T1B

Ohio State loses No. 1 ranking after falling to Michigan State
RECAP: Unranked Spartans dash national championship dreams of Buckeyes, 28-21

By Dave Denicke
Daily Bruin Contributor
Monday, November 9, 1998

And then there were three.

Well before the Bruins shut the door on Oregon State, another OSU was fighting for its survival.

The Ohio State Buckeyes, ranked No. 1 in virtually every poll known to man, watched a 24-9 lead slip further and further away.

By the time the clouds lifted over Columbus, the Michigan State Spartans proved to be the better team, using an interception by cornerback Renaldo Hill on the goal line to stop the Buckeyes 28-24.

"I had to throw earlier than I wanted to, so I put some air under it, just to try to let him run under it,"Ohio State quarterback Joe Germaine said. "I guess their feet got tangled up just a little bit and he made the play on it. That's how the game goes."

Along with that interception, the Buckeyes lost four fumbles, including two by Germaine. The Michigan State defense tenaciously blitzed the top team in the nation, and held an offense that was averaging over 500 yards a game to only 353.

After yielding 17 points in the first quarter, the only scoring OSU could muster on the Spartans was a defensive touchdown, as Damon Moore sprinted 73 yards on an interception return, which gave Ohio State a 24-9 lead with 9:51 to play in the third quarter.

"We came in here with the attitude that we were the squirts in the neighborhood who had to pick a fight with the bully," Michigan State coach Nick Saban said.

Julian Peterson sparked the Spartan defense when he replaced injured defensive star Robaire Smith in the first quarter. Peterson caused two fumbles, both of which resulted in Michigan State scores.

The defense came up big again with 3:33 remaining in the fourth quarter. T.J. Turner, Sorie Kanu and Josh Thornhill stopped Ohio State's Joe Montgomery for no gain on a crucial fourth-and-one at the Spartans' 26, forcing a turnover on downs.

Offensively, quarterback Bill Burke paced MSU, throwing 46 times for 326 yards. Unable to run the ball effectively, the four-touchdown underdogs went to the air, especially to wideout Plaxico Burress, who traveled 125 yards on just four receptions.

Kicker Paul Edinger added five field goals for the Spartans, a Michigan State record.

"It's the kind of thing you'll never forget," said Burke. "It's a game you like to play in, that you dream about as a kid."

With the win, Michigan State became only the second unranked team this decade to defeat a No. 1. The last time came in 1990, when the Spartans defeated Michigan 28-27.

As a result, Ohio State has fallen out of the top spot in the polls. Both the AP and the ESPN coaches poll plummeted the Buckeyes down to number 7.

"This hurts a lot," receiver Dee Miller said. "Every time we'd break (a huddle) we did it by saying, 'national champs.' Today, after the game we just said, 'hard work.' It hurts."

Bobby42 wrote:Javon Ringer, their starting running back, has 438 yards with 7.2 yards per carry.

MgoBlue-LightSpecial wrote:MSU is good for one gigantic upset a year.

ND avoided it.

Michigan avoided it.

And uhh, OSU will avoid it too.

Van wrote:

MgoBlue-LightSpecial wrote:MSU is good for one gigantic upset a year.

ND avoided it.

Michigan avoided it.

And uhh, OSU will avoid it too.

Quit looking at me like that.

Sincerely,
Indiana

FLW Buckeye wrote:^^^^

I agree. No letdowns. The sweater-vested warrior will have them ready to play.

Buckeyes Not Taking Spartans Lightly

By RUSTY MILLER
AP Sports Writer
Oct 10, 5:58 PM EDT

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) -- All signs point to a mismatch when downtrodden Michigan State welcomes No. 1 Ohio State to town Saturday.

The Buckeyes aren't buying into it, even against a team that has lost its last three games. Besides their regular classwork this week, they're getting a heavy dose of history from alumni and former players.

Twice before, a top-ranked Ohio State team has been a heavy favorite against a Michigan State squad seemingly on the skids. But in 1974 and again in 1998, Michigan State pulled off stunning upsets to ruin perfect seasons for the Buckeyes.

"What's important is you point out the facts," coach Jim Tressel said Tuesday. "The facts are that when Ohio State and Michigan State get together - whether you're talking about the years we were No. 1 and got knocked off, or last year when we're down 17-7 getting ready to go down 24-7 - perspective is very important."

The Buckeyes were 8-0 and topped the polls in 1974 when they traveled to East Lansing, Mich. Michigan State was a disappointing 4-3-1.

In that game, Levi Jackson's 88-yard run with 3:17 left gave the Spartans a 16-13 lead. Ohio State, which featured an star-filled lineup, including two-time Heisman Trophy winner Archie Griffin at tailback, marched to the Michigan State 5 before fullback Champ Henson burrowed within inches of the goal line with 29 seconds left. Defenders took their time getting up and there was some confusion on the Ohio State sideline before the ball was finally snapped, slipping through the legs of quarterback Cornelius Greene. Wingback Brian Baschnagel picked up the loose ball and went into the end zone.

Field judge Robert Dagenhart signaled that time had expired, while head linesman Ed Scheck ruled Baschnagel had scored.

The teams went into the locker rooms and 46 minutes later - after consulting with the officials - Big Ten commissioner Wayne Duke ruled that time had expired before the final play and that Michigan State had won.

In 1998, Ohio State was unbeaten with no team coming closer than 17 points - the same as this year's team - when it took on Michigan State. The Spartans were 26 1/2-point underdogs and trailed 24-9 in the third quarter before mounting a furious comeback behind quarterback Bill Burke, wide receiver Plaxico Burress and placekicker Paul Edinger to take a 28-24 lead.

The Buckeyes, averaging 38 points a game, drove deep in MSU territory in the final minute but four passes by Joe Germaine fell incomplete to end the game.

"We had a great team that season. And we ended up having a great season, finishing with an 11-1 record, a win in the Sugar Bowl and a No. 3 ranking," said Gary Berry, a safety on that Ohio State team. "But that (the MSU game) is the only game I can think about, the only game I can remember. ... That was one of the best teams to ever come through Ohio State, but we lost that game and that's what haunts me."

The current Buckeyes say they'll take note.

"I just know history has a tendency to repeat itself," Ohio State defensive tackle Quinn Pitcock said. "So we are going to look back and try to understand the situations of those games and try to learn from them. We'll definitely look over them."

Just a year ago, Michigan State led 17-7 and was driving in Ohio State territory in the final seconds of the half. The Spartans elected to kick a field goal on the last play of the half, but there was a substitution mix-up on John Goss' 35-yard attempt. The kick was blocked by Nate Salley, with Ashton Youboty scooping it up and returning it 72 yards for a touchdown.

The Spartans never recovered, falling 35-24 despite not permitting Ohio State to run a play on Michigan State's half of the field until there were just over 5 minutes left in the game.

Ohio State's players say they've learned from those earlier upsets and last year's close call.

"We're not going to fall apart," tight end Rory Nichol said. "We understand what's ahead of us. We're not going to walk into that stadium thinking we're bigger or better than anybody. I can't see that happening."

Berry added a fitting postscript.

"What I learned that day is that anybody can be beaten," he said.