Our Honor Defend

We’re kind of grateful that no one reads this yet, since we have no doubt this is all poorly written drivel. Alas, starting way back when with this post, we decided to do some kind of recap of the best moments of the 2007 season. Our premise: notwithstanding an avoidable loss to Illinois and, regrettably, with the way the 2007 season ended to yet another SEC team, the 2007 season was quite remarkable considering the Bucks were predicted to finish anywhere from 2nd to 5th in the conference, let alone the country. Last week, I reviewed Awesomeness Moment #4 in all its pro wrestling quality. This week’s awesomeness moment comes from Crappy Happy Valley.

03. Buckeyes blowout Penn State

This, like the Washington game before it, was another vogue pick for interested observers of college football who, for one reason or the other, had a keen interest in us losing. With Washington no longer as the measuring stick for the Buckeyes (because the Buckeyes won), and with Sparty, the week before, no longer as the appropriate measurement of how good the Buckyes are (because the Buckeyes won), the Penn State game in late October was the third such real measurement of how good the Buckeyes were. After all, Beaver Stadium was the site of the last Big Ten loss for the Buckeyes¹. An always electric crowd in a hostile stadium would surely be the tomb for the Buckeyes national title hopes.

That said, the game didn’t exactly start out so hot for the Buckeyes. A long drive stalled to begin the game, resulting in a 50yd FG for Pretorius (which was pretty remarkable at the time). That said, the Buckeyes, whose defense hadn’t allowed a first possession score to that point, gave up a 78yd touchdown drive on the next series.

For all intents and purposes, that was as good as it would get for the Nittany Lions.

The Bucks responded the next series with a 6 play 80yd TD drive, culminating a touchdown pass to Brian Robiskie, Boeckman’s first of three touchdown passes this game. 60 yards of that drive came from a Ray Small catch and run. Penn State would punt to the Ohio State 9, from which Boeckman would lead the Bucks on a 91yd TD drive over the next 7 minutes. Bruising runs by the Wellses brought the Bucks into the red zone, where a 10yd holding penalty looked to jeopardize the Bucks drive. Now 3rd and 14, Boeckman connected with OHD-favourite Brian Hartline on a misdirection screen pass, where smart running and excellent downfield blocking resulted in the Buckeye touchdown. We still don’t know what was the best part of that drive: A) the great running by the Wellses B) smart QB play by Boeckman C) responding to a drive-killing holding penalty with a touchdown toss on the next play or D) Alex Boone hurdling 6’3 Brian Hartline at the end of the play. D looks like the popular option.

With the score 17-7 Buckeyes at the half, the Buckeye defense would come out of the intermission locking down the Penn State offense to the tune of 116 second half yards. Vernon Gholston and Cameron Heyward, in particular, were nightmares for the Penn State offensive line. Gholston may have had the defensive play of the game — pictured above, albeit in the first quarter — by pulling up and running around the Lions offensive line, blowing past Nader Abdallah who had also broken through and had inside position, and running down Anthony Morelli for a 7yd sack in a terrifying sequence befitting of calling in the National Guard. Later in the game, his defensive pressure forced the Morelli pick that Jenkins ran back for the touchdown. Freeman also had a great night with 14 tackles, Jenkins had a pick-six and Kurt Coleman forced a fumble late in the game picked up by Donald Washington.

The real story, though, was the offense led by Todd Boeckman, who, after his game, was receiving some Heisman consideration. Granted, we knew this wouldn’t last, and indeed, this was probably the only “great” game of his season, but he was no doubt exceptional. On the Bucks’ first drive of the second half, with the situation 3rd and 2 on the Penn State 15 in a probable 4th down situation, the Todd connected with TE Rory Nicol in the end zone in a brilliant play call, marking the end of the offensive display for the Bucks. Ohio State would tack on two FGs and Jenkins’ pick-six to top out at 37 points for the game. Boeckman finished 19/26, 253yds and 3 touchdowns to one interception. The Wellses — Beanie and Maurice — combined for 188 yards on the ground.

The end result of the Buckeyes third such real measuring stick? A 37-17 thrashing of the Nittany Lions in front of Beaver Stadium’s second largest-ever crowd. The score made more respectable by another kickoff return for a TD after a Pretorius FG. Several Bucks claimed different sources of motivation. For Barton, it was The Best Damn Band in the Land, who were so rudely treated in 2005²

“Real quick before I go on, I just want to say we dedicated this to our band, well, that’s something I came up with because they couldn’t come back after they had like piss bombs and blood balls thrown at them last year, so this is for our band. It’s not all Penn State fans, it only takes a couple, but it spoils the whole experience of college football for our band. Just let them know we’re thinking about them (the band).”

For OHD-favourite Brian Hartline, it was the inevitability that college football pundits would try to qualify even this victory.

“Everyone is giving us a lack of credit just because of our schedule, supposedly,” Hartline said. “I’m sure somehow they’ll figure out Penn State isn’t that good or something. But we’re all right, we’ll keep chugging.”

The Bucks were truly motivated for that game. Whatever the motivation, the performance for that game was exceptional all around, and deserving of the #3 slot for unbelievable awesomeness in the 2007 season.

1. Vico still refuses to talk about this game, true story. [↩]
2. We know a member of that marching band who was harassed and groped, in her words, by Penn State’s fans [↩]