The last game of the season is always the biggest game on the Buckeye schedule, and not just because the Big Ten Championship is usually on the line, as it was this year as the Buckeyes and Wolverines met for the 102nd time. This time, for the second year in a row and the 4th in the past 5 years, the Buckeyes pulled out a victory, beating Michigan at home 25-21.
Smith threw for a career-high 300 yards and a touchdown and scored once on the ground, leading No. 9 Ohio State to a 25-21 win over No. 17 Michigan on Saturday and a share of the conference title.
Antonio Pittman’s 3-yard run with 24 seconds left capped an 88-yard drive that included a series of spectacular plays by Smith.
Smith spun to avoid a sack and made an 11-yard pass early in the drive and eluded another loss with quick feet, buying enough time to complete a 26-yard pass to set up Pittman’s winning run.
The game was probably closer than it should have been. Michigan scored 10 points off of turnovers, and the Buckeyes missed an extra point early in the game, but the Ohio State defense came through in the end and the offense pulled off the long drive it needed to win the game.
The win gives Ohio State a share of the Big Ten Championship (but not the outright claim since Penn State beat Michigan State 31-22) and, possibly, a bid to a BCS bowll depending on how the final polls come out.
