What a year: Different Ohio State team heads to BCS title game
They stayed that way for four weeks before losing 28-21 to unranked Illinois at home on Nov. 10, plummeting to No. 7 in the BCS rankings.
The players were already talking about how costly the defeat was and how they hoped to salvage the season by winning their regular-season finale against rival Michigan in The Big House. But then, much as they had climbed the ladder in the AP poll, the Buckeyes were there to take advantage when the six teams in front of them - LSU, Oregon, Kansas, Oklahoma, Missouri and West Virginia -- each lost at least one more game.
"After the Illinois loss we thought our chances were pretty much down the drain," Boeckman said. "It's been crazy. What'd we drop to? Seventh? Having six teams lose in front of you, that's kind of unreal the last two weeks of the season."
Yet that's exactly what happened.
After beating Michigan 14-3, Ohio State was up to fifth in the BCS but still was a long shot to pass three teams to get into the title game. After all, how do you make up that much ground without playing a game?
A week later, the Buckeyes moved to third when LSU lost to Arkansas and Kansas fell to top-ranked Missouri.
Needing only to win to get into the BCS championship game, both Missouri (to Oklahoma) and West Virginia (to Pittsburgh) lost on Dec. 1, opening the door for Ohio State to ascend to the top spot and LSU to sneak past Missouri, West Virginia, Georgia, Kansas and Virginia Tech in the final week to grab the other berth at the Superdome.
Even the Buckeyes seem amazed to find themselves in the title game.
"The biggest thing is just how hard it is to get back there, especially after we lost to Illinois," offensive tackle Kirk Barton said. "We knew we needed some help. It was painful watching those (other contenders') games because you don't control your fate anymore. That's the hardest part of football."
Tressel was asked if he ever fathomed his team could be where it is after falling so far in the BCS.
"I didn't have time. Fathoming takes a lot of time. We were busy working," he said with a grin. "As we said all along, we thought this team had talent. We didn't hide our belief in that. But we also knew we didn't have experience. You never know what's going to happen."
Never have those last words been more true in college football.
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