Classic The Week That Will Be: Ohio State 2005

This is the second in a series of re-posts of classic columns that I've done through the years.  We'll do this leading all the way up to the BCS National Championship Game on January 7th.  Part II: #2 Texas had opened the season with a wallop of Louisiana-Lafayette, but the Horns could really prove their mettle by beating the #4 Ohio State Buckeyes in their own stadium, and we have to add of course, at night, where they had never lost in those conditions ever before.  A few stars would be born that day night, and some couches would burn in Columbus as well...


 "If you want to beat Ohio State, meet me here every night at 7 p.m.''--Vincent Young

That was one of the famous quotes coming from Vince Young this summer. The second was "Rose Bowl's over, y'all!"

Is it?

Lost in the shuffle of an amazing performance against Michigan on that cool January day in Pasadena was that this team took a step that wasn't as apparent.

It became Vincent's team.

So is it really over, or was it just a transition to a new era, one led by a man among boys who if you hadn't read the comic books and seen that he was white you would swear was Superman?

You've heard all the hype. All the hype about Teddy Ginn, who has yet shown the ability to be a true receiver. All the hype about Troy Smith, who gets paid by the yard up there in Columbus.

Vincent Young is above the hype.

He makes Keith Jackson shake his head. Dan Fouts, a grown man who has seen plenty of football in his lifetime, screams "NO!" when VY eludes a defensive player or 8 on his way to a touchdown.

He's taken his team on his shoulders down by 10 in the 4th quarter of the most important game for the Texas program in years and rallied them back until Dusty Mangum's kick sailed into the sea of burnt orange elation in the south endzone.

To you and I, that was enough. You did well, kid.

Not to Vince.

Rose Bowl's over, y'all!

Because this is his team now, and this team has higher aspirations than just winning a BCS bowl game.

The road to that goal starts Saturday night in Columbus, Ohio before 104,000 fans in one of the most famous venues in all of college football. The 'i" will be dotted and the crowd loud and boisterous by the time ABC fires up the production music and welcomes us to the best non-conference matchup in college football this season.

You've heard the stats. Ohio State is 6-0 all time under the lights in Columbus. They haven't lost a home non-conference game since whenever and whatever.

Those teams didn't have Vince Young. And those teams damn sure weren't Texas.

They didn't have the sleet feet of Ramonce Taylor or the triple headed running back threat of Selvin Young, Jamaal Charles and Henry Melton. They didn't have the sneakiest son of a bitch in David Thomas or the mammoth offensive line that can open holes the size of one of the great lakes. They didn't have Defensive Tackle University in session or a linebacker crew that runs faster than most Big Ten skill position players. They didn't have a secondary that says "Teddy Ginn? We've faced better in practice," and be right.

Did I mention Vince Young?

Mack Brown has said that Texas had the best off-season they've had since they've been here and that Vince Young is the reason for that. The Dallas Morning News said this week that Texas has been preparing for Ohio State without even knowing it for weeks now. Aaron Harris circled this game on his calendar....4 years ago when he committed to Texas.

The Rose Bowl was not only a stepping stone for Vince Young but also a building block for the Texas program. A program looked upon by many as "underachieving" or "soft" beat a fine Michigan team in perhaps the grandest stage in the sport. A win in Columbus would go a long ways toward even further dismissing that nonsense.

It will be tough, no doubt. Ohio State is no slouch of a program. That sweater-vest wearing coach over there has done a fine job of solidifying that program.

But after the tuba player gets in his traditional position, after the ABC music dies down, after Brent Musberger utters with his fake voice, after Jack Arute interviews the head coaches, after the coin toss and after the opening kickoff....watch.

You'll see Vincent Young trot out there with his gameface on, not hearing the screams of 104,000 clad in crimson and silver, not feeling the weight of anything on his shoulders.

Because he's been here before. He's been practicing for this all off-season.

...be here at 7 PM...

The huddle breaks.

It's time to make Dan Fouts yell at the TV once again.

On to the games...

Notre Dame @ Michigan (-7):

Notre Dame looked sharp last week in a romp over BCS Pittsburgh, while Michigan looked so so in a win over Northern Illinois.

The Henne/Hart combination for Big Blue is clutch, but Notre Dame didn't look so shabby last week itself. Michigan's defense also gave up 411 yards offense to Northern Illinois, so what will the mastermind of the Super Bowl champion New England Patriots be able to gather from that film?

I'm not sure that Notre Dame is ready to go into the Big House and get a win yet, but they'll keep it close.

Michigan 27 Notre Dame 24
ATS - Notre Dame
SU - Michigan

South Carolina @ Georgia (-18 ):

So Steve Spurrier can't beat the Cowboys and can't beat Central Florida by more than 9. Yes, the same Central Florida that just lost their 16th straight game.

Overrated! Clap clap clapclapclap.

The impressive streak of head coaches throwing their visor to the ground at the end of the game stays intact at 2.

Georgia 34 South Carolina 20
ATS - South Carolina
SU - Georgia

Iowa (-9) @ Iowa State:

This has been a close series in recent years, but Iowa is being picked by many to go to a BCS bowl this year.

Iowa State is being picked by many to go to the NCAA tournament in basketball.

Iowa 34 Iowa State 17
ATS - Iowa
SU - Iowa

Florida International @ Texas Tech (-34.5):

This spread is only 34.5 because Vegas feels that the Florida International football team will have to be evacuated after Mike Leach is seen plotting ways to get to 100 after halftime.

Texas Tech 65 Florida International 6
ATS - Texas Tech
SU - Texas Tech

Tulsa @ Oklahoma (-31):

Tough one...I think? It wouldn't have been at this time last week, but as we all know....Tulsa got humiliated by Minnesota.

Tulsa gave up 300 rushing yards to the Gophers (who in the hell names their team after a Gopher anyhow?), so you would THINK that Adrian Peterson should be able to run for somewhere around 400. But he is injured and this is post-55-19 OU we're talking about here.

Oklahoma 37 Tulsa 3
ATS - OU
SU - OU

Texas @ Ohio State (-1):

I know I'm going competely against what I said above, but I think this game, like so many others before it, comes down to the offensive and defensive lines, and Texas holds the advantage in both.

Ohio State's defensive line was miserable last season, combining for only 9 sacks. Ohio State will have to bring some pressure to get to Vince Young, and if he gets by the blitzers...

Meanwhile OSU's offensive line got better as the season went on and return 4 starters, but they are being asked to learn new schemes and block for totally different quarterbacks and style of play.

IF Texas wins those battles and shores up the kicking problems from last week, I feel pretty confident going into this one.

Texas 27 Ohio State 17
ATS - Texas
SU - Texas

For entertainment purposes only. Save your money for the rare collectible "Adrian Peterson for Heisman" t-shirts...

And, as an added bonus: