Buckeye Back Talk
Sound off!
Got photos?
- Rob Oller (OSU sports in general and updates during OSU football games): @rollerOSU | Rob's updates | Rob's Twitter page
- Ken Gordon (OSU football): @kgordonosu | Ken's updates | Ken's Twitter page
- Bob Baptist (OSU men's basketball): @BBaptistHoops | Bob's updates | Bob's Twitter page
Video
Dispatch/OSU Tweets
In the end, though, the Southern California Trojans proved that underneath all that loosey-goosey exterior, they have hard hearts.
In true Hollywood style, they took it upon themselves to rewrite a script that seemed at first to include a happy ending for the hosts.
Trailing by five with 7:15 left in the game, the third-ranked Trojans dashed the hopes of a record Ohio Stadium crowd by driving 86 yards to win it, 18-15.
Stafon Johnson bolted around right end untouched for 2 yards and the go-ahead score with 1:15 left, and Matt Barkley threw a two-point conversion pass to running back Joe McKnight.
When USC (2-0) knocked down the desperation heave from OSU quarterback Terrelle Pryor moments later, the Trojans once again were frolicking, skipping merrily off up the ramp to celebrate.
Meanwhile, the crowd of 106,033 sat glumly. OSU's reign as national punching bag in the big games continued. It is the eighth-ranked Buckeyes' sixth-straight loss to a top-10 team.
All that work, all the hope of the past 2 1/2 hours, slipped away in the span of 14 plays.
And it was the freshman phenom Barkley who engineered it, in his second collegiate start.
He completed a 21-yard dump-off to McKnight, getting USC out of its own end.
He followed that immediately with a 26-yarder down the seam to Anthony McCoy. The Trojans were in OSU territory with 4:30 left.
On third-and-nine, Barkley found Williams, who was tackled a foot shy of the first-down marker.
For the third time in the game, Barkley converted by calling his own number and bulling forward.
USC had a fresh set of downs at the OSU 26. McKnight gained 4, then used his trademark cutback move for 7 yards and a first down at the Buckeyes' 15 as the clocked ticked under 2:00.
Two plays later, McKnight slipped through a crease off left tackle and squirted to the 5.
On first down, Barkley again pushed up the middle and the pile almost 3 yards. From there, Johnson skipped around the end for the winner.
Ohio State led 10-7 but then squandered numerous opportunities.
Leading 10-7 early in the second period, Ohio State's offense went dormant with three straight three-and-outs and failed to capitalize on several good opportunities -- including a turnover, missed field-goal attempt and short punt.
Early in the third quarter, with USC pinned at its 10, OSU defensive end Thaddeus Gibson first pressured Barkley into throwing it away, and then tipped a Barkley third-down pass.
On the punt, the snap was high and through Billy O'Malley's hands and out the back of the end zone for a safety. OSU took the lead 12-10.
DeVier Posey's 24-yard return of the free kick set up the Buckeyes at the USC 42. Pryor found tailback Brandon Saine for 20 yards, then Posey for 10 to get OSU down to the 5.
A third-down pass into the end zone went off Dane Sanzenbacher's hands, and Aaron Pettrey's 22-yard field goal stretched the lead to 15-10 at the end of three quarters.
As the game opened, it looked at first as if Pryor was channeling his predecessor, Todd Boeckman, who threw a disastrous interception/touchdown to a USC linebacker (Rey Maualuga) in last year's loss.
Three plays into the game, Pryor underthrew a pass into the left flat that linebacker Chris Galippo snagged, then raced 51 yards.
The Trojans gained only 1 yard in three plays. But on fourth down Johnson bolted up the middle for a 7-0 lead.
OSU then showed some fight, though, driving 72 yards to tie it midway through the first period. The key play was a 56-yard catch-and-run from Pryor to Sanzenbacher down the middle, to the USC 3.
Herron bulled over the left side for the TD.
The Buckeyes forced two straight three-and-outs, then used a 34-yard Pryor pass to Posey to get down to the 1 as the quarter ended.
Unlike his counterpart, Tressel chose to take the chip-shot field goal, and OSU took a 10-7 lead on the first play of the second quarter.
Pryor out-passed Barkley in the first quarter, 120 yards to 1.
No comments:
Post a Comment