Over the years, we have seen all the pictures of shoving, pushing and actual fighting between Ohio State and Michigan players a thousand times. We have watched that David Boston-Charles Woodson punch-fest video, as well as Marcus Hall flipping the double-Thanksgiving bird to Michigan fans after being ejected in 2013 while defending Ohio State freshman Dontre Wilson, who had been surrounded and attacked after returning a kickoff. As we know and have seen, the tunnel confrontations in Ann Arbor have been well documented.
They all perfectly illustrate the bitterness of the rivalry.
The picture above, however, captures one of the greatest moments in the greatest rivalry in sports.
This image speaks for itself and really doesn’t need any explanation or even a caption, but it is worth revisiting one day before Ohio State and Michigan battle yet again in this 132-year collision of neighboring states, deep pride and rich tradition.
The stage: Ohio State had run off nine straight wins to get to 10-1 in 2014 during the first season of the College Football Playoff, reaching No. 6 as it headed into the rivalry game at Ohio Stadium. Redshirt freshman quarterback J.T. Barrett, named the starter after Braxton Miller injured his shoulder in summer camp, was having an amazing season in his first as a starter, throwing for 34 touchdowns and rushing for 11 more while breaking Drew Brees’ Big Ten record for total touchdowns.
Michigan, however, limped into the game with a 5-6 record and fourth-year coach Brady Hoke needed an upset to save his job. Behind quarterback Devin Gardner, who wore No. 98 that season to honor Michigan’s 1940 Heisman Trophy winner, Tom Harmon, the Wolverines were putting up quite a fight and moving the ball consistently that day, which they hadn’t done the entire season.
With Ohio State leading 28-21, Barrett took the snap on the first play of the fourth quarter and was swarmed, gang tackled as his right foot became pinned to the turf under several Michigan players. After everyone got up from the pile, Barrett was left lying on his back in extreme pain. His ankle was broken.
It was a gruesome injury, as Barrett’s right foot was turned sideways. Seeing him lying in agony while surrounded by team doctors, Gardner quickly left the Michigan sideline and kneeled down beside him, gently rubbing his face and offering some words of encouragement. Fortunately, photographers snapped away to capture a rare touching moment of the intense rivalry.
After the game, which Ohio State pulled away to win 42-28. Gardner told the media, "You hate to see any player get hurt but especially a player like him, who's a great guy, a high character guy, hard worker. He's been called upon. He didn't even know he was going to get a shot and he's executed and done it humbly. It's like having a little brother out there and get hurt and I didn't like that at all. I just told him I was praying for him and told him to keep praying and that everything would be alright.”
The following day, the picture appeared in newspapers and on Internet sites around the world, which led to Gardner received dozens of letters of admiration and appreciation for his incredible display of sportsmanship, including many from Ohio State fans.
Following the game, Barrett stood on crutches in front of his teammates in the locker room and gave them a pep talk, claiming that the season wasn’t over just because his was.
“That's the toughest kid I've ever met," tight end Jeff Heuerman said. "To see what he's gone through this year, to see how he's rallied this team and to see that happen to him, and even the way he handled, it was special. He just told us to keep going. He said it's all about us and not about him.”
Turns out he was right. Cardale Jones, who had entered the season as the No. 3 quarterback, was spectacular in leading the Buckeyes to a 59-0 win over Wisconsin in the Big Ten title game the following week and then to upset wins over Alabama and Oregon as Ohio State won the first CFB Playoff and the national championship.
Over the next three seasons, Barrett went on to become the first quarterback on either side of the rivalry to win all four games as a starter, surpassing Ohio State’s Tippy Dye, Troy Smith and Terrelle Pryor who each had 3-0 records against Michigan. His record may be tied someday, but it will never be broken.
In his four starts against Michigan, Barrett was at his best, completing 40-of-76 passes for 314 yards and four touchdowns while rushing 79 times for 420 yards and six touchdowns. (Ironically, he also was injured in the third quarter of his final game, 2017, before the late Dwayne Haskins came off the bench to rally Ohio State to a 31-20 win in Ann Arbor).
Today, Gardner resides in Southfield, Michigan, and works in TV broadcasting. He also spends many hours each week helping young people through his organization “Young Go Getters.” His Facebook profile is headlined with the quote: “Service to others is the rent you pay for your room here on earth.”
He obviously has lived those words by example, illustrated for the world to see in this picture capturing his humanity eight years ago this week.
~ Jeff Snook