Rival Romping

Ohio State grabbed a share of their record-tying sixth straight Big Ten title with a 37-7 win over rival Michigan at the ‘Shoe. The 11-1 Buckeyes put up 24 second and 13 third quarter points, respectively on their rout of the visiting Wolverines. Michigan fell to 7-5 in their seventh consecutive loss to the Buckeyes. Ohio State shares the conference spotlight with Michigan State and Wisconsin.
The Wolverines put up a fight in the first quarter but never led during the contest. Michigan’s electric quarterback, Denard Robinson, was a one-man show. Robinson rushed for 105 yards and completed 8-of-18 passes. Rich Rodriguez’s kicking unit is unreliable at best, and the Wolverine offense was forced to go for it on fourth down situations. The Maize and Blue had little success against the persistent and pervasive Buckeyes’ defense. The Michigan offense came into Saturday’s showdown averaging 37 points per game. Yesterday, they had more than a little trouble reaching that average against some of the Big Ten’s best defenders.
Terrelle Pryor, the exciting signal caller for the home team, was just as phenomenal with the football as Robinson. Both quarterbacks slipped through the defenses and fended off tackles. Pryor threw for 220 yards and a pair of scores, while adding 49 yards on the ground. Michigan shut out Pryor and the Buckeyes during the first quarter and succeeded in keeping them out of the end zone until midway through the second. The Wolverines won the coin toss and opted to kick off despite having perhaps one of the conference’s more dismal defenses. But the Buckeyes went three-and-out on their first drive and Michigan responded by shaving five minutes off the clock with nothing to show for it on the ensuing drive. Ohio State punted again after Jake Stoneburner fumbled a pass and failed to convert a third down. Robinson headed another lengthy Michigan drive, but the lost the ball deep in the red zone. Ohio State recovered the ball and in the second quarter, Devin Barclay kicked a 33 yard field goal for the day’s first points.
The Buckeyes coasted to a 10-0 lead on Dane Sanzenbacher’s seven yard pass from Pryor with 12:29 remaining in the first half. Senior receiver Sanzenbacher scored the first touchdown of the game and finished with 71 receiving yards. Michael Shaw netted the only Michigan touchdown with a second quarter one yard run. Robinson set up the score with a diving try at the end zone, falling just short of the goal line. Shaw’s touchdown trimmed the OSU lead to three points, but the slim deficit wouldn’t last long. Jordan Hall returned the kickoff 85 yards for another Ohio State touchdown to put the Buckeyes up 17-7. The Buckeyes continued to romp Michigan, coordinating an impressive 60 yard drive on their next possession. Pryor propelled the Buckeyes with his legs and moved the chains with efficient, smart throws. The drive ended with DeVier Posey’s catch covering 33 yards that sent OSU into the locker room with a comfortable 24-7 advantage. Posey had an 82 yard day for the Buckeyes. Despite piling up 258 total yards, the Wolverines’ lone touchdown was all they had to show for it. Ohio State did pick up a pair of questionable celebration penalties for forming an “O” with their gloved hands.
Robinson exited the game for several stretches during the second half. Tate Forcier replaced the dynamic quarterback and began by being intercepted on his first play from scrimmage. Travis Howard’s leaping snag shifted the momentum even more the Buckeye way. Howard also recovered two fumbles. The Buckeyes declawed Michigan the rest of the game, with Dan Herron scoring on a 32 yard third quarter run and Barclay extending the lead with a pair of field goals. Herron had just five carries on the day but finished with 175 yards, including a school record 89 yard run. Forcier couldn’t complete anything, as Michigan gained just 93 yards after the break. The Wolverines’ closest chance at scoring occurred in the fourth quarter with the Jim Tressel’s team sitting on a 30 points lead. Forcier’s six yard pass was incomplete at the OSU six yard line, and OSU took over in their own territory. Ohio State had 478 yards on offense and converted 10 of 19 third downs in decking Michigan.

Parting Points: News from Miami- Randy Shannon is out at the “U” and the Heat continue to wilt.

Kudos to FSU for knocking off Florida and the Razorbacks for defeating LSU.

“All Americans come from Ohio originally, if only briefly”- Dawn Powell

Boise Black & Blue

Black Friday in Reno was just that for the Boise State Broncos. The Broncos scored the first 17 points at Mackay Stadium only to see their lead evaporate in overtime. The nation’s longest winning streak, at 34, is over. Boise State fell 34-31 to Nevada, the Broncos first loss since 2007. The 10-1 Broncos’ BCS-busing hopes also vanished in defeat. Kyle Broztman, the normally efficient kicker for Boise State, missed a field goal in regulation and one in overtime as the Broncos suffered a heartbreaker against the 11-1 Wolf Pack. Nevada emerged victorious in a wild game when redshirt freshman, Anthony Martinez, kicked the game winning field goal from 34 yards out.
The Broncos leapt out to a 3-0 advantage in the first quarter on a Brotzman 33 yard kick. Doug Martin’s four yard touchdown run completed a 13 play, 87 yard drive for Boise State in the second quarter. Quarterback Kellen Moore added a passing touchdown to senior wideout, Titus Young, to give Boise State a commanding 17-0 lead with 5:47 remaining in the first half. Nevada cracked the scoreboard at 4:20 with a five yard rushing touchdown from Vai Taua. The Broncos responded with a 51 yard run by junior tailback Doug Martin, and headed into the break ahead by 17 points. The Boise State offense was almost unstoppable in the first half. Young made six catches on the night for 129 yards and a touchdown, and Martin rushed for 152 yards and a pair of scores. Moore passed for 348 yards in the crucial Friday night loss. Boise State’s defense also held the high-powered Nevada offense in check during the opening half. Wolf Pack passer, Colin Kaepernick was sacked on back-to-back plays and interecepted once. Nevada got two first downs against the Broncos, a first against Boise State, but George Iloka’s intercepted a tipped pass to extinguish the Pack’s promising drive. Nineteenth ranked Nevada would have the last word, however.
The Pack came back to tie the game at 24-24 after three straight scores in the second half. Nevada found their rhythm and punished the Broncos with their running attack. The Wolf Pack racked up 288 yards behind Kaepernick and Taua. Kaepernick scored on an 18 yard run to trim the Boise State edge to ten points in the third quarter. Defensive end, Tyrone Crawford, blocked Martinez’s 35 yard field goal attempt in the third quarter as Nevada settled for just three points during the frame. Rishard Matthews’s 44 yard scramble added another seven for Nevada, and Martinez bounced back by banging home a 24 yard field goal to knot the game in the fourth quarter. Nevada shut out the Boise State offense throughout most of the second half. Matthews picked up 172 yards on 10 receptions to lead all receivers. Martin scored his second touchdown of the night with just under five minutes in regulation to put the Broncos back on top. The spectacular 79 yard reception was followed by Nevada converting two key third downs. Matthews’ seven yard reception made it a 31-31 affair with thirteen seconds left in the game. The Broncos had one last chance to win the game in regulation, but Brotzman missed a 26 yarder to send the game into overtime.
Moore was stymied in the extra session and the Brotzman was ushered in to try a game winning kick. The 29 yard attempt was booted short to the right by a kicker who leads all active players in career scoring. On the ensuing Nevada possession, Martinez drove the winning field goal between the uprights to upset the darlings of the BCS.

Parting Points: Backyard Brawl 2010 goes to the Mountaineers.

OSU vs. Michigan today. Go Buckeyes!

Thankful Thursday

Again For You

I love you as if I never
Have room to love another
Again
Living with you
Is like being stuck in a tree so high
You cannot see the ground
Life goes on all around you
But your head is in the clouds
You’re the hand that breaks my fall
And keeps me coming back for more
I’m thankful for the way
You crack a smile on my face
If I live to see tomorrow
I’ll be grateful to see you
Again
Every day without you
My heart breaks a little more
I may well be sentimental
But you’ve made me more than loved
I feel as though I’m gratified
Simply because my heart is alive
For you

Parting Points: Happy Thanksgiving!

Duke Defends, Delivers

The Duke Blue Devils and Marquette Eagles clashed in the CBE Classic semifinal Monday night. The high-profile hoops programs squared off at the Sprint Center in Kansas City, with the top-ranked Devils squeezing out a 82-77 victory. Duke faces Kansas State in the championship game tonight. The reigning national champs have now won 14 consecutive games and are 4-0 this season. The Devils steamrolled their previous opponents by an average of 41 points.
Mason Plumlee poured in 25 points to lead the Blue Devils. The sophomore center contributed six rebounds and six blocks as he helped wear down the Golden Eagles. Duke took an early lead before Marquette rebounded to tie the game. The Devils bounced back with a 9-0 run to tear ahead by 14 points with 11:15 remaining in the half. Marquette lacked a perimeter player to keep up with Plumlee and countered with questionable shots against Mike Krzyzewski’s Devils. Jimmy Butler led the Eagles, who struggled from the arc, with 22 points. Darius Johnson-Odom missed all eight of his shots in the first half. The Big East powerhouse Eagles labored for points against the NCAA’s elite Devils. Marquette was able to tie the game three times but it was Duke who took a 41-30 advantage into the locker room.
The Devils were harassed for 19 turnovers during the contest as the Eagles outscored Duke 46-42 in the second half. The Eagles’ defense also stripped the ball 11 times and effectively disrupted the pass. The Marquette guards did a tremendous job in applying pressure and got a boost from bench player, Jae Crowder, in the second half. Crowder scored 15 points, including a baseline jumper to tie the game at 57-57. The Devils answered with nine straight points following Crowder’s chip-in. Plumlee was credited for four of the baskets in the late Duke run. Guard Nolan Smith put up an efficient 18 points in victory and grabbed nine rebounds, and Kyle Singler added 14. Quick-learning freshman, Kyle Irving, carried the Devils with seven assists, while Junior Cadougan matched Irving with seven assists for the 4-1 Eagles.

Parting Points: Philip Rivers sure looks sharp; Brad Childress not so much.

Song of the day-“It Don’t Mean a Thing” by Duke Ellington

Idoneous Intensity In Iowa

Dan Herron bulled into the endzone with 1:47 remaining in the final quarter as Ohio State survived Iowa on Senior Day at Kinnick Stadium. The Big 10 showdown pitted the eighth ranked Buckeyes and 21st ranked Hawkeyes with conference title implications on the line. Ohio State pulled out a 21-17 victory in the final minute to remain in contention for a share of the Big 10 championship. Ohio State has won the conference six straight seasons but Wisconsin and Michigan State are also vying for Big 10 primacy this year. The Hawkeyes fell to 7-4 while OSU bumped their record to 10-1. For the Buckeyes, it was the first fourth quarter comeback of the season.
Marvin McNutt’s 19 yard touchdown reception with one minute to go in the first quarter gave Iowa their first lead of the game. McNutt finished with 92 receiving yards. Hawkeye quarterback, Ricki Stanzi, was sharp and accurate. The Ohio native threw for 195 yards and a score in the Iowa loss. Iowa’s balanced attack caught the Buckeyes off guard and off the scoreboard until Devin Barclay’s 18 yard field goal in the second quarter. OSU quarterback, Terrelle Pryor, threw two interceptions and the Bucks’ offense was mistaken-prone throughout the first half. Pryor matched Stanzi in yardage but his receivers could not hold on to the ball and he made several ill-timed passes. Pryor did find Dane Sanzenbacher six times during the game. Sanzenbacher snagged 102 yards on the day, including two pretty passes for 42 yards on OSU’s first scoring drive. The Buckeyes couldn’t reach the end zone, however, and settled for their only points of the half on Barclay’s kick. The Buckeyes drove into Iowa territory late in the half, but Pryor was picked off in the end zone by Micah Hyde. Iowa took a 7-3 advantage into the locker room.
The second half was all about dual-threat Pryor. The OSU signal-caller came out of the break running on first downs and picking up yardage with his legs. Pryor led the team in rushing with 78 yards. The Buckeyes took their first lead of the game midway through the third stanza when Pryor connected with Reid Fragel from five yards out. Iowa tied it at 10-10 five minutes later. Derrell Johnson-Koulianos caught a 23 yard bomb from Stanzi and McNutt hauled in a 18 yard reception to put the Hawkeyes in position to score. The thrifty Buckeye defense held strong and stalled Stanzi’s effort to reach the endzone. Michael Meyer punched home a 31 yard field goal to even the score for 3:26 remaining in the third quarter. The Buckeyes would have to rely on the athletic Pryor to move the ball. It turns out, the quarterback was up for the challenge as he took over the game in the final quarter. Even after a costly miscue, Pryor responded well to the negative play. The Big 10 battle would come down to the final few minutes in nail-biting fashion.
Marcus Coker burst into the Iowa endzone after Shaun Prater intercepted Pryor at the OSU 27 yard line in the fourth quarter. The Buckeyes answered with Jordan Hall’s 33 yard kick return, but Pryor’s targets failed to catch the ball and the Hawks sacked towering Terrelle. The clutch kicking Barclay booted a 48 yard field goal, a career long, to cut the deficit to four. Ohio State’s defense stepped up with a sack and a tipped pass on the next Iowa drive. Brian Rolle and Ross Homan led the charge on defense and the cornerbacks for OSU made the necessary tackles. The Hawkeyes went three and out on the ensuing kickoff and it was all Buckeyes from there. In dramatic fashion, OSU orchestrated a 76 yard drive culminating in Herron’s game winning leap into the endzone. DeVier Posey dropped what would have been a touchdown pass on third down for the visitors. On fourth down with 4:02 remaining, Pryor rushed for 14 yards and the first down. Pryor’s conversion on fourth and ten made all the difference. Sanzenbacher caught a 24 yard pass at the two yard line to keep the drive alive three plays later. OSU took the lead for good, leaving a stunned and bewildered Kinnick Stadium crowd. The Hawkeyes’ final attempt to tie or take the lead was thwarted when Cameron Hayward sacked Stanzi and McNutt was short of the first down on fourth-and-22.

Parting Points: Song of the day- “You Mean the World to Me” by Toni Braxton

Bears Blanking & Blitzing

The Bears defense harassed Dolphins’ third-string quarterback, Tyler Thigpen, in Thursday’s shutout in Miami and improved to 7-3 on the season. Chicago swarmed Thigpen in the 16-0 victory in their first trip back to Miami since losing Superbowl 41. Julius Peppers led the defense with three of the six sacks, and Robbie Gould kicked three field goals to provide the majority of the offense. Chicago quarterback, Jay Cutler, completed 16-of-25 passes for 156 yards and was just impressive enough in the win. Matt Forte ran for 97 yards and finished the Bears’ scoring with a two yard touchdown plunge late in the third quarter. The Bears moved one-half game ahead of the Packers in the NFC North after winning their third straight contest. The Dolphins fell to 5-5 after a miserable home loss in which they did essentially nothing right and couldn’t catch any breaks.
Gould’s 46 yard field goal with 3:48 remaining in the opening quarter gave the visitors a 3-0 edge. Cameron Wake’s sack of Cutler forced the Bears to settle for three during the drive. The Chicago kicker planted a 24 yard field goal through the uprights midway through the second quarter to increase the Bears advantage to six. That was all the scoring in the first half. Chicago’s defense cracked down with tight coverage and Thigpen was ineffective in communicating with his receivers. The Dolphins running attack was non-existent against the league’s best team against the rush. Now their playoff chances are almost non-existent too. Miami failed to put up any points on the board for the second time in 40 seasons. For Chicago, it was the first shutout in four years.
Thigpen worked the ground with 27 rushing yards to lead all Dolphins, but the former Coastal Carolina player couldn’t keep the chains moving. Brian Hartline managed five receptions for 70 yards to lead all Miami receivers and Brandon Marshall caught three passes before leaving the game with an injury. Marshall was tagged for a taunting penalty after throwing the ball at Cutler when he was heading out of bounds. Cutler, Marshall’s former Denver teammate, pinpointed Johnny Knox as his favorite target on Thursday. Knox hauled in five receptions for 55 yards. The Bears scored twice after halftime on Gould’s third field goal and Forte’s scramble into the end zone. The Dolphins defense couldn’t get off the field as Chicago controlled the time of possession and was more efficient on third downs. Miami converted just one third down in eleven tries and Ricky Williams and Ronnie Brown combined for 11 rushing yards. Cutler was intercepted by Benny Sapp and Charles Tillman recorded a pick for the Bears. The Dolphins finally got inside the Bears’ 35 yard line on the game’s final play, but for the most part was un-bearable to watch.

Parting Points: Congrats to Felix Hernandez and Roy Halladay on winning this year’s CY Young awards.

Hawaii is heading to the Mountain West Conference.

Notre Dame vs. Army at Yankee Stadium this Saturday.

“People who work together will win, whether it be against complex football defenses, or the problems of modern society.”- Vince Lombardi

Gator Gnashing

The Buckeyes basketball team employed a similar strategy as the OSU football squad, erupting in the second half to take down the Florida Gators 93-75 last night. The closely contested season opener in Gainesville went the Buckeyes’ way as freshman, Jared Sullinger and senior, David Lighty scored 26 points each in the victory. Sullinger was 13-of-17 with ten rebounds as the Buckeyes outlasted number nine Florida. The youngest player on the floor at O’Connell Center, eighteen year old Sullinger had 16 of his points in the second half. Kenny Boynton led the Gators, hitting five of eight from beyond the arc and finishing with 21 points. OSU defeated Florida for the second time since the 2007 NCAA tournament. The Gators were the victors in that game three years ago.
Ohio State’s stifling defense was effective early but the Buckeyes trailed 41-38 at the half. Florida outscored the visitors in the paint and hit more second-chance points than the Bucks in the first half. Billy Donovan’s team scored on six of seven possessions to open up with a 15-14 edge. The Gators dominated the boards and their offensive rebounding outmatched the Buckeyes. Erik Murphy contributed eight points and grabbed three offensive rebounds off the bench for the Gators. Florida stretched their lead to seven before Ohio State broke back with four points to close in at the half. Dallas Lauderdale, the towering 6’8” center, played 18 minutes for Thad Matta’s Buckeyes. Lauderdale’s absence was advantageous for the Gator offense. Florida took advantage inside.
The lead changed 11 times in the opening of the second half. Ohio State didn’t pull ahead until midway through the half when Jon Diebler’s trey put them up for good. A seasoned shooter, Diebler poured in 14 points, including four from downtown. The Gators seemed to lose their composure on offense during the second half as number four Ohio State outscored them 55-34. Erving Walker had 15 points for Donovan’s Gators, but it was the Buckeyes’ defense that stood in the end. Sullinger finished with his second straight double-double. William Buford grabbed three of the team’s six steals and Florida’s turnovers ignited the OSU defense. Florida shot the ball well but couldn’t contain the Bucks’ second half tempo. Ohio State shot 62% from the field and won the turnover ratio by ten. The Buckeyes performed uncontested layups, dunks and premier perimeter shots, culminating in impressive come-from-behind win.

Parting Points: The UConn women continue to roll, now streaking at 80 straight wins.

Managers of the year honors to Ron Gardenhire and Bud Black.

It’s Splitsville for Eva Longoria and Tony Parker.