able to run out of passing formations, pass out of running formations and free up more yards on the ground than Michigan gave up all season to any team. Fully Six times their average yield on the ground - let me repeat that 6 times.
Defense Wins Championships?
Not based on yesterdays showing. This was more about punch and counter-punch on offense. However, there was one stretch in the game that was keyed on Defense. Following the first Michigan score the Buckeyes turned away the Michigan Offense on three drives in succession, building a 21-7 lead. That run was one of the biggest turning points in this game in my view. Michigan was always playing catch-up from that point onward.
Why Did I go For One? (When I later Show I can Convert for 2)
I think this is the second most questionable call by Carr in the game. (The first being the 4th-11 in the 3rd quarter). The TD after Breaston's attempted score later in the 3rd quarter is followed by an election to not go for 2. That would have brought it into a field goal spread. In retrospect it might have changed the requirement for Michigan's play calling through the remainder of the 4th quarter. Particularly when you think of the successful 2 point conversion on their 4th quarter scoring drive. In the end the PAT call did not totally change matters, but it was puzzling at best, especially in light of the generally aggressive play calling by Carr.
Manhattan Project Complete
There is not suffiicient ink (or pixels) to capture all the good things one should say about Troy Smith and his career defining performances against the Wolverines. Simply put, Troy is the first OSU QB to OWN the team from up north since the 1930's. The second to go 3-0. And, perhaps, if a rematch is called for the first ever to go 4-0 against the Wolverinies.
This performance will go down alongside the others in a stirring and historic game.
There is no doubt now in the minds of the majority of the Heisman voters, surely, as to the real winner of the trophy. (Well, outside of Desmond How-Wierd can I be). Winning this game, a second #1 vs #2 match-up in this manner is remarkable.
Smith on the day had a completion percentage 0f 70.7% off 29 completions from 41 tosses, 4TD and 1 INT, an NCAA efficiency rating of 162.8
Do-Over in Glendale?
Personally I think a lot has to fall the right way for Michigan to get the nod to go to Glendale.
Rutgers must lose - check
Florida must lose against Arkansas
USC must lose to ND
Michigan must retain a very high human poll and computer rating following this loss. Even then the sentiment may prevail that they had their chance, one and done, someone other than TSUN gets the nod.
2 More Thoughts
Wire 2 Wire #1 - They were challenged early by Gene Smith to do something never before accomplished in the history of the Buckeyes - go wire-to-wire #1. They've come up with the answer all year. They did so again yesterday. #1 from pre-season, now #1 entering the post-season.
One more 2 Go!
Hats of 2 - Our vanquished opponent and (previously?) #2 in the nation. They came, they played strong and hard. They played with focus and emotion following a week with rocky news that could easily have been a distraction. They took advantage of some of the Buckeyes miscues. But in the end Ohio State was simply 2 much for them 2 handle.
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Nice post. This in a nutshell is why we won. our first scoring drive, the drive to end the half , and the last drive.sandgk;665906; said:
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bkochmc
Assistant Coach
Best Buckeye;665815; said:
Take a look at Sarrigan again... the BCS uses his ELO_CHESS ratings:
1. Ohio State (106.18)
2. Michigan (102.61)
3. USC (96.84)
4. Notre Dame (95.63)
5. Arkansas (93.75)
6. Wisconsin (93.72)
7. Florida (93.47)
8. Boise State (90.98)
9. Louisville (90.66)
10. Auburn (89.14)
USC's numbers will climb if/when they beat ND, but I don't know if it will be enough to overtake Michigan.
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You have a good point. I admit I was thinking ahead. USC has two games left. I think if they win out the sos will get them there.bkochmc;665918; said:
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OSUsushichic
Fired up! Ready to go!
NY Times http://www.nytimes.com/2006/11/19/sports/ncaafootball/19buckeyes.html?_r=1&oref=slogin
November 19, 2006
(1) Ohio State 42, (2) Michigan 39
Ohio State Charges Into B.C.S. Title Game
By PETE THAMEL
COLUMBUS, Ohio, Nov. 18 ? A contest billed as a game for the ages lived up to the hype. But after No. 1 Ohio State held off No. 2 Michigan, 42-39, only one prominent questioned lingered: Will these two storied rivals meet again this season?
The first meeting between the rivals as No. 1 and No. 2, combined with the stunning death of the legendary Michigan coach Bo Schembechler on Friday, gave this game almost a surreal feel.
The game had a bit of everything ? electric performances by big stars, a controversial penalty that swung the game, and a postseason cliffhanger that will not be resolved for two weeks.
If Michigan (11-1) ends up No. 2 in the Bowl Championship Series standings, a realistic possibility considering the lack of another dominant undefeated team, then college football could end up feeling d?j? vu.
?I think we?re both the top teams in the country, regardless of what anyone says,? Michigan tailback Mike Hart said. ?On a neutral site, it would be a big game.?
For Ohio State (12-0), Saturday?s victory secured an undefeated season, its first outright Big Ten title since 1984 and a berth in the B.C.S. title game. It also solidified Troy Smith as the favorite to win the Heisman Trophy. He is the first Buckeyes quarterback in more than 50 years to beat Michigan three times.
Smith overcame a shaky third quarter to finish 29 of 41 with 316 passing yards and 4 touchdown passes to four receivers.
But the Buckeyes did not seal the victory until 25 seconds remained, when tailback Antonio Pittman burst over left tackle for 6 yards on third-and-2, allowing the clock to run out.
That final run kicked off a wild scene, as many of the 105,708 fans at Ohio Stadium rushed onto the field in celebration. A staunch group of police officers formed a triangle around each goalpost to protect them. But they could not protect the field, as revelers ripped giant chunks of grass out for souvenirs.
The field looked as if it were covered with golf divots after the game, fitting because of the large chucks of yardage both teams ripped off all game. Two programs known for vanilla offenses combined for 900 yards. But both coaches were noncommittal on a rematch of this classic game.
?There can?t be many teams in the nation better than Michigan,? Ohio State Coach Jim Tressel said. ?But I?m not going to get into it. My opinion doesn?t have a vote.?
Michigan Coach Lloyd Carr said: ?I don?t care to speculate. It will be what it will be. And I know that it will probably be very controversial either way. So that?s what we like.?
Carr liked the production he got from Hart, who churned out 142 yards on 23 carries, scored three touchdowns and did a great job picking up Ohio State?s blitzes. He combined with quarterback Chad Henne, who finished 21 for 35 for 267 yards and 2 touchdowns, on some unexpected offensive fireworks.
The Wolverines fought back from a 14-point halftime deficit to have a chance to take the lead in the fourth quarter. But one foolish defensive play undid Michigan?s comeback bid.
With less than seven minutes remaining in the game and Michigan trailing by 35-31, the senior linebacker Shawn Crable was penalized for a personal foul against Smith. The referee ruled that a hit by Crable on Smith ?went high and in the head.?
Instead of a fourth-and-15, which would have meant a 53-yard field goal attempt or a punt, Ohio State had a first-and-10 on the 23.
?That was a big play in the game,? Carr said.
The Buckeyes scored three plays later to take a 42-31 lead on a 13-yard touchdown pass from Smith to Brian Robiskie, capping Robiskie?s career day of seven catches for 89 yards.
Michigan turned around and scored on a touchdown and 2-point conversion, both on Henne passes, to make the score 42-39.
But Ted Ginn Jr. capped a stellar day by recovering the onside kick. He had eight catches for 104 yards and a touchdown.
Ginn?s biggest play of the game, a 39-yard touchdown catch in the second quarter, epitomized the Buckeyes? dominant first half.
Ginn?s catch also provided a prime example of Tressel?s in-game coaching savvy. Tressel improved to 5-1 in his career in head-to-head matchups with Carr.
On Ginn?s touchdown, Ohio State was in a bunch formation, with the wide receivers lined up close to the tight ends on the line of scrimmage. Ginn sneaked past the all-American cornerback Leon Hall for an easy score.
Carr talked about such big plays throughout his postgame news conference. Michigan entered the game ranked No. 1 nationally in rushing defense, yielding less than 30 yards a game. On Saturday, the Wolverines gave up touchdown runs of 56 yards to Pittman and 52 yards to Chris Wells.
?I think we made too many mistakes,? he said. ?We gave up too many big plays. Anytime you give up two long runs for touchdowns and a long pass, it?s going to be hard to beat anybody, but much less a team like we played today.
?Big plays were simply the biggest factor in the game.?
Now the fate of Michigan?s season will go to the computers and the voters in the Harris Interactive Poll and the coaches poll. The Wolverines have impressive victories at Notre Dame and at home against Wisconsin.
They have clinched at least a spot in the Rose Bowl and now have to wait two weeks to find out if they put on a good enough show to reach the B.C.S. title game.
Before that is figured out, though, they will focus on mourning Schembechler, the face of the football program who led Michigan to 13 Big Ten titles and 10 Rose Bowl appearances. There will be a memorial service for Schembechler at Michigan Stadium on Tuesday.
Carr stressed that the Wolverines did not use Schembechler?s death as a motivating factor, but he said he wished that Schembechler had been around to see this classic.
?I?m a little mad at him because he didn?t stay around for this game,? Carr said, fighting off tears. ?But it wouldn?t have been fair to him to use that in any way, and we don?t. And all I can say about him is I loved that man.?
Multimedia
Audio Slide Show A Fabled Rivalry: Ohio State vs. Michigan
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timBUCK2
Tim the Enchanter... WOLVERINE SLAYER!!
"THE GAME" (of the century) IS UP! IT'S EXTREMELY GOOD!!!
I just uploaded "The Game" 2006 DVD. Stick a fork in me, I'm done! :)
http://www.pimptorrent.com/torrents-details.php?id=2849
The DVD is 3.4GB and features the Buckeye Football Fever highlight video and halftime tribute to Bo Schembechler. (Rest in Peace)
This one is definitely a keeper!!!
I just uploaded "The Game" 2006 DVD. Stick a fork in me, I'm done! :)
http://www.pimptorrent.com/torrents-details.php?id=2849
The DVD is 3.4GB and features the Buckeye Football Fever highlight video and halftime tribute to Bo Schembechler. (Rest in Peace)
This one is definitely a keeper!!!
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lvbuckeye
Silver Surfer
initially, and even now, i am adamantly opposed to a rematch. however, after watching The Game a second time, i am VERY confident that if a rematch does occur, not only will Ohio State win again, they will win in runaway fashion. TSUN had two TD drives extended by iffy PI calls after being stopped by the Silver Bullets, and was gift wrapped 10 points by Buckeye miscues. i understand that these things are a part of the game, BUT, another thing that i noticed was that the Buckeyes left the spread for the vast majority of the second half, and played nearly exclusively in the I... although the Buckeyes WERE successful in the I, M had NO ANSWER for the spread. i feel quite confident in saying that the next time, Tressel will not be so quick to start trying to run clock...
if a rematch does occur, i look for the Buckeyes to win a 45-17 blowout.
if a rematch does occur, i look for the Buckeyes to win a 45-17 blowout.
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k_stone_69
Banned
lvbuckeye
vbmenu_register("postmenu_666090", true);
BEAT M*CH*G*N!!! RIP, Bo.
Join Date: Jun 2003
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initially, and even now, i am adamantly opposed to a rematch. however, after watching The Game a second time, i am VERY confident that if a rematch does occur, not only will Ohio State win again, they will win in runaway fashion. TSUN had two TD drives extended by iffy PI calls after being stopped by the Silver Bullets, and was gift wrapped 10 points by Buckeye miscues. i understand that these things are a part of the game, BUT, another thing that i noticed was that the Buckeyes left the spread for the vast majority of the second half, and played nearly exclusively in the I... although the Buckeyes WERE successful in the I, M had NO ANSWER for the spread. i feel quite confident in saying that the next time, Tressel will not be so quick to start trying to run clock...
if a rematch does occur, i look for the Buckeyes to win a 45-17 blowout.
__________________
No way man, didn't you hear a rematch would be totally different?
Mike Hart guaranteed it...so it must be true.
what a fn douchebag.
BEAT M*CH*G*N!!! RIP, Bo.
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: las vegas
Posts: 3,468
Points: 798.84
Bank: 6,218.04
Total Points: 7,016.87
Give points to this user
initially, and even now, i am adamantly opposed to a rematch. however, after watching The Game a second time, i am VERY confident that if a rematch does occur, not only will Ohio State win again, they will win in runaway fashion. TSUN had two TD drives extended by iffy PI calls after being stopped by the Silver Bullets, and was gift wrapped 10 points by Buckeye miscues. i understand that these things are a part of the game, BUT, another thing that i noticed was that the Buckeyes left the spread for the vast majority of the second half, and played nearly exclusively in the I... although the Buckeyes WERE successful in the I, M had NO ANSWER for the spread. i feel quite confident in saying that the next time, Tressel will not be so quick to start trying to run clock...
if a rematch does occur, i look for the Buckeyes to win a 45-17 blowout.
__________________
No way man, didn't you hear a rematch would be totally different?
Mike Hart guaranteed it...so it must be true.
what a fn douchebag.
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0