Everyone was right. When Ohio State showed up at Michigan Stadium on Saturday, these Buckeyes weren't the same ones who had struggled to a 6-5 record. Their trash cans were packed with records. This bunch played aggressively, showed heart, even showed skill.
But they were still Buckeyes. And, as usual, since they were playing Michigan, they lost, this time 24-17. The Buckeyes have won just two of the last 12 meetings in this storied rivalry.
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| SAM HOLLENSHEAD/Daily Rob Renes had Michael Wiley and the Ohio State offense for lunch during Saturday's game. Michigan ended up feasting on the Buckeyes at the end, beating Ohio State, 24-17. The loss leaves the Buckeyes with a 6-6 record and an awful taste in their mouths.
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But three turnovers and 13 penalties by Ohio State kept Michigan in the game, and the last turnover, a Kevin Houser fumble, set up a stellar Michigan fourth-quarter drive to put Michigan ahead for good.
And on that drive, Michigan quarterback Tom Brady, who struggled through most of the game, starred. After hitting just 12 of his first 21 passes, Brady connected on five of six, including a crucial third-down conversion and a nine-yard pass to Marquise Walker, who caught the ball at the three yard line and shimmied around a would-be tackler and into the end zone.
"You don't always play your best football," Brady said. "Last week we didn't play our best football, either."
But Michigan won the game, which means the Wolverines all but clinched a berth to a Bowl Championship Series Bowl, either the Orange Bowl in Miami or the Fiesta Bowl in Tempe, Ariz.
In a game which had big passes, big runs and some big kicks, the biggest play was a big tackle. On a first-and-10 from his own 18-yard line, Ohio State quarterback Steve Bellisari handed the ball off to tailback Jonathan Wells. Wells ran around right tackle and dashed up the sideline, forcing both James Whitley and Cato June to miss tackles. As he darted up the sideline, it looked he had the touchdown, which would have given Ohio State a 24-10 lead.
"From my angle, it appeared he was going to score," Michigan safety Tommy Hendricks said.
It appeared that way from pretty much every angle except Todd Howard's. Howard, a cornerback, darted down the field after Wells. Wells cut a little bit from the sideline towards the hashmark, giving Howard more of a chance to catch up to him. At the Michigan six-yard line, the speedy Howard pulled Wells down.
"I saw him slugging a bit, and he's kind of big, so I just put on the jets," Howard said.
"He gave the defense a chance," Hendricks said.
And the defense made the most of it. After an incomplete pass, a two yard gain and a sack, the Buckeyes were left going for a 30-yard field goal. A bad hold forced Buckeyes' kicker Dan Stultz to stutter-step as he approached the ball and his kick fell short.
Under three minutes later, Ian Gold leapt up and grabbed a pass intended for Buckeyes receiver Reggie Germany and returned it 17 yards to the Ohio State eight. "I felt old-school there," Gold, a high school running back, said of the return. "A little bit like Belleville High School."
On the next play, Brady hit Shawn Thompson at the four-yard line on a naked bootleg, and Thompson dove into the end zone for the tying touchdown.
A few hours later, Rob Renes, Pat Kratus and Josh Williams wandered out of the Michigan lockerroom and onto the field. The comeback was over: Walker had scored, the defense held Ohio State and Michigan had won. The three defensive linemen, all seniors who had just played their final game at Michigan Stadium, were still wearing their jerseys.
Michigan Stadium was pretty much empty, but the marching band was on the field playing its post-game show. For his final time, Renes watched.
"We went out there and tried to get a little piece of the Michigan lore while we're still a part of it," Renes said.
11-22-99
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