OHIO STATE

Zeke gallops gallantly from rivalry

Jon Spencer
Reporter

It's probably safe to say Ezekiel Elliott's public griping over play-calling has been bumped from the first graph of his Wikipedia page.

Ohio State's junior tailback made sure his last Michigan game would be remembered for his deeds, not his words. Fallout from last week's drama? What fallout?

The young man, rightly or wrongly in so many crosshairs, ignited an unexpected 42-13 runaway in The Big House, racing back into the hearts of Buckeye Nation and past 1995 Heisman Trophy winner Eddie George into second place on the school's all-time rushing list.

To say it's been a whirlwind two weeks for Zeke would be an understatement. From three days in a hospital bed, where he battled a leg infection, to feeling unused as OSU's perfect season was ruined at home to Michigan State, to wrestling with his emotions and calling out his coaches, to putting on one of the truly great performances in Ohio State vs. Michigan lore.

Elliott rushed for 214 yards and scored a pair of touchdowns, splattering war paint on Jim Harbaugh's khakis and making sure his first game as a coach in this rivalry did not live up to his guaranteed victory in his final season as Michigan's quarterback in 1986.

Harbaugh delivered that year, but didn't have Zeke in his path.

Or Meyer, whose eyes Saturday morning told Elliott and quarterback J.T. Barrett that their coach would not leave Ann Arbor empty-handed. Or dealing with that empty feeling he had after last week's anemic offensive effort in the 17-14 loss to Michigan State.

"That was as hollow after a game I ever felt," Meyer said. "That whole Zeke thing ... you see the (winning streak) snapped ... incredible. You don't train for that (Michigan) game in one week. It's leadership training, character ... but you need good, talented players to do that."

Elliott knows there are people, maybe even teammates, who were ready to baste him and put him on a Thanksgiving platter after he complained about not getting the ball enough (only twice in the second half) against MSU. For his critics, he hopes his act of redemption, so joyously played out at the expense of Ohio State's archrival, was easier to swallow.

Michigan State's rout of Penn State later Saturday clinched a Big Ten title berth for the Spartans, but the 11-1 Buckeyes at least assured themselves of being in one of the New Year's Six bowls.

"(This week) was tough because of the backlash from everything I said, people questioning my love for the university, people questioning my love for my brothers on the team or even questioning if I would come out today and play hard," Elliott said after apologizing in his opening comments. "That's not the person I am. I'm not selfish. I'm selfless. I want to do everything for my brothers. I go out and play every down for them. I play my (butt) off for them. It's not for me. It's for a bigger purpose ... this team."

After venting his spleen for reporters last week, there was more chance of Meyer sharing a turkey leg with Harbaugh, right?

"I hate to disappoint everybody, but it's never been anything but perfect," Meyer said of his relationship with Elliott. "Whatever he said last week, he apologized 37, 38 times. I've lost track. I told him he doesn't need to apologize. You've got an investment with the Meyer family, coaches and team.

"We actually did for the third year in a row spend Thanksgiving together. I hope we get four, but it doesn't look good."

Elliott has already announced he is leaving for the NFL.

"Maybe (next Thanksgiving will fall on) a bye week," Meyer joked.

Also leaving early for the pros is junior defensive end Joey Bosa, conspicuous by his absence in the post-game interview room, probably because he was getting an IV. His three tackles and one sack do not begin to reflect how relentless he was in pursuing Michigan quarterback Jake Rudock. He eventually knocked Rudock out of the game on a near-strip-sack (a ruled fumble was overturned) and tipped a pass by Rudock's backup to himself for a 28-yard interception return to put an exclamation point on the victory.

That takeaway marked the only time the Buckeyes did not score a touchdown in six trips inside the red zone against a defense that had allowed only two in 17 previous chances for the opposition.

Meyer got caught up in the hyperbole that usually surrounds this game, saying it might have been the best "big-time" game he's ever been around.

Better than three national championship victories? Doubtful. Then again, this was one of the more lopsided Ohio State wins over Michigan in at least 50 years. And it did come directly on the heels of what will go down as one of the most inexplicable losses in OSU history.

"To come back from the kick in the stomach we took a week go ... it was an awful week of practice, the way everybody felt," Meyer said. "To come back and navigate a storm against an excellent team ... this is one of the best groups of kids I've ever been around."

Barrett, making only his third start this season after (sigh) losing a quarterback derby to Cardale Jones, was the complement to Elliott many of us envisioned all season. We saw this tandem at its best against Rutgers in Barrett's starting debut before he took a sabbatical for unfortunately mixing alcohol and driving. Against U-M, Barrett finished with 139 yards rushing and three TDs and threw a 25-yard scoring pass to Jalin Marshall.

So where was this offense a week ago?

"You live and you learn," Barrett said. That's just a life lesson. We didn't execute the plan well."

So there was a plan?

Um, rectifying the problem started Saturday with moving embattled offensive coordinator/line coach Ed Warinner from the sidelines to the press box with quarterback coach Tim Beck, where the view of defensive formations is better.

"There wasn't no secret formula," Barrett said.

Exactly. The days of his buddy, Zeke, being a secret weapon, are long gone. Just as, unfortunately, he will be a year from now.

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