Ohio State downs Michigan

ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Several Ohio State Buckeyes were smiling and sweating in a cramped interview room, sporting Big Ten championship hats and T-shirts.

They can thank Troy Smith.

Smith threw for a career-high 300 yards and a touchdown and scored once on the ground, leading No. 9 Ohio State to a 25-21 win over No. 17 Michigan on Saturday and a share of the conference title.

Antonio Pittman's 3-yard run with 24 seconds left capped an 88-yard drive that included a series of spectacular plays by Smith.

Smith spun to avoid a sack and made an 11-yard pass early in the drive and eluded another loss with quick feet, buying enough time to complete a 26-yard pass to set up Pittman's winning run.

"There will be a lot of No. 10 jerseys and a lot of kids on Thanksgiving weekend trying to make those moves in a pile of leaves," Ohio State coach Jim Tressel said.

Smith completed 27 of 37 passes and ran for 37 yards, getting sacked only once, a year after his spectacular performance led the Buckeyes to a win over Michigan. Smith ran for 145 yards and a TD and threw for 241 yards and two more scores in last year's 37-21 win over the Wolverines.

"Troy is probably the best we've seen," Wolverines defensive tackle Pat Massey said. "Troy was a difference maker out there."

Ohio State (9-2, 7-1 Big Ten) overcame a slew of mistakes just in time to clinch a piece of the Big Ten title for the first time since winning the 2002 national championship.

While the Buckeyes traveled home by bus, they found out they had to share the championship with Penn State, which won at Michigan State 31-22.

The Nittany Lions will earn the automatic Bowl Championship Series bid because they beat Ohio State, which still could get an at-large bid in the BCS.

Regardless, Pittman said the Buckeyes will be remembered as champions.

"We'll get our names and our picture on the wall," he said.

The Buckeyes rallied for their sixth straight victory despite two turnovers and a shanked punt that led to scores, a missed extra point and field goal, mishandled punt returns and two pass interference penalties in the end zone.