Actually, it could have been closer to four million! Surely one of the most expensive fumbles in the history of football.
One of the more popular wagering options last weekend in college football was the big game between nationally ranked Ohio State and traditional Big Ten rival Northwestern up in Evanston, Illinois on the shores of Lake Michigan.
Northwestern opened at 5.5 but by game time some shops were offering 7 or 7.5 making this one of the most intriguing games of the week and bettors all across the country put down their money on the contest.
The final result caused quite a stir in the sports wagering community at large. The Wildcats seemed to have the game well in hand from a point spread perspective and Northwestern backers were feeling good about their wagers late into the fourth quarter.
The Wildcats actually had the lead in the third quarter… lost it in the fourth only to go ahead once more with only 9:20 remaining in the fourth quarter. Then Carlos Hyde punched in a seven yard touchdown run to put the Buckeyes ahead by a score of 34-30 with only 5:45 left in the game causing some people to jump the gun and started counting their money a bit too soon.
Then Northwestern got the ball back and, in the true spirit of college football, set about trying to win the game that no one thought they could win. It was third down and eighteen yards to go from their own eight yard line but what the hell. Desperate times call for desperate measures and the Wildcats tried to pull it out with only 5 seconds remaining on the clock.
Wildcat quarterback Kain Colter tossed a little 4 yard pass to Tony Jones who found himself trapped and tried a last ditch effort to win the game by pitching a lateral to teammate Venric Mark who promptly fumbled the ball which somehow ended up in the end zone in the hands of Joey Bosa of Ohio State for a Buckeye touchdown.
The game ended at 40-30 for an Ohio State cover and the complexion of the day changed completely. Winners became losers and visa-versa. It was a last second turnaround that will be remembered for a long time to come.
Jay Rood. The VP of MGM Resort’s Sports Books, told reporter, “It was a horrific decision for us. I would estimate that the change in money on the day for the state (Nevada) because of the late Ohio State score was $3 to $4 Million!”
