Okay, forget the elephant in the room. I'll go to the obvious question. Why did it take until 2011 for a Big 10 Championship Game?
As two dead-even teams traded touchdowns and their fans took turns taunting each other, the one thing fans from both party schools could agree upon, was that this was one hell of an evening. The well-deserved rematch between #11 Michigan State and #15 Wisconsin didn't end on the booth review of a Hail Mary pass, but it was just as captivating.
In a town seemingly created for an event like this, in a stadium that resembles a super-sized basketball arena more than anything football related, mighty Monte Ball was at his prolific best with four touchdowns, the last a seven-yard run (see my pic) that all but delivered his Wisconsin Badgers The-Trophy-Formerly-Known-As-The-Paterno-Championship Trophy with a 42-39 victory. Roses are red once again, as they are found in nature. And they are currently flying out of florists' front doors all over the city of Madison.
The last-second gift this time went to the Badgers, but with nearly two minutes left. After the Spartan defense stiffened and stopped Ball on a critical third-down run, Keshawn Martin took the Wisconsin punt and cut swiftly to the right before bolting and bouncing his way to the Badger 2-yard line. Were it not for the presence of a tiny yellow handkerchief in the center of the field, the MSU faithful would have been calling travel agents and booking flights to Los Angeles for the holidays. Yet there it sat, burning a hole in the field turf and through the hearts of all who bled green and white. Roughing the kicker on the defense, fifteen yards, first down Wisconsin. Coach Mark Dantonio called for a punt block and Isaiah Lewis streaked past Badger punter Brad Norman. He appeared to make contact in the replay, and Norman dropped like a drunk coed to erase any doubt in the mind of the back judge behind him.
Two schools partied, tailgated and traded compliments all afternoon and into the evening, packing every pub within a country mile of Lucas's oil farm. Representation from other schools was scant and fleeting. More like fleeing, in the case of a lone Wolverine fan who brought green- and red-clad supporters together and generated a mutual taunt worthy of an opposing player's trip to the penalty box inside Yost Arena. Two Nebraska jackets were spotted among the crowds, as was a purple Northwestern hat.
One thing is certain: anyone who wasn't there to watch his team that night, wishes he was.
