Troy Smith has apparently shaken off his aberrant performance from the BCS title game and is impressing the scouts in Mobile.

This week, preparations begin for the Senior Bowl, and Smith weighed in at 6’0″, 222 lbs, finally putting an end to the argument from many losers claiming he was only 5’10”. This puts him in the same size class as NFL QBs Brees, Grossman, Vick, Favre, among others; and within an inch of Romo, Delhomme, and several others. Hopefully, the “he’s too short for the NFL” nonsense can be put to rest.

From the article:

Smith had a strong showing on the first day of practice and has begun to silence some of his critics. He was on the money with his passes, hitting his receivers in stride, and threw the ball with nice touch and pinpoint accuracy.

The scouts were well aware of Smith’s big arm before coming to Mobile, but the big arm was more like a bazooka after hearing the ball thump on the receiver’s chest when making a catch.

After practice, Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Jon Gruden, who is coaching the North squad, talked about how impressive Smith was during his first day of work.

“Troy’s arm strength was impressive, and he’s learned the playbook quickly,” Gruden said. “It’s going to be a pleasure to work with him this week.”

If this picture from today’s ESPN front page is any indication, Troy Smith’s shame at OSU’s performance in the BCS title game was significant enough to cause him to change alliances.

Representatives of Northern Illinois University are expected to arrive in Columbus today to pick up his Heisman trophy.

In other news, Lloyd Carr is in emergency talks with UM department heads to ensure NIU is not on the Wolverines’ upcoming schedule.

**UPDATE: EDSBS has learned that this isn’t Troy Smith at all.

So, it’s been two weeks over a week since that thing. Now enough time has passed, and emotions are no longer paramount. We can start to analyze The Game from a more objective point-of-view.

Right?

Actually, not really. An odd feeling continues to swirl through Buckeye nation, like a sour smell that won’t go away. Bring up The Game to an OSU fan, and you’re likely to see that person wrinkle his nose and shut you up with a dismissive gesture.

No, it’s not disappointment. OSU fans know disappointment. Disappointment comes from shame, and there’s not much shame for the 2006 OSU team, that went 12-1, made it to Glendale, won an outright Big Ten championship, and graduated a group of seniors that earned three gold pants against arch rival Michigan.

So, disappointment? Nah. This is more like — righteous indignation.

When you can get a fellow fan to speak, he usually stares off into the aether and says the same thing: I just can’t believe that they didn’t show up to play.

Again, and for the record, we acknowledge that the Gators were the better team, and most deserving of the trophy. But the frustrating part of it is that they earned the trophy without taking OSU’s best shot, and that’s what has got Buckeye nation’s scarlet-and-gray panties in a bunch.

I know many Gator fans may argue this point. But they certainly can’t have it both ways, can they? Either you acknowledge that OSU didn’t show up to play, which minimizes what Florida managed to accomplish; or you argue that Florida really is that superior, which raises questions about the many sloppy performances, lack of domination, and the loss during its regular season. Explaining the latter away with the “SEC was tougher, idiot!” does not satisfy, especially since the SEC only went 1-4 against the Big Ten in 2006, and the conference wasn’t represented very well in postseason accolades and trophies.

OSU fans are indignant because they have to feast on the crow of making predictions based on Tressel’s past performance, only to turn on the television and see him coach the worst game of his professional career.

OSU fans are indignant because they have to continue to rebut the myth of SEC speed, which is getting pretty tiring. If one claims the SEC is faster, then that doesn’t explain Pittman deking the mighty Gator secondary out of their shoes on his 18 yard TD run; or Ginn, brought to a full stop, kicking through a tackle and outracing the speedy Florida kick coverage on his 93-yard TD run. However, the OSU O-line played with a slow, plodding, we-really-don’t-care attitude, allowing Florida’s ends to race into the backfield and jump inside Smith’s facemask without abandon. When you watch someone run past another person, standing still, the one running is always going to be perceived as “faster.”

But I digress.

At the risk of evoking melodrama, the whole event reminded me of Rocky III, with the Gators playing the role of Clubber Lang. Rocky, who had been a superior fighter over a longer period of time, waltzed in unprepared and undercoached against a hungry, angry foe, who then proceeded to beat him into oblivion.

GrrrRawr!! I pity da foo who wears a Buckeye uniform!!

Yes, in the movie, Rocky won a rematch. But here in the real world, Lang gets his championship, while Rocky has to go sit and sulk under the gloomy, gray winter skies of Columbus in January.

Tressel had set the bar quite high for fans, not to expect victory all of the time, but to expect solid effort. In other words, OSU fans were made no promises about victories, but had gotten used to expecting the Bucks to play lights out no matter what. Only they didn’t. They didn’t, maybe because they felt they had already proven their case. It’s hard to get enough emotion together to play a third number one vs. two game in a season, let alone the second one vs. two in a row.

Moreover, perhaps the OSU players and coaches felt that they had achieved all of their goals for the year: Undefeated, another win over Michigan, revenge over Texas, an undisputed Big Ten title, and a Heisman Trophy run for their QB. Perhaps they used up all of their emotional reserve, and showed up to Glendale in a “I’m just here for a nice vacation” mode.

But those are excuses. In short, there is no question that Florida deserves the title, because there is no question that OSU didn’t really want it after all. And the fans have come to realize this. It was frustrating that a game so important to OSU fans was not that big of a deal to the team. As I’ve heard on several occasions from fellow fans, so I repeat now:

“Ah, well, if it ain’t important to them, then it ain’t important to me.”

Such is righteous indignation.

Okay, fans and fellow blog-brethren. In the interest of engaging in therapeutic self deprecation, and to give the trolls cramming our boards something constructive to do, we’re hosting another contest.

For this photo, tell us what these guys are saying to each other, or write a good caption:

Post your input to the comments section.

Just following up el Kaiser’s analysis with a few thoughts of my own.

I know I might not speak for all of us here at MotSaG, but if you’ve gotta lose…

…you want to lose like that.

To a better team.

To a team that played above its own capability, a team that played as a single unit, a team that played clean football, and a team that executed a near-perfect game plan.

You don’t want your team to lose because of some gimmicky trick plays, you don’t want them to lose because the officials stole the game, you don’t want them to lose to a dirty team, and on and on and on.

I know it might be hard for Buckeye nation to accept, but the fact is that OSU’s defense gave up 80 points in the last 8 quarters of the season. Clearly, the young, inexperienced defense, that had performed above expectations through most of the season, began to get worn down after 13 games. Something in OSU’s films proved useful to Carr and Meyer.

Offensively, we have to admit this hard fact: Tressel got outcoached. When the time came for offensive adjustments, he refused, even panicked; after the most dangerous weapon on his team was sidelined. Once Ginn went out, Meyer doubled Gonzo and ordered a zone blitz on every play, and the OSU coaches did not adjust with a single quick toss, reverse, draw, screen play, or anything else that is designed to work against the defenses that Urban was using. Tressel, et. al. stuck with the seven-step zone read, until it was too late to try anything else, and Smith paid the price.

And can someone please take Alex Boone out to the Gitmo barracks and give him a code red?

But I’m starting to dive into analysis, here; and that it was I wanted to avoid.

Simply enough: Florida was better, the BCS worked again, and as soon as the disappointment wears off, I’m sure this OSU team will still be remembered as something to be quite proud of.

Congrats to the Gators. Congrats to Urban Meyer, who is no doubt the primary candidate for the OSU coaching job if Tressel goes to the Browns (not that I’m starting any rumors or anything!).

So comes to a close the Tressel and Smith era; just as the Matta and Oden era begins. Ah, the life of a Buckeye fan!! Still better than rooting for anyone else.