First, let me say I love college football. My outlook on this season just brightened a little.
This year wasn’t supposed to be like last year. Things were supposed to be more cut-and-dry. The elite teams were supposed to rise to the top and teams like Oregon State were supposed to be punching bags for everyone who played them. Then something happened in early September in Corvalis.
So what does USC’s loss mean to Ohio State? At this point in the season, not a whole lot. It will, indirectly, reflect poorly on OSU’s performance two Saturdays ago. It won’t help things in the polls, either. There’s still a lot of football to be played, though. Let’s look at some things this loss means.
First and foremost, it really highlights how poorly prepared Ohio State was. The offensive line was unprepared. The coaches were sorely unprepared. It shows how important a good running back that can run between the tackles is against a defense like USC. Beanie’s absence can’t be understated.
Homefield advantage. Can’t be understated. Oregon State is a different team at home. College football is about emotion, confidence and swagger. These can not be coached, but they can be harnessed. Right now, OSU lacks all three, and this game shows what a difference maker they can be.
Another thing we’ll learn is how dumb some OSU fans can be. I’ve been skimming the comments on the ESPN and SI boards, and there are Ohio State fans are already talking smack. Don’t forget, friends, that we lost to USC. We can laugh and point at the TV, but we have nothing to say. Penn State fans, however, can smirk rather smugly right now. That makes me sick.
We’ll learn about the pollsters, as well. OSU lost to the #1 team, dropped to #14 in the polls. Will USC drop further? Should they be ranked lower than OSU now? Earlier this season, Penn State completely destroyed Oregon State. That makes me nervous.
And finally, this USC loss probably means there’s a good chance people will be clamoring for a rematch in the Rose Bowl.
The theme of redemption just took on new life for OSU’s season.
IF our lord and savior, Coach Tress doesn’t change his gameplan it means nothing. But it shouldn’t be overlooked how recently Oregon State played USC to OSU. Those Oregon kids undoubtedly played against the USC kids. There is no underestimation when you know someone that you played against in high school is playing for the other the team.
I’m feeling far more pessimistic about this loss. The fact that USC laid the wood to us, coupled with how badly USC looked yesterday against the Beavers (especially that offensive line play…omg, how bad is our defensive line, seriously?) is definitely not going to make people want to vote us up in the polls.
One of my students keeps asking me when the next time OSU will win a game and not drop in the polls will be. He thought this week was the answer with Beanie coming back, but now I’m not so sure I agree with him. =)
It will be interesting to see how far USC does drop. OSU dropped a whole lot, and dropped again after beating Troy. So lets see how far USC drops. More interesting will be the Penn St vs OSU match up if Penn St is still undefeated. Penn St laid the smack down on some Oregon St.
Damn i love college football, the lets see what happens next factor just adds to it. A Playoff system couldn’t ever produce this kind of excitment.
Dirty Sanchez is not the next great QB at USC. Against OSU, he was not forced to make 1 difficult throw. On the 4 TD’s he had, every wideout was wide open. Any QB should have hit those WR’s. Versus the fake OSU, he was forced to make tough throws and couldn’t do it…especially when it mattered most.
USC is a media darling and will not drop lower than OSU, although they should.
@C – Excellent point. A point that is often lost on the national sports media (read the ESPN) when OSU has struggled with in-state teams like OU and the like.
@Eric – I think pollsters are going to be in a pickle no matter how they vote. Just as long as OSU doesn’t stuffer from USC bed-crapping, I’m okay.
@zach – My feelings exactly! This USC/OreSt is exactly why I love this game. The OSU/PSU game is definitely going to weigh heavily on future rankings.
@Kade – USC get’s the pass they’ve never earned. Four losses in three years to unranked teams, and yet everyone loves them. This does not compute.