Welcome to the thread detailing the championship game of my 117-team 116-game single-elimination tournament that involved all 117 teams from 2002.

To see the road to the championship unfold, go to this thread:
2002 117-Team Single-Elimination Tournament (http://dynamic2.gamespy.com/~fof/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=10561)

In this thread, I'll be playing out the championship using a tabletop game called Second Season Football. It's a game that's generally designed to replay pro games, but does (bought as an extra module) allow you to rate any teams to simulate in the game engine. I've used those instructions to rate out both Ohio State and USC. This game is pretty detailed in that all players on the field are considered as individuals, not as groups, so linemen are rated as individuals, linebackers are rated as individuals, etc. No group ratings. However, the playcalling is simplified a bit in that you generally call run or pass and direction or distance on offense, and run, pass, blitz, or play safe on defense. No specific formations, like a pro-set with three wide receivers, or a 3-4 Sam-Will Blitz are available to be called.

I intend to tell the game as a TV or radio broadcast, using each post to deliver a drive-by-drive account of the gameplay (at least up until a point where it seems pretty obvious who'll win). Due to this kind of detail, this game will be unfolding over the next several days. I'll have no more idea what's coming than you do when I post.

I'll begin the game commentary a bit later this evening (I've already played out the first drive...some fans are going to be clinching sphincters early... ;) ). In the meantime, gather round the TV in the FOFC rec room, be sure the chips and dip are full up and everyone's got drinks aplenty.

Go [I can't say who I'm rooting for or else they'll wind up losing like every other team I've rooted for here]!!!!! :D

At long last, the crew of FOFC have gathered for the championship game of the tournament. Eyeballs, hearts, relationships, waistlines, etc. have been strained by the weekly round-by-round elimination of 115 teams. Just before kickoff, Wolfpack clicks on the television. The image is of two lines of teams moving towards the center of the field from the sidelines, a few members on each side gathered at midfield around a few referees. The bit of the stadium that is in view shows a very large contingent of Ohio State fans who have made the trek to South Bend, with scattered areas of Trojan fans among them.

"Good timing. Got to skip all the windbagging before the game," says JeeberD. Jeeber's wearing very neutral tones this time around, having decided to keep under wraps who he's rooting for.

"Yep," says Wolfpack and he turns up the volume. Keith Jackson's familiar voice comes up.

"Thanks, Swanny. Now let's go down to the field for the coin toss," says Jackson.

The image changes to the group of men gathered at midfield.

The head referee begins. "Good evening, gentlemen. I have here the specially designed commemorative coin for tonight’s game. On one side are the helmets of Southern California and Ohio State. On the other is the NCAA football logo. The helmets will be considered the 'heads' of the coin, the logo is the 'tails'. USC captains, you are the visiting team. I will ask you whether you want heads or tails before tossing the coin. What side do you want?"

“Tails,” says Trojan quarterback Carson Palmer.

"Tails is the call." The referee tosses the coin into the air and it lands on the turf. Everyone leans over to look at the coin. "It is a tails." A small roar emerges from the USC contingent in the stands. "USC, you have won the toss. You have the option of taking the ball to begin the game or deferring that choice to the start of the second half."

"We’ll take it at the start of the second half."

"Which end will you defend?"

"That end," Palmer says, pointing south.

The referee orients the captains to their defensive ends. "Southern California has won the toss and has decided to take the ball to start the second half. Ohio State will receive"—the referee makes the receiving gesture in front of the Ohio State players—" and will defend this end.

"Good luck tonight, gentlemen. Shake hands and lets have a clean game."

Jackson resumes his broadcast. "So, the Trojans of Southern Cal have won the toss and will kick away to start the game. They have a pretty solid defense and the Buckeyes have struggled a lot this year to put points on the board, so it makes sense, generally."

"The Trojans do have a good defense, Keith," says Dan Fouts, Keith's partner this evening. "However, they'll be having their handfuls trying to stop this guy, Maurice Clarett." Clarett is hoping around, stretching a bit, getting ready to take the field on offense.

The kicking team of Southern Cal and the receiving team of Ohio State takes the field.

“Kicking off will be Ryan Killean, a sophomore junior college transfer who took over the kicking duties from David Davis four games into the season. Back deep for Ohio State are Maurice Hall and Ohio State's ‘do-everything’ man, Chris Gamble.”

“I talked to the Ohio State coaches and they expect Gamble will be in on most of the plays this evening on both sides of the ball.”

“Killean has it teed up. He puts his foot into it and sends it down the field. It comes down to Maurice Hall at the four…up to the 20—but not much further as he is brought down by a host of Trojans.
"So, the Buckeyes take over, first and ten at their own 22. Onto the field comes the offense led by this man, Craig Krenzel, a steady junior. He doesn’t dazzle you with his arm, but he does out-think you. He rarely makes mistakes and he has a knack for the big play when the team needs it. 1st and 10 at the 22. Trojan linebackers are crowding the line."

"Putting a lot of guys in the box to handle Clarett."

"Krenzel drops back. He’s immediately flushed out…Cody chases him down and knocks him out of bounds behind the line of scrimmage!"

"Great play by Shaun Cody! He busted up the play right away and then used his speed to bring down Krenzel from behind."

"Here are the backs and receivers for Ohio State. Maurice Clarett, the star freshman who has carried for over 1200 yards and 16 touchdowns and two-way man Chris Gamble headline this group. On the line, Douglas, Bishop, Stepanovich, Clarke, and Olivea.

"An experienced line and they’ll all be back in 2003."

"Manning the defensive front for the Trojans are Omar Nazel, Shaun Cody, who was involved in that last play, Patterson, and Udeze."

“Cody showed no ill effects from having missed half of 2002 on that play.”

"2nd and 13 for Ohio State…Krenzel fakes the handoff, drops back…lets it go! Incomplete! A little too far in front of Gamble who had a step on his man. Ohio State has come out throwing to start here, but hasn’t been successful yet."

"Figuring that the Trojans would be keying on Clarett early, it looks like Buckeye coach Jim Tressel is trying to loosen up that line a bit."

"Rounding out the Trojan defense, a solid linebacker corps lead by the team’s leading tackler, Matt Grootegoed and in the secondary, several guys willing to lay out hits, lead by Troy Polamalu.
"3rd and a long way…Krenzel drops back…sack! There’s a pile-up. The Trojans are saying they have the football! Mike Pollard has come out of the pile with it. The referees are all talking to one another." The referee points in USC's direction. "It’s USC football! The Trojans get the first big break of the ball game!"

A replay of the previous play appears on screen. Fouts says, "Looking at the replay, it looks like Udeze might have knocked it loose as he brought down Krenzel. Oooh! I don’t know about that, Keith! Krenzel’s knee looks like it was on the ground before the ball came out. The Trojans may have gotten away with it."

"I think you’re right, Dan. But, there’s no reviewing in college, at least not yet."

Game Status: 14:32 left in the first quarter. Game is tied 0-0. USC has the ball 1st and 10 at the Ohio State 15.

“On to the field now comes the Trojan offense led the 2002 Heisman Trophy winner, Carson Palmer, who at long last seems to have fulfilled the promise he had when he arrived at USC.”

“He sure has flourished under the direction of Norm Chow’s offense.”

“1st and 10 now for the Trojans…Palmer takes a step back…throws out to the sideline complete…knocked out after a gain of a couple. Keary Colbert with the catch on that screen and Chris Gamble made the stop.”

“Here’s the rest of the USC starting lineup. Justin Fargas had a great second half in 2002. Kareem Kelly and Keary Colbert are solid receivers and Alex Holmes is the tight end. Up front, it’s All-Pac 10 lineman Jacob Rogers, Vandermeade, Norm Katnik at center, Wilson, and the big youngster Winston Justice.”

“Though he isn’t starting tonight, the surprise of the season for the Trojans has been true freshman Mike Williams, who led the team in receiving this year. USC goes to three receivers frequently and he’ll be that third receiver.”

“We’ll get to the Buckeye defense after this play…2nd down for the Trojans and Williams as you said is in the game. Fargas the lone set back…Palmer drops back…complete to Colbert and out of bounds at about the five yard line!”

“Good protection by the Trojan line gave Palmer the time to find Colbert. He seemed to be looking for Fargas out of the backfield but the Buckeyes had him covered as soon as he got to the line of scrimmage.”

“Starting on the line for the Buckeyes are Darrion Scott, Tim Anderson, Kenny Peterson, and Will Smith. The linebackers are typical for Ohio State, big, hard-hitting individuals, Matt Wilhelm, Cie Grant, and Robert Reynolds. And in the backfield is Gamble, Dustin Fox at the other corner, Donnie Nickey at free safety and All-American Mike Doss at strong safety.
“A short 3rd down coming up for the Trojans and they go back to a two back set. Handoff to Fargas…sweeps around the left side and…is in for the touchdown!”

“That was set up by good blocking by Lenny Vandermeade, the left tackle. He pinned his lineman back to the inside and Fargas outran Grant to the end zone.”

“Extra point is good. So, not even a minute into the first quarter, the Trojans capitalize on a fumble by Craig Krenzel in Ohio State territory to score the game’s first points.”

Game Status: 14:12 left in the 1st quarter, USC leads 7-0. USC is preparing to kick off to Ohio State.

(Amazingly, every play thus far has involved a clock stoppage for incompletion, turnover, going out of bounds, or scoring, so that's why the clock is moving ve-e-e-r-y slowly right now.)

Yay! Or Boo! I'm not gonna say which.

“A very short drive for USC, only three plays, but it’s about all you’ll need to cover 15 yards.”

“It goes without saying that the Buckeye offense needs to do better this time. The Trojans can score points and they shouldn’t be making it easier for USC with turnovers.”

“Killeen kicks it off and it comes down to Chris Gamble near the goal line…Gamble tries to twist and turn but he’s brought down about the 20 and there are flags down on the field. The referee is signaling clipping on Ohio State. Here’s the official word.”

“Clipping! On the return team! Half the distance to the goal! 1st down!”

“Well, when it rains it pours it seems for Ohio State, at least here in the early going. Krenzel is once again going to have to begin work deep in his own end.”

“The penalty moves the Buckeyes back to their own 10 yard line.”

“Tressel opted to pass on the last drive to loosen up the line, but it had bad results. Let’s see if he decides to start feeding Clarett the ball to get the offense going this series.”

“1st and 10 for the Buckeyes. Krenzel drops back to pass again…throws! Incomplete! He was looking for his tight end Ben Hartsock on that play, but the Trojans had that one read pretty well.”

“I’m puzzled by this play-calling by Ohio State. They have yet to run the ball on the ground.”

“2nd and 10 now…Clarett moves into the slot…Krenzel fakes the handoff…throws…incomplete! Flags are on the field. Pass was intended for Clarett down around the 25 yard line. We’ll see what the infraction was.”

“It looked like Troy Polamalu made too much contact before the ball got there.”

The referee appears on the screen and makes the motions for pass interference and points at the USC defense. “Yep. That’s what it was.”

“Pass interference! Defense! 15 yards! Automatic 1st down!”

“So, the Buckeyes finally catch a break as they move the ball fifteen yards on the interference penalty.”

“1st and 10 for the Buckeyes at their own 25…Krenzel hands away to Clarett…pushes through the line before being knocked down. Picked up five on the play. DeShaun Hill is credited with the stop.”

“Clarett’s first touch this evening and it provides immediate dividends. Instead of a 2nd and long as it has been until now, it’s a more manageable 2nd and 5.”

“2nd down. The ball rests on the 30. Krenzel takes his time calling out the play. They get it off just in time. Immediate handoff to Brandon Joe. Around the right side…brought down by Simmons but not before he picks up the first down! Eight yard gain!”

“Great run by Joe. He managed to show some quickness in beating Simmons to the corner and then dragged him a couple of yards before ultimately going down.”

“1st and 10 for the Buckeyes who finally seem to have gotten the offense on track. Krenzel fakes the handoff…goes downfield! Incomplete! Intended for Michael Jenkins, but he was well covered by Marcell Allmond.”

“Ohio State’s passing offense is just totally out of sync right now. Three incompletions and two sacks. If I was Jim Tressel, I’d continue to stay with the running game right now.”

“2nd down…Krenzel drops back and throws to the sideline, complete! Jenkins shakes one tackler…brought down after an eight yard gain! Tackled by the cornerback Rideaux.”

“Clarett helped out on that play by chipping at Nazel who was breaking Ivan Douglas down. Jenkins made a great move on Simmons after the catch and that got him four or five more yards on the play.”

“3rd down now…the Buckeyes need to reach the 48 to pick up the first down. Handoff to Clarett…he’s got the first down and more! Brought down in USC territory! Darrell Rideaux made the stop after a gain of nine.”

“Clarett showed why he was one of the nation’s top running backs. The line gave him a hole and he shot through it. Only a lunging tackle by Rideaux prevented the damage from being worse.”

“1st and 10 for the Buckeyes at the 45 yard line of USC. Krenzel drops back to pass…throws! Incomplete! Gamble had his hands on it for a second, but Rideaux laid the wood to him and jarred it loose.”

“Good break on the ball by Rideaux. Had he been just a bit quicker, he might’ve been able to intercept it.”

“2nd down now…Krenzel again drops back to pass. Fires it out to the sideline…caught by Gamble and out of bounds at the 29! He managed to tight rope the sideline for that one.”

“What a great grab by Gamble! Pete Carroll is arguing with the official that he caught that one out of bounds, but it looked like he got the left foot down before going out.” A replay appears on the screen. "Yep. Dragged that left foot and of course, you only need one in the college game.”

“The Buckeyes are doing well on this drive after starting out at their own 10. It’s now 1st down at the Trojan 29.”

“Trojans are showing blitz.”

“Krenzel hands away to Clarett…breaks one tackle, has the first down! Brought down near the 15! Marcell Allmond, the cornerback was finally able to trip him up. A 13-yard gain by Clarett.”

“Sometimes when you blitz, you run the risk of over-playing the ball. That’s what happened here. DeShaun Foster came on a safety blitz and Clarett cut inside of him, leaving him grasping at air. With the safety out of the play, Clarett was able to get a lot of yards.”

“Ohio State, 1st and 10 at the 16…Krenzel’s taking a long look over that defense…and now he’s signaling time out. Didn’t like what he saw and called time as the play clock wound to zero. So, we'll take a break here with 10:42 left in the 1st quarter, Southern California up, seven to nothing.”

A commercial break ensues and then the game comes back on the air.

“1st down for the Buckeyes. Krenzel hands off to Clarett again. Goes around the right side and is wrestled down after a gain of five. DeShaun Hill came up from the safety position to finish him off.”

“With Clarett running the ball, the Buckeyes have chewed up the yards on this drive. He’s averaging eight yards a carry.”

“2nd down and 5…Krenzel hands away to Clarett again…and again Clarett squirts his way around and through the USC defense for five more yards. He might have the first down. The officials are going to measure.”

“Judging by the spot, it looks like they’ll get it.”

“And they do! 1st and goal for the Buckeyes!”

“1st and goal at the 6 for Ohio State…Brandon Schnittker has checked into the ball game for added size.”

“Looks like Ohio State’s going to try to hammer their way into the end zone.” Schnittker moves out of the fullback position and trots to the end of the offensive line. “Then again, maybe not.”

“Schnittker comes out of his spot behind Krenzel and moves to the end of the line. Krenzel fakes the give…fires it outside…batted away! Knocked down by Darrell Rideaux! He was looking for Schnittker in the end zone.”

“Krenzel got lucky on that one. Any less zip on that ball and Rideaux has an excellent chance to run it all the way back the other way for the touchdown.”

“2nd down and goal to go…Krenzel drops back again…brought down from behind by Kenechi Udeze! Krenzel looked like he was going to try to run for it but Udeze got his big arms around him and hauled him down for the loss.”

“Great play by Udeze. The Trojans blitzed, tying up the linemen and the tight end Hartsock was unable to handle Udeze’s speed rush.”

“A loss of five on the play. 3rd and goal from the 11. Chris Vance has come in as the third receiver. Krenzel stands back in the shotgun, Clarett the lone running back. Krenzel…takes off…and he…makes it to the end zone! Touchdown, Ohio State! 11 yards on the keeper and Ohio State gets on the board!”

“Gutty call by Jim Tressel, letting his quarterback run for it on third and goal at the 11. But, USC was completely expecting pass and they were all out of position to stop him before he made it to the end zone.”

“Mike Nugent comes on for the extra point. It’s up and it’s good! So, with 8:37 left in the first quarter, Ohio State has tied it up on an 11-yard keeper by Craig Krenzel.”

Game Status: 8:37 left in the 1st quarter, the game is tied 7-7. OSU is preparing to kick off to USC.

“15 plays, 90 yards on that drive, capped by Krenzel’s 11-yard run. Clarett rushed for 37 yards on five carries on that drive.”

“A good drive by the Buckeyes. They’ve rebounded well from the initially disastrous start. It’s now time to see how the Trojans react to the Ohio State score.”

“Nugent has it teed up and ready to go.” The OSU crowd, noticeably louder now that their team has scored, raises their voices to a crescendo as Nugent kicks it away. “Low, line drive knuckler comes down to one of the up-men at the 12…driven out of bounds short of the 20. Good coverage by the Buckeyes.”

“1st and 10 for the Trojans at the 17. Palmer drops back…looking…dumps it to Mackenzie…brought down but not before he picks up a first down. 13 yard gain. Tackle made by Mike Doss.”

“Palmer showed good patience on that play. His first choice wasn’t available so he came back to his safety valve and was rewarded with a first down.”

“MacKenzie comes out, Brandon Hancock checks in. 1st and 10 at the 30…quick handoff to Hancock and he is immediately leveled at the line. He might’ve gotten a yard out of it. Matt Wilhelm stood him up as soon as he got to the line.”

“Wilhelm read the play very well and plugged the middle as soon as the hole opened up. Hancock never had much of a chance.”

“Hancock comes back to the sideline and the freshman Williams comes on as the third receiver. Sultan McCullough is also on the field and is the lone back in the backfield. 2nd and 9. Handoff to McCullough and he is immediately met by Robert Reynolds and dropped.”

“Reynolds was there almost as soon as the ball was. Definitely was a missed block somewhere. On the replay it looks like all the blockers picked up their linemen, but Reynolds shot the gap between Wilson and Justice and blew up the play.”

“3rd and 13 now for the Trojans…Ohio State brings on the nickel back. Three receivers spread for USC. Palmer in the shotgun. Throws a screen to Williams. Slips one tackle…finally brought down near the first down marker! The referees are signalling time out to check if it was enough for the first down.”

“I think they did, but not by much.”

The ball appears on screen resting on the ground. The chain is stretched out and it is clearly several links short. “Apparently the officials will disagree with you, Dan. They marked it a foot short of the first down. Fourth down coming up for the Trojans.” The small crowd of USC fans start chanting to go for it on fourth down. “In spite of the small contingent of Trojan fans here in South Bend, Pete Carroll will have his Trojans punt.”

“It makes sense this early in the game, especially after the Buckeyes drove 90 yards on the last possession. No reason to give them the short field if you fail here.”

“So, Tom Malone comes on to punt. He’s done pretty well in his first year on the job. Standing back around his 20, ready to return, is Chris Gamble.”
“High, floating kick…and it sails out of bounds.” The official on the sideline runs up and marks the ball out at the 23. “37 yard punt for Malone, no return. So, with under six minutes left in the quarter, it's Buckeye football, the scored tied at 7.”

Game Status: 5:54 left in the 1st quarter, the game is tied 7-7. OSU has the ball 1st and 10 at their own 23 yard line.

Good start.

“1st and 10 for the Buckeyes. Maurice Hall is in the backfield in place of Clarett. Krenzel calls out the play…hands it away to Hall…dives through the line and is brought down after about a six yard gain!”

“This was pretty much all Maurice Hall as the USC defense seemed to anticipate the play well. Hall just hit the hole fast enough and then dragged a Trojan defender with him the last couple of yards.”

“That Trojan defender was Mike Pollard, the middle linebacker.”

“2nd down. Clarett is back on the field for the Buckeyes. Krenzel hands away to Clarett…and he takes a tremendous shot! Mercy!”

“Shaun Cody was the man responsible. He shed his blocker and just smashed Clarett as he came through the line.”

“Clarett is a bit slow to get up. There he goes…runs a bit gingerly back to the huddle. Might’ve got his bell rung a little.”

“3rd and 2 for the Buckeyes. They need to get to the 33. Krenzel drops back…throws…incomplete! He was looking for Jenkins along the sideline, but he short-hopped it to him.”

“Krenzel is just not having a very good game throwing the ball thus far. He’s only completed two passes.”

“4th down now, and Andy Groom is on to punt, one of the best in the nation at 45 yards a kick.” The ball is snapped to Groom who nearly has it blocked. “Whoa! They almost got him!” The punt is bad and sails out of bounds just into USC territory. The official marks the ball out at the 45.

“The Trojans just overwhelmed the Buckeye blockers and a near-jailbreak ensued. They may not have gotten the block, but they most certainly affected Groom’s ability to punt effectively.”

“So, the Trojans force a three-and-out and now have the ball at their own 45. USC and Ohio State remain tied at 7.”

Game Status: 4:16 left in the 1st quarter, the game is tied 7-7. USC has the ball 1st and 10 at their own 45 yard line.

“1st and 10…Fargas and Sunny Byrd in the backfield, Colbert and Grant Mattos in for the first time this evening split wide. Palmer rolls out…he’s gonna keep it! Brought down after a five yard gain! Wilhelm made the stop.”

“This was a designed play by the Trojans. Palmer was moved out of the pocket and didn’t even bother to look down field. He just took off. Made a nifty move to avoid the tackle of Darrion Scott.”

“2nd down…Williams and Kelly on at receiver, McCullough in place of Fargas at tailback. Palmer back to pass…has time…throws! Caught by Kelly and brought down inside the Ohio State 40! Dustin Fox on the stop, but it’s enough for a first down.”

“Palmer is just sizzling right now. Five passes, five completions. This last time his line gave him the time needed to go through his reads. He seemed to be looking for Alex Holmes, but checked to his second choice, Kelly, and it paid off.”

“1st and 10 for the Trojans. Palmer hands away to Fargas…tries to get outside…knocked out of bounds! Looks like about a yard loss.”

“Will Smith just destroyed that play. He got around his blocker and eluded a pretty poor block by Chad Pierson, the fullback, and chased Fargas down from behind and shoved him out. Good pursuit also by the linebackers strung the play out and enabled Smith to close on Fargas.”

“2nd and 11…Fargas the lone set-back, three wide receivers for the Trojans. Palmer pitches to Fargas…breaks one tackle…finally brought down after a seven-yard gain! Brought down by Mike Doss.”

“That play was all Justin Fargas and his speed. The Buckeyes seemed to have anticipated well, but Fargas proved just elusive enough to get away from the linebackers and only a solid tackle by Doss prevented a bigger gain.”

“3rd down…the Buckeye fans here are making some noise. MacKenzie has replaced Fargas in the backfield. Williams is split right, Colbert and Mattos to the left. Palmer…MacKenzie…stopped after getting back to the line of scrimmage! Might’ve gotten a yard before a whole raft of Buckeyes tackled him.”

“It looks like there was some mix-up on the hand-off. Palmer didn’t get the ball securely in MacKenzie’s grasp. They were fortunate that MacKenzie didn’t lose the ball completely.”

“4th down now…the USC offense remains on the field. It looks like they’re going to go for it here. Palmer calls out the play.”

“It looks like they’re trying to draw the Buckeyes offside on a hard count.”

“It’s not going to work and Palmer calls timeout as the play clock reaches zero. So, 1:35 left here in the first quarter, Ohio State and USC are tied at 7.”

(Commercial airs and then the game returns to the screen)

“USC has decided they’ll go for it. Three receivers are split wide, Sunny Byrd is in the backfield. Palmer drops back…lets it go! Caught! Touchdown! 32 yards to Kareem Kelly and the Trojans retake the lead!”

“Kelly made an excellent move at the line to beat the jam. The Trojans caught the safety Nickey cheating up for the run and Kelly just blew past everyone into the open field. Palmer laid it out for him and it was an easy six.”

“The extra point is up, and it is good! So, with 1:24 to go in the first, a big touchdown pass on fourth down puts the Trojans on top 14-7.”

Game Status: 1:24 left in the 1st quarter, USC leads 14-7. USC is preparing to kick off to OSU.

(Game note: I will be going on vacation next week, so updates will probably be on hold. I'll try to get the 1st quarter done and get into the 2nd before leaving, though.)

“Drive summary for that last touchdown by USC…7 plays, 55 yards, taking just a bit under three minutes off the clock, capped by Carson Palmer’s 32-yard touchdown pass to Kareem Kelly.
“Ryan Killeen is set to kick it off.” Killeen steps up and kicks it down the field to the waiting return men.
“High, deep kick that comes down to Gamble four yards deep in the end zone. Gamble decides to down it and the Buckeyes will take over 1st and 10 at the 20.”

“Let’s go back to that touchdown play,” says Dan. A replay of the touchdown play appears, stopped at the time of the snap. “You see Kelly lined up over here with Gamble singled up. Here’s Nickey, edging towards the line of scrimmage. He’ll get himself too far forward and when Gamble fails to contain Kelly at the line, you see all this green space behind the defense.” The play is set into slow motion. “Gamble makes the jam attempt, but Kelly is able to fight through it and just makes a sprint for the end zone. Palmer just had to drop back and lay it up for him. Gamble, without the help deep is forced to make up ground, but he can’t make it up fast enough and Kelly catches it in the end zone for the touchdown.”

“1st and 10 for the Buckeyes. Lined up in the I-formation with Joe and Clarett behind Krenzel…give to Clarett…tries to work his way outside…brought down at the line of scrimmage. The Trojans did a good job of stringing out the play and Shaun Cody, who has been all over the field early, gets credit for the tackle.”

“Cody got the stop, but his linebackers did a great job of keeping Clarett from advancing, allowing Cody to shed his block and bring Clarett down from behind.”

“2nd down for the Buckeyes…Krenzel back to pass…throws…complete. Diving catch made by Hartsock just short of the first down.”

“Hartsock played a bit of a trick. He acted like he was going to block, but then disengaged and ran out on a pass pattern. Krenzel’s still not throwing well, though, and only a good effort by Hartsock allowed the pass to be complete.”

“3rd and 2. Clarett and Joe in the backfield, Jenkins and Gamble outside. Handoff to Clarett…fumble! Who’s got it?...Krenzel does. Heads-up play by Krenzel there. Unfortunately, they didn’t get anything out of the play and as the first quarter comes to a close, OSU faces fourth down. So, one quarter is in the books, the Trojans of Southern California lead 14 to 7.”

(Commercials appear for between quarters break, followed by return to the game)

“Start of the second quarter, USC up 14-7. Andy Groom is on to punt for the Buckeyes. Grieg Carlson is back at his own 30 awaiting the kick.... Oh! Almost another block and another poor punt by Groom.” The referee spots the ball at the USC 43. “It looks to be about a 29 or 30 yard punt this time.”

“USC special teams does it again, playing havoc with Groom’s punt. This time, it looks like one of the Trojans came through cleanly and Groom was forced to rush it off at an angle to avoid the block. Once again, great field position for Southern Cal. Last time they had the short field, they struck for a touchdown.”

Game Status: 14:55 left in the 2nd quarter, USC leads 14-7. USC has the ball 1st and 10 at the USC 43.

“1st and 10 for the Trojans starting at their own 43. Hand off to Fargas…. Surges through the line and knocked down close to a first down! Cie Grant tripped him up after a gain of nine!”

“The Trojan offensive line is playing outstanding right now. They’re giving Palmer time to complete his passes and they’re giving Fargas the holes he needs to get yardage.”

“2nd and a yard at the Buckeye 48. Buckeyes are showing blitz…flags are down on the field. It looked like one of the Trojan linemen jumped a bit.”

“False start! Offense! Five yard penalty! Repeat 2nd down!”

“Yep. False start against USC.”

“Looking at the replay, it looks like the guilty party was Zach Wilson, the right guard. Cie Grant rushed straight at him from the linebacker spot in anticipation of the snap and Wilson reacted to him instead of the snap of the ball.”

“So, after the penalty backs ‘em up five yards, it’s now 2nd down and 6 for the Trojans. Palmer drops back…complete to the tight end Guenther…he’s got the first down and more! Brought down just inside the Buckeye 40!”

“There’s a flag on the play, Keith. This one’s coming back, I think.”

“It looks like it, Dan. The Buckeye players are signaling that it’s going against USC.”

“Illegal motion! Offense! Five yard penalty! Repeat 2nd down!”

“Another five yards are marched off against the Trojans and a simple 2nd-and-1 has now become a difficult 2nd-and-11. Fargas is now the lone back in the backfield as USC goes to three receivers. Palmer drops back…throws…complete! Eight yard gain. Mike Williams with the catch, tackled by Robert Reynolds, the outside linebacker.”

“Just a simple slant route by Williams. He ran towards the middle, turned, and sat down between several defenders. Palmer delivered it to him and he did the rest.”

“Important 3rd down here for the Trojans. They need to reach the Ohio State 47 for the first down. Hand off to Fargas. Dropped for a loss! Derrion Scott busted through the line and dumped him behind the line of scrimmage!”

“Great play by Scott. He outmaneuvered Holmes and then brought down Fargas with a solid tackle. It was a play the Buckeyes have needed. To this point, the only negative yards it seemed they were getting were on penalties. This one came on their own effort as a defense.”

“Fourth down for the Trojans and on to punt for the second time this evening is Tom Malone. Back around his own 10 is Chris Gamble.
“Good, high punt…Gamble signals fair catch…brings it in about the 12 yard line. Forty yard punt, no return. So, with 12:29 left in the half, Ohio State takes over deep in its own end, trailing by 7.”

Game Status: 12:29 left in the 2nd quarter, USC leads 14-7. Ohio State has the ball 1st and 10 at the Ohio State 12.

“1st down for the Buckeyes at their own 12. Krenzel hands away to Clarett…not much doing there. Got back to the line of scrimmage…maybe a yard. Matt Grootegoed filled the hole and made the stop.”

“The Trojans have clamped down on Clarett since that first possession. He had 37 yards on five carries that drive, but he’s only managed 3 yards and a fumble in four attempts since then. On this play, Clarett’s ability actually helped him to avoid a loss as he eluded the grasp of both Mike Patterson and Mike Pollard before Grootegooed got to him. One of the few times you’ll be glad you got a yard on a play.”

“2nd down and nine at the 13. Schnittker comes in for Brandon Joe at the fullback position. Give to Clarett and he slices through the line and is tripped up short of the first down! Seven yard gain for Clarett.”

“Again, the talent that Clarett has is on full display. He was surrounded by three would-be tacklers, but he has the strength and speed to pull away from them, through the line and downfield.”

“Marcell Allmond came over from his cornerback position to knock him down before he could go any further.”

“3rd and a short 2 for the Buckeyes. Trojans put pressure on the line.
“Krenzel—“

“Blitz!”

“—rolls out. He’s gonna keep it! He’s got the first down and more! Out of bounds at the 28 after an eight yard gain!”

“Good job by Krenzel to get away from the pressure and this is one of the things that he did so well during the year, making the play to keep a drive going--not with his arm, but with his feet.”

“1st down for the Buckeyes at the 28. Handoff to Clarett. Not much there in the middle again. Pollard brings him down after a couple.”

“Good tackle by Pollard on that play. He doesn’t make that tackle, it could have been a big gainer for Clarett.”

“2nd down, eight at the 30. Lydell Ross has come into the ballgame for Clarett and Joe is in for Schnittker.”

“Good move. Clarett looks a little winded over there on the sideline.”

“Krenzel goes back…screen to Jenkins. Brought down almost as soon as he caught it. Maybe a yard on that one. Double coverage by Grootegooed and Rideaux and they combined for the stop.”

“This play seemed doomed from the start because as you pointed out, they had a linebacker and a corner both locked on Jenkins, who was basically the only catching threat on the field. It was an easy play to stop.”

“3rd down and 7 for Ohio State. Three receivers, the lone set back is Lydell Ross. Draw play to Ross! He’s got the first down! Brought down by Grootegooed and DeShaun Hill, but not before he picks up the first down and makes it to the Ohio State 44!”

“The delay draw works because the Trojans are all dropped back expecting pass. DeShaun Hill did read it correctly, though, but Hall slipped his tackle at the line of scrimmage. Give Hill some credit though. He stayed on his feet and chased Ross down from behind.”

“1st down for the Buckeyes at the 44…hand off to Clarett…big hole! Across the 50 and down at the USC 44! Brought down by Mike Pollard and DeShaun Hill after a gain of 12!”

“It seemed to be a matter of time, Keith. The Trojans had been able to contain Clarett since that first touchdown drive, but they might be breaking down a bit. On the replay, you can see the hole opened up and look at the good downfield blocking by Chris Gamble. He chipped away Grootegooed, which enabled Clarett to pick up four or five more yards before getting hit.”

“1st and 10, Ohio State, at the Trojan 44. For the first time this evening, the Buckeyes have both Maurices, Clarett and Hall, in the backfield. Handoff is to Hall this time and he pushes inside the 40 to the 37. A gain of seven. Tackle made by Troy Polamalu and Pollard.”

“This Ohio State offense has finally got it going. A change of pace out of the backfield as Hall takes the ball this time, but Clarett still gets involved as he takes the roll of lead blocker and manages to knock down Simmons to spring Hall through the hole. He’s doing a little bit of everything to help his team.”

“2nd down and about 3…Trojans show blitz. Handoff to Clarett…gets around the end and picks up the first down! Picked up about five yards and moves the chains. Marcell Allmond came over from the cornerback position to make the stop.”

“The Buckeyes continue to pound away on this drive. Only one pass thus far. Quite a contrast to that first drive which had a sack, an incompletion, and a second sack which resulted in a fumble. They now seem content to ride the running of Clarett and wear down this Trojan defense.”

“1st down at the 32. Brandon Joe is back on at the fullback position. Handoff to Joe…brought down immediately by Shaun Cody! He didn’t even get back to the line of scrimmage, it looks like.”

“Cody is having an outstanding half thus far, Keith. On the replay, though, you can tell he got a bit of help as Shane Olivea helped out on Nazel and no one picked up Cody, so he got about the easiest tackle he’s likely to have this evening, wrapping up Joe almost as soon as he got the ball.”

“2nd down. Clarett and Lydell Ross in the backfield…handoff to Clarett…met and dropped by a host of Trojans after a couple of yards, and there is a flag on the field.”

“Oooh! The referee is saying holding on the defense! Not often you see that called on a running play.”

“Holding! Defense! Five yard penalty! Automatic first down!”

“On the replay, it looks like Simmons grabbed and pulled down Ryan Hamby, the tight end, and that must’ve been what drew the flag. I can’t really see what else it could be, especially on a running play.”

“Pete Carroll is really jawing at the referee over there on that call, but he’s not getting anywhere with it. At any rate, it’s 1st and 10 for Ohio State as a result…. Reverse! Gamble has it…he’s looking to throw! It is…intercepted! Intercepted by Darrell Rideaux and down at the eight yard line!”

“A very puzzling decision by Jim Tressel to go away from the running game and try such a risky play. The Trojan defense had been reeling from the constant assault.
“He was looking for Jenkins downfield, but Gamble threw up a jump ball that got too much air under it and Rideaux was able to beat Jenkins back to the ball.”

Game Status: 6:21 left in the 2nd quarter, USC leads 14-7. USC has the ball 1st and 10 at the USC 8.

“On comes the Trojan offense again, facing the worst field position it has had all game long. 1st and 10 at the 8. Sultan McCullough and Justin Fargas are both in the backfield. Palmer turns and…hands to Kelly! Tries to bounce outside…knocked out of bounds for a loss and there is a penalty on the play.”

“Holding! Offense! Penalty is declined! Second down!”

“So, Ohio State turns down the penalty, since it would only have netted another yard as Kelly lost three on the play.”

“Southern Cal tried to answer a trick play with one of its own, but the interior defense of Ohio State was just too good. Kelly tried to get away from the middle, but the pursuit tracked him down. Judging by the replay, it looks like Jacob Rogers was the guilty party on the holding call, not that it helped any.”

“2nd and about 13 for the Trojans. Buckeyes are showing blitz…and flags come down. Flags before the play starts and that usually indicates…yep, false start.”

“False start! Offense! Half the distance to the goal! Repeat 2nd down!”

“That’s the second time that’s happened to the Trojans tonight. Buckeyes push their blitzers to the line at the last second and a Trojan lineman jumps. Looking at the play again, it would seem the player at fault was left guard Lenny Vandermeade. Not a good place to have a false start penalty, Keith.”

“2nd down and 15 at about the three for USC. Buckeyes look like they’ll blitz again. Palmer turns and throws to the sideline, caught. Williams…slips one tackle before being dropped after a three-yard gain. Cie Grant and Donnie Nickey combined on the stop.”

“Good defense by Ohio State in corralling the dangerous Williams. A bubble screen to Williams was the call. He managed to slip the grasp of Dustin Fox, the cornerback, but then Grant and Nickey made sure he wouldn’t get any further.”

“3rd and 12 for the Trojans. The Buckeye fans are making some noise now, trying to drown out Palmer. Back to pass…has lots of time…throws…caught by Kelly near the 20! Brought down from behind by Dustin Fox and Donnie Nickey. A gain of 23 yards and the Trojans get the first down!”

“Ohio State had good coverage on the play, but Palmer is so hot any gap looks huge to him right now. Look at the replay. You’ll see the Trojans in a three-receiver set, with Kelly matched up against Fox. As the play goes into motion, you’ll see Nickey provide deep support as Fox lets Kelly past him and goes to his inside. However, Palmer is not fazed by the bracketing and fires it where only Kelly can get to it and on a dead run. Kelly doesn’t have to break stride and gets the huge gain.”

“1st and 10 after the 23-yard gain by Kelly. Fargas and Byrd in the backfield. Handoff is to Fargas…can’t get away and is brough down for a five-yard loss!”

“Tim Anderson just destroyed this play, Keith. He drove his blocker straight back into Fargas and then combined with Will Smith to finish him off for the loss.”

“2nd down and 15 after the loss. Palmer drops back…screen to McCullough…can’t get anywhere and is shoved out of bounds for a yard loss.”

“The Buckeyes had great coverage on this play as Cie Grant played McCullough perfectly and stayed with him after he caught it. McCullough tried to get away, but his backpeddling only got him a shove out of bounds for a yard loss.”

“3rd down and a country mile for the Trojans. Three receivers on the field for USC. Palmer drops back…throws…complete to Grant Mattos, but he didn’t get much, only about four or five yards on that play and the Trojans will have to punt. Donnie Nickey made the stop.”

“The Buckeyes brought the pressure and it forced Palmer to get rid of it before he could go for a deep ball. Mattos ran a basic curl route and he was the hot read in this blitzing situation. Palmer got it to him, but obviously it was nowhere near enough for a first down.”

“Tom Malone is on for his third punt of the night. Back around his 30 is Chris Gamble, ready to return…. Good, high kick. Gamble is signaling for a fair catch and catches it at about the 31 of Ohio State. So, with 3:29 left here in the first half, it remains 14-7, Southern California.”

Game Status: 3:29 left in the 2nd quarter, USC leads 14-7. OSU has the ball 1st and 10 at the OSU 31.

“1st down for the Buckeyes at their own 31. Lydell Ross and Brandon Schnittker are in the backfield for Ohio State…and penalty flags come down before the snap.”

“False start! Offense! Five yard penalty! Repeat first down!”

“Penalties are beginning to pick up a bit, Keith. Even so, this is only the second penalty on Ohio State while Southern Cal has been flagged five times, not including the one that Ohio State declined.”

“So, we’ll do it again, except five yards further back for Ohio State. JaJa Riley has come in for the first time tonight, lined up with Ross in the backfield. Handoff is to Riley who is hit and dropped at the line of scrimmage.”

“Trojans are saying that he fumbled, Keith.”

“Mike Pollard has come out of the pile with it. The referees are conferring…and conferring a little more. It looks like…yep, they’re saying down by contact and the Buckeyes retain possession.”

“Pete Carroll isn’t happy about this one. Let’s bring up the replay and see if he’s right or the officials are. Here’s the handoff to Riley…he reaches the line…down…down…okay…there’s his knee on the ground and he still has the ball…now the ball comes out. Good call by the officials.”

“2nd down and 16 for the Buckeyes. Clarett has returned to the game and is joined by Maurice Hall in the backfield. Krenzel drops back…lets it go! It is…caught by Gamble at the 40…brough down at midfield! Darrell Rideaux was on the coverage and he and DeShaun Hill chased Gamble down from behind. A gain of 26, first and ten, Buckeyes!”

“Ohio State caught the Trojans cheating forward and went over the top of the defense. Here’s Gamble lined up against Rideaux. Troy Polamalu, the strong safety has come up and it looks like he’s going to play the run. As a result, there’s very little help for Rideaux as Krenzel fires his best pass of the evening, hitting Gamble in stride.”

“1st and 10 for the Buckeyes just into Trojan territory. Handoff to Clarett…battles his way forward…brought down after three tough yards. Mike Pollard made the stop.”

“Well done by Pollard on that play, filling the hole that the Buckeye line opened up. Had he not been there, Clarett would’ve picked up a lot more yards.”

“2nd down now for the Buckeyes. Lydell Ross has come on for Clarett. Handoff to Ross…and he is smacked down immediately by Melvin Simmons as he crossed the line of scrimmage.”

“You can tell the difference between Clarett and the Ohio State runners. Ross isn’t quite as quick as Clarett and Simmons was able to chase him down as he reached the corner. Clarett probably could’ve made that corner turn and been able to get away from Simmons.”

“3rd down and the clock winds down towards one minute remaining. Ohio State brings out three wide receivers and Clarett is the lone back in the backfield. Krenzel drops back to pass…looks…throws! Incomplete! Intended for Ben Hartsock, the tight end.”

“Hartsock took a solid hit from Jason Leach, the nickel back who smashed into him and jarred the ball loose to prevent the completion. Had Leach not made that play, Ohio State would’ve had a first down and been in position to get a field goal before halftime.”

“4th down for Ohio State. Andy Groom is on to punt again for the Buckeyes. The first two times he punted tonight, the Trojans almost got to him. Grieg Carlson is again awaiting the kick, standing at his 10…. Groom gets it off with no difficulty this time…unfortunately, he boots it just a bit hard and it’s into the end zone for a touchback. 45-yard punt, no return, and the Trojans will have it 1st and 10 at the 20 with :52 left in the half.”

Game Status: 0:52 left in the 2nd quarter, USC leads 14-7. USC has the ball 1st and 10 at the USC 20.

“1st and 10 for the Trojans and it looks like they’ll be content to run out the clock. Palmer takes the snap and goes to one knee." The Trojans slowly reset themselves into the same formation as the previous play. “One more kneel-down…and that’ll do it for the first half of play.”

“A very strong performance by the Trojans in the first half. Carson Palmer has shown why he’s the Heisman Trophy winner, going 11-for-11 in the half. It’ll be interesting to see if the Buckeyes can make some adjustments to stop his hot hand.”

“Let’s go down to Lynn Swann who has Buckeye coach Jim Tressel. Swanny?”

“Thanks, Keith. Coach, Carson Palmer hasn’t missed a pass yet. What do you need to do to stop him?”

“Well, Lynn, I don’t know if there is much we can do. Our guys are doing a fine job in coverage. He’s just hitting his passes right now.”

“You’ve done well on the ground, but Krenzel’s struggled a bit through the air. Are you going to change anything offensively at this point?”

“I don’t think so. It’s still just a touchdown game even though our offense hasn’t been doing as well as we would like. We just have to avoid mistakes and we’ll be okay.”

“Okay, thanks, coach. Keith?”

“Thanks, Lynn. Well, one half of this championship game is now in the books and the Trojans of Southern California lead the Ohio State Buckeyes 14-7. Back with the halftime report with John Saunders and Terry Bowden in a moment.”

Game Status: Halftime, USC leads 14-7.