The Dynasty Continues: Barclay, Saine Send Buckeyes Back To Pasadena

When the Iowa Hawkeyes came to Columbus, the most unlikely man on either squad, K Devin Barclay, the 26-year-old former MLS player, was the hero that sent Ohio State to Pasadena.

It's a story that has been talked about for days now, but don't forget the other 60 minutes of a game that many people have considered one of the best of 2009, especially the fourth quarter.

In that big fourth quarter, both teams combined for 28 points and one-upped each other.

Everything from Dan Herron's TD run out of what I will call the "Wild Nut" offense to Derrell Johnson-Koulianos' kickoff return after initially bobbling the catch only added to what many have called an instant classic.

But anyone who followed Iowa football thought that even down 24-10 with all the momentum on the side of the Buckeyes, they had a shot.

Sure enough, QB James Vandenburg's TD pass to WR Marvin McNutt validated those hopes and had Buckeye fans thinking, "Here we go again."

But with a big third down sack in OT, all that had to happen was Barclay, who filled in for the injured Aaron Pettrey, to finish off the Big Ten title game.

The former professional soccer player's kick sends Ohio State to the Rose Bowl for the first time since 1996, where they upset Jake Plummer's Arizona State Sun Devils.

With all the controversy that surrounded the program after a shocking loss to Purdue, and a loss to USC that looks worse and worse every passing second, Ohio State has rebounded and looked like a different team in the last four weeks.

And Ohio State has rebounded from all of that negativity and criticism to win their fifth-straight Big Ten title, but they are still making their first trip to the "Granddaddy of Them All" in the Jim Tressel era.

The win makes the matchup in Ann Arbor Saturday meaningless in the case of the standings, but not in the hearts of everyone on that field.

But the win on Saturday under the lights was something special, as it was a classic Big Ten showdown with two heavyweights slugging it out.

It was the matchup we all thought it would be before Ricky Stanzi was injured.

It was Iowa and Ohio State playing with the hearts of champions and truly a game where whoever had the ball last was going to win.

And it is one that people will be talking about for a long time.

Many have compared the win to the "Game of the Century" in 2006, with the Buckeyes beating Michigan 42-39.

This indeed had a similar feel, with the Big Ten title at stake and two talented squads throwing haymakers all night.

Give credit to the Hawkeyes because they did not roll over despite missing Stanzi, and they played one outstanding game that would win so many games.

But at the end, it was Ohio State that had just enough to get the job done.

And with Jim Tressel at the helm, having just enough makes all the difference in the world.

Now the Buckeyes will take the road show to Pasadena, where the most likely opponent would be the high-flying Oregon Ducks who throttled USC 47-20 just a few weeks ago.

If this matchup happens, expect few to give the Buckeyes a chance to break the BCS funk of three straight seasons.

But the title game performance has proven one thing: Ohio State is learning how to win big games.

And even though it is just within the conference, it's a step in the right direction for the Buckeyes.