Late in the season, Georgia Tech was cruising, looking at a likely top six finish and appearance in a BCS quarterfinal bowl. But a trip to Athens and a big loss to Georgia provided greater punishment than Zeus might deliver from Mount Olympus. Rather than a trip to a sunny bowl to play UCincinnati, the Yellow Jackets dropped to ninth seed, and a journey north to Cincinnati to play Ohio State in hostile territory.
And the Cincinnati home cooking might sooth the rumbling tummies of Buckeye Nation, hungry for tournament success. Ohio State last season found itself outside the tournament, and the previous two seasons lost Rose Bowls as the top seed to upstarts Boise State and West Virginia. Coach Jim Tressel and quarterback Terrelle Pryor looked to change their fortunes and find a way to play top seed Alabama and play the upstart role.
The Buckeyes took advantage of their size and strength on both sides of the line, and an efficient running and passing Pryor provided a first quarter lead of 14-0. The Yellow Jackets scored in the 2nd but trailed at halftime, 17-7.
Georgia Tech's offensive style and the physical strength of the OSU defense made a Yellow Jacket comeback difficult, as they seemed limited in their ability to pass for substantial gains. Both teams were scoreless in the third, but Ohio State and Pryor controlled the fourth quarter and won easily 27-14. Now it is the Buckeyes turn to try and ruin the national championship dreams of Alabama in the Sugar Bowl.
No comments:
Post a Comment