Sugar Bowl ups and downs with a little confetti

By David McCollum (TheCabin.net) -

NEW ORLEANS — Almost an hour after the end of the Sugar Bowl, after most had departed the Superdome for parts celebratory or remorse, several remaining fans walked slowly across the field.

A young girl, wearing an Ohio State scarlet cheerleader’s outfit, broke away from her mother’s grasp and sprinted to a large batch of scarlet confetti (roughly in the outline of California) that had been used in the celebration of the Buckeyes’ 31-26 victory over Arkansas.

The girl, about 4 or 5, plopped on her back and did a snow angel — or maybe a “confetti angel.”

Maybe that was one final illustration that the Buckeyes’ victory over the Razorbacks, which ended a nine-game losing streak to Southeastern Conference teams, was heaven on earth.

It was apparent from the beginning that Ohio State placed a great premium on getting that 900-pound, 4.3-speed, SEC gorilla off their backs. In building a 28-10 lead and dominating the first half, the Buckeyes knocked the Hogs off the ball, winning the line of scrimmage on both sides, time and time again.

And a 38-day layoff, the Razorback defenders didn’t seem ready for the intensity and the passion by which they would be attacked. They got it at halftime as the Hogs fought their way back in it with the deense even scoring with a safety.

And Ohio State coach Jim Tressel again opened himself up to criticism when three of the five OSU players (Terrelle Pryor, Dan Herron and DeVier Posey), who are suspended for the first five games of next season (but not the Sugar Bowl) because of NCAA violations involving sale of gear, scored touchdowns. And defensive end Solomon Thomas, another of the “Buckeye Five,” made the game-winning interception. And end Cameron Heyward wreaked havoc all night with the UA offense. Five for five on game-changing elements You bet, Ohio State placed a high priority on victory. The philosophical debate is at what cost.

However, most UA fans I talked to wanted the Razorbacks to beat the Buckeyes when they were at full strength — to remove any question.For the UA players, coaches and fans, this was devastating.

Despite having an AWOL defense and receivers whose hands turned to stone, this was very winnable, set up to be possibly one of the most magnificent comebacks in UA history.

And it again illustrates how inches and crazy bounces of the ball matter.

Some illustrations:

* Remember the touchdown Cobi Hamilton scored when two defenders collided that turned the game around against LSU? That might have been strangely evened out. On Ohio State’s first touchdown drive, Pryor fumbled near the end zone. Two Hogs were in position to recover and they collided diving for ball, leaving opening for Buckeye receiver Dane Sanzenbacher to recover for a touchdown……

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