NC State ruins a perfect Saturday for Michigan fans

As a University of Michigan fan, I am interested in three scores at the end of any given college football Saturday.

Did Notre Dame win? Did Michigan State get beat? Did Ohio State get upset by whoever they played?

I really don't see how any true Wolverine fan could like any of these teams, unless perhaps, they have a relative playing for them.

I have no relation that I know of at the "terrible three" universities who are the biggest Michigan rivals so I am rooting for a big L for each of them every game.

So, at the start of the day, I see Michigan State looking like they would beat Louisiana Tech.

With a 19-7 lead and around a minute to play, the Spartans looked like they had it in the bag, but Louisiana Tech came back and won 20-19.

What a great beginning to this day of college football.

Now, I don't have to read in the newspaper or hear on the radio how good the Spartans are. Instead, I get to read and listen how MSU choked a game away. Awesome!

Next, I turn on what I thought would be the Michigan-Notre Dame game on ABC.

Unfortunately, I would not see the start of this game because North Carolina State had come back and tied the hated Buckeyes and sent the game into overtime.

What can you do?

I turned on the Wolverine game on the radio, muted the OSU-NC State, and settled into my chair hoping for a Michigan win and a quick Ohio State loss.

The Michigan Wolverines fulfilled the second of my hopes for the day by starting fast against the Irish of Notre Dame, eventually winning 38-0.

By the time the Ohio State game was finished, Michigan was up 17-0 and looking very good.

I don't think this Notre Dame team was as big a test as many thought. Their offense is very weak, and the talent on the team overall is not as good as Michigan.

A win is a win, however, and I will take a 3-0 record to start any season no matter who the Maize and Blue play.

That's enough about the U of M-Notre Dame game. What I really want to get back to is the Ohio State-NC State game that ruined my perfect Saturday.

Philip Rivers, the quarterback of the Wolfpack, looked pretty good in the comeback that NC State came up with to tie the Buckeyes.

Rivers seemed to be in a rhythm in overtime too, throwing very well to his receivers. Overall, he was 36-52 for 315 yards and four touchdowns.

After trading touchdowns in their first two possessions, these teams were ready for continuing the overtime and having to go for two after a TD.

Ohio State went down the field 25 yards and promptly scored a touchdown. Now, it was time to go for two, but the two-point conversion failed.

I was overjoyed. It looked like NC State could actually win and beat the Bucks.

Rivers was primed to keep his good passing going and hopefully could somehow get in for two to win. However, it was not meant to be.

The Wolfpack got down to the five yard line of Ohio State and had a first down.

This is where either Chuck Amato, their head coach, had a brain cramp, or one of his offensive coaches did, because they called some terrible plays.

The first play was a quarterback sneak. Why? I guess it was just to try to surprise the defense.

Next, Rivers throws a two-yard pass that was incomplete, but the receiver would have been stopped short even if he caught it. Why this play? They need to get into the end zone, so throw it in the end zone.

Third and goal. Pass into the end zone?

Of course, the coaches have to call a play where Rivers throws it in the end zone to get a touchdown. Right?

Wrong! Let's call another quarterback sneak, since it worked so well the first time.

How can they call two quarterback sneaks and a short pass that would not have gotten them a touchdown?

But, this isn't the end of the bad play calling. They still have one more chance at fourth and goal. This has to be a pass. Right?

Wrong again. The coaches call a pitch to T.A. McLendon where he gets the ball at the nine yard line and has to score or the game is over.

Result -- McLendon comes up short and Ohio State wins.

This is a clear cut case where a coach lost the ball game.

Since he is the head coach, Amato is accountable.

Rivers was the guy who could win this game with his arm and Amato tied Rivers' arms behind his back.

He already threw 52 times, what would one more throw do?

Win the game, probably.

So, thanks Chuck for calling terrible plays and ruining my chance for a perfect Saturday. Enjoy your week of second guessing yourself.