Ah, Anthony Gonzalez….we do love you so.
The picture you see here was taken in the first two minutes of the game in 2004. The struggling Buckeyes were not expected to do much against #7 Michigan, but nobody told that to the boys in the uniforms. Gonzalez caught a 68-yard pass early on for a TD, and we spent the rest of the day steamrolling the Wolverines 37-21.
Oh, and we haven’t lost to them since then either.
But the play we want to focus on more at The BBC happened one year later. Let’s take you there…..
November 19, 2005 – With only 7 and a half minutes to play, Michigan fans were in celebration mode after their team took a commanding 21-12 lead over the Buckeyes. But Ohio State was prepared to show Wolverine fans that the party wasn’t started yet.
It took just 5 plays and barely over a minute of the game clock for QB Troy Smith to go down the field for a TD strike to Santonio Holmes, cutting the deficit down to 21-19. The ensuing Michigan drive stalled quickly, but a punt pinned Ohio State at their own 12 with just over 4 minutes left in the game.
The Buckeyes never even faced a third down on that winning drive, as Smth, Holmes and Ted Ginn Jr sliced through the defense in 6-to-11 yard chunks.
And then it happened.
At the Michigan 31 yard line, the Buckeyes lined up for first down. Ten seconds later, nobody could believe what they had just witnessed –
Smith dancing away from a tackle was a work of art, and Gonzalez’ catch was pure magic.
Being down two points and having a deadly placekicker, the game was all but over. But Jim Tressel didn’t want to leave much time on the clock, so he ran Smith off right tackle to burn some clock (and force Michigan to use their final time out). With under 30 seconds to play, RB Antonio Pittman blasted through a demoralized Michigan squad for the winning score, and the celebration shifted from 105,000 fans in blue to the 5K wearing scarlet.
For that amazing catch, and for a career filled with excitement for Buckeye fans….. Anthony Gonzalez, enjoy your day!
11 days until kickoff!
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