Hog roasted: Late interception seals Sugar Bowl victory for Ohio State

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Off-the-field distractions. A depleted secondary. No momentum.

Ohio State had its back against the wall, clinging to a late, fourth-quarter lead.

But the Buckeyes quieted the hog-heavy crowd and silenced critics, placing tattoo drama on the back burner and roasting the Arkansas Razorbacks, 31-26, in the Sugar Bowl on Tuesday night at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans.

The win snaps OSU's string of struggles against the SEC. The Buckeyes had lost each of the first nine bowl games in which they faced an SEC opponent.

One of five Buckeyes facing a five-game suspension to start the 2011 season, defensive end Solomon Thomas made the play of his career, an interception with less than a minute remaining and Arkansas threatening to score a go-ahead touchdown.

OSU quarterback Terrelle Pryor, who was named the game's most outstanding player, threw for 221 yards and two touchdowns, nearly mirroring the marks he set last January when he took home Rose Bowl MVP honors. In that game — a 26-17 victory over Oregon — Pryor threw for 266 yards and two scores and rushed for 72 yards.

After trailing 28-7 in the first half, Arkansas clawed to within 31-23 with 12 minutes remaining. Razorbacks' punter Dylan Breeding pinned the Buckeyes at their own 4-yard line, and Arkansas' defensive line collectively brought down running back Dan Herron in the end zone for a safety.

The Razorbacks closed the gap to 31-26 on a 47-yard field goal by freshman kicker Zach Hocker on the ensuing possession.

They couldn't get over the hump, though.

Colton Miles-Nash blocked Ben Buchanan's punt, setting up Arkansas with great field position and a chance to win.

But Thomas stepped in front of a pass by Arkansas quarterback Ryan Mallett and the Buckeyes ran out the remainder of the clock.

Mallett, who transferred from Michigan after the 2007 season, feasted on a depleted Buckeye secondary in the second half.

Cornerback Chimdi Chekwa left the game in the first half after landing awkwardly on his right wrist after breaking up a pass. He returned to the sideline wearing a cast.

Christian Bryant, out since Oct. 16 with a foot infection, assumed some of Chekwa's duties.

The Buckeyes were already without safeties C.J. Barnett and Tyler Moeller, both sidelined for the majority of the season with injuries.

The NCAA suspended Pryor, Herron, receiver DeVier Posey, tackle Mike Adams and Thomas for five games after learning the players had violated NCAA rules by selling memorabilia to the owner of a Columbus tattoo parlor in 2009.

The NCAA concluded that the rules education provided by the OSU compliance department did not meet NCAA standards at the time the players sold the merchandise.

Therefore, following NCAA guidelines, the players were made eligible for the bowl game.

They didn't disappoint.

Herron rushed for 87 yards on 24 carries and scored a touchdown for the 12th consecutive game.

Posey hauled in a 43-yard score with 1:59 to play in the second quarter to give OSU its largest lead of the night, 28-7.

OSU racked up 338 yards in the first half, an average of 8.7 per play.

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