[NU Sports] FORTY DAYS OF FOOTBALL: Day 16

[SjT (Stephen J. Truog)]

Wildcat practice is under way and we're nearing the midpoint of the countdown ... is the purple pulsating through your veins yet? Here we go!

FORTY DAYS OF FOOTBALL
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> DAYS 1-10: The top coaches of the decade

10) Glen Mason, Minnesota
09) Bret Bielema, Wisconsin
08) Pat Fitzgerald, Northwestern
07) Barry Alvarez, Wisconsin
06) Randy Walker, Northwestern
05) Lloyd Carr, Michigan
04) Kirk Ferentz, Iowa
03) Joe Tiller, Purdue
02) Joe Paterno, Penn State
01) Jim Tressel, Ohio State

> DAYS 11-20: The top games of the decade

10) 2000: Purdue 32, Michigan 31
09) 2001: Michigan State 26, Michigan 24
08) 2005: Michigan 27, Penn State 25
07) 2003: Minnesota 37, Wisconsin 34
06) 2004: Northwestern 33, Ohio State 27 (OT)

> DAYS 21-30: The top players of the decade
> DAYS 31-40: The top teams of the decade

And a quick reminder of the "rules" ...

- No bowl games
- Only conference games
- No "repeats" (i.e. only one Michigan vs. OSU game)

Back to the list ... our first five games were all won on the final play. The next one wasn't quite won by the offense scoring at the end ... it was sealed by the defense. Better yet, it determined the Big Ten champ (each of the final five saw the winner head on to at least a share of the conference crown).

TOP GAMES
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5) 2008: Penn State 13, Ohio State 6

It's no secret that Michigan vs. Ohio State is THE rivalry when it comes to the Big Ten as well as nationally. And while nothing will ever surpass that game in college football lore, the border war between Penn State and Ohio State has become the most important game in the Big Ten during the last half of the decade, with the teams sharing the past five titles.

Paterno and Tressel have played some entertaining games in the last decade, from the 29-27 back-and-forth 2001 game in Happy Valley ... to the 2002 slopfest that saw OSU scrape by at home as they seemed to do all season ... to the big 2005 tussel in Happy Valley that saw the Nittany Lions prove to a massive national audience that they were back on the national scene with a 17-10 raw-knuckle slugfest in front of the PSU White Out to reinvigorate the rivalry.

But just like a playoff series, things don't get really interesting until the challenger knocks out the champ at their place. Ohio Stadium had been almost as effective in its role as JoePa kryptonite as Lloyd Carr, and the Lions had not won in the Horseshoe since 1978. So the stage was set for a colossal contest when No. 3 and undefeated Penn State came to Columbus for homecoming on a late October night in front of a record crowd to face No. 9 and one-loss Ohio State.

If you love good defense, you loved this game. Unlike the 2002 mud bowl, the weather was perfect and it was just two solid units of defenders making great play after great play. The score was knotted at 3-3 for the half and the Buckeyes held a 6-3 edge entering the final quarter. Neither team would top 300 yards on the evening and as the fourth began, neither had a turnover. PSU's quarterback Daryll Clark had been knocked out of the game and fans watching could almost hear the strains of Phil Collins' "In the Air Tonight" in the background as we settled in for the final 15 minutes under the lights in a tension-packed game that was even in just about every way.

The electricity could be cut with a knife and on this night of defense, it was fitting that the D would stand for difference. Ohio State quarterback Terrelle Pryor took the snap on a 3rd and 1 at midfield when Lions defensive back Mark Rubin knocked the ball out of his hands as he rolled toward the first down. Penn State recovered at Ohio State's 38 yard line and PSU's game - and JoePa's fortunes in Columbus - took a turn for the better.

Backup quarterback Pat Devlin came off the bench for a woozy Clark and led a 4-minute drive that had to fight like heck for every yard, finally scoring on a one-yard plunge with just over 6 minutes remaining.

The Lions added a field goal with a minute remaining to go up 13-6, but the Buckeyes drove into Lion territory with one final chance when the defense came up Roses again and intercepted Pryor in the end zone on the game's final meaningful play. Penn State went on to stumble at Iowa, but still win the league title before falling to a tough SC squad in the Rose Bowl. Ohio State won out in the regular season to technically tie PSU at the top and earned a bid in the Fiesta Bowl, where they took No. 3 Texas to the gun before coming up short 24-21.

The stakes don't get much higher than this game, and if you loved good old fashioned helmet-on-helmet football, this was your highlight of the decade as two titans slugged it out for a spot in Pasadena and it came down to a defensive hit to force a turnover and a backup quarterback making the most of his chance on the big stage. You gotta love it!

Coming Wednesday: Our second overtime game in the countdown.

GO CATS!!!
-SjT

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STEPHEN J. TRUOG
sjtruog at yahoo.com
GO CATS!!! GEAUX SAINTS!!!
Super Bowl XLIV Champions!
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