11 - 13 - 10 vs. Penn State W, 38 - 14 9 - 1
Halfway through Ohio State's conference showdown with Penn State, the Nittany Lions had built up a stunning 14 - 3 lead.
A former walk-on quarterback by the name of Matt McGloin was mocking the Buckeyes' proud defense.
Jim Tressel, who is usually unbeatable in the month of November, looked rattled as his team struggled throughout an awful 1st half.
To put it into simpler terms, Ohio State was in deep trouble.
Sensing impending doom, the frustrated Ohio Stadium crowd let loose a chorus of boos as the equally frustrated Buckeyes walked dejectedly toward their locker room.
But, when the 2nd half began, Ohio State was a visibly different team. Inspired by a reportedly fiery pep talk from Tressel, the Buckeyes stormed out of the tunnel and proceeded to overwhelm the Lions.
The season, at least for the time being, had been saved.
Although OSU's offense was nothing short of pathetic for most of the 1st half, it did put together a decent drive following the opening kickoff. Terrelle Pryor lofted a perfect deep pass to Devier Posey that was worth 49 yards of valuable real estate, and the home team was already deep in Penn State territory. Ohio State, though, as it has done all season, bogged down in the red zone, and Devin Barclay had to be summoned to salvage 3 points out of the drive. And the senior kicker knocked down a 26-yard field goal.
Penn State went 3-and-out on its ensuing possession, but, after the Buckeyes returned the favor, the Nittany Lions roared to life. McGloin began to find his rhythm, and, on the final play of the 10-play march, he tossed a 23-yard TD pass to Justin Brown a split second before being drilled by Devon Torrence who had come on a corner blitz.
Upon getting the ball back, McGloin continued his dissection of the Ohio State defense. And the PSU quarterback capped this scoring drive with a 6-yard touchdown strike to a leaping Derek Moye in the end zone.
After both of these TD passes, McGloin gestured to the OSU bench as if to say, "Bring it on because you can't stop me."
The Buckeyes were beginning to get angry.
Late in the 2nd quarter, Penn State threatened to blow the game wide open. But, on a 4th-and-1 from the OSU 20-yard line, Jermale Hines and Orhian Johnson teamed up to stop Silas Redd short of the 1st down.
Ohio State now had a chance to put some points on the board prior to halftime, but Tressel decided to remain conservative, and the Bucks eventually punted.
And, so, the boos rained down from the bleachers at the half's end, but the Buckeyes' fortunes were about to turn.
Early in the 3rd quarter, Penn State once again was given a chance to put Ohio State away. However, the Silver Bullets produced a huge stop, forcing the Nittany Lions to punt. But Anthony Fera's punt was a great one as it pinned the Buckeyes down at their own 4-yard line.
Then, with its Big Ten title hopes hanging by a thread, Ohio State set in motion the drive of the game. The Buckeyes took 11 plays to go 96 yards, and, when Dan "Boom" Herron covered the final 5 on a run to pay dirt, the home team had all the momentum.
On PSU's next possession, the OSU defense turned the game on its head. McGloin attempted to complete a pass to the left flat, but Torrence jumped the underneath route. Torrence batted the ball high into the air, bobbled it before securing it in his right hand, and then he raced untouched into the end zone. As Torrence neared the goal line, the fans began to roar, and for the next few minutes the Horseshoe was literally shaking.
Penn State's players were now in a state of complete and utter shock, and their state worsened when Ohio State regained possession. On a 2nd-and-23 from his own 42, Pryor launched a jump ball intended for Posey who was near the goal line. The pass was thrown poorly, and, as a result, it was batted away by those 2 PSU defensive backs. Dane Sanzenbacher, though, gathered in the friendly ricochet and stepped into the end zone.
At this point, the Nittany Lions were a beaten team, and more than 105,000 people clad in red clothing let out a collective sigh of relief.
Travis Howard's 30-yard pick 6 a few moments later sealed McGloin's fate, at least for this day, as a 2nd half choke artist.
The Buckeyes added another score in the 4th quarter as Pryor found Jake Stoneburner for a 3-yard touchdown, and, despite a Pryor interception in the red zone, Ohio State had still managed to outscore the Nittany Lions 35-0 after halftime. That, quite frankly, is unbelievable.
Trailing 14-3 with 30 minutes to go, the Buckeyes could have very easily folded, but they did not, and that is the mark of a true champion. And, speaking of champions, if Ohio State wins out it will claim at least a share of its 6th consecutive conference title.
Player of the Game
Dan Herron: 21 carries, 190 yards, 1 touchdown
Remember when Herron was locked in a fierce competition with Brandon Saine for the starting running back job?
Wow, how times have changed.
Fast-forward to the 10th game of the season and "Boom" is running for almost 200 yards against a quality opponent while Saine is struggling to find playing time as a wide receiver.
And with Terrelle Pryor's recent struggles, Herron's value to the Buckeye offense has increased with each passing week.
Play of the Game
Devon Torrence's 34-yard interception return for a touchdown in the 3rd quarter
To fully understand the impact of this play, one must first realize the danger Ohio State was in prior to it. If Torrence would have failed to come up with this clutch interception, Penn State probably would have regained the momentum it had lost. And the sound the crowd made in the wake of Torrence's TD ramble was truly special, and it is something unique to that jewel on the banks of the Olentangy.
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