Ohio Overtime Ovation

I’m part of the proud crowd of a rose-colored spread glad because their clad in gray and red…
It took five quarters and a 39 yard field goal from a walk-on soccer player, but Ohio State finally knocked off Iowa to book a ticket to the Rose Bowl. The Buckeyes are packing for Pasadena after besting the Hawkeyes 27-24 in overtime Saturday at the Horseshoe in Columbus. The 9-2 Buckeyes can claim the Big 10 title outright with a win against Michigan next week. The combat in Columbus concluded with a close contest and now the club is heading for California. The win over Iowa means the Buckeyes clinch at least a share of their fifth straight Big 10 title. Head coach, Jim Tressel, makes his first trip to the Rose Bowl. It’s the first time in 13 years the scarlet and gray will play New Year’s Day in Pasadena.
Devin Barclay ripped the game-winning field goal through the uprights in overtime to send the OSU crowd into a frenzy. The Hawkeyes narrowed the margin in the fourth quarter after the Buckeyes built a 24-10 lead. Freshman quarterback, James Vandenberg, recorded his first loss in his first start for Iowa. Vandenberg was filling in for starter, Ricky Stanzi, who was sidelined following the upset loss to Northwestern last week. Iowa’s Derrell Johnson-Koulianos returned a kickoff 99 yards following OSU running back, Brandon Saine’s 49 yard scoring burst. With the Hawkeyes trailing by seven, Vandenberg drove Iowa 70 yards and tossed the tying 10 yard touchdown to Marvin McNutt with 2:42 remaining. The even-keeled quarterback orchestrated the eight play drive like a pro. He completed his first seven passes of the game, but was on the losing side of a series of bobbled passes that haunted the Hawkeyes. Vandenberg performed well considering the hostile Horseshoe environment, and the title implications.
Ohio State sophomore quarterback, Terrelle Pryor rushed right for nine yards on the ensuing kickoff, and handed off to Dan Herron for a first down at the OSU 29 yard line. Pryor rushed again, this time to the left before hitting receiver, Ray Small, from three yards out on second time. Following a Buckeyes timeout, Herron ran for a three yard loss and Ohio State was forced to punt. The Big 10’s most dominant defense stopped Iowa tailback, Adam Robinson on the final Hawkeye possession. The freshman back was held to 74 rushing yards on 20 carries. Iowa head coach, Kirk Ferentz took a page out of Tressel’s conservative playbook, and chose to run out the clock with .35 seconds left to send the game into an extra session.
Ohio State won the overtime coin toss and elected to play defense. The Hawkeyes went backward 16 yards and Vandenberg tossed an interception in the end zone. OSU linebacker, Doug Worthington, logged the game’s only sack when he trounced Vandenberg in overtime. The Iowa passer actually performed admirably despite his three picks. He threw for 233 yards and completed 20 of 33 passes with two touchdowns. If not for the defense allowing 200 yards on the ground, Iowa may have been the Big 10 team smelling roses. Instead, the Buckeyes took over in overtime, doing what they do best. Pryor did well in distributing the ball to five different Buckeye receivers. But in overtime, the sophomore gave the ball to Herron three times. Barclay, in his second career start, nailed the field goal that sent the stadium into a euphoric ovation.
The 15th ranked Hawkeyes kept fighting back even when the Buckeyes had every opportunity to put the game away. This was a measuring stick game for Ohio State, and they passed with flying colors. Everything’s coming up roses now. Saine jostled for over 100 yards, and Herron missed the mark by only three. Iowa’s front seven did a credible job in stopping Pryor. The quarterback sailed just 93 yards through the air but had 29 ground yards. Most important, Pryor was mistake-free with the ball. For the third consecutive game, the Buckeyes committed no turnovers. The team seems more sufficient and collective on offense. The offensive line was tremendous for the second straight week in protecting the quarterback and tramping one of the conference’s best defensive lines. The line looks in sync and can collaborate create holes for the run. It is nice to finally see Herron and Saine establish the ground game for Ohio State. Special teams had a brutal day for the Buckeyes, even with Barclay’s willful, worthy winner in the extra quarter. For Ohio State, this game was about stuffing Iowa in overtime and rushing the football behind a productive quarterback. Iowa’s late turnover virtually sealed the game for the Bucs. This was a classic title game that came down to the final play. That should be a testament to the Big 10. The conference takes enough criticism, but Saturday’s showdown proved good football will always silence the naysayers. Iowa’s valiant comeback was all heart and clutch throws from Vandenberg. The scarlet and gray did their best to rattle the quarterback and he barely flinched. Vandenberg came within a snap or two of guiding the underdog Hawkeyes to an upset win. It’s tough to stay on agenda when the team is reeling, but the Buckeyes have really turned their season around. USC could be the opponent in the Rose Bowl. We all know how it went when the Buckeyes hosted the Trojans earlier in the season. Stanford thwarted USC yesterday, and that torching should give Ohio State hope. The Trojans gave up 51 points to the Cardinal. That totaled more than any other USC team ever. Oregon is another likely Rose Bowl candidate. The Ducks are a challenging team who play physical and firm football. The run-oriented Buckeyes can win either game by catching the high-octane west coast offenses off guard. Yesterday was a showcase of just how valuable a refined running game is for Ohio State. For now, Tressel and his team can focus on their biggest rival, Michigan. Until then, Ohio State can savor the snazzy Hawkeye hampering where they cast a thorn into Iowa’s BCS chances.

Parting Points: Required reading- “12 Red Roses” by Barry Lanier