This scenario has been a familiar one in Evanston:

Upper echelon foe comes into Evanston against upset-minded Wildcats. Northwestern plays tough for a quarter, a half, maybe three quarters. Then reality takes hold. The Wildcats lose.

That appeared to be the scenario again when undefeated and sixth-rated Ohio State came calling Saturday night. The inspired Wildcats held a 27-20 lead late in the fourth quarter, but the Buckeyes tied the game when QB Justin Zwick fired a game-tying 21-yard TD pass to Santonio Holmes with 1:54 remaining.

Surely, the Buckeyes would find a way to escape with yet another win. After all, they had beaten the Wildcats 21 straight times.

But not this time.

The Wildcats won the coin toss in overtime and elected to go on defense. Ohio State's Mike Nugent, arguably the best kicker in the country and proven in the clutch, pushed a 40-yard FG attempt wide to the right.

With the crowd of 47,130 in a frenzy, QB Brett Basanez got off a smart 21-yard run that gave the Wildcats first-and-goal. Power back Noah Herron ended the frustration with a 1-yard TD run for a 33-27 victory.

In addition to beating the Buckeyes for the first time in 33 years, the win was Northwestern's first in Evanston against Ohio State since 1958.

"You don't beat a great team like Ohio State by being lucky," Walker said.

"It goes back to establishing a confidence. We had expectations and we had a high belief in ourselves, but we still had much to prove. Then we went out and did it. It's one of the best feelings I've ever had in coaching."

Walker also tried to teach a lesson to his players in the joyous locker room after the game. He told his players that the good feeling they had of achievement and accomplishment was the result of "the hard work that had been set forth in practice."

Walker hopes his team does not get caught up in the hoopla this week and look past a supposedly "soft" opponent in Indiana. If the Wildcats continue to prepare and practice well, they should be able to handle the Hoosiers.

GAME BALL GOES TO: QB Brett Basanez -- Not only did Basanez put up fine numbers, he clearly established himself as the leader of this team. He set up the game-winning TD in overtime with a 21-yard run. Basanez completed 24-of-44 passes for 278 yards with two TDs. He ran six times for 53 yards and never got anxious against a talented Ohio State defense.

KEEP AN EYE ON: The Northwestern front four -- The unit shut down the Ohio State running game. Prior to the game, Northwestern DT Luis Castillo described the OSU offense as "mediocre." The Northwestern defense backed up those words by holding the Buckeyes to 97 rushing yards on 37 attempts.

QUOTE TO NOTE: "It was like two heavyweights exchanging blows in the 15th round. We got the last one in." -- Northwestern head coach Randy Walker on his team's 33-27 upset win over Ohio State.

LOOKING GOOD: The team's emotional status is strong and moving in the right direction. The Wildcats had lost 24 straight games to Ohio State and hadn't beaten the Buckeyes at home since 1958. While Ohio State has offensive weaknesses, the Buckeyes were still the No. 6 team in the country at the time and the victory is huge for the Northwestern program. Could it propel the Wildcats to a winning season? Head coach Randy Walker would like to think so.

STILL NEEDS SOME WORK: The Wildcats still need to improve on both sides of the ball and limit their mistakes. Despite a great game that demonstrated impressive leadership skills, Brett Basanez threw two interceptions that gave the Buckeyes valuable momentum. The Wildcats need to concentrate on their upcoming game with Indiana and not get caught up in the hype of the big upset.

ROSTER REPORT: DB Jeff Backes registered a nice diving interception of a Justin Zwick pass in the fourth quarter and has established himself as a very solid defender. ... PK Brian Huffman may be turning things around, making field goals from 41 and 40 yards against Ohio State.