If Ohio State was out to impress tough-to-please poll voters or even themselves Saturday, then the 33-23 victory over Michigan State was its most definitive statement this season.
But one way or another, it will take at least two more weeks for the defending national champs to unload that hefty chip from their shoulders.
The Buckeyes (9-1, 5-1 Big Ten) moved into a three-way tie with Purdue and idle Michigan atop the conference standings and, in the ultimate example of controlling one’s destiny, face both the Boilermakers (at home) and the Wolverines (in Ann Arbor) the next two Saturdays.
“There’s a sense of urgency in everything we’re doing,” said Ohio State quarterback Craig Krenzel, who had his most impressive performance of the season, throwing three touchdown passes after leaving last week’s game with a concussion. “November performance is what everyone remembers.
“We’re at a point where we have two games left and we may as well not have played the first 10 because it’s going to come down to these last two.”
Krenzel forced coach Jim Tressel to stick with him until the outcome was all but determined after Tressel had said he planned on platooning Krenzel and fellow senior Scott McMullen
“I don’t think there’s any question who our starting quarterback is,” Tressel said of Krenzel, who rushed for 33 yards on seven carries in the first quarter before falling into a passing rhythm when he connected with tight end Ben Hartsock and flanker Santonio Holmes on 17- and 37-yard scoring passes in the second quarter.
Ohio State kicker Mike Nugent booted field goals of 44, 24, 42 and 18 yards–the last three in the second half–and Krenzel found his other tight end, Ryan Hamby, on a 2-yard touchdown pass in the third quarter to keep the Spartans at bay.
In addition, tailback Lydell Ross came to life in the second half with 116 yards on 18 carries to give the Buckeyes a boost of self-confidence they sorely needed for an offense ranked 99th in the nation.
“I wasn’t motivated by being replaced,” Krenzel said. “I was motivated that offensively we haven’t done as well as we should have all year. We know coming down the stretch, we’re going to need to put some points on the board.”
Conversely, Michigan State quarterback Jeff Smoker got little help from a team that committed nine penalties for 71 yards in the first half and finished with just 5 yards rushing for the game on 17 attempts.
Still, Smoker kept the Spartans within striking distance with school records for completions (35) and attempts (55) that were good for 351 yards and two touchdowns.
His first of two interceptions on the day, however, gave the Buckeyes the ball on the Spartans’ 28-yard line early in the second quarter, and that led to Hartsock’s touchdown catch for a 17-7 Ohio State lead.
Ohio State opened the second-half scoring when Krenzel hit Hamby for a 2-yard score. But DeAndra Cobb returned the ensuing kickoff 93 yards for the school’s record third touchdown return this season to keep the Buckeyes within a touchdown, 24-17.
Nugent’s three second-half field goals kept the second-largest Ohio Stadium crowd in history (105,194) in relative comfort and left the Spartans (7-3, 4-2) seeking consolation after dreams of a near-miracle turnaround season all but vanished.
“That championship is out of our reach,” Michigan State’s first-year coach John L. Smith said of a Big Ten title that once seemed impossible after a disastrous 4-8 in 2002. “If you have two losses, you’re not going to win this. . . . But we still have an opportunity to do something special.”
The No. 7-ranked Buckeyes, meanwhile, still face a high hurdle in trying to get past No. 1 and undefeated Oklahoma and No. 2 USC.
Yet after a week in which Ohio State fans complained and Buckeyes players chipped in with criticism of a national title system they find untenable, Tressel pleaded ignorance when asked about No. 6 Miami losing.
“Miami, Florida?” Tressel said. “Who did they play?”
“Tennessee,” he was told.
“Good win,” a distracted coach said. “[But] I was a little busy this afternoon.”
