, a series of fastest laps followed from Rosberg on laps 22, 23 and 24. As Rosberg made that second stop on lap 29 it looked like Mercedes was headed towar

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- After Ohio State scored on the first possession of overtime against Michigan, Urban Meyer left his team huddle to tend to another task.Meyer furiously pumped both his arms up in the air to each quadrant of Ohio Stadium, urging for more noise. Then he pointed to the student section in the end zone for another boost.Thats the kind of day it was for Meyer and the No. 2 Buckeyes. They had to search for every possible edge to pull out a 30-27, double-overtime win over a team that had pushed them around most of the afternoon.When the game finally ended on?Curtis Samuels?15-yard touchdown run, Meyer fell face down onto the turf. Later, in his news conference, Meyer claimed he couldnt remember many of the plays before Samuels touchdown run.On the 10-year anniversary of the Game of the Century between these two rivals -- a 42-39 victory by then-No. 1 Ohio State over then-No. 2 Michigan -- we were treated to a worthy successor. It had a little bit of everything: controversial calls, a sideline meltdown by Jim Harbaugh, questionable coaching decisions and a comeback for the ages.I cant wait to see that game when Im like 35, Buckeyes defensive end Jalyn Holmes said. I can tell my kids I played in that game, and it made the rivalry back to what it used to be.Ohio State trailed 17-7 midway through the third quarter and was lucky to be that close, given how little its offense had produced. Michigan looked ready to clear up the Big Tens College Football Playoff picture before its collapse complicated the selection committees deliberations.The Buckeyes are 11-1 with victories over top 10 teams Oklahoma, Wisconsin and Michigan. But a road loss to Penn State proved fatal to Ohio States Big Ten title chances, as the No. 7 Nittany Lions beat Michigan State on Saturday to clinch the East Division. Penn State will play No. 6 Wisconsin in the league championship game next week in Indianapolis, with the winner staking a claim to a playoff bid.Ohio State, meanwhile, will have to hope it has done enough to become the first non-champion to make the playoff field.Meyer said I dont know three times when asked whether his team deserved a playoff bid. Several of his players made their case for it.I think weve proven ourselves with our strength of schedule and how we played, defensive end Sam Hubbard said. It doesnt really matter if we go to the Big Ten championship game. What weve done speaks for itself.How can you keep us out, with our wins on the road against top-tier teams? senior center Pat Elflein asked.I think were one of the four best teams, quarterback J.T. Barrett said. Its up to the committee now.Ohio State owns an impeccable résumé. But the committee will have to really consider whether Meyers team still passes the eyeball test.Consider that the Buckeyes squeaked past a 3-9 Michigan State team 17-16 last week. And for much of the game against Michigan, the Buckeyes again looked shaky offensively.Their only score in the first 43 minutes came on a gifted pick-six by safety Malik Hooker. Normally reliable kicker Tyler Durbin missed two field goal attempts, including a 21-yard gimme. The teams Achilles heel, its lack of a downfield passing game, surfaced again. At the end of three quarters, Barrett had only 57 passing yards and 153 total yards.Meyer was so desperate to generate offense early in the second half that he called for a fake punt from his own 19-yard line. That didnt work either.We just faced so much adversity, Hubbard said. But our mindset never changed. We just kept swinging, kept fighting.The defense carried the load, forcing three Michigan turnovers and holding the Wolverines scoreless from the 6:37 mark of the third quarter to the end of regulation. Ohio State finally got its offense moving by returning to its bread and butter: a heavy dose of Barrett runs.Barretts 41-yard draw play in the fourth quarter provided the much sought-after spark. He ran for a touchdown on the Buckeyes second play of overtime. On fourth-and-1 in the second overtime, he plowed ahead for a first down -- barely. The spot was reviewed by replay officials before being upheld, and Samuel scored the game winner one snap later.When I got hit, I wasnt 100 percent certain, to be honest with you, Barrett said. I fell on top of people, so I didnt know exactly what it was going to be.Harbaugh was convinced the Wolverines had forced the stop that would have ended the game, and thats one of many calls he blasted in his postgame news conference. Harbaugh could have just as easily pointed the blame internally.His tantrum after an offsides call led to a costly penalty on an Ohio State scoring drive (and left him with a broken headset). As someone steeped in the history of this rivalry, Harbaugh should know that committing three turnovers on the road is no way to emerge with bragging rights.If Michigan takes better care of the ball, the Wolverines probably win the game and the division crown. Instead, they lost to the Buckeyes for the 12th time in their past 13 meetings. A few Ohio State redshirt seniors such as Elflein earned their fifth pair of gold pants, the trinket players receive for beating the Wolverines.Thats amazing, said Elflein, who has given the charms to his mom and sister. My family wears them proudly. To beat the team up north five times, what a great career.Few recent games in this series have had as much at stake and contained as much drama. Meyer seemed to realize that at the end of the game.He normally joins his team in front of the student section to sing Carmen, Ohio, but he couldnt get closer than the 20-yard line because of the mob of fans who had rushed the field.Meyer instead hung around, with one arm draped around his son, Nathan, and soaked up the experience. He watched the scoreboard highlights of the game and stood through two more songs, All I Do Is Win and Sweet Caroline, before finally heading to the locker room.He knew this win was special, regardless of where it leads next for Ohio State.That is one of the classic games of this rivalry that will forever be, Meyer said. Im not saying its the greatest, because thats disrespectful for the other players that have played in it. But thats an instant classic between two great teams. Cheap Adidas Shoes China . The Redskins announced Monday that the quarterback who led the team to the Super Bowl championship in the 1987 season will serve as a personnel executive. Adidas Superstar White Wholesale . Reigning world champion Eve Muirhead of Scotland opened with a 12-2 rout of Winnipegs Jennifer Jones in a battle of teams bound for the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi. http://www.wholesalefashionsuperstar.com/ . But when it comes to determining if Raymond will find a place on the Leafs roster when training camp concludes in a week, well, that decision will ultimately fall to the head coach. Adidas Superstar Clearance Sale .com) - Following a late-game loss to the reigning NBA champs, the Toronto Raptors will look to sustain their recent high-level play as they travel to Indiana to take on the Pacers. Adidas Superstar Black Wholesale . The visitors took a deserved lead in the 16th minute with midfielder Yohan Cabaye curling the ball beyond Adrian from inside the penalty area. If one moment defines Nico Rosbergs 2016 world championship season, it deserves to be lap 20 of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.Mercedes, whose drivers had both pitted, led comfortably but had failed to shake the chasing pack, with Lewis Hamilton not building much of a gap at the start and leaving Rosberg close to the clutches of Red Bull and Ferrari behind. At this point the top six were split by less than 10 seconds and the Red Bull of Max Verstappen, who had been flipped onto a one-stop strategy after his Turn 1 spin and was therefore yet to stop, sat between the Mercedes drivers.Verstappen was due a pit stop but Rosberg was in danger of slipping back into Kimi Raikkonen and Daniel Ricciardos battle. Ahead of lap 20, Mercedes told him it was now critical to get past the Red Bull driver -- Rosberg obliged. Catching the Red Bull down the backstraight, he dived down the inside of the second chicane, going wheel-to-wheel with the teenager. The pair were level coming out of the corner but Rosberg showed incredible poise and held firm, even as the Red Bull edged closer to his wheels.The media centre collectively inhaled a breath as the two cars seemed to go through the second part of the chicane in slow-motion. After a moment where it looked like contact was imminent, Rosberg undercut the Dutch teenager on the exit, before powering past at the Turn 10 kink to move back into second.Speaking afterwards, Rosberg hinted that it was one of the most stressful moments of his grand prix carer.That was a not a nice thing to do, he said of the overtake. Its critical to pass Verstappen -- thats not a nice thing to hear, that was really bad, a horrible feeling...The feeling that I had right after I passed him I have never had that in a race car before in my life. I dont want it to happen again.With his second pit-stop approaching, a series of fastest laps followed from Rosberg on laps 22, 23 and 24. As Rosberg made that second stop on lap 29 it looked like Mercedes was headed towards a routine one-two finish, and the German towards a maiden world championship. But Hamilton wasnt done there and soon his race tactic became clear -- back Rosberg up at every opportunity and hope the cars behind could spoil his teammates race and season.Rosberg and Mercedes seemed genuinely surprised Hamilton employed the tactic, but it was one predicted by Red Bull team principal Christian Horner ahead of the weekend. To become champion, Rosberg would have to withstand enormous pressure for ten laps knowing one mistake on the tight and twisty Yas Marina circuit -- renowned as one of the toughest on the calendar for overtaking -- could cost him his lifes ambition.While juggling the two cars getting closer and closer in his mirrors Rosberg admits he was also sceptical about how slow Hamilton would get....The last ten laps as I could see them coming with what Lewis was doing and I didnt know how far he was going to push it. He could just go completely extreme and then made a right mess. I didnt know what to expect so that was also very, very tough.Rosberg was faced with several options. Attack Hamilton and try and get clear of the danger, but at the risk of contact or a mistake, or let the faster Vettel through and take his chances against a Red Bull on the same tyre compound -- albeit a Red Bull driven by Verstappen, who had Rosbergs number on a couple of occasions this year. But after considering both, Rosberg decided his only option was to hold on for dear life.When asked if he considered going for the lead, he said: I couldnt, I was trying at times, but Lewis was driving really well. He pushed flatout from Tuurn 21 all the way through the first sector and halfway through the second sector and that is where you overtake so I was never getting close enough.dddddddddddd. He has the same car as me so in fast corners there was no way for me to get past and then he backed off in the next part where you cant overtake. There was no way for me.I had Sebastian Vettel behind so I wanted to try to hold on to second because once I drop one place to avoid a mess in front I knew Verstappen would be right behind so I didnt want that, with him right behind [me] either...Hamiltons tactic required Rosberg to make a mistake or crumble under the pressure from behind. The German did neither, turning in a faultless drive as good as any we saw this season -- exceptional given the circumstances and with everything to lose. In that regard it had shades of Jenson Buttons drive at the 2009 Brazilian Grand Prix, an assured, career-defining performance to silence the final doubters about his worthiness to win the world championship. There was no luck involved, just a demonstration of balls of steel from a man determined to seize his destiny and who has looked stronger and stronger since his win at the Belgian Grand Prix.On the topic of luck, lets address that too. As Nicos father Keke pointed out after the race, no world champion has ever won a title without a bit of fortune. For all of Hamiltons engines woes this season, it is fair to argue the failures have evened out over the three years theyve been in a dominant car -- Rosberg suffered a race-ending failure on the grid of the 2014 Singapore Grand Prix that helped Hamilton take the championship lead, while reliability issues on the No. 6 car in Italy and Russia the following year eased the Brit closer to a third championship. Felipe Massa might also have a thing or two to say about Hamilton and luck and 2008. Its all relative.Even if they hadnt been evened out over three years, its hard to know what Rosberg was supposed to do in those situations -- he can hardly be expected to pull over and allow the championship fight to reset itself. All he could do is maximise the job in front of him and so often this season he did. He had a mid-season lull and looked dead and buried at the summer break, but showed remarkable mental fortitude to come back and beat a man he himself rates as one of the all-time greats in Formula One.After Hamiltons decisive penalty in Belgium, Rosberg stepped up a gear -- his win at Spa was routine, but faultless. In Italy he beat the slow-starting Hamilton off the line to win, before his dominant display in Singapore. Those three victories came before Hamiltons engine failure but built the foundations for what followed Sepang -- another decisive display in Japan, taking Hamiltons destiny out of his own hands and allowing Rosberg the luxury of four second-place finishes to wrap up the title.If we are talking luck, fans of both drivers must consider the incredible unlikelihood and fortune in F1 -- just ask Fernando Alonso -- of having a dominant car for three years in a row, especially when Mercedes has spent that time period largely unchallenged out in front. All other arguments aside, Rosberg has proven a lot of people wrong this season and made many journalists -- including this writer -- eat their words about his ability to follow in his fathers footsteps. How he got there is now largely irrelevant -- he seized the moment in fine style and will now forever hold the title 2016 world drivers champion. ' ' '