Nobody I know predicted that the Ohio State Buckeyes would coast home with a relatively easy win at Texas last night.
I had figured the "Troy Smith Factor" would propel OSU to victory. Experience at quarterback in a big game like this had to be worth a touchdown, and I had told my friends (no, I did not post my prediction here) that I thought the Buckeyes would win by 6 points (I guessed at 27-21) and that the teams would combine for less than 50 points.
What I didn't count on was the Texas offense being so inept. The end result was a 24-7 road win in which even the Longhorns' lone touchdown was tainted. The roughing the passer call on Ohio State defensive end Jay Richardson was clearly bogus. That should have been a field goal instead of a touchdown, and the Longhorns never threatened again, making the second half a bit anti-climactic.
When it counted, especially on big third down plays, the Buckeyes defensive line was able to penetrate and prevent the 'Horns from keeping any drives going. The unsung hero of the game had to be OSU punter A.J. Trapasso, who averaged over 50 yards per kick and constantly backed up the Texas offense.
ESPN.com game story
Posted by dan at September 9, 2006 11:39 PM