Ohio State seniors gunning for rare three-feat

But the 17 seniors on Ohio State's football team have a chance to achieve something against Oklahoma State in the Dec. 29 Alamo Bowl that no OSU senior class has since 1986 and that Griffin was never part of -- three Buckeye bowl victories.

Wait. It gets even better.

Coupled with its 37-21 win over Michigan, a victory over the Cowboys in San Antonio would give this senior class three post-season wins and three wins over the Wolverines, a distinction shared only by the class of '84.

And you thought there was nothing at stake for the Buckeyes when the two OSUs match 7-4 records on a secondary stage.

"It could provide life-long bragging rights," said senior running back Branden Joe, making his fifth bowl trip. "To say you finished your season by beating Michigan and winning a bowl game provides conversation. It's something to be proud of, a reason to hold your head high. When you come back and meet with guys, you can provide good memories.

"You can tell people down the road that you had a winning percentage against Michigan and in bowl games."

Only twice in the last 21 years have the Buckeyes finished a season with wins over Michgian and a bowl opponent -- 1998 and the 2002 national championship season. In that span, they beat their archrival three times in the regular-season finale, but failed to capitalize on that momentum over the holidays.

"My freshman year we were 7-4 going into the bowl and not getting a win was a letdown," senior cornerback Dustin Fox said, referring to the 31-28 Outback Bowl loss to South Carolina in the 2001 season, Jim Tressel's first as head coach.

"Being 7-5 isn't nearly as good as being 8-4. and when you're Ohio State you don't want to finish out of the top 25."

After opening the season ranked ninth in both major polls, a three-game losing streak dropped the Buckeyes to 3-3 and out of the rankings. They resurfaced following the win over Michigan, standing No. 22 in the USA Today/ESPN coaches poll and No. 25 in the Associated Press poll.

"This truly is their last opportunity," Tressel said of his seniors. "Sometimes you talk about Senior Day, but when you have a bowl game in front of you, Senior Day doesn't really come until that day.

"They did a great job of making sure their last performance in Ohio Stadium (against Michigan) was one they would remember, and I know they want this bowl performance to be one they'll remember. All of us want to send them out that way as well."

This year's class, which includes 12 fifth-year seniors, has a collective record of 47-15, including a national championship, a Big Ten co-championship and back-to-back BCS bowl wins at the Fiesta.

This marks the first time since the 1993 Holiday Bowl that Ohio State is not playing in a bowl that falls on Jan. 1 or later. That leaves many wondering if the Buckeyes truly are jazzed about playing "off" Broadway, so to speak.

"It's about how you finish," Joe said. "We're going down to Texas to represent Ohio. It's about palying for the fans who have supported us all these years.

"It's an exciting time in our lives. We're fortunate enough to be at a wonderful university. My time here has been nothing but a blessing and I'm looking forward to winning one more game."

Fox, too, wants to be able to remember the Alamo without grimacing.

"The guys understand that any bowl game is a big game and that we're playing a worthy opponent," he said. "It's exciting when you're playing an out-of-conference (Big 12) opponent you're not used to seeing."

Originally published Tuesday, December 14, 2004