My first thought was a Ferrell-esque "That. Just. Happened." An amazing finish for a team that was not going to quit.
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Football Forever
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Upchurch
A referee makes an arbitrary approximation of the spot of the football as Kain Colter is brought to the turf. A couple of guys dressed like crossing guards then take out an extremely precise ten-yard chain. The referee, staring at the football like it's the bottom line of an eye chart, determines that the play has resulted in a first down by the smallest of possible margins. For all intents and purposes, the game is over, decided by an educated guess made at breakneck speed.
Football is the worst.
The contest continues, however, and Michigan sells out against the run for a stop. For a moment, it looks like Jeremy Gallon could provide a miracle as he briefly breaks free after fielding a line-drive punt, but he's tackled at the 38.
18 seconds remain. No timeouts remain. Little hope remains.
But then the backup quarterback hucks the football to the impossibly-skinny senior receiver, improbably left in single coverage, and this wisp of a man somehow bats the oblong projectile out of the air and controls the ricochet, an absurd feat of concentration and athleticism that brings 110,000 despondent humans screaming to their feet in elation.
Football is the best.
From that point, victory feels strangely academic given the prior proceedings. Brendan Gibbons, Keith Stone cool, splits the uprights from 26 yards out for the tying field goal. Three plays after Devin Gardner finds Roundtree again to give Michigan first-and-goal on the opening overtime possession, he fakes a give to Fitz Toussaint, breaks contain, and lopes into the end zone unimpeded. Northwestern can only get within two yards of that blasted first-down marker on their subsequent series before Kenny Demens stonewalls Tyris Jones in the hole on fourth down.
The stadium erupts, again hopelessly in love with the greatest game known to man. Michigan 38, Northwestern 31, football forever.
November 10th, 2012 at 5:09 PM
#2
My first thought was a
November 11th, 2012 at 12:03 AM
#3
Totally unrelated: do you
Totally unrelated: do you typically quote Space Balls and/or Princess Bride ever?
Just a little bet Ace and I have going about age and what movies people quote always.
November 11th, 2012 at 12:17 AM
#4
That is why evil will always
That is why evil will always triumph over good. Because good is dumb.
Class of '00.
November 11th, 2012 at 1:05 AM
#5
As if being crotchety didn't
As if being crotchety on the internet didn't already identify you as Generation X.
FTR Ace's theory is Millenials only quote Zoolander and Anchorman, never the classics.
That Vizzini, he can *fuss*.
November 11th, 2012 at 3:34 AM
#6
I think he likes to scream at
I think he likes to scream at *us*
November 11th, 2012 at 11:22 AM
#7
I must be in between. I'm as
I must be in between. I'm as likely to quote Zoolander as I am to quote Stripes or Vacation.
I think I'm more in the Happy Gilmore/Tommy Boy generation.
November 11th, 2012 at 7:19 PM
#8
So talking
about the Germans bombing Pearl Harbor, that doesn't register?
November 11th, 2012 at 12:51 AM
#9
To Seth
May the Schwartz be with you!
November 11th, 2012 at 11:36 AM
#10
Short answer: no to both.
Short answer: no to both.
November 11th, 2012 at 11:47 AM
#11
Ugh! Ugh!
/loses faith in
Ugh! Ugh!
/loses faith in humanity post-whenever the actuary tables say people who remember memes from 1980s American pop culture will all be dead.
November 11th, 2012 at 12:53 PM
#12
No 1980s pop culture memes?
No 1980s pop culture memes? Inconceivable!
November 11th, 2012 at 3:16 PM
#13
Unless the actuarial tables
Unless the actuarial tables are going by the Mayan doomsday calendar for everybody 30 and above (hi!), you still have a few solid years of faith in humanity left...
November 10th, 2012 at 5:10 PM
#14
There's something special
There's something special about seniors stepping up at big moments. Roundtree. Campbell. Demens.
Football Forever.
November 10th, 2012 at 7:19 PM
#15
Also, are Muppets still
Also, are Muppets still common currency here?
November 10th, 2012 at 10:49 PM
#17
Roundtree
November 11th, 2012 at 2:38 AM
#18
That is stinkin hilarious!
Oh my goodness that is soooo awesome. Thanks for that. Even his eyes say, "yes I am B.A!"
November 10th, 2012 at 5:10 PM
#19
I think the shot of Hoke
in replay of the stop was the happiest I've seen him on any one play as far as TV goes.
November 10th, 2012 at 5:18 PM
#20
Compare Brady's reaction to
Compare Brady's reaction to Fitzgerald's after the Beyer late hit. Pat was jumping up and down with his arms raised like a tool. He's a good coach and seems like an ok guy, but I hate his cheerleading.
November 10th, 2012 at 5:32 PM
#21
Yeah I was mad and no one I
Yeah I was mad and no one I was watching with (neutral fans) understood why. I like Pat Fitzgerald usually, when we're not playing them, and I know he was understandably excited, but fuck, man that wasn't your team, that was a fucking penalty.
November 10th, 2012 at 5:56 PM
#22
Fitzgerald Reaction
I think his reaction was really more as a joke. He had been upset about some previous calls according to the announcers. His reaction was "hey you finally called something fuck you" instead of "hooray you hit my QB late." That being said, he still looked like a huge tool celebrating like that.
November 10th, 2012 at 6:35 PM
#23
I laughed so hard at this
I laughed so hard at this description. Thank you.
November 11th, 2012 at 7:06 AM
#24
I don't think so...
he was celebrating a win (or what he thought wad a win). Watching on tv you got a closeup of his face and it was no joke. he thought he just one a huge game at the big house that might somehow make up for his ridiculous comments at halftime during last year and ending up losing as well.
He clearly thought his team just won the game and was celebrating.
November 11th, 2012 at 2:34 PM
#25
I don't think he was
I don't think he was celebrating a win, because his team was down 28-24 at the time the play happened (with about 5 minutes to go). The play allowed them to avoid a 3rd and 11 and set up their go-ahead TD.
November 14th, 2012 at 11:26 AM
#26
o.k. So we'll split hairs....
So your stance is he can't be celebrating because he hasn't won yet and people obviously never celebrate a win until a game is over. His team was driving for what would be the go ahead TD and he gets a call that gets them out of a 3rd and long. I would bet he was pretty confident at that point he was driving for the win and was thus celebrating.
November 10th, 2012 at 10:08 PM
#27
Fitzgerald was like a
Fitzgerald was like a basketball coach working the officials. He's a good coach, but that was obnoxious.
November 10th, 2012 at 5:32 PM
#28
Fitzgerald looked like a
Fitzgerald looked like a clown jumping up and down after that late hit penalty. It's one thing to be enthusiastic, but the way he acted was over the top.
November 10th, 2012 at 6:02 PM
#29
Yup PatFitz did himself no
Yup PatFitz did himself no honor with that jut-jawed moronic leaping about after his QB is nailed late.
Not even an assistant coach should react like that.
That's what fans are for!
Like to think that reaction was "Instant Karma'd" by Tree's catch in a most delightful way...
November 10th, 2012 at 9:35 PM
#30
Photo
Didn't think it belonged in my slide show, but here you go.
November 10th, 2012 at 5:33 PM
#31
Fitzgerald's reaction was
Fitzgerald's reaction was odd... I can't recall a head coach acting like that unless it's a game-winning play. Assistant coaches, sure. But head coaches are usually more stoic than that.
Add in the fact that he was celebrating a late hit call on his QB... seems like his first reaction should be concern for his QB or anger at a "cheap shot" but instead he's jumping around like he just got an N64 for Christmas.
November 10th, 2012 at 5:54 PM
#32
oh. my. gosh. I remember
oh. my. gosh. I remember getting an N64 for Christmas, it was amazing.
November 10th, 2012 at 9:52 PM
#33
I received mine
With Griffey jr baseball. Damn, he was dominant in that game. Ah, the memories...
November 11th, 2012 at 2:42 AM
#34
What?
What's an N64? Lol, kidding! But I am sure some young kid has no idea what that is.
I loved 007.
November 11th, 2012 at 3:14 AM
#35
Uh??
Or some middle aged lady.
November 10th, 2012 at 7:31 PM
#36
for reference
November 11th, 2012 at 7:26 PM
#37
After watching Woody's
antics during the '70s Fitzgerald's cheerleading, obnoxious as it was, pales in comparison.
November 10th, 2012 at 10:12 PM
#38
I couldn't see him well from
I couldn't see him well from the stands, but for what I did see..... I took it like he was happy to get another set of downs. Must have looked different on TV.
November 10th, 2012 at 10:27 PM
#39
Careful: Making fun of Pat
Careful: Making fun of Pat Fitzgerald on this blog could result in you being sent to Bolivia.
November 10th, 2012 at 5:14 PM
#43
Football forever
Indeed.
November 10th, 2012 at 5:17 PM
#44
Now, that is nicely put.
Now, that is nicely put.
November 11th, 2012 at 12:08 AM
#45
Agreed...
I passed around Ace's post to those near me - all were impressed with the piece. Well done, Ace
November 10th, 2012 at 5:17 PM
#46
This is why we are fans.
This is why we are fans. We've been on both sides of games like these through the years. Today was our day.
November 10th, 2012 at 5:21 PM
#47
Nicely put. On the long
Nicely put. On the long throw to Roundtree though the defensive back is the one who bats the ball and Roundtree has to somehow corral that thing and catch it. IMO that's harder than even tipping it to yourself. What a play and what a game. I still can't believe we won.
November 10th, 2012 at 6:07 PM
#48
That was very lucky
Looking at the replay, if the DB hadn't gotten a hand on it, it would have sailed over both of their heads and been incomplete. Roundtree wasn't close to getting a hand on the ball before it was tipped.
November 10th, 2012 at 5:23 PM
#49
GARDNER Classy Poisy
What poise to come back after a mistake and throw down the gut. The OT run for a touchdown was great, Why have we been hiding this guy instead of developing his skills?
