Everybody loves a winner in Columbus, Ohio

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Troy Smith barely got on the field for Ohio State earlier this season. After the Buckeyes’ biggest game of the year, he had trouble getting off of it.

With former high school teammates Smith and Ted Ginn Jr. leading the way, the Buckeyes pushed their troubles into the background for at least a day with a 37-21 upset of No. 7 Michigan on Saturday.

“I’m pretty much at a loss for words,” said Smith, the quarterback who didn’t play in three of the first five Ohio State games after being beaten out for the starting job in preseason. “It’s unbelievable. Coming off the field, I nearly got my neck broken by fans.”

Smith was swarmed by thousands of fans who flooded onto the field, dancing and singing and hugging — some apparently a little too tightly.

He ran for 145 yards and Ginn set school and Big Ten records with his fourth punt return for a touchdown. The two left after the game to catch Glenville High School’s playoff game. Both starred for the Tarblooders before choosing Ohio State.

The loss kept the Wolverines (9-2, 7-1) from clinching an outright Big Ten title, but the Wolverines are still going to the Rose Bowl thanks to Iowa. The Hawkeyes (9-2, 7-1) beat Wisconsin 30-7 to dash the Badgers’ Rose Bowl hopes. Michigan and Iowa will share the Big Ten title, but the Wolverines’ victory over the Hawkeyes sends them to Pasadena, Calif., for a second straight season.

“When you win the championship, you don’t have to apologize,” Michigan coach Lloyd Carr said. “You don’t have to hang your head. Are we disappointed? You’re damned right we are.”

This is the third time the loser of the Michigan-Ohio State game has gone to the Rose Bowl. Michigan did it in 1982 and Ohio State in 1996.

Ohio State’s fourth season under coach Jim Tressel has been a tough one, but he is 3-1 against the Buckeyes’ rivals. Ohio State started the Big Ten season with three losses.