9 - 11 - 10 vs. Miami (Fla.) W, 36 - 24 2 - 0
While most of the country was waiting for Ohio State to flop on another big stage, the Buckeyes went out and disappointed those critics. OSU blitzed Miami with an attacking offense and an opportunistic defense, and when the clock hit triple zeros, all the Hurricanes could do was limp back to Coral Gables.
Terrelle Pryor's weekly performance is a hot topic all across the nation because of the quarterback's seemingly endless potential. However, T.P. did very little to bolster his Heisman hopes in this one, but he did give his team a much - needed win. Pryor's completion percentage was a pedestrian 44%, yet he still accumulated 233 yards through the air. Pryor also gobbled up 113 yards on the ground, and, most importantly, he did not committ a single turnover.
The Buckeyes' defense did an excellent job of supporting Pryor and the offense by piling up 4 interceptions. Miami quarterback Jacory Harris was plagued by the INT bug as the Silver Bullets seemed to have their hands on the football more than Harris's wide receivers.
Even though Ohio State played a great game, it was by no means perfect. The special teams unit continued to be a thorn in the Bucks' collective side. Miami's two kick return touchdowns were the only reason this was not a total blowout.
The Buckeyes caught the game's first break when Harris got his pick party rolling early in the opening quarter. The Miami QB tried to squeeze a pass into a tight window, and C.J. Barnett deflected the ball into the waiting arms of Nathan Williams. Williams, who was making his season debut, returned the interception, after a penalty was factored in, to the Canes' 25 yard line.
From there, Ohio State had to settle for a Devin Barclay field goal following a touchdown - negating holding infraction.
It took the Hurricanes all of one play to make that lead disappear. Lamar Miller gathered in the kickoff at his own 12, and he raced all the way to paydirt.
Just like that, Big Mo was wearing orange and green.
On the ensuing kick, Jaamal Berry almost made it back - to - back TDs, but he was tripped by his own blocker, Nate Oliver, at the midfield stripe. The Bucks wound up punting, and a big opportunity had been missed.
A field goal late in the 1st quarter allowed Miami to take a 10 - 3 lead into the 2nd stanza.
That lead lasted for all of 36 seconds because the Buckeyes finally found their offensive footing. Pryor threw a perfect 62 yard bomb to Devier Posey, and then, on the very next snap, Pryor tossed a touchdown to a leaping Brandon Saine. The drive lasted just 2 plays and it covered 80 yards.
Barclay nailed another three - pointer on Ohio State's next series, and it was time for OSU's defense to get the ball back.
Harris flung a quick pass to Travis Benjamin, but the speedy wideout did not even turn around, allowing Chimdi Chekwa to make the easy catch.
The Buckeyes converted the turnover into quick points courtesy of Daniel "Boom" Herron and his nifty 4 yard score off of an option pitch. Ohio State now led by 10, and a rout appeared to be in the offing.
However, the Hurricanes once again came up with the answer on special teams. Benjamin, atoning for his earlier miscue, took a Ben Buchanan punt back to the house. On the play, it looked as if the Bucks' coverage unit thought Benjamin signaled for a fair catch, which he clearly did not. Regardless, Miami was back in business.
Prior to the intermission, Devin Barclay tacked on two more field goals to give the home team a 9 point halftime edge. The second kick floated through the uprights as time expired, and it was set up by Chekwa's second interception. This one was also not Harris's fault due to the fact that the ball went right through Benjamin's hands.
The Hurricanes began the 2nd half with a long drive as Harris began to find a rhythm. Needing a stop, Ohio State dialed up a scheme that dropped defensive end Cameron Heyward into coverage. The deception fooled Harris, who threw the ball directly at Heyward. What happened next defies explanation. Big ol' Cameron began to chug up the sideline with blockers out in front, but he soon ran out of gas. Heyward was eventually corralled following an 80 yard return. According to Jim Tressel, it took 15 minutes for the big fella to recover from his rumble.
Ohio State now held the game's fate in the palm of their hand, and they capitalized. Pryor scored on an 11 yard romp when he rolled right before reversing his field and running into the end zone.
Assuming the Buckeyes' 33 - 17 advantage was secure, the Ohio Stadium crowd roared to life.
Suffering from severe cramps, Harris courageously engineered a drive deep into OSU territory. The Bucks, though, held tough, and Devon Torrence's field goal block rendered the entire march meaningless.
Barclay's fifth converted field goal gave Ohio State a lead of 36 - 17 as the contest entered its final act.
On the first play of the 4th quarter, Harris hit Chase Ford on a 9 yard scoring strike that made the game somewhat interesting, but the Silver Bullets made the key stops down the stretch to strand Miami 12 points shy of a tie.
Pryor was able to rip off some big runs on the game's final drive as the the Bucks salted away the remaining 7:30 off the clock.
Ohio State was given a chance to show the country they belong among college football's elite, and the Buckeyes accomplished their mission. In the end, it was the men in scarlet gray who showed the speed and swagger necessary to win a national championship.
Player of the Game
Terrelle Pryor: 12 - 27 (completions - attempts), 233 yards, 1 touchdown, 0 interceptions, 20 carries, 113 yards, 1 touchdown
As was discussed earlier, Pryor was not brilliant, but he was gritty, and that eventually proved to be the difference in this game.
Play of the Game
Cameron Heyward 80 yard interception return in the 3rd quarter
Heyward's runback was obviously a sight to behold, but it also kept Miami at bay and paved the way for Ohio State's knockout punch.
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