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Mike Hall's Bio: Mike Hall does it all: He anchors "Big Ten Tonight," reports from sidelines during Big Ten games and serves as host of the Friday Night Tailgate. He also blogs right here and posts his very own video reports. |
| Oct 27 2009, 4:23 PM | Topic: Campus chatter | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| The question posed to me was this: "Mike, was the Iowa win over Michigan State the best game in the history of the Big Ten Network?" I like that question. I liked it so much … this blog will be about it. When batting around great games we aired with some of my colleagues, I was surprised how many there were to choose from. So I made a top 10 list of games in the 26-month history of the network. Of course, since its the Big Ten, this top 10 list starts with No. 11. Yeah, he did. The Boilermakers came into the game on a five game losing streak. The Buckeyes came in as a top ten ranked team. Carson Wiggs made four field goals, including a 55 yarder. It was the first conference win for Danny Hope as head coach. They were down at one point 28-3. This game also had a 70-yard TD run on the first play from scrimmage. It had 93-yard kickoff return. It had a safety. The 'Cats won despite throwing three 2nd half picks. And the drama went down to the last-play as a 59 yard field goal attempt by Nick Freeland just barely fell short. In the end it was the largest comeback in NU history. His teammates screamed at him to leave it alone, and that's what he did. Doh! The Panthers picked up the ball and thanks to the officials ruling the ball never crossed the line of scrimmage, they also got a second chance to stun the Hawkeyes. So, with a second left, of all people Hunter blocked Hallgren's second attempt, sealing the Iowa win. Forcier had two fourth-quarter touchdown passes for Michigan to come from 14 points down and force the extra play. The most dramatic was when he hit Roy Roundtree for a 9-yard score with two seconds left in regulation to tie it. Forcier showed his youth when he was intercepted by Spartan Chris L. Rucker off a deflection in the end zone on the first possession of overtime. And this huge rivalry game went to the team in green and white. It ensured their first bowl bid in 14 seasons, fulfilling the promise late coach Terry Hoeppner made to fans when he was hired three years prior. And it all happened with Jane Hoeppner looking on. The kick, which just barely cleared the crossbar, capped a comeback from being down 24-3 in a game between each schools' biggest rival. Less than 12 hours before tip-off, school officials released a report from the NCAA which accused coach Kelvin Sampson of committing five "major" rules violations. And then the game began, and blew all those who watched it away. 17 lead changes, 6 ties. During the final 96 seconds, the lead changed seven times. And then Brian Butch became the unlikely hero. Far away from the hoop, the ball landed in his hands and so he shot it. And made it. By banking it in with 4.5 seconds left. "We did not diagram the bank," head coach Bo Ryan said. "I don't think any of our other guys would have banked it." MSU scored the first touchdown of the game in the 58th minute. They did it in part thanks to a 3rd and 18 hook and ladder play! But Iowa came right back as Ricky Stanzi drove his team down the field. A defensive holding penalty wiped out a game ending interception. Iowa drove inside the ten with a first and goal, which became a 2nd and goal, then 3rd, before the clock said :02 for their 4th and goal play. Stanzi connected with Marvin McNutt for a 7-yard touchdown pass as time expired. Iowa, sixth in the BCS standings at the time, made it 12 straight wins dating back to last season, the second-longest streak in the nation. Yet again he grabbed the rebound and again got fouled. He hit that free throw with 1.5 seconds left. And we were just getting started. Blake Hoffarber was supposed to just be a decoy. But it didn't work out that way. Travis Busch inbounded it from 75 feet away to a jumping Hoffarber's hands. He caught it in traffic, spun and shot up the Hoffarber Heave. It went in, he went nuts, Tubby Smith went airborne, and the basketball world went crazy. Appalachian State took the lead with 26 seconds left when Julian Rauch kicked a 24-yard field goal. But Michigan - a program whose coach, and three offensive stars returned with their sights set on a Big Ten crown if not a national title - still had a shot. But Corey Lynch blocked a 37-yard attempt on the final play. No Division I-AA team had beaten a team ranked in The Associated Press poll. It was one of the biggest upsets in the history of college sports. I know I'm leaving some stuff off of this list. By all means shoot me a note on Twitter about any game I left off. In fact I deliberately left off non-football or basketball games. This was just using a list of the two main men's sports. But my point is this: That game Saturday was quite impressive if the only two games I can put ahead of it are the Hoffarber Heave and the App' State game. |
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