The Wait is Nearly Over

It has been 234 days since we Buckeye fans enjoyed a meaningful moment of Ohio State football.  Did you hear me?  Two hundred thirty four days.  That’s 5,616 hours – 64% of the year without the football that we love!!  What did we do to deserve such cruel and unusual punishment that is the desolately long off-season?  What we’ve endured is a practice in patience that Tibetan monks would envy.  But frankly I’m running out of it, and I’m guessing you are too.  So let me provide you with a few methods to make these last five days a bit more bearable.

“Patience is bitter, but its fruit is sweet” -Aristotle

Hype Videos

Is there a better preseason appetizer than reliving the past in a series of clips set to dramatic music?  We are currently breathing the rare air of defending champions, so the cup overfloweth with exciting mementos of rising from the ashes and lifting trophies inside confetti littered stadiums.  Here, and here, and here you can find excellent examples.  Just don’t send me the bill when you run through your cubicle wall or smash your wife’s favorite glass coffee table.  This stuff is going to amp you up: you’ve been warned.

If those three aren’t enough, do not fret.  This is the internet and if you somehow stumbled upon this article then I’m guessing you’re savvy enough to find your way to other corners of the web.  The corners where they hide two hour videos of coin-flip-to-final-whistle action.  Go watch our boys stomp the Ducks in the National Title game.  Go watch the downfall of the mighty SEC at the hands of Ezekiel Elliot and Company.  Go watch the 59-point drubbing of the Badgers that was a foreshadowing that the CFP Selection Committee should have taken notice of before letting the Buckeyes into their little playoff.  Hell, go watch the entire season if you have the time.  It’s all out there somewhere and I can say with confidence that it’s the most satisfying way to pass the time between now and kickoff.

“Patience is the art of concealing your impatience.” -Guy Kawasaki

Get Educated

I know some of you are probably sneaking a peak at this while you sit at work, bored beyond belief and daydreaming of next Monday night.  And some of you may not have the ability to check out the videos that I linked above.  (I get why companies block You Tube from their employees’ PCs but come on… it’s 2015, how else do you expect us to make it through the day?)  That’s a bummer and I know your pain.  But you don’t necessarily need a video to get you over the hump.

Now is the time to fill your mind with as much Buckeye knowledge as possible.  You’re going to need it.  This team may be returning a boatload of starters on both sides of the ball, but that doesn’t mean that there is nothing to learn.  If you rest on your laurels you may be asking yourself, “Wait, did Doran Grant graduate?  And who is that guy wearing #1 on offense?  He looks familiar…”  You don’t want to be that guy.  And don’t forget about Urban Meyer’s ability to recruit monster athletes.  They will see the field, even if it is during mop-up duty, and they will make an impression.

You can find a plethora of the info you need right here on this site.  Here are a few that should be considered required reading:

• Jason’s preview of The Rivals
• Ryan’s guide to being a True Fan
• Jeremiah’s 5 Must See Games
• Richard’s WR Outlook post Noah Brown injury
• The MotSaG Podcast

“Rivers know this: there is no hurry, we shall get there someday.” -Winnie the Pooh

Diversion

It may seem simple, but finding things to help divert your need for college football is a kind of art that must be practiced over time.  I remember growing up waiting for Christmas day and having this same feeling in my stomach.  I would watch all the movies, help my parents decorate the house, and get excited when cards from my family from out of town would come in the mail.  But nothing quenched the thirst quite like the 25th day of the month eventually would.

The week before opening day doesn’t have to be like that for you.  Why?  Because unlike waiting on Christmas, we Buckeye fans can find some joy in watching the other children open their gifts for their own holidays.  This past weekend I watched FCS foes Montana and North Dakota State face off.  I’m not joking.  I watched almost every minute and it was actually pretty good… in the way high school ball is pretty good if you squint your eyes just correctly.  But it helped.  For a moment it was football season again.  For a moment I could taste it and the itch was subsiding just a bit.

There are more opportunities to divert the impatience upcoming this week.  Thursday you get to sit back and watch Harbaugh’s Fightin’ Khaki Pants take on Utah and the TCU-Minnesota rematch.  #5 Michigan State and #4 Baylor play on Friday, unfortunately not against each other.  Then there College Gameday on ESPN and a full slate of games on kickoff Saturday, highlighted by the Wisconsin versus Alabama game in Arlington, Texas. (Of course it’s in Arlington – we all know Bama won’t come north of the Mason-Dixon line)  Tune in to as many of these games as you can.  It should help make the time pass just a bit faster until Monday night.  Hopefully.

234 days and only 5 more to go.  Tick tock.