They told us again and again and again that he wasn’t going to be a great linebacker. He’s too small. He’s overrated. He’s not even a good linebacker.
But enough about what Penn State fans think.
Every game I watched, Little Animal got better and better. And when I was there for his final home game as a Buckeye, he was one angry dude.
November 22, 2008 – Michigan starts their first possession at the Ohio State 13 yard line following an interception. But the Ohio State defense is especially fired up, because well after the interception had ended, a Wolverine took a cheap shot on Terrelle Pryor, and everybody saw it (except for seven guys wearing black and white stripes).
Laurinaitis, as the leader of the defense, took it upon himself to shut down this short drive. He pumped his fists in the air to motivate the home crowd, and then took over.
On first down, he busted the middle of the line up and held Carlos Brown to a 2-yard gain.
On second down, he stayed back in coverage as the rest of the linebacking crew blitzed and sacked Nick Sheridan for a two yard loss.
On third down, a rattled Michigan line could not get set, and a lineman jumped early for a five yard penalty.
On the ensuing third down and 15, Sheridan went back for a pass and had to rush it as Laurinaitis blitzed him from the right side. He went in untouched, and as Sheridan tried to throw the ball, Animal hit him high, chest-to-chest, and took the QB off his feet and stayed on him, driving him into the ground. The pass sailed 15 yards over everybody’s heads and brought up 4th down.
Michigan missed the field goal, and the Wolverines’ day was practically over. Final score – 42-7. Laurinaitis had been very efficient in ending UM’s only real threat of the afternoon. From that moment on, the defense controlled everything, the crowd was on fire, and it was only a matter of time before Beanie Wells and LeBron in Cleats (LIC)* ran up the score.
James Laurinaitis, this is your day.
33 day until kickoff!
* – LIC is a written copyright of Eleven Warriors, but we have expressed written consent to use the title.
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