Kirk Herbstreit was disappointed; Steve Tovar didn't really know how to feel.

    But after 17th-ranked Ohio State rallied from 10 points down in the fourth quarter to tie sixth-ranked Michigan 13-13 yesterday in front of the second-largest crowd-- 95,330-- in Ohio Stadium history, one man could hardly contain his glee.

    "A tie is one of our greates wins ever," OSU president Gordon Gee said. "You don't have to read between the lines to figure out this guy is doing a hell of a job."

    The guy he spoke of was coach John Cooper. A report in The Dispatch last week indicated Cooper had to win one of his last two games to keep his job, despite the fact he's in the first year of a four-year contract, signed in July.

    It wasn't a win, but the Buckeyes (8-2-1, 5-2-1)-- with Herbstreit hitting Greg Beatty on a 5-yard, fourth-down touchdown pass with 4:24 left-- rallied for the tie with Michigan (8-0-3, 6-0-2).

    "For this football team to go out there today and lay it on the line like they did, after all the adversity we've been through... I couldn't be prouder," Cooper said.

    The tie had to feel better than the four stright losses to the Wolverines, who had gone in 7.5 point favorites.

    "It doesn't feel better. It really leaves you not knowing what to think," said Tover, the Buckeyes' senior middle linebacker. "In our hearts, I know that we're winners... and we're going to go down and play hard in the Citrus Bowl, and show that we weren't just up for Michigan."

    They will meet the loser of the Dec. 5 SEC Championship game on Jan. 1 in the Citrus. That seemed little consolation for senior quaterback Herbstreit yesterday, as he left the Ohio Stadium field, head down, tears streaming, for the last time.

    "It's hard to swallow now... we haven't beaten Michigan," he said.

    For the Wolverines, it marked their first undefeated regular season since they went 10-0-1 in 1973, tying Ohio State 10-10. But it also was the third tie for a talented team that many thought should be contending for the national championship.

    "I'm disappointed," Michigan coach Gary Moeller said. "You could say I'm mad. But we are going out to the Rose Bowl and play as hard as we can and hope for the best."

    Michigan had clinched that berth by nailing down its fifth straight Big Ten title with a 22-22 tie the week before against Illinois. Two days later, the Buckeyes accepted the Citrus invitation, which goes to the league's second-place team.

    But Herbstreit wasn't so sure the Buckeyes are second-best.

    "I felt we outplayed them out there today," he said.

    With Herbstreit throwing for a career-high 271 yards and the one TD while hitting 28 of 46 attempts (second most attempts and completions in OSU history behind Art Schlichter's 51 and 31, respectively, in 1981 against Florida State), the Buckeyes rolled up 362 yards in total offense. Wide receiver Brian Stablein caught a career-high 12 passes for 111 yards.

    The OSU defense limited Michigan to 271, with 200 of that coming on the ground, 100 of them from sophomore tailback Tyrone Wheatley.

    But the Wolverines put together two touchdown drives, and they had to play almost the last three quarters without starting quarterback, the league's most efficient passer. He suffered bruised ribs and kidneys when he was hit by OSU free safety Chico Nelson while diving for Michigan's first touchdown.

    It gave the Wolverines a 6-3 lead-- kicker Peter Eleaovic missed the extra point-- at 13:06 of the second quarter, and countered the 39-yard field goal by OSU's Tim Williams late in the first quarter (his first attempt from 38 yards, had been blocked).

    Michigan backup quarterback Todd Collins finally got his offense rolling in the third quarter. The Wolverines went 80 yards on 12 plays. Collins keeping the final yard on a bootleg to increase the Michigan lead to 13-3 at 1:33 of the third.

    Herbstreit responded, taking the Buckeyes 54 yards in 14 plays, converting a fourth-and-4 at the Michigan 34 with a 7-yard pass to Stablein to set up a 29-yard field goal by Williams with 12:16 left in the fourth.

    After the defense held on three downs, forcing a punt that Walter Taylor returned 10 yards to the OSU 44, Herbstreit went back to work. He scrambled for 15, hit fullback Jeff Cothran for 13 yards, and hit Beatty for 12. Two 5-yard runs from Robert Smith moved it to the Michigan 3.

    Three straight option plays-- one a handoff to Cothran and two straight keepers by Herbstreit-- lost 2 yards, leaving the Buckeyes with the necessity to go for it on fourth down.

    A quick slant pass to the right side to Beatty in front of cornerback Deon Johnson did the trick. Cooper said there was no question about going for the tying extra point.

    "We still had more than four minutes left," he said.

    Actually, 4:24. When the Wolverines couldn't move after taking possession at their 20, the Buckeyes got the ball back at the OSU 45 with 3:19 to play.

    There would be no fairy tale ending, though, though the Buckeyes had two shots at it. Herbstreit was sacked by Buster Stanley for a 6-yard loss on first down. Passes to Cedric Saunders and Beatty got only 12 and Joel Kessel was sent in to punt on fourth-and-4 at the Michigan 49.

    No doubt thoughts of 1990, when the Buckeyes went for it on fourth-and-18 inches from their own 29 with the score tied at 13 shot through Cooper's mind. They failed that day, and Michigan kicked the winning field goal with no time left.

    Kessel's punt hit Michigan return man Derrick Alexander in the face mask and bounced away. Tovar had a shot at it, but Michigan linebacker Shawn Collins beat him to it at the 9-yard line.

    "I couldn't believe it when it happened, and then just as soon as I turned back, it was just... people say it's a game of inches," Tovar said. "I guess it kust wasn't meant to be."

    The game ended with Taylor runnign back an interception of a desperation Michigan pass 51 yards to the Michigan 34, and with the crowd on its feet-- cheering.