Well, my Spartans did it again, winning our game over the weekend against the (previously) undefeated defending national champions; in Columbus, no less. The Las Vegas types had installed us as 14-point underdogs, which, considering that we were ranked in the Top Ten going into the game, was a pretty stunning spread. Suffice it to say, we weren't widely expected to win.
But win we did. The final score was 17-14 in our favor, and we didn't actually hold the lead until the field goal that won the game on the final play. But honestly, we fairly dominated the game, pretty much from start to finish. If we hadn't turned the ball over twice, they might not have scored at all.
[As an aside, I didn't get to actually watch much of the game; 7M's high school team was playing in the state semi-finals an hour's drive from OurTown (or, it would normally be an hour's drive; in five inches of snow, it became more like two, at least on the homeward leg), and Jenn and I went to watch that. Alas, they lost; their game was closer and more competitive than the final score would indicate, but our kids just made too many mistakes against a really good team (memo to the opposing coach - when you're ahead by 22 with 3 minutes to play, and you run a trick play to score again, that's. . . how shall I say it? . . . a real no-class move; I'd like to use more, um, colorful language, but you know, just sayin').]
So we only got to see the 4th quarter of the Spartan game on TV. And I was just stunned to see our offensive line getting a 2-yard push on virtually every snap. You're not supposed to be able to do that to the mighty Buckeyes, but there it was.
Since Urban Meyer has been the Ohio State coach, his Buckeyes have lost exactly two conference games - two years ago in the league championship game, to my Spartans, and now this past weekend, their first regular-season loss in the Big Ten under coach Meyer (over nearly four full seasons!), again to my Spartans. Memo to the other twelve teams in the Big Ten - come on, you guys, somebody besides us has to figure out how to beat these guys. . .
So now, possibilities open up for us, just a bit. If we win our game next Saturday, we'll be Big Ten East Division champs, and then we'll play Iowa for the overall league championship. If we win that, we stand a decent chance of getting an invite to the 4-team national championship playoff (and if we hadn't sleep-walked our way to a loss at Nebraska, it would be more than merely a 'decent' chance; *sigh*). So, woo-hoo!, and all that. . .
And then there's this fascinating little tidbit from our two big rivalry-game wins this season - we beat both Michigan and Ohio State, and in those two games combined, the total amount of time that my Spartans were actually in the lead was - exactly zero. We never led either game, until the winning points were scored on the final play of the game. . .
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Go Sparty!
ReplyDeleteI can say that because the chances of either of my brothers-in-law seeing it are really, really slim.
There is no way a HS coach should run the score up against any opponent one his team is seeded in the playoffs.
Then again, I'm not a big fan of playoffs because it reeks of commercialism, greed, and becomes less about the game and kids and more about the adults administering the system.
'Nuff said.
Again, congrats to your team(s).
Yeah, they probably don't surf many Sparty blogs, eh?
DeleteMaybe the playoffs are different in Cali; my sense of them here is just sort of a distillation of the best of high school football in Michigan. But then, I had zero exposure to the playoffs at all until 7M, so what do I know?
;)
Welp, I was waiting for this.....and I actually DID watch the entire game, as I was on the couch all weekend.....
ReplyDeleteMy husband has thought the Bucks have played poorly all season and the only reason we've been undefeated has been luck. Our luck ran out Saturday. As hubby said, "You don't play to not lose. You play to win!"
Next weekend should be interesting.
Well, you know, before the season started, MSU and OSU were supposed to be just head-and-shoulders better than everyone else in the Big Ten. I hadn't paid that much attention to the Buckeyes, but we had been, um, underperforming all season. We had a bunch of injuries to our offensive line, so that was definitely part of it, but we'd been struggling to beat teams that shouldn't have been close to our level. Or at least, so we thought.
DeleteAnd yeah, when Penn State comes into East Lansing next Saturday, the place should be rockin', baby! I guess there's a second-place game going on down the road. At least, that's what I hear. . .
I saw most of that game and they totally outplayed The Ohio State.
ReplyDeleteCongrats to your son, making the semi's is a big deal. A trick play in that situation is not only Bush League, it is stupid because it will make it a less effective play in their championship game.
Yeah, that's what amazed me - the way we were just knocking 'em off the ball every play. Guess our O-line is getting healthy at just the right time. . .
DeleteBeing in the semis was nice. Last year, we played the same team (the one that just beat us in the semis) in the Finals at Ford Field in Detroit (where the Lions play). We really wanted to get back there, but alas. . .
The enduring problem with your scenario is the win over Michigan, I'm afraid. As astounding and fun as that was, I'm betting many viewed it as a game you should have lost. I think you'll have to put a beating on PSU and Iowa. It will help if Iowa is still undefeated when you met them, of course. And then I think you might need two or three other top fours to lose. Then again, I thought Rand Paul had a shot at the presidency, so what do I know?
ReplyDeleteYou mean beating OSU in Columbus with our backup quarterbacks wasn't impressive enough?
DeleteHonestly, I understand what you're saying, and I get it, to a degree. On the other hand, Notre Dame is getting a ton of credit for a close loss to Clemson; so which is better?
See, I think (and this is the good ol' Spartan complex showing thru, I'm sure) that certain 'golden programs' get twice as much credit for doing half as much. If it goes the other way, and Michigan pulls a win over us out from between their butt-cheeks, people would still be talking about how Michigan 'refused to lose'; but for us, it's 'a game we should have lost'. Likewise Notre Dame; I think the committee wants to move heaven and earth to get ND into the playoff, just because they're ND, and if it comes down to a choice between us and ND, we're screwed.
But, wins over Penn State and (hopefully undefeated) Iowa are all we can do on our own behalf, and those will be challenging enough. . .
You're correct, of course. An SEC team will always make it, for instance. I've long thought the playoff should come down to the champions of the so-called "Power 5" conferences, plus three wild cards of the committee's choosing. No BIG conference gets left out, there's room for an amazing showing by a team or two from a smaller conference, and a truly good team from a BIG conference that may have lost a close game to one of the champions could still get in.
DeleteAnd, of course, as soon as I shoot off my electronic mouth, we vault over Notre Dame in the rankings (which, let it be understood, mean nothing until it comes down to who actually plays the games). And with Iowa and my Spartans at 4/5, it sure looks like the committee is setting up for the Big Ten champs to be in the playoff. . .
DeleteBut we absolutely agree regarding the 8-team field. Of course, on one level it only drives the squabbling down to the 9-10-11 spots, but at least all of the 'Power 5' champs will be in, instead of the churning over which of them got screwed. And, I like to say, you're that much less likely to leave out a team that might've beat your champion. . .
Cool beans, hope your guys go far for ya this year
ReplyDeleteWe're just enjoyin' the ride, my friend. . . Not a place with which we've been familiar. . .
DeleteBut wouldn't mind if it became one. . .
;)