It was the Fall of 1973 in a home near Ann Arbor Michigan where a little boy of 7 years watched with his father a college football game that paired the top two teams in the country who were both undefeated and bitter rivals. They were the Michigan Wolverines and the Ohio State Buckeyes. On the line was a trip to the Rose Bowl, where the Big 10 conference had lost the last five trips against the winner of the PAC 10 conference.
The game was very close, though OSU was up 10-0 after three quarters. Michigan tied the game in the fourth and even missed a field goal late as the game came to a conclusion. In an event that couldn't happen now because of overtime being instituted in college football, the game ended in a 10-10 tie.
"Who gets to go to the Rose Bowl?", the little boy asked.
"Well, we'll have to wait and see.", said the father.
And they did.
The next day the Athletic Directors of the 10 schools voted, anonymously, and it was determined that Ohio State would represent the Big 10 by a vote of 6-4.
When the little boy heard of the news, he asked,"Why does Ohio State get to go?"
"Because they had fewer players carried off on stretchers.", the father answered.
For years that comment stayed with the little boy, not really knowing what it meant other than to take it literally. At the time, he also didn't know about the vote of the Athletic Directors.
It only took 33 years and a blustery November morning for me to figure it all out. This morning I read a recount of the game and circumstances in the paper and finally understood. The Michigan quarterback, on the final drive which ended up in a field goal to tie the game, broke his collarbone and had to leave the game. So the decision on which team to send was much more clear: between equal teams, do you take one with a healthy quarterback or one with a second string quarterback (potentially, assuming the collarbone wouldn't heal)? In an era where it was the Rose Bowl or nothing for Big Ten Champions, it seems obvious that the vote for OSU would emerge.
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6 comments:
I am reading this with Howard Cosel's voice in my head, it adds a whole new dimension. Although there are other voices in my head, are they bothering you too?
The next day the Athletic Directors of the 10 schools voted, anonymously, and it was determined that Ohio State would represent the Big 10 by a vote of 6-4.
Indiana went to their only Rose Bowl after the 1967 season, which saw them in a three-way tie with Minnesota and Purdue, who was #3 in the country until IU upset them at the end of the season. I had always thought that IU went to the Rose Bowl that year because they were the team that had gone the longest without being there. (Purdue went the year before and Minnesota went after the 1961 season).
In looking further now, though, I see that IU did go because of a similar vote. Go figure.
I had always thought that they determined this by who has gone most recently (and giving it to the other team). That's how Indiana got their only Rose Bowl appearance, in 1968.
Then again, I see that Ohio St. went to the Rose Bowl in 1973, so I can't really explain the 1974 trip unless they changed the rules to make it a vote.
Crap -- Ignore everything after "Go figure." I was thinking they must have changed the procedure and then did some more research into it. Unfortunately, I didn't delete my first draft.
Beautiful G-Man! Howard Cosell's voice! I love it.
A hoosier perspective from dejesus. Nice. It led me to try and edit your entry, but I couldn't figure out how to do it! Damn it.
My mom and I had a moment of silence in honor of Bo this afternoon. First Friedman, now this... I'm going to Duffy's with some girlfriends to watch the game tomorrow if you want to hang.
Watching the game at Duffy's with women half my age.....hmmmmmmm, tough call.
It's a shame about Bo. Found out about him passing during my physical therapy today. Freakin' therapist didn't even know who he was! Idiot.
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