The words from Brent Musburger’s voice, “Germaine, the kid’s gonna throw it, wide open, he got it, the Buckeyes lead” still echo in my mind from the game-winning drive of the 1997 Rose Bowl between Ohio State and Arizona State. It was the first time in my life as a Buckeye fan that I had the opportunity to watch a theater game in the Rose Bowl. I was 15 years old at the time and in those years the Buckeyes never made it to the Rose Bowl. Needless to say, I was anxious to watch the game and wanted the Buckeyes to win. In the weeks leading up to the game, there was a lot of hype surrounding Arizona State quarterback, Jake Plummer, who would play for the NFL’s Cardinals and Broncos. . In that particular season, Plummer seemed to be something of a spectacle in every game that led Arizona State to victory. Because of these heroics by Plummer, Arizona State would have a shot at the national title if they could beat Ohio State. Ohio State was coming off yet another loss to arch-rival Michigan and it looked like the stage was set for another Jake Plummer triumph.
The game was in a contest with Ohio State scoring first with 5:04 left in the first quarter. Stanley Jackson hits David Boston in the end zone for a four yard touchdown pass. It would remain a 7-0 game until the 10:04 mark in the second quarter when Plummer hit Rick Boyer with a 25-yard touchdown pass to tie the game. Arizona State would then take the lead on a third down field goal. This lead lasted only 49 seconds, as Ohio State quarterback Joe Germaine threw a 72-yard touchdown pass to Dimitriou Stanley to give the Buckeyes a 14-10 lead. With 1:40 left in the fourth quarter, it looked as if Jake Plummer would pull off yet another miracle as he pulled off the catch for the go-ahead touchdown. With the Buckeye offense struggling most of the game, Arizona State seemed to be in prime position to win the game and position itself for a possible national title; although Joe Germaine and the Buckeye offense would say the ultimate. Aided by two Arizona State interference penalties, Joe Germain drove the Buckeyes down the field and with 19 seconds left, Germain sent a five-yard touchdown pass to David Boston to give the Buckeyes the lead.
The question is why is this your favorite holiday season? The answer is simple, for the first time I was able to witness a Rose Bowl win by Ohio State, a team I have enjoyed all my life. In addition, Ohio State fans were hearing all the hype surrounding Jake Plummer before the game, and what a great quarterback he was. Needless to say, with all the hype surrounding Jake Plummer, not many were giving Ohio State a chance to win. Do you honestly give the Buckeyes a chance to win this game? Ohio Michigan State‘s second loss was coming and if my memory serves me correctly, the Buckeyes lost by six. of seven bowl games under the tenure of head coach John Cooper. Why this bowl was special and why it is one of my favorite holiday games; The Buckeyes won the game because many didn’t think the Buckeyes had the winning speech.
