Football
Spartans Have History of Spoiling Number One Seasons for Buckeyes
By John Porentas

If you remember 1974 and 1998, you probably know why OSU's game with Michigan State this weekend is not the "gimme" some people think it is.

In both of those years a number-one ranked Ohio State football team lost to unranked Michigan State and fell from the ranks of the unbeaten, and very likely lost a national championship. In 1998 it happened in Columbus, with the most memorable play occurring when OSU defensive back Nate Clements was hit in the back by a poor punt. The Spartans recovered the kick and that in turn ignited a come-from-behind win that took the Buckeyes out of national championship contention.

The 1977 game was just as disappointing, but probably more bizarre. OSU led13-3 in East Lansing the fourth quarter, but OSU scored twice to take the lead, the last time when MSU running back Levi Jackson went 84 yards on one bolt for a score when defensive back Tim Fox took a wrong angle that allowed Jackson to get the corner and go all the way.

With the Spartans leading 16-13, the Buckeyes then drove the length of the field to about the five-yard line with around a minute to play. OSU fullback Champ Henson appeared to have scored on first down, but was pushed back out of he endzone and the officials spotted the ball on the one-yard line.To this day, Henson swears that he scored. On the next play, OSU wingback Brian Baschnagel recovered a fumble in the endzone for another apparent score, but that touchdown was not allowed either. The game ended with OSU in possession of the football on the one but unable to get off another play.

The end of that game was so controversial and bizarre that the game was not declared official for over 40 minutes after the game. Big Ten commissioner Wayne Duke was in attendance, and according to then-OSU sports information director and broadcaster Marv Holman, the press box was advised to not give a final score until further notice. The PA announcer in the stadium announced that the game was not yet official despite the fact that the officials had left the field as well as both teams. The crowd waited for more-than 40 minutes for the final announcement that the Spartans had indeed won the game. To this day, it isn't really knows who was saying what to whom about those final few plays, but speculation is that Duke was conferring with the officials over their calls in the final minute.

The Buckeyes will travel to East Lansing this weekend for another matchup between a number one OSU team and an unranked MSU team. As in those past similar meetings, the Spartans, who are now a disappointing 3-3, could salvage a season with a win over OSU.

"If we were playing the number one team I'd want to beat them. That's the way to get your season back on the map is to beat the number one team," said OSU offensive lineman Doug Datish.

That should probably be enough incentive for the Spartans, but there's more. MSU's season last year went into the tank when they lost a game in Columbus that they appeared to have in hand when a blocked field goal late in the first half led to a touchdown return by OSU defensive back Ashton Youboty. The play turned the entire game, and MSU's entire season. The Spartans no-doubt remember.

"They had a substitution error and we got lucky and were able to block a field goal and return it for a touchdown," remembered OSU defensive tackle Quinn Pitcock.

Two years ago, MSU played the Buckeyes tough, but Ted Ginn dashed their hopes of a home victory over OSU by scoring three touchdowns, all on spectacular big plays either as a receiver or kick returner.

The history, both recent and not so recent, points to a close game on Saturday, but that game will not be played in the past. What is more likely to come into play is the MSU effort to save a season, and the Buckeye effort to keep a perfect season alive. Neither of those facts have been lost on the Buckeyes.

"It makes it very tough when a team is 3-3. We were in that situation before," said Pitcock remember OSU's 2004 season that was very similar to MSU's. In that year OSU lost three straight to stand at 3-3 before turning their season around. "Their backs are against the wall and they're going to give it their all," Pitcock added.

MSU will have to play a great game on Saturday to pull off another upset of a number-one ranked team, and will probably have to get a break or two. The biggest factor, however, will be the Buckeyes. If they play up to their potential, it will be very much an uphill struggle for the Spartans. The OSU coaching staff has spent some time this week making sure the Buckeyes know the history and are ready to play on Saturday.

"I think it's important to understand the history. Coaches bring up that history does repeat itself. You can learn from the past and understand what the key situations were that changed the games, learn from that and try not to make the same mistakes," said Pitcock.

"History always gets repeated," said history major and OSU center Doug Datish, "and you don't want it repeated on your watch when it's bad. We don't want to let that happen to us this year. We want to go out there to win."

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