Must see TV on Wed 7/1/09 (12PM C/1PM E) BTN's Greatest Games: 81' Ohio St at U of M

Just an FYI in case some of you missed the other times this game has been shown on BTN. It is a fun watch and the final game ever between Minnesota and Ohio State at Old Memorial Stadium.

From Charley Walters of the St. Paul Pioneer Press: Among the Big Ten Network's "Greatest Games" series that will air Wednesday will be the Gophers football team's 35-31 upset of Ohio State on Nov. 7, 1981, that kept the Buckeyes out of the Rose Bowl. Quarterback Mike Hohensee set Minnesota records for completions (37), yards (444) and touchdowns (five).

Today, Hohensee, 48, is coach of the Peoria (Ill.) Pirates Arena Football League II team. He remembers the victory over Ohio State like it was yesterday.

"That was the highlight of my collegiate career, and the biggest thing that stood out to me was the look on the faces of the (Minnesota) players who had been there for four years, players who had never before come close to beating Ohio State," Hohensee said. "I was a JUCO transfer (from Mount San Antonio), and the tradition hadn't really hit me yet. But for those guys who grew up in the state and had gotten those scholarships to Minnesota, what they had dreamed about for four years and couldn't beat (Ohio State), now they had tears in their eyes.

"These were tough men; all the bravado that goes along with being an athlete at that age ... and now the emotions were flying."

Joe Salem was the Minnesota coach. If all goes right, someday Hohensee, who was considered for the Gophers' coaching staff a year ago, will be a member of the staff at his alma mater.

I saw it a while back on BTN and it is well worth watching. Not only was it a victory over the Buckeyes, but a see-saw battle that went right down to the wire. It is also fun to see a game played in Memorial Stadium, which unfortunately was looking a bit like a tired old stadium during the telecast. Hohensee was on fire and Goldy's costume looked like something that was produced in a 8th grade home ec class.

From Chester Cooper running through the secondary at will, to Ron Wecbacker with some catches on the sidelines, and of couse the fill in at tight end, Jay Carroll. That and a timely defence. The hype around Art was amazing. And nothing, was as sweet as the money Art lost on that game. You knew it when he came in. And boy was he was pissed at the end.

Its all good.