Rex Kern ready to give up being last OSU QB to win title

"We still have our national championship, you know," Kern said with a laugh. "I can honestly say, and I think all my teammates could say we'd love to have had 34 straight national championships. We're ecstatic our university has won a national championship."

Kern, a Lancaster native who quarterbacked the 1968 Buckeyes to the national title, was in Tempe two weeks ago watching OSU beat Miami 31-24 in the Fiesta Bowl to claim a national crown. He attended the game with his family and friend Carl Rothermund, who's also a native of Lancaster, and sat in the south end zone.

Kern's seats put him close to the disputed pass interference call against Miami in the first overtime that gave Ohio State a second chance at winning the game.

"I couldn't see Gamble coming off the line of scrimmage, but I saw the finishing portion of the play and that was it," he said. "I saw the play and thought, 'The game's over.'. All of a sudden a yellow flag came flying into my vision. I went berserk.

"We got the call. My comment would be the ref saw something and he called it and we're national champions."

Ohio State's Fiesta Bowl win transpired much the way Kern said he thought it would.

Before the game, Kern said he believed Ohio State had to keep the game close, burn clock with an efficient offense and keep the defense off the field as much as possible.

Eventually, it was Ohio State's defensive play that spelled the difference in the game. The Buckeye defense forced four turnovers, two of which it converted into first-half touchdowns. Kern said he felt OSU's second first-half touchdown, which happened after Hurricane quarterback Ken Dorsey was sacked and fumbled, was one of the game's key plays.

"Right before the play I looked at my son Michael and said 'Miami better not get careless here,' " he said. "Sure enough, next play they got careless, we stripped the ball and there we went.

"Our defensive line got into their face and beyond them. We were so intense and we controlled the line of scrimmage."

On the other side of the ball, Ohio State displayed a workmanlike effort for most of the evening.

Buckeye running back Maurice Clarett was held below 50 yards rushing, but did spring for two touchdowns including the gamewinner in the second overtime. Craig Krenzel was not glitzy passing the ball, registering only seven pass completions and 122 yards, most of which came on a 57-yard second-half pass to Chris Gamble.

But what Krenzel didn't have in flash, he made up for in dash. The junior was the Buckeyes' leading rusher in the game with 81 yards, and kept the Hurricane defense off balance with runs that were both scripted and improvised.

This impressed Kern, who was also known for his running ability.

"I don't think I can say enough about that kid's performance," Kern said. "They challenged his courage and his mental toughness and he rose above it."

Courage and toughness were the two elements Kern said signified this Ohio State team, and both intangible elements helped propel the Buckeyes a title no one thought they would win.

OSU's been close to title many times since 1968, including two more shots Kern had during his junior and senior seasons. For whatever reason, those titles never happened, which Kern said re-emphasizes the unique nature of winning a national championship.

But make no mistake, Kern is brimming with pride over this team and its performance on college football's biggest stage.

"It's a monster win," he said. "The gameplan was superbly laid out and superbly executed by the kids. I was so excited to see how the kids played out there. They epitomize was 'team' is all about."

Reach Jay Hansen at jhansen@nncogannett.com.

Originally published Sunday, January 19, 2003