As this much hyped, at least by Ohio State vs. Purdue standards, game closed in, I was reminded of Holy Buckeye. For those that are unfamiliar, Holy Buckeye was a 4th and 1 long touchdown pass by Craig Krenzel to Michael Jenkins that covered 37 yards. I remember reading or hearing that at the half of that 10-6 snooze fest, 50% of Columbus was watching. By the end, 98% was. I don’t know if that’s accurate, but the legend of the play has stood the test of time. I thought to myself as I reminisced this great win, Ohio State’s greatest win really might have come against Purdue.
While Ohio State has had much success and a couple national titles since the turn of century, the 90s and 80s were mostly good success, major disappointment for Ohio State fans. From 1969 to 2001, Ohio State had multiple all time great teams that couldn’t close the deal on a national championship. The Bucks were coming off a 2-10-1 streak against Michigan under John Cooper, where the evilest of villains dashed many of those title hopes. Illinois, Michigan State, and Wisconsin also took their shots. Even Indiana ended dreams of a Big Ten championship in those years. Purdue and Drew Brees also took a shot. After the game was going so poorly for so long, nearly all Buckeye fans were expecting the worst. Sweater Vest Tressel was going to call a run up the middle, where a overly talented Ohio State team should get the yard against an over-matched Purdue squad, only to be stymied and the end of the 2002 run.
Then Holy Buckeye, another major win against Michigan, and an improbable win against the Miami Hurricanes, and Ohio State set the stage for the success of the next nearly 20 years. Can Ohio State produce another miracle again? We’ll watch and see.
What I am more interested in is your favorite teams biggest win that didn’t include a championship or rivalry type of game. Let me know in the comments. Also, cross your fingers as the people’s champs struggle.