GATORS COLUMN

Fourth-Down Play Sums Up Awful Night For Buckeyes

By JOEY JOHNSTON

Published: Jan 9, 2007

GLENDALE, Ariz. - If the Ohio State Buckeyes are looking for answers - some way, any way to describe Monday night's inexplicable 41-14 loss to Florida at the BCS Championship Game - we have several possibilities.

Fourth-and-Dumb(er).

Troy Smith, looking like a Buckeye-in-the-headlights - four of 14 for 35 yards.

No pass protection.

No defensive pressure.

No big plays from anyone.

What happened to the formerly top-ranked Buckeyes?

Well, for one thing, the Florida defense happened. It collapsed into Smith's protective pocket, transforming the Heisman Trophy winner into a jittery, tentative quarterback who looked nothing like the player that carved up a season's worth of opponents.

"We did nothing right," Buckeyes defensive tackle David Patterson said.

For another thing, Urban Meyer happened, and he made Mr. Sweater Vest look like a first-year middle school coach.

Meyer had all the wrinkles, all the schemes, all the answers.

Ohio State's Jim Tressel, widely regarded as America's best game-day coach, had a legendarily awful night, typified by perhaps the most puzzling decision of his career.

Second quarter. Florida 24, Ohio State 14. The Buckeyes had fourth-and-1 at their 29-yard line.

Tressel went for it. Chris Wells was stuffed for no gain. "We thought we could make it," Tressel said, "but obviously it was the wrong call."

And that, ladies and gentlemen, was your ballgame.

Heisman Jinx Still Lives

The Buckeyes, who managed just 82 total yards, were done. Troy Smith, at least the player wearing No. 10 and masquerading as Troy Smith, was powerless to stop this onslaught.

And powerless to stop ongoing talk of an alive-and-well Heisman jinx.

Heisman winners are now 1-5 in BCS Championship Games, a tangled web that includes Chris Weinke, Eric Crouch, Jason White and Reggie Bush.

Those players weren't just part of losing efforts.

They looked awful, suffering through a flood of mistakes.

Smith laughed off past history when asked about a long-standing trend, which even stretches back to a pair of quarterbacks from unbeaten and top-ranked Miami teams, Gino Torretta and Vinny Testaverde, who combined for eight interceptions in the Big Game.

"I can't talk about our [51-day] layoff because I don't believe in it [as an excuse]," Smith said.

Still, this wasn't supposed to happen to Troy Smith, who had a superb offensive line, a fleet of receivers, an underrated backfield and a coach who knew how to push the right buttons.

But it happened.

Everything Went Wrong

Ohio State couldn't have dreamed of a better start. The opening kickoff went to Ted Ginn Jr., who sniffed all week at suggestions that Florida had the faster team. Ginn raced through an opening, bounced to the right sideline and soared for a 93-yard touchdown.

But Florida answered back with its own scoring drive. It was 7-7.

And finally, in the hands of Troy Smith.

But nothing happened.

The Buckeyes went three-and-out. Smith was sacked on third down by Derrick Harvey, an ominous sign, considering he had been sacked just 12 times all season.

Before the night concluded, Smith had been sacked six times. Ginn was knocked from the game with a foot injury.

"It was a total lack of execution on my part," Smith said. "Florida did a lot of good things defensively, but it was things that we should've dealt with. I'm the one guy who can control things. I have to apologize to my teammates."

Tressel demanded a rebuttal.

"At times, we put Troy in a bad spot, scheme-wise," Tressel said. "This was a combined effort - starting with the coaches."

Smith spoke up again.

"I've learned that everything doesn't go your way in life," Smith said.

For the first time all night, Smith was on the mark.