On December 23, the Ohio State Football program was dealt a painful blow when the NCAA ruled that 5 Buckeyes - Terrelle Pryor, Dan "Boom" Herron, Devier Posey, Mike Adams, and Solomon Thomas - violated rules by selling various awards and jerseys in exchange for money and discounted tattoos. However, the penalty, a 5-game suspension, will not be enforced until the 2011 season, allowing the 5 players to play in the Sugar Bowl.
Meanwhile, OSU's opponent, the Arkansas Razorbacks, entered the game in search of a signature win. And adding more drama to the evening's proceedings was the fact that Ohio State had never defeated a team from the Southeastern Conference in 9 previous postseason attempts.
Amid swirling clouds of controversy and speculation, the stage was now set for a thriller in the bayou.
Ryan Mallet's first 3 passes fell incomplete, and, less than a minute into the game, Arkansas punted.
Ohio State's ensuing possession resulted in the Buckeyes' oddest touchdown of the season. Facing a 3rd-and-9 at UA 37-yard line, Terrelle Pryor knifed through the Hogs' defense before fumbling the football near the goal line. Several Razorbacks had a chance to fall on the loose pigskin, but it was Dane Sanzenbacher who eventually made the recovery in the end zone, giving Ohio State an early 7-0 lead.
Ohio State's ensuing possession resulted in the Buckeyes' oddest touchdown of the season. Facing a 3rd-and-9 at UA 37-yard line, Terrelle Pryor knifed through the Hogs' defense before fumbling the football near the goal line. Several Razorbacks had a chance to fall on the loose pigskin, but it was Dane Sanzenbacher who eventually made the recovery in the end zone, giving Ohio State an early 7-0 lead.
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| ... Dane Sanzenbacher... made the recovery in the end zone... |
Following the touchdown, Devin Barclay tried to catch Arkansas off guard by executing a short kickoff. The plan backfired, though, and the Razorbacks began their next offensive series with the ball resting on the Hogs' 49. 5 plays later, the score was tied as a result of Mallet's perfect, over-the-shoulder, 17-yard TD pass to Joe Adams.
The Buckeyes' next drive covered 68 yards in 7 plays, and Dan Herron covered the final 9 yards on a bolt to pay dirt. No Arkansas defender even came close to touching Herron, and it was apparent that the Razorbacks were overmatched defensively.
Both defenses settled down after Herron's TD scamper, and the remainder of the 1st quarter was simply a trading of punts.
The proverbial pendulum of momentum swung towards Ohio State early in the 2nd period because of a sensational play made by Cameron Heyward. The senior defensive lineman batted a Ryan Mallet pass to the ground on a big 4th down deep in OSU territory.
The Buckeyes gladly took control of the football, and they promptly took control of the game. Pryor tossed a 42-yard strike to Reid Fragel, moving the ball across midfield and setting up Ohio State's 3rd score. Under tremendous pressure, Pryor drifted backwards and fired a bullet to Sanzenbacher. Sanzenbacher, on his knees, completed the 15-yard TD connection with a fine catch.
The Bucks almost furthered their advantage at the 2nd quarter's 5:15 mark, but Barclay hooked a 50-yard field goal wide left.
Not to be deterred, Ohio State forced a punt and went on the attack once more. Pryor then wrapped up a 6-play, 68-yard march by lofting a 43-yard touchdown pass to Devier Posey.
Arkansas kept its slim hopes of a comeback alive in the closing minutes of the 1st half. The Razorbacks converted a 4th-and-15 on their way to the OSU 3. Bobby Petrino had an important decision in front of him at this point. With 4 seconds left, he could either order Mallet to throw for the touchdown, or he could send out his field goal unit. He went with the latter, less risky, choice, and Zach Hocker banged home a 20-yard 3-pointer.
Both place kickers, OSU's Barclay and UA's Hocker, made 46-yard field goals during the early stages of the 2nd half, and as the 3rd quarter neared its culmination, Ohio State still maintained an 18-point cushion.
Late in the 3rd, Arkansas embarked on a comeback that was aided by several key injuries to Buckeye defenders. The most costly of these injuries was the one sustained by star cornerback Chimdi Chekwa.
Good fortune continued to smile on the Razorbacks as Herron fumbled on a 4th-and-1 plunge. Herron would have picked up the 1st down, but the ball was punched back behind the line of scrimmage, resulting in a turnover-on-downs.
The Hogs now had possession at the OSU 37, needing only a touchdown to take the lead. But the Buckeyes dug in heroically and held Arkansas to a 3-and-out.
Ohio State then ran the clock down to the 1:15 mark before lining up to punt.
Ben Buchanan fielded the snap cleanly and swung his right foot skyward. Incredibly, Colton Miles-Nash burst through the line and blocked the kick. Julian Horton raced in from the outside and had nothing but green grass in front of him, but, after momentarily bobbling the ball, he simply fell on it.
The Razorbacks were now in prime position to finish off their amazing comeback with possession at the OSU 17. Mallet's 1st down pass was dropped by D.J. Williams. It was the Hogs' 6th drop of the night. On 2nd down, the Buckeyes brought a blitz and Mallet, feeling the heat, flipped the ball into the left flat and into the waiting arms of Solomon Thomas. The 5th member of the tattoo scandal cradled the ball to his chest and fell to the ground.
Pryor, hobbled by a serious foot injury sustained on the previous drive, finished the game by performing 2 kneel-downs.
Both place kickers, OSU's Barclay and UA's Hocker, made 46-yard field goals during the early stages of the 2nd half, and as the 3rd quarter neared its culmination, Ohio State still maintained an 18-point cushion.
Late in the 3rd, Arkansas embarked on a comeback that was aided by several key injuries to Buckeye defenders. The most costly of these injuries was the one sustained by star cornerback Chimdi Chekwa.
The Hogs pulled to within 10 on a Mallet 22-yard touchdown pass to Jarius Wright and Mallets' subsequent 2-point conversion toss to D.J. Williams.
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| ... Ryan Mallet 22-yard touchdown pass to Jarius Wright... |
The start of the 4th period did nothing to derail the Razorbacks' furious rally. Arkansas' suddenly inspired defense stuffed Herron behind his own goal line for a safety, even though Herron should have received forward progress out to the 1 or 2-yard line. Regardless, it was now a 1-possession game, and momentum was clearly on the Hogs' side.
The safety punt was a short one, and Arkansas quickly drove into field goal range. Hocker completed the swift march by knocking through a 47-yard kick.Good fortune continued to smile on the Razorbacks as Herron fumbled on a 4th-and-1 plunge. Herron would have picked up the 1st down, but the ball was punched back behind the line of scrimmage, resulting in a turnover-on-downs.
The Hogs now had possession at the OSU 37, needing only a touchdown to take the lead. But the Buckeyes dug in heroically and held Arkansas to a 3-and-out.
Ohio State then ran the clock down to the 1:15 mark before lining up to punt.
Ben Buchanan fielded the snap cleanly and swung his right foot skyward. Incredibly, Colton Miles-Nash burst through the line and blocked the kick. Julian Horton raced in from the outside and had nothing but green grass in front of him, but, after momentarily bobbling the ball, he simply fell on it.
The Razorbacks were now in prime position to finish off their amazing comeback with possession at the OSU 17. Mallet's 1st down pass was dropped by D.J. Williams. It was the Hogs' 6th drop of the night. On 2nd down, the Buckeyes brought a blitz and Mallet, feeling the heat, flipped the ball into the left flat and into the waiting arms of Solomon Thomas. The 5th member of the tattoo scandal cradled the ball to his chest and fell to the ground.
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| ... Solomon Thomas... cradled the ball to his chest and fell to the ground... |
As confetti rained down during the postgame celebration, Terrelle Pryor accepted the Sugar Bowl's MVP trophy and told Ohio State fans how sorry he was for the off-field problems. This scene may have been nauseating to people around the country, but to members of Buckeye Nation, the moment symbolized a victory that Pryor and his team desperately needed.
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| ... As confetti rained down... Terrelle Pryor... |
Offensive Player of the Game
Terrelle Pryor: 14-25 (completions-attempts), 221 yards, 2 touchdowns, 0 interceptions; 15 carries, 115 yards
Terrelle Pryor definitely has his shortcomings but it is hard to argue with his 2 most recent BCS performances. A year ago, in the Rose Bowl against Oregon, Pryor amassed 337 yards of total offense as he led the Buckeyes to a decisive win. 368 days later, Pryor compiled 336 and another victory.
Defensive Player of the Game
Cameron Heyward: 6 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, 1 pass break-up, 1 sack
Some so-called "experts" believe Cameron Heyward is too short to be a dominant player in the NFL.
Arkansas, undoubtedly, would beg to differ.
Heyward led an all-out assault on Ryan Mallet that resulted in 4 sacks of the Hogs' quarterback.
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| Cameron Heyward |
Play of the Game
Solomon Thomas's interception in the 4th quarter
The most important play of the game.
The most important play of the season.
Enough said.
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