Ohio State Beats Michigan 42-39

The college football championship game was played on Saturday between Ohio State and Michigan. The NCAA and the media didn’t call it that, because that would let on what a fraud the “post-season” of college football is. Nonetheless, with number-one ranked Ohio State winning 42-39 over second ranked Michigan, one can guarantee that the final rankings will see OSU on top. Hyped as the “Game of the Century,” it did live up to its billing, after all the century is only about 5 years old.

There was a pall cast over the game with the death of Michigan’s grand old man of football, Bo Schembechler. Coach Schembechler passed away on Friday, and it was a pity he wasn’t able to see it. It was the kind of game he would have loved, even if he and arch-rival (and grade-A jackass) Woody Hayes weren’t running the show anymore. The 105,708 fans in the Midwest, showing the class that usually eludes fans on either coast, stood as his picture was shown. “Michigan has lost a coach and patriarch,” the announcer stated before the game. “The Big Ten has lost a legend and icon. Ohio State has lost an alumnus and friend.” The cheering came from both sides.

The game itself was thoroughly watchable, but by halftime, one got the impression that Michigan would wind up a step behind OSU all the way. Troy Smith of OSU lead his team to 503 yards worth of offense by avoiding a one-man-show approach to the game. Ted Ginn Jr. had eight catches for 104 yards; Brian Robiskie had seven catches for 89, and Anthony Gonzalez caught four for 50 yards. Despite three turnovers, Michigan just couldn’t get the job done, quite. They were always close, but wound up having to try on onside kick with two minutes left and trailing by 3.

The BCS approach to determining the college championship is stupid. As much as this journal disapproves of the NCAA and the professional sports leagues using colleges as their farm systems, at least, basketball has a proper tournament to determine the best in the nation. Football will go through all kinds of nonsense to decide who plays OSU in the championship in January. Michigan could, conceivably, get a rematch.

However, Saturday’s game proved to be a pretty solid game with few mistakes made on either side (two botched snaps, though, do stand out). Unlike most alleged “Games of the Century,” it wasn’t a blow out. There was a chance that Michigan could pick up the pace and win it. Now, about the graduation rates – 54% of OSU’s football team graduated in recent years, while 64% of Michigan’s players do. Michigan wins.

© Copyright 2006 by The Kensington Review, Jeff Myhre, PhD, Editor. No part of this publication may be reproduced without written consent. Produced using Fedora Linux.

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