Ohio State's 22-6 victory over Michigan yesterday -- it was different.

Well, of course it was, compared with the last six games in the series, all non-wins for the Buckeyes. But as soon as Ohio State defensive back Marlon Kerner walked out to take the Ohio Stadium field for the 91st renewal of one of college football's great rivalries, he said he knew something was different.

He could see it, with an estimated 300 former Buckeyes forming a tunnel for the team to run through. More that that, Kerner said, he could feel it.

"I definitely could feel something different about the atmosphere, all the fans cheering us on, all the past players coming back and forming a line for the team to run through -- there was a lot of electricity in the air," Kerner said.

There was pepper spray in the air afterward, as thousands of the 93,869 fans stormed the field in joy over the win, which clinched second place in the Big Ten and a Citrus Bowl bid for the Buckeyes (9-3, 6-2). If you're looking for a person to blame for the near-riot, point to Kerner.

He made the play of The Game, 1994 version. His block of a 33-yard Michigan field-goal attempt with 14:37 remaining and Ohio State clinging to a 12-6 lead set the final dominoes falling.

The play before, Kerner had slipped on coverage of Michigan wide receiver Amani Toomer in the end zone. But Michigan quarterback Todd Collins' pass to an open Toomer was out of bounds.

"Toomer ran a good route. It should have been a touchdown," Kerner said. "I really wanted to make up for it."

His block did. After Mike Vrabel finally corraled the ball at the Michigan 47, the Buckeyes used passes of 18 and 12 yards to Joey Galloway from Bob Hoying to move to a 36-yard field goal by Josh Jackson, his second of the game.

That gave Ohio State a cushion. But the Buckeyes wanted the couch.

Enter nose guard Luke Fickell. On Michigan's first play after the kickoff, he leaped and swatted Collins' pass into the air, then dived to catch it at the Michigan 16.

"Once I intercepted that ball, everybody came off the field all fired up, but my only focus was, `We've got to put this ball in the end zone,' " Fickell said. " `We've got to use this emotion and score here.'

"When we did that, that's when we finally realized all we had to do was put the clamps down, and they were done."

When tailback Eddie George plunged the last 2 yards behind tackles Korey Stringer and Orlando Pace, ganging up on the right side of the line, the electricity meter jumped to the megawatt mode. The old `Shoe was rocking.

Six years of frustration were caught in that crescendo. And even though George's TD came with 8:35 to play, hardly any fans left.

Michigan (7-4, 5-3) did drive to the OSU 13 moments later. But a holding call, an incompletion, an illegal procedure penalty, and an incompletion left the Wolverines with fourth-and-28. Then a sack by Matt Finkes and Vrabel left them with nothing.

Nothing but the memories of the streak. As for the streaker, who struck a Heisman Trophy pose in front of the Michigan bench before the second half kickoff, he was expected to spend the night in the Franklin County Jail.

But his 100-yard dash to infamy was just part of the pageantry on a day that included the unprecedented on-field support from former OSU players. It was part of the week, during which former players talked to the team, talking up the game as never before in the John Cooper era.

"In my opinion, that was the difference today," Cooper said after accepting the invitation to the Citrus Bowl Jan. 2 against the Southeastern Conference runner-up. "We had players talking to the squad all week long, and we came out of the tunnel and all those ex-players were out there. . . . You couldn't help but play good.

"And the fans. . . . I think the fans saw today what kind of response our team is going to give them if they're behind us all the time."

When it came to giving ultimate credit, though, Cooper turned to his defense. For the first time since 1984, when the Buckeyes last beat Michigan in Ohio Stadium, the Wolverines did not score a touchdown in The Game. An offense featuring preseason Heisman candidate Tyrone Wheatley and big-play wide receivers Toomer and Mercury Hayes was throttled by a combination of defense, penalties and botched plays.

"Give Ohio State congratulations. They played very well," Michigan coach Gary Moeller said. "Our offense was terrible. Bad, bad, bad. We just were not in it. . . . Despite what the score looked like, our defense played very well."

Ohio State was outgained 271-210, but the Buckeyes ran parlays to perfection.

Like their first score. Scott Terna's 53-yard punt backed Michigan to its 1 late in the first quarter. Three plays later, Collins tripped and fell into the end zone when one of his linemen stepped on his foot and the Buckeyes were up 2-0.

Shawn Springs returned the ensuing free kick to the Michigan 40. Ten plays later, Hoying kept on a bootleg around left end 4 yards for a touchdown at 14:11 of the second quarter.

The lead moved to 12-0 on Jackson's first field goal, a 26-yarder to cap a 14-play, 64-yard drive with 6:22 left in the half.

A 59-yard pass from Collins to Toomer brought the masses to their feet on Michigan's next possession. But four plays later, the Wolverines settled for a 22-yard field goal.

Again, the OSU defense had held, yet the third quarter was looming. Michigan had outscored its 10 other opponents 115-32 in the third, a fact not lost on Fickell.

"I started telling people in the locker room, `This team's a third-quarter team,' " Fickell said. " `We've got to go out in the third quarter and shut them down.'

"Our offense had a little trouble getting something going, but on defense we kept our cool, we bent but we didn't break, we shut them down to a field goal. That was a great inspiration that carried on for the rest of the game."

It was no banner day for the OSU offense, but the Buckeyes made plays when needed, Hoying said, which made the exit from the field even sweeter than the entrance.

"We've gone so long without beating Michigan, and then to do it at home -- I didn't want to leave the field," Hoying said. "I kept jumping up and down just to see across the field and all the people out there. It's something I'll never forget."