TEMPE, Ariz. - Miami's reign as college football's undisputed heavyweight champion ended here last night.
In the wildest finish ever in the short history of the Bowl Championship Series, Ohio State knocked off the top-ranked Hurricanes, 31-24, in the Fiesta Bowl at Sun Devil Stadium in double overtime.
After tailback Maurice Clarett gave the Buckeyes the lead with a 5-yard touchdown, Miami was stopped on fourth-and-goal from the 1 when Ken Dorsey's desperation pass was knocked away by linebacker Matt Wilhelm after Cie Grant rushed the Hurricanes quarterback.
The victory gave Ohio State (14-0) its first national championship since 1968, and the sixth in school history. The defeat ended a 34-game winning streak for heavily favored Miami (12-1), which was denied a second straight title and sixth overall.
Playing without tailback Willis McGahee, who was knocked out of the game with a knee injury in the fourth quarter, the Hurricanes were forced to pass. But Dorsey, who had just returned after being knocked out with a shoulder injury, couldn't complete the pressured pass.
When the ball hit the field, it set off a wild celebration by the Buckeyes and their thousands of fans who had made up most of the crowd of 77,502. It marked the first time in the history of the BCS that the championship game had gone into overtime.
"We've had always had the best damn band in the land," Ohio State coach Jim Tressel said in addressing the crowd after the game. "Now we've got the best damn team in the land."
On Miami's first possession of overtime, the Hurricanes drove from the Ohio State 25 to the 8. After a 1-yard run by backup tailback tailback Jarrett Payton, Dorsey found Winslow for the touchdown.
After the Buckeyes started with a 5-yard run by quarterback Craig Krenzel, the Hurricanes put on the pressure. They forced a motion penalty by the Buckeyes, then sacked Krenzel for the first time all night.
An incomplete pass set up a fourth-and-14 from the 29. But Krenzel hit Michael Jenkins for a 17-yard gain. Krenzel then gained 7 yards, but two more incomplete passes set up another fourth down. This time, the Buckeyes had fourth-and-three at the 5.
Under pressure from Miami's pass rush, Krenzel threw to Chris Gamble in the end zone. As Gamble turned to catch the ball, he was held by Miami cornerback Glenn Sharpe. The flag was thrown late, but the call appeared to be correct.
It set up a first down at the 1, and two plays later, Krenzel went in for the touchdown. The Buckeyes moved before the snap on the point after, pushing the ball back 5 yards, but place-kicker Michael Nugent forced a second overtime by calmly making the 25-yarder.
The Miami forced overtime with the help of a 50-yard punt return by Roscoe Parrish, who brought the ball back to the Ohio State 26 with a little over two minutes left in regulation.
After getting down to the 23, the Hurricanes allowed the clock to wind down to three seconds. Following three timeouts - two by the Buckeyes trying to freeze Sievers - the senior place-kicker's 40-yard attempt slid just inside the right goal post.
Just as the Hurricanes looked as if they were going to charge back from a 17-7 deficit to either tie the game or take the lead, the Buckeyes' defense made the necessary adjustments and, in the case of Willis McGahee, one devastating hit.
After Dorsey drove Miami from its own 24 to the Ohio State 35 behind long bursts by McGahee and a couple of mid-range passes to tight end Kellen Winslow, All-American safety Michael Doss tipped a pass away on second-and-10.
On third down, Dorsey threw a swing pass to McGahee. But just as the sophomore tailback was starting to get some steam, free safety Will Allen made a flying helmet-to-knee tackle, knocking McGahee for a 2-yard loss and ultimately out of the game.
As McGahee was being helped off the field and to the locker room shortly afterward, Todd Sievers came on for a 54-yard field-goal attempt. Sievers, whose previous best was a 53-yarder against Florida earlier this season, missed wide right.
Ohio State had a chance to add to its lead as Krenzel drove the Buckeyes from their own 38 to the Miami 26. The Buckeyes eventually had to settle to settle for a 44-yard field goal try by the normally reliable Nugent. He missed wide right as well.
The Hurricanes started to move the ball behind the combination of Dorsey to Winslow. On third-and-eight from the Ohio State 47, a pass from Dorsey was caught by Parrish around the 19.
But cornerback Dustin Fox, considered by many to be the weak link in Ohio State's secondary, caused Parrish to fumble. Allen recovered at the 18 with a little over five minutes left in the game.
After taking a 14-7 lead at halftime with two touchdowns in the final 2:28, Ohio State built on its lead early in the third quarter. The Buckeyes stopped Miami on its opening possession, then began its own drive at the 28.
Clarett, who had spent more time running off at the mouth earlier in the week than he did with his feet in the first half (eight carries, 7 yards), gained four yards on his first carry and busted a 10-yard run on his second.
Facing a third-and-15 after being sacked, Krenzel went deep to Chris Gamble, who badly beat nickel back Alphonso Marshal for a 57-yard gain to the Miami 6. But on Ohio State's next play, Krenzel was intercepted in the end zone by Sean Taylor.
Taylor raced out to the Ohio State 28, but had the ball stripped and stolen by Clarett. The Buckeyes couldn't move the ball, but settled for a 44-yard field goal by sophomore place-kicker Mike Nugent.
It gave Ohio State a 17-7 lead with 8:33 left in the third quarter. It also gave Miami its biggest second-half deficit since the Hurricanes fell behind Florida State, 27-13, only to come back to win, 28-27.
McGahee, who had been held to 25 yards on 12 carries in the first half, finally began finding some room to run late in the third quarter. After Dorsey found tight end Kellen Winslow for a 23-yard gain to the Ohio State 31, McGahee went outside for 10.
Dorsey hit Winslow on two short passes up the middle, softening up the defense for McGahee. This time, on first-and-goal from the Ohio State 9, McGahee went outside again and outraced Gamble into the corner of the end zone with 2:11 left.
The battle of the tailbacks was slow to get going. With Miami keying on Clarett, and Ohio State on McGahee, neither could muster many - if any - yards early on.
Clarett was stopped for a 2-yard loss on his first carry and finished the first quarter with 2 yards on three attempts. McGahee also was stuffed for a 2-yard loss on his first try, and was still at minus-2 yards after six attempts.
While the Hurricanes put a lot of pressure on Krenzel, the Buckeyes, despite sacking Dorsey on Miami's first play from scrimmage, couldn't stop the Miami quarterback from finding his receivers.
Dorsey completed seven of his first nine passes for 105 yards and found flanker Roscoe Parrish for a touchdown with 4:09 left in the opening quarter.
The Buckeyes managed only one first down in the first quarter.
Miami's touchdown came on a third-and-10 from the Ohio State 25. Parrish caught the ball in front of safety Michael Doss at the 5 and dragged both Doss and the ball into the end zone.
It appeared as if the Hurricanes would begin to roll when Krenzel threw long into double coverage and was intercepted by cornerback Taylor. The Buckeyes had other ideas.
After Parrish appeared to go the wrong way - heading outside instead of across the middle - Dorsey was intercepted by Ohio State cornerback Dustin Fox, who returned the ball 12 yards to the Miami 35.
The Buckeyes drove to the 17 and, on fourth-and-one, place-kicker Nugent came on for a 34-yard attempt. But uncharacteristically, Tressel gambled and faked the field goal by a kicker who had made 24 of 26 during the season.
Holder Andy Groom was stopped short of a first down.
Just as Tressel was being second-guessed, Dorsey was intercepted again. A pass to McGahee was thrown too hard, and the ball ricocheted to Doss, who returned it 35 yards to the Miami 17.
After getting down to the 1, the Buckeyes were stopped twice to set up another fourth-and-one. This time, Krenzel followed a block by center Alex Stepanovich into the end zone for a touchdown with 2:28 left in the half.
On Miami's first play from scrimmage, at its own 20, Dorsey was stripped by defensive tackle Kenny Peterson. The ball was recovered by defensive end Darrion Scott at the 14.
Two plays later - a 2-yard run by Clarett and an offsides by the Hurricanes - Clarett marched in for a 7-yard touchdown with 1:10 left. The Buckeyes had the lead and the momentum.
The quick turn of events was shocking to the Hurricanes, who had trailed both Florida State and Rutgers at halftime (17-14 in each case) before coming back to win.