Football Forever
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 6:26 PM ^
November 10th, 2012 at 6:29 PM ^
I don't think the fact that he's played in every game this year, and 9 games last year, qualifies as hiding.
November 10th, 2012 at 4:23 PM ^
This game ran the gamut, from the depths of despair to the pinnacle of happiness. All in about 20 minutes.
NOW GO PENN STATE!!!!
November 10th, 2012 at 4:27 PM ^
Michigan was going to lose. Check my twitter timeline @phunkymarco>>>Patience,was the key with todays win.
November 10th, 2012 at 4:28 PM ^
Seriously though, that ball spot was damn close and I understand it. However, before their go-ahead touchdown, did they not give NW an extra half yard after we had them totally stopped? Or am I crazy? And if so, why wasn't that one reviewed instead of the later one?
November 10th, 2012 at 4:45 PM ^
I thought,they stretched that chain to the point,they were going to break a link...
November 10th, 2012 at 5:17 PM ^
November 10th, 2012 at 4:30 PM ^
equivalent to dieing of cancer but this is how i am feeling about today.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tIr1VrgZHd0&t=1m3s
November 10th, 2012 at 4:31 PM ^
I'm just so happy how that game ended. We clinched victory from the depths of defeat. Incredible win and the best part of the game was the experiences that our players will gain for the remainder of the season and going into next year.
November 10th, 2012 at 4:31 PM ^
This team stood together and made me as proud as a new daddy. That win had to be the hardest fought win I have ever seen but I knew NW was in trouble in OT. They were looking forward to that OT like I was my 4th hip replacement surgery.
November 10th, 2012 at 4:38 PM ^
The late hit could have led anyother team to self destruct. Not a Hoke led team.
I marvel at his demeanor during the game...dosen't rant and rave nor does he require a seatbelt because he's moving 100 mphs,while standing still. This team a reflection of him and the coaching staff...
November 10th, 2012 at 4:32 PM ^
Congratulations to the Michigan defense for making the plays when it counted most.
November 10th, 2012 at 4:38 PM ^
You've captured the collision of arbitrary events and raw emotion very well.
November 10th, 2012 at 4:43 PM ^
The anti-Colorado hail mary loss.
Many happies are haz'd.
November 11th, 2012 at 12:46 AM ^
I referenced this in the liveblog...I finally feel like we got a little of that play back. Although this meant a lot less, in the scheme of things.
That said, we're now looking at a probable 8-4 instead of 7-5...that's a pretty big difference. And we still have a glimmer of hope of winning the B1G. Go Minnesota? Ummmm...
November 10th, 2012 at 4:45 PM ^
Ace, you just effing nailed it. Perfect.
November 10th, 2012 at 4:49 PM ^
This describes my thoughts during the game perfectly.
November 10th, 2012 at 4:59 PM ^
November 10th, 2012 at 5:03 PM ^
November 10th, 2012 at 5:05 PM ^
November 10th, 2012 at 5:09 PM ^
November 10th, 2012 at 5:10 PM ^
November 10th, 2012 at 5:13 PM ^
November 10th, 2012 at 5:21 PM ^
November 10th, 2012 at 6:13 PM ^
November 10th, 2012 at 5:24 PM ^
November 10th, 2012 at 5:34 PM ^
November 10th, 2012 at 5:34 PM ^
On a football note... I'm extremely glad that the defense that had me frustrated to the point of not cheering all game long is the group that had the chance to, and eventually won the game.
Seriously, how did they fool us with the pitch all game long?
November 10th, 2012 at 5:58 PM ^
As everyone has already said, this was a great piece of writing and spot on.
I am looking forward to the Mathlete's graph of winning probabilities minute-by-minute for this game. I think it will be almost UTLish. (Not quite, but almost.)
November 10th, 2012 at 6:03 PM ^
November 11th, 2012 at 1:13 AM ^
Or maybe the anti 2000 UM-Northwestern game.
November 10th, 2012 at 6:14 PM ^
November 10th, 2012 at 8:11 PM ^
People change.
November 10th, 2012 at 6:25 PM ^
November 10th, 2012 at 6:33 PM ^
This encapsulates all that keeps us coming back. I accidentally scared my young children who were adorably reading on the couch when Roundtree did what he did. They recovered sufficiently to help me sing a few minutes later.
November 10th, 2012 at 6:33 PM ^
November 10th, 2012 at 6:36 PM ^
I love when they measure for the first down. The referee arbitrarily determines where the ball is placed, and then they attempt to make it precise by measuring. Except they trot the whole chain gang out on the field, which means the spot where the chains are placed may be off an inch or two from the comparison set on the sideline. Every time they try to measure, I laugh. So much depends upon a referee spotting.
Obviously we need to move to a radiofrequency chip implanted inside the ball with sensors in the field that can triangulate the exact position of the ball and so therefore determine forward progress perfectly on review. WE HAVE THE SCIENCE TO DO THIS!
November 10th, 2012 at 11:02 PM ^
November 10th, 2012 at 11:26 PM ^
November 10th, 2012 at 6:45 PM ^
This reminds of so many reasons why we love and hate this sport. It is the greatest sport on earth.
Also penn state just got screwed. That was a touchdown.
November 10th, 2012 at 6:45 PM ^
This reminds of so many reasons why we love and hate this sport. It is the greatest sport on earth.
Also penn state just got screwed. That was a touchdown.
November 10th, 2012 at 7:27 PM ^
November 10th, 2012 at 6:54 PM ^
That's what great writers can do.
November 10th, 2012 at 7:39 PM ^
of the last play of the game... i was in the adidas suite watching even though i was technically working...
November 10th, 2012 at 9:43 PM ^
If the QB pulls the give and tosses right NU might have scored. They had the right numbers in the box. Someone was supposed to block Demens. The odd alignment cause confusion. I'm guessing the left guard didn't do his job.
November 11th, 2012 at 8:37 AM ^
I don't think they do. The great play by Black had that play dead to rights. He had the qb, and Kovacs was shooting outside for the pitch man, and obviously, demens had the fullback. Ryan got cut and stayed on his feet, so he was there to help demens or break outside and help Kovacs deal with the pitch man. I think it was a great call by mattison and an excellent play by Black that made it work.
November 10th, 2012 at 7:47 PM ^
Many, many thanks for memorializing another great victory.
November 10th, 2012 at 7:56 PM ^
The leaping Devin Gardner touchdown was a thing of beauty, and it reminded me of the Marquise Walker touchdown in the 1999 Michigan/OSU game.
November 10th, 2012 at 7:57 PM ^
at 5:30am local I fell asleep after they got the 4th and 1 conversion. I'm shocked. Amazed. And alabama lost?! WOOOOOO FOOOTBAAAAAAAALLLLL!!! It's 10am now, and this is awesome.
November 10th, 2012 at 9:27 PM ^
Roundtree catch from behind
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