Game 1 Recap - Texas Tech

Ohio State opened the 2002 campaign Aug. 24 with a convincing 45-21 victory over Texas Tech in the Pigskin Classic. It was the earliest season debut for the Buckeyes.

Freshman tailback Maurice Clarett started the game and rushed for 175 yards and three touchdowns on 21 carries. Clarett, who scored on runs of 59, 45 and 1 yards, was named Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week.

Clarett had plenty of help from sophomore sidekicks Maurice Hall and Lydell Ross. Hall finished with 74 yards on 13 carries and Ross had 40 yards and two touchdowns to show for his 16 carries.

As a team, the Buckeyes rolled up 317 yards on the ground and finished with 477 yards in total offense. OSU averaged 6.4 yards per carry, did not have a turnover and had just two offensive penalties.

Quarterback Craig Krenzel completed 11 of 14 passes for 118 yards before giving way to backup Scott McMullen, who scored OSU's sixth rushing touchdown of the day.

The OSU defense, meanwhile, threw up a curtain around Texas Tech quarterback Kliff Kingsbury. Kingsbury finished with 341 yards and three touchdown passes, but much of the yardage and two of the scoring tosses came in the fourth quarter, long after the outcome had been decided.

Led by defensive end Will Smith, the Buckeyes recorded seven sacks and generally harassed Kingsbury all afternoon. Smith had four tackles-for-loss and two of the sacks.

Linebacker Cie Grant was credited with five tackles, including two sacks of his own, and was selected by the OSU coaching staff as the Buckeyes' defensive player of the game.

The Buckeyes also fared well in the kicking department. Ray Guy Award candidate Andy Groom averaged 48 yards per punt on four kicks and place-kicker Mike Nugent converted all six PATs and hit a career-best 45-yard field goal.

Ohio State had just five penalties on the day, converted 10-of-15 third-down attempts and had the ball for 36 minutes. The Buckeyes were four-of-four in the red zone, while Texas Tech was 0-for-2.

Game 2 Recap - Kent State

The Buckeyes jumped out to a 21-0 lead at the end of the first quarter and were ahead 38-0 with 7:31 to play in the first half on the way to a 51-17 thrashing of Kent State.

Two of OSU's first four touchdowns came courtesy of the defense, strong safety Michael Doss and freshman linebacker A.J. Hawk each returning interceptions for scores. Doss made it 14-0 with his 45-yard return and Hawk upped the ante to 38-0 with his 34-yard scamper. Freshman tailback Maurice Clarett tallied the other two OSU scores, the first on a 2-yard run and the latter on a 7-yard pass from Craig Krenzel. It was OSU's first TD pass of the year.

The Buckeyes rolled up 412 yards in total offense and averaged 8.8 yards per play on the way to topping the 50-point mark for the first time in 73 games. Krenzel completed 12 of 14 passes for 190 yards and backup Scott McMullen hit 7 of 11 for 78 yards and a TD. Sophomore flanker Chris Gamble was on the receiving end of six of those passes and finished with 87 yards receiving. Split end Michael Jenkins had four catches for 89 yards. Eight different receivers had receptions for the Buckeyes, thanks in large part to another stellar effort by the offensive line, which did not allow a sack.

Clarett led the Buckeye ground game with 66 yards on 11 carries. Maurice Hall added 36 yards on just three totes, the first of which was a 28-yard TD, and Lydell Ross had 28 yards on four tries as Ohio State's posse of running backs again proved to be too much for the opposing defense.

Defensively, tackle Tim Anderson was credited with seven tackles, while ends Will Smith and Darrion Scott and linebacker Robert Reynolds each had five. Scott had two tackles-for-loss and a sack.

Kicker Mike Nugent was again perfect, hitting all three of his field goal attempts and all six of his PAT efforts.

Game 3 Recap - Washington State

The Buckeyes trailed 7-6 at the half, but responded with 19-unanswered points after intermission to down visiting Washington State, 25-7. The victory over the 10th-ranked Cougars was the Buckeyes first win over a Top-10 team since the 1999 Sugar Bowl.

Freshman running back Maurice Clarett led the OSU offense by rushing for 230 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Clarett, who carried the ball 31 times, had 194 of his yards in the second half. It was the sixth best rushing effort in OSU history and came despite a first-quarter knee injury that required arthroscopic surgery three days later. The Buckeyes powered through the WSU defense for 292 yards on the ground and finished with 363 yards in total offense.

The OSU defense, meanwhile, pressured Jason Gesser, the Cougars' talented senior quarterback, into two second-half interceptions and any number of hurried throws. Washington State, which had come into the game averaging more than 440 yards per game (and 40 points), settled for just 280 against Ohio State - 263 passing and 17 on the ground. The Cougars managed just 74 total yards after intermission.

Linebackers Cie Grant (8 tackles, 3 tackles-for-loss) and Matt Wilhelm (5 tackles and a momentum shifting interception) led the OSU defense.

Sophomore kicker Mike Nugent continued his brilliant play by drilling field goals of 43, 43 and 45 yards. Those three kicks of more than 40 yards gave Nugent six on the year, an Ohio State single-season record just three games into the season. Additionally, he is just the second Ohio State kicker to kick three field goals of 40 or more yards in a game. The only other was Tom Klaban in 1974 against Michigan.

Game 4 Recap - at Cincinnati

Ohio State ran its record to 4-0 with a 23-19 win over Cincinnati in a game that was even closer than the final score would indicate. Cincinnati led most of the day and was on top 19-17 late in the fourth quarter. The Buckeyes took the lead for good at 23-19 on a 6-yard scamper by quarterback Craig Krenzel at the 3:44 mark and then held off a final charge by the Bearcats that ended with Will Allen's interception in the end zone with 26 seconds to play.

The Buckeyes played the game without starting tailback Maurice Clarett who had undergone knee surgery four days earlier. In OSU's first three games, Clarett, a true freshman, had rushed for 471 yards and scored seven touchdowns.

With Clarett unavailable, sophomore Lydell Ross made his first collegiate start and responded with a career-high 130 yards on 23 carries.

Krenzel also threw for a pair of touchdowns, finding tight end Ben Hartsock from 20 yards out for the Buckeyes' first score, and later flipping a 5-yard toss to flanker Chris Vance that gave OSU a short-lived 14-12 advantage.

With the Bearcats on top 19-14 - and driving - the game turned around when defensive end Darrion Scott's jarring hit forced a fumble that was recovered by teammate David Thompson. Ten plays later, Krenzel scored on a roll out that was designed to go to split end Michael Jenkins.

Senior linebacker Matt Wilhelm led the Buckeyes in tackles with nine, including four tackles-for-loss. The OSU defense stiffened in the late stages of the game, forcing three turnovers (two picks and a fumble recovery) on the Bearcats' last three possessions. Wilhelm deflected the fourth-down pass that was then picked off by Allen. The Buckeyes had eight tackles-for-loss against the Bearcats.

The game marked the Buckeyes' first road appearance against an Ohio team since 1934.

Game 5 Recap - Indiana

The Buckeye opened their Big Ten season with a 45-17 win over visiting Indiana. Ohio State took control early, jumping out to a 21-10 lead at the half, and then put the game away by scoring 24-unanswered points after intermission on the way to a 45-10 advantage that was just too much for the Hoosiers to overcome.

OSU freshman tailback Maurice Clarett, who sat out the previous week's game at Cincinnati after undergoing knee surgery, was in top form against the Hoosiers, rushing for 104 yards and three touchdowns on 21 carries. All three of his TDs came in the first half.

The Buckeyes rushed for 244 yards and passed for 217 more. Quarterback Craig Krenzel completed 11 of his 16 passes, including his final six, for 152 yards and a touchdown, before exiting midway through the third period. Backup signal caller Scott McMullen followed Krenzel's lead by completing all seven of his tosses for 65 yards and a TD.

Michael Jenkins led the receiving corps with seven receptions for 93 yards and both touchdown catches. The Buckeyes also scored on a beautifully executed 43-yard reverse by Chris Gamble and a career-long 51-yard field goal by Mike Nugent. It was Nugent's 10th-consecutive make.
The OSU defense limited the Hoosiers to 56 yards rushing and 339 yards in total offense. End Darrion Scott paced the defense with three solos and six assists and had one of the Buckeyes' three sacks. All-America safety Mike Doss had four solos and two assists and also was credited with a tackle-for-loss. Linebacker Matt Wilhelm continued his stellar play with two tackles-for-loss.

The Buckeyes played the game with a makeshift offensive line necessitated by the loss of injured starters Ivan Douglas and Michael Stafford. With those two sidelined, true freshman Rob Sims started at left tackle for Douglas, while Adrien Clarke took over for Stafford a left guard.

Defensive tackle Tim Anderson also missed the game due to injury.

Game 6 Recap - at Northwestern

Ohio State fell behind 6-0 at the end of the first quarter, but led 14-9 at intermission. The Buckeyes then scored on their first two possessions of the second half to take a 24-9 lead. But it wasn't until OSU safety Donnie Nickey recovered a Northwestern fumble in the final minute of play that the Buckeyes could celebrate a 27-16 victory.

Ohio State finished the game with 455 yards in total offense, including 285 on the ground, but turned the ball over three times - all on fumbles. The OSU defense gave up 396 yards, including 283 through the air, but came up with a pair of crucial fourth-quarter takeaways.

Freshman tailback Maurice Clarett again paced the Ohio State ground attack, this time gaining 140 yards and scoring two touchdowns on 29 carries. Lydell Ross added 83 yards and scored the first OSU TD on a 3-yard run.

Quarterback Craig Krenzel threw for 170 yards and also rushed for a career-high 62. Krenzel hit 11 of his 22 passes, four of which were caught by split end Michael Jenkins.

Linebacker Matt Wilhelm recorded a season-high 15 tackles and All-America safety Michael Doss chipped in with 13.

The Buckeye defense came up with a pair of takeaways on Northwestern's final two possessions. Linebacker Cie Grant accounted for the first with his first interception of the year. Nickey put the icing on the cake by scooping up a fumble caused by Wilhelm and cornerback Dustin Fox.

Kicker Mike Nugent completed the OSU scoring with a pair of field goals, extending his streak of consecutive makes to 12, the second longest in school history.

Game 7 Recap - San Jose State

Riding the hot hand of junior quarterback Craig Krenzel and buoyed by four defensive takeaways, Ohio State celebrated homecoming with a 50-7 win over visiting San Jose State.
Krenzel turned in the best performance of his still young career, hitting 11 of 14 passes for a career-high 241 yards and three touchdowns (also a career best) before exiting midway through the third quarter.

Split end Michael Jenkins was on the receiving end of seven of those passes, including a 40-yard touchdown strike at the 8:36 mark of the third period. Krenzel also connected with flanker Chris Vance from 37 yards out and had a 7-yard scoring toss to tailback Maurice Clarett.
Clarett, who also rushed for two touchdowns, had 132 yards on 18 carries to pace the OSU ground game.

On the day, the Buckeyes rolled up a season high 567 yards and averaged 7.9 yards per play. OSU was 7-for-8 in the red zone. Already ahead 24-7 at intermission, the Buckeyes scored on their first three possessions of the second half to put the game on ice.

The Ohio State defense showed its muscle by forcing four fumbles and holding the Spartans to zero rushing yards. SJSU finished with 265 yards passing, but 257 of those yards came in the first half. OSU allowed the Spartans 15 total yards in the second half - 8 passing and 7 rushing.
Dustin Fox had nine tackles for the Buckeyes, along with a fumble recovery and two passes broken up. Matt Wilhelm added six tackles and a forced fumble and Cie Grant two tackles-for-loss and a forced fumble.

Kicker Mike Nugent nailed three field goals to extend his streak of consecutive makes to 15, tying the Ohio State record.

Game 8 Recap - at Wisconsin

The Buckeyes survived what could best be described as a 10-round slugfest with the Badgers in Camp Randall Stadium. Flanker-turned-cornerback Chris Gamble delivered the knockout punch for OSU, picking off an interception in the corner of the end zone midway through the fourth quarter to blunt the Badgers' final scoring threat. OSU then held on for a 19-14 victory.

Trailing 14-13 at the half, Ohio State scored the go-ahead touchdown on a 3-yard pass from Craig Krenzel to tight end Ben Hartsock with 9:59 left to play in the game (the try for two failed). The scoring drive, which covered 88 yards in nine plays, was kept alive by a 45-yard pass from Krenzel to a leaping Michael Jenkins who somehow wrestled the ball away from two defenders and then held on to it as he slammed to the turf.

Krenzel, who also completed a 47-yard scoring pass Jenkins on the Buckeyes' opening possession, threw for 204 yards on the afternoon.

Mike Nugent accounted for the remainder of the OSU scoring with a pair of field goals, stretching his string of consecutive makes to a school record 17.

Freshman workhorse Maurice Clarett led the OSU ground attack with 133 yards on 30 carries. Twenty-eight of those yards came as the Buckeyes ran out the clock on a tension-filled final drive that began on their own 38 with 4:29 to play.

The Ohio State defense, which forced two turnovers and recorded four sacks, had 11 tackles-for-loss and held Wisconsin to zero rushing yards in the fourth period.

Game 9 Recap - Penn State

With sophomore Chris Gamble starting both at flanker and cornerback - the first Ohio State player to start both ways in nearly 40 years - the Buckeyes downed visiting Penn State in a titanic defensive struggle 13-7.

The 6-2, 180-pound Gamble recorded the Buckeyes' only touchdown of the day, returning an interception 40 yards to pay dirt at the start of the third period. That score put OSU on top 10-7, a lead the Buckeyes would never relinquish. It was the third interception of the year for Gamble, who also had a reception on offense and logged a total of 95 plays.

The Buckeyes played the game without starting right tackle Shane Olivea, who underwent an emergency appendectomy. Additionally, starting linebacker Cie Grant missed the game because of an ankle sprain suffered at Wisconsin. To make matters worse, starting tailback Maurice Clarett suffered a stinger on the Buckeyes' first series and missed the rest of the game.
Freshmen Rob Sims and A. J. Hawk filled in more than adequately for Olivea and Grant, respectively. Sims played the entire game at left tackle (allowing Ivan Douglas to move to the right side in place of Olivea) and Hawk had five tackles and an interception as Grant's replacement.

With Clarett out of the lineup, sophomores Lydell Ross and Maurice Hall combined for 60 yards at the tailback position and quarterback Craig Krenzel ran for 39.

Buckeye punter Andy Groom played a vital part in the victory with punts of 59 and 55 yards late in the game. A pair of 37-yard field goals by Mike Nugent accounted for the remainder of Ohio State's scoring.

The OSU defense, which for the third-consecutive week blanked its opponent in the second half, was led by Matt Wilhelm with eight tackles and a forced fumble. Penn State had just 58 yards in the second half and finished the day with 179 yards, well below its season average of 440 per game.

Game 10 Recap - Minnesota

The Buckeyes trailed 3-0 after the first quarter, but then scored 34-unanswered points on the way to their 10th victory of the year.

The Ohio State defense again played superbly, limiting the Minnesota offense to 112 total yards, including just 7 in the second half. The Gophers, who had entered the game averaging 271 yards rushing (sixth nationally), managed just 53 yards against the Buckeyes. Tailback Terry Jackson, the Big Ten's leading rusher at 128 yards a game, finished a long afternoon with 49 yards on 16 carries. Minnesota's longest play of the day was 11 yards.

The OSU defense recorded nine tackles-for-loss and kept constant pressure on Minnesota quarterback Asad Abdul-Khaliq, who managed just 44 yards in total offense and was sacked four times.

Linebacker Matt Wilhelm had a team-leading seven tackles, one more than cornerback Chris Gamble and All-America safety Mike Doss. Tackle Darrion Scott had four tackles and two sacks.

The OSU offense, bolstered by the return of right tackle Shane Olivea, finished with 322 yards on the day, including 178 rushing against the Big Ten's top statistical defense.

With freshman tailback Maurice Clarett sidelined with a shoulder injury, sophomore Lydell Ross ran for 89 yards and two touchdowns on 20 carries. Maurice Hall, another sophomore, added 93 yards off the bench, including his second touchdown of the year.

Quarterback Craig Krenzel threw for 128 yards and his 10th touchdown of the year. Krenzel's scoring strike was a 30-yard pass to flanker Chris Vance. Krenzel also hooked up with split end Michael Jenkins on a 49-yard pass to set up OSU's first score - the longest pass play of the year for the Buckeyes.

Mike Nugent added a pair of field goals for Ohio State.

Game 11 Recap - at Purdue

Trailing 6-3 and facing a fourth-and-one with 1:42 to play, the Buckeyes scored on 37-yard pass from Craig Krenzel to Michael Jenkins. Then, as he has made a habit of doing in recent weeks, sophomore Chris Gamble saved the day with a leaping interception that allowed the Buckeyes to run out the clock and escape with a 10-6 win.

The Buckeye defense was again superb, holding the Boilers, who had entered the game averaging 29 points a game, to a pair of field goals.

Cornerback Dustin Fox and linebacker Matt Wilhelm also had interceptions for Ohio State. The pick by Fox came in the end zone after Purdue had driven to the OSU 15 on its opening possession. Wilhelm's diving grab set up Ohio State's first score, a 22-yard Mike Nugent field goal as time expired in the first half. Nugent's kick knotted the score at 3-all.

Wilhelm also came up with a big play in the fourth quarter, a tackle-for-loss of Purdue quarterback Brandon Kirsch at the OSU 10-yard line that forced the Boilers to settle for a field goal rather than a touchdown. Wilhelm finished the game with eight tackles, one behind All-America Mike Doss.

The game-winning drive, which covered 46 yards in four plays, was OSU's longest drive of the day and included a 13-yard completion to tight end Ben Hartsock on third down.

Game 12 Recap - at Illinois (OT)

Ohio State ran its record to 12-0, but needed an overtime session to down Illinois, 23-16, on a cold, windy day in Champaign. It was the first overtime game for the Buckeyes.

Ohio State jumped out to a 6-0 lead at the end of the first quarter, but Illinois narrowed the margin to 6-3 at halftime and took a 10-6 lead early in the third quarter on a 19-yard pass from John Beutjer to Walter Young. Eugene Wilson set up the score with a 52-yard punt return to the OSU 23.

The Buckeyes came right back to take the lead on their next possession - Craig Krenzel teaming up with split end Michael Jenkins from 50 yards out.

With OSU leading 16-13 in the closing minute of regulation play, Illinois marched from its own 25 to the Ohio State 31 and kicked a 48-yard field goal to tie the game as time expired.

Ohio State struck first in the extra session, scoring on an 8-yard run by Maurice Hall on third down. Krenzel kept the drive alive with a key 14-yard scramble from the 25.

Illinois then took its turn, but when tackle Tim Anderson batted down a fourth-down Beutjer pass, the Buckeyes were 12-0 for the first time in school history.

Linebacker Matt Wilhelm had 12 tackles for the Buckeyes and was named Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week following the game.

Game 13 Recap - Michigan

Maurice Hall scored the winning touchdown with 4:55 to play and the OSU defense held off two furious Michigan charges in the closing seconds as the Buckeyes recorded a 14-9 win to remain unbeaten at 13-0. The victory marked the Buckeyes first back-to-back victories over the Wolverines since the 1981 and '82 seasons.

Hall scored on a 3-yard option play that capped off an 8-play, 57-yard drive by the Buckeyes. Craig Krenzel's 26-yard pass to Maurice Clarett at the Michigan 6-yard line was the key play.
Clarett, who did not start the game, was like a time bomb waiting to explode once he got the call, shredding the Michigan defense for 119 yards on 20 carries. The 230-pound freshman scored the Buckeyes' first touchdown on a 2-yard run at the end of the first quarter and continually sparked the Buckeyes and the record Ohio Stadium crowd with his running.

The OSU defense limited the Wolverines to three field goals and came up with a pair of turnovers on Michigan's final two possessions. Darrion Scott caused the first, forcing a John Navarre fumble that Will Smith recovered at the OSU 36. Nickel back Will Allen got the other, intercepting a Navarre pass on the OSU two as time expired. Allen also batted down a pass on the Wolverines' final thrust.

Seniors Matt Wilhelm and Mike Doss, two of the 13 seniors playing in their final game in Ohio Stadium, combined for 28 tackles.

2003 Fiesta Bowl Recap - Miami (2OT)

For three quarters, the Fiesta Bowl was a perfectly good, if not memorable, college football championship game.

By the end of the fourth quarter, with Ohio State and Miami tied at 17, it was a classic.
After two overtimes, and the Buckeyes' 31-24 victory, it was one of the greatest ever.
"It was just like two great heavyweights slugging it out," winning coach Jim Tressel said Friday night.

No one wanted to be No. 2.

In a shocking, thrilling season-ender, Ohio State ripped the national title from the confident 'Canes -- who, at one point, rushed onto the field thinking they had won.

That's the kind of game it was.

It changed minute by minute, down by down.

In the end, Maurice Clarett ran 5 yards for the winning touchdown, and Ohio State's defense turned back one final bid by No. 1 Miami to tie it. With that, the Buckeyes completed an unlikely, unbeaten run to their first national title in 34 years.

The second-ranked Buckeyes, 11 1/2-point underdogs, ended the Hurricanes' try for a second straight title and their winning streak at 34.

"It's no different than what we've done all year," Ohio State quarterback Craig Krenzel said. "We make plays in the big games when we have to."

But it would have never happened if not for a late pass interference call at the end of the first overtime.

Instead, the fourth-down call gave Ohio State the chance it needed to tie the game and send it into the second overtime.

By then, it already was an all-timer -- the first national championship game to go into overtime, in a matchup of the nation's last two undefeated teams, both fighting staying to stay perfect.

The greatest game ever?

"It's got to be right up there if it's not," Krenzel said.

Miami's Todd Sievers sent the game into overtime with his 40-yard field goal on the final play of the fourth quarter.

The Buckeyes' punishing defense had rattled and pounded Miami quarterback Ken Dorsey all night.

And on the last play of the game, on fourth-and-goal at the 1, Cie Grant blitzed and forced Dorsey to heave a desperation pass that linebacker Matt Wilhelm batted to the ground.

A few plays earlier, Wilhelm hit Dorsey with such force it sent the quarterback to the sideline for one play. He came back in, but the Buckeyes would not be denied against a team trying to secure its place in history as one of college football's great dynasties.

"It feels unreal," Miami fullback Quadtrine Hill said. "After the game was over, it felt like we had one play left. It can't be over. It's something I never want to feel again."

While Miami coach Larry Coker lost for the first time in 25 games, Tressel now has a major college title to add to the four he won in Division I-AA at Youngstown State.

Nine times since Woody Hayes coached the Buckeyes to the 1968 title, Ohio State lost a late-season game that cost it a possible championship. But the Buckeyes finally brought the title back to Columbus with a conservative offense and fierce defense that Hayes would have loved.
The fantastic finish was nothing new for Ohio State this season. The Buckeyes won six games by seven points or fewer, including their last three to make it to the title game -- 10-6 over Purdue, 23-16 over Illinois in overtime and 14-9 over Michigan.

Miami (12-1) nearly had its 35th straight victory in the first overtime after scoring a touchdown on its first possession.

Trailing 24-17, Ohio State (14-0) converted a fourth-and-14 on a pass by Krenzel. But the Buckeyes then faced a fourth-and-3 at the 5 when Krenzel threw to the right corner of the end zone for Chris Gamble, who was being covered Glenn Sharpe.

As Gamble reached back for the ball, he got his hands on it but couldn't hold on. Seconds later, field judge Terry Porter threw a flag from the back of the end zone indicating pass interference even as Miami players and fans spilled onto the field.

"He was holding me. He was in my facemask and my shoulder pads," Gamble said. "I was waiting for the flag, but he kind of hesitated. I didn't see him going for the flag and I thought, 'He ain't going to throw it.' Luckily, he did, and I'm like, 'whew."'

Porter said: "I saw the guy holding the guy prior to the ball being in the air. He was still holding him, pulling him down while the ball was in the air."

Order was restored quickly, and three plays later Krenzel scored from the 1 to send the game to a second OT.

After losing All-American running back Willis McGahee to an injured left knee early in the fourth quarter, Miami had the ball first in overtime. The Hurricanes went ahead on Dorsey's 7-yard TD pass to Kellen Winslow Jr., but the Buckeyes answered with Krenzel's 1-yard score.
In the second OT, the Buckeyes went first from the 25 and Clarett capped off a five-play drive with his spinning, slithering cutback through the Miami defense.

Dorsey, a Heisman Trophy finalist, finished off his career with just his second loss in 40 starts. Even though he was groggy from Wilhelm's hit, he came back into the game to try and pull the 'Canes even.

The Associated Press poll of sports writers and broadcasters was to be released early Saturday, with the second-ranked Buckeyes a lock to move up to No. 1.

Ohio State didn't have to wait to pick up the trophy awarded by the USA Today/ESPN coaches' poll, which automatically goes to the Fiesta winner, this season's designated Bowl Championship Series title game.

Ohio State led 14-7 at the half, and extended the margin to 10 points on Mike Nugent's 44-yard field goal. The 'Canes closed to 17-14 on McGahee's 9-yard scoring run with 2:11 left in the third quarter. And that set the stage for Sievers' kick, leaving the Sun Devil Stadium crowd of 77,502 breathless.

When the game ended, players and red-clad Buckeyes fans converged on the field to celebrate their first national title since 1968.

The Buckeyes' ferocious defense had Dorsey in trouble from the opening series with two sacks. Although Ohio State fell behind 7-0, the constant pressure paid huge dividends in the second quarter as the Buckeyes took a 14-7 halftime lead, turning two turnovers into touchdowns in a 78-second span.

Ohio State failed to capitalize on Dorsey's first interception -- an overthrown pass right into the arms of cornerback Dustin Fox near midfield -- but a second led to the Buckeyes' first score.
All-American safety Mike Doss picked off a pass that went off the hands of intended receiver Andre Johnson and raced 35 yards up the right sideline to the Miami 17.

From there, it took seven plays before Krenzel fought his way into the end zone on fourth down from the 1 with 2:28 left in the half. Two Miami defenders, Roger McIntosh and Jamaal Green, hit Krenzel at the 2, but he twisted his way in for the score.

The Buckeyes were back in business on the next play. Dorsey dropped back to pass, but defensive tackle Kenny Peterson came around from the right side and spun him to the ground as the ball came loose. Darrion Scott recovered at the Miami 14.

Two runs and an offsides call later, Clarett finally broke free for a 7-yard touchdown run with 1:10 left and just like that the Buckeyes were ahead, fireworks were shot off and the Buckeyes fans rocked the stadium.

Dorsey threw a 25-yard touchdown pass to Roscoe Parrish in the first quarter, thanks to a block by McGahee on blitzing safety Donnie Nickey.