Michigan Prevails in an Exciting Conclusion to an Uninspiring Game

Michigan Prevails in an Exciting Conclusion to an Uninspiring Game
NEW ORLEANS — Since the Bowl Championship Series went to its double-hosting format in 2006, the contest held before the national title game in the host city has been more relevant as a springboard to the next season.

While the first game gets the prime television slot, the payout and the status of being called a B.C.S. game, there is little that differentiates a game like Tuesday night’s Sugar Bowl from other solid games like the Cotton Bowl or the Capital One Bowl.

Georgia used the Sugar Bowl here four years ago to spring to a No. 1 preseason ranking. Boise State used the 2007 Fiesta Bowl to start its recent run of dominance.

No. 17 Virginia Tech and No. 13 Michigan managed to cobble together an exciting finish and a thrilling overtime in a 23-20 Wolverines victory. But the matchup was created primarily because Sugar Bowl officials thought Virginia Tech fans would fill hotel rooms. And thanks to that decision, the game lived down to its uninspired billing for three quarters as the first Sugar Bowl without a top-10 team since 1945.

There were 12,000 empty seats, which prompted much grumbling from fans of the higher-ranked and more deserving Boise State. With the low attendance and lack of buzz, the game provided a three-hour infomercial on why college football’s bowl system is so flawed.

But after fits and starts of ugly play, the game redeemed itself with a taut fourth quarter. The portly Michigan kicker Brendan Gibbons hit a 37-yard field goal in overtime to clinch the game for the Wolverines (11-2), who finished with less than 200 yards of total offense.

“It felt good to make that kick for the team and make the seniors go out in a good way,” Gibbons said.

Michigan’s coach, Brady Hoke, said: “We talked about playing 60 minutes of Michigan football. We played 63.5, I think.”

The defining play of overtime, and biggest play of the game, came when Virginia Tech quarterback Logan Thomas appeared to connect with receiver Danny Coale for a 20-yard one-handed touchdown grab.

“I thought it was good,” Hoke said. “When they said it wasn’t, I was a happy man.”

A replay overruled the touchdown call, with officials saying Coale had not controlled the ball with his outstretched hand before it hit the ground. Virginia Tech’s third-string kicker, Justin Myer, then missed a 37-yard field-goal attempt, spoiling a night during which he hit four field goals, including a 25-yarder at the end of regulation that forced overtime.

The night offered another black mark in the Atlantic Coast Conference’s decade-long run of football irrelevancy, with the conference falling to 2-12 in B.C.S. games. The A.C.C. has not had a legitimate national contender since Miami and Virginia Tech joined the league in 2004.

Virginia Tech Coach Frank Beamer is clearly the conference’s best coach, but Tuesday’s loss dropped his record in B.C.S. games to 1-5. The A.C.C. has a shot at redemption with Clemson playing West Virginia in the Orange Bowl on Wednesday.

Virginia Tech (11-3) should be the favorite to win the A.C.C. next season, with the stalwart defensive coordinator Bud Foster expected to bring back 9 of 11 starters, assuming that cornerback Jayron Hosley declares for the N.F.L. draft. The Hokies showcased their potential in the way they bottled up the star Michigan quarterback Denard Robinson, who finished with a career-low 13 yards on 13 carries.

Despite Michigan’s preference to be a pro-style team, Robinson’s best weapon has always been his legs. But he never found any gaps against a taut Hokies unit. He also completed only 9 of 21 passes for 117 yards.

But his two touchdown passes summed up the extremes of his performance. Robinson appeared lucky on a jump ball to Junior Hemingway near the end of the first half, which resulted in a 45-yard touchdown. Robinson then threw a perfect ball off his back foot into a tight window for an 18-yard touchdown to Hemingway in the third quarter.

Virginia Tech outgained Michigan, 377-184.

Michigan’s victory may have come down to a decision made by Beamer. His call for a fake punt on fourth-and-1 near midfield late in the fourth quarter allowed Michigan to take the lead, 20-17, with four minutes left.

“I’m about half sick,” Beamer said, adding, “It was just kind of fluke plays.”

In the end, despite the lackluster matchup, the fans who did make the trip were treated to an exciting conclusion. But the game will most likely be remembered more for what it did not have — the fans who did not come and the teams that did not get chosen — that what it did.

Michigan won a B.C.S. game, but in doing so raised the question of how meaningful a B.C.S. victory really is.