The 2014 OSU Seniors’ Theme? “Redemption Song”

January 30, 2015 by Leave a Comment

It was tremendous attending the celebration in Ohio Stadium on January 24th, 2015, with approximately 45,000-50,000 other Ohio State fans. Yes, it was cold; about 27 degrees. It was not as cold as the other national championship celebration I attended in January 2003; that celebration had more snow and was several degrees below zero. Yes, the players did join in a singing of “Carmen Ohio” at the conclusion; there was no Cie Grant moment in this celebration.

While I sat with my friend Bob during the celebration, my mind could not help but think of the senior class who signed letters of intent with Ohio State in February 2011. Twenty-four players signed with Ohio State in February 2011, yet only seventeen remained by January 2015. Fortunately for Ohio State fans, a few of these individuals have eligibility remaining to play for Ohio State in 2015 (Chase Farris, Joel Hale, Bryce Haynes, Cardale Jones, Braxton Miller, Ron Tanner, and Nick Vannett).

While “Carmen Ohio” was naturally performed at the national championship celebration, another song has crossed my mind as I reflect upon the careers of the players who signed in 2011 ~ Bob Marley’s “Redemption Song”.

“But my hand was made strong
By the ‘and of the Almighty.
We forward in this generation
Triumphantly…”

My first experience watching Braxton Miller as an Ohio State Buckeye was in the 2011 Ohio State Spring Game. Enrolled as a true freshman, there were questions as to whether Miller would be the quarterback during the first five games, as returning starter Terrelle Pryor served a five game suspension, along with Ohio State Head Coach Jim Tressel. Little did anyone know that the 2011 Spring Game would be the last time Coach Tressel would coach Miller in any capacity.

Memorial Day 2011 dawned with the bombshell that Coach Tressel, under siege by the national media and members of the university power struggle, resigned as head coach. Former Ohio State defensive lineman and longtime Ohio State assistant coach Luke Fickell was promoted to head coach for the 2011 season, and possibly beyond.

While 2011 was a disappointing season for Ohio State and Coach Fickell, optimism for these players came into Columbus with the hiring of Urban Meyer as head football coach on November 28, 2011. In less than one full year, many of these players had experienced signing to play for one head coach, suffering through a losing season under an interim coach, and now were going to play for a coach that had not recruited the majority of them (Coach Meyer had recruited Braxton Miller while Coach Meyer was at Florida, if you recall). Even with this optimistic turn of events related to Coach Meyer’s arrival, it was only natural that a few of the players decided to look elsewhere to continue their football and educational careers.

“Emancipate yourselves from mental slavery;
None but ourselves can free our minds…”

The 2012 season under Coach Meyer resulted in a perfect 12-0 season, yet no rewards were possible as the program was under a bowl ban. The 2013 season began in tremendous fashion, yet collapsed down the stretch with a loss to Michigan State in The 2013 B1G Championship Game, and followed up with a loss to Clemson in the 2014 Orange Bowl. The 2014 season, after three years, would prove to be the last opportunity to leave a positive legacy in the archives of Ohio State football for several of these players who began in 2011.

“Won’t you help to sing
These songs of freedom? –
‘Cause all I ever have:
Redemption songs”

Yes, “Carmen Ohio” was on my mind, along with 45,000-50,000 other members of the Buckeye faithful on January 24th, 2015, in Ohio Stadium. But I will admit this other tune will also be on my mind and in my heart as I will fondly think back to the magical season of 2014, and to several of the Buckeyes who helped to make it that way, beginning back in February 2011.

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Phil Steele Names Urban Meyer 2014 College Coach of the Year

January 21, 2015 by 1 Comment

Phil Steele, the well-known college football guru, awarded Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer the 2014 Phil Steele College Coach of the Year Award. It’s the fourth year he has handed out the award and a full-page will be dedicated on it in his upcoming preview magazine for the 2015 college football season (click here for a preview of it). The runner-up for the award was TCU head coach Gary Patterson. Here’s Steele’s reason for picking Meyer as his coach of the year winner:

In his third year as head coach at The Ohio State University, Meyer led the Buckeyes
to their eighth National Championship and second since 1970. Meyer also is the
only FBS head coach to post a perfect regular season conference record over the last
3 seasons (24-0).

The 2014 season started without one of the Heisman front-runners in QB Braxton
Miller then OSU lost the 2014 FWAA freshman first team All-American QB JT Barrett.
Meyer and his staff prepared QB Cardale Jones for one of the games finest 3 game
performances winning the Big 10 Championship, the Sugar Bowl semi-Final and the
first ever College Football Playoff.

Meyer not only has a tremendous impact when tutoring student athletes, but coaches
as well. With the departure of co-OC Tom Herman to Houston the growing total of
assistants which he has coached that have become a FBS or FCS head coach now
stands at 10. The group includes 6 coaches who earned bowl berths with their teams
last year and one which took his team to the FCS playoffs.

Congratulations to Coach Meyer on winning Phil Steele’s 2014 College Coach of the Year Award.

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A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The NFL…

January 16, 2015 by Leave a Comment

Before going any further, congratulations to Ohio State Head Coach Urban Meyer and the 2014 Ohio State Buckeyes. I am still basking in the happiness of winning the national championship, and will have posts in the future to best articulate my feelings on this accomplishment. Needless to say, I wanted to make sure I added my congratulations to the many that have been directed to Coach Meyer and the 2014 Ohio State coaches and players on this outstanding achievement.

**
The popular and probable consensus opinion regarding Cardale Jones and his announcement was that Jones was going to declare for the NFL. Over the previous days, many people asked me for my opinion, and now is as good as any for me to articulate why I believed Jones was going to the NFL ~

Cardale Jones and Braxton Miller were recruited by former Ohio State head coach Jim Tressel in the 2011 recruiting class. To shore up his grades, and provide some separation from Miller, Jones agreed to enroll at Fork Union Military Academy in 2011.

Upon returning to Columbus in 2012, Jones was faced with the following realities – the head coach who recruited him was gone, and replaced with someone who neither recruited him, nor wanted him. Braxton Miller had completed a freshman season in 2011 that had captivated the fanbase, as well as the incoming coaching staff. As someone who attended the 2012 Ohio State spring game, the fact that Jones did not garner a single snap in an intrasquad scrimmage spoke volumes about where Jones stood in the eyes of the coaching staff.

And then during the 2012 season, Jones decided to tweet…THIS.

Yes, I guess you could say I was fairly certain Cardale Jones was eventually going to leave Columbus, and probably not in a positive fashion in the eyes of Coach Meyer or any of the other Ohio State coaches.

Jones played sparingly in 2013, and was beaten out for the starting quarterback position by J.T. Barrett in the 2014 fall camp after Miller went down with a season-ending injury. Again, there was speculation that Jones would transfer after losing the job to Barrett, especially after being the starting quarterback throughout all of the 2014 spring practices.

Flash forward to November 29th, 2014. Ohio State is in a dogfight with That Team Up North, and J.T. Barrett is knocked out for the season. Anyone who has listened to me throughout this past season on any of the Men of the Scarlet and Gray podcasts can recall how I often lamented how infrequently Jones played, especially when Ohio State had substantial leads. I actually tweeted after Barrett went down about this…

We all know how gloriously it turned out. I believe @JeffSvoboda articulated it well…

When I think about being 22 years old, with a child to provide for…I can honestly say that I probably would have taken the money. Quite honestly, even without a child, turning down the money at 22 years old would have been probably impossible, as I reflect upon it.

No matter how it turns out in 2015, Cardale Jones has secured his place in the hearts and minds of Ohio State fans going forward.

Will Jones be the Ohio State starter at quarterback next season? It is certainly possible, but if Ohio State fans have learned anything this past season, anything is possible, especially at the quarterback position. Jones does have one advantage going into the 2015 season…

No matter how this all turns out, at least Ohio State fans can count upon Tyvis Powell to keep Cardale Jones in line throughout the 2015 season…

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It’s Deja Vu All Over Again For Ohio State

January 9, 2015 by Leave a Comment

Ohio State suffers through a costly loss to an opponent, despite being heavily favored. The quarterback is under tremendous scrutiny. And Ohio State is to face an Oregon team that is supposedly too fast for Ohio State to be able to keep pace.

Yes, I know. We’re all eagerly awaiting to see how Ohio State plays against Oregon in The College Football Playoff National Championship Presented By AT&T (say that one ten times fast).

Actually, I am talking about the 2010 Rose Bowl.

A quick stroll down memory lane is in order – in 2009, Ohio State opened up against Navy, and had to escape with a close win (Ohio State 31, Navy 27). Despite a close loss to USC in week two, Ohio State fans were optimistic for the season…until losing at Purdue (Purdue 26, Ohio State 18). Ohio State won the remainder of its games to claim The Big Ten championship, only to be faced with an Oregon team that was loaded with speed in The 2010 Rose Bowl. Ohio State won, 26-17.

While impressive remembering the similarities between The 2010 Rose Bowl and this game, I believe the strategies used by Ohio State to slow down Oregon are possibly going to be used once again, this time by Ohio State Head Coach Urban Meyer.

Below are three critical areas I will be paying close attention to when Ohio State and Oregon kick off at 8:30pm EST on ESPN…

1. Will Ohio State Create A Collapsing Pocket Against Marcus Mariota? – Mariota is tremendously accurate as a passer and also blessed with exceptional speed. Instead of allowing Mariota to get to the outside of the pocket, will Ohio State try to contain Mariota within the pocket, and win the game as a pure pocket passer?

2. Ohio State Must Wrap Up Against Oregon – Defensively, Ohio State will be under tremendous physical scrutiny, with Oregon attempting to run plays every sixteen seconds. The defensive line and linebackers will not be able to substitute frequently, nor will the secondary players. A critical area against an Oregon team that has so much offensive speed will be to wrap up and tackle, thus negating the big plays that have been a staple of the Oregon offense.

3. Will Ohio State Control The Clock Against Oregon? – While I respect Coach Meyer’s more aggressive approach on offense, it will be so important for Ohio State to be content to use the clock fully when on offense. Running the ball with Ezekiel Elliott, Curtis Samuel, and yes, Cardale Jones, will help keep the Ohio State defense off the field, and also help to throw a wrench into Oregon’s plans to play at their typical fast-break pace.

As Yogi Berra once stated, “It’s deja vu all over again.”. At some point on Monday night, Ohio State fans will hopefully agree with Mr. Berra’s wise statement.

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The Annual Airing Of Grievances (Part 2)

December 19, 2014 by Leave a Comment

Part one of The Annual Airing Of Grievances dealt with specific areas of the new college football playoff that I disagree with, or believe could be improved. Specifically, the biggest issues I have with the new system revolves around the number of teams in the playoff system, as well as the costly travel expenses that fans, and the families of players, will incur with traveling to multiple playoff sites.

My Dad used to tell me that anyone can sit back and complain, but if you want things to change, you have to be willing to step up and offer up reasonable alternatives. For years, I have made these suggestions about college football playoffs, but this year has some subtle changes. Let us begin.

Expand The Playoffs From 4 To 16: Here we go. How can it be a true playoff system that does not involve every conference champion? Yes, I am including conferences such as The AAC (Memphis) Conference USA (Marshall), The MAC (Northern Illinois), The Mountain West (Boise State), and The Sun Belt (Georgia Southern). Yes, even a team that won the Big 12 (Baylor) would get in. If you are the conference champion, you should get a shot at the title. Five at-large berths for teams, based entirely upon strength of schedule. The entire playoff field would be seeded, based entirely upon strength of schedule.

Home Playoff Games: And here is where we could help with those traveling expenses. Guess where the playoff games would be held? At the home stadiums of the higher ranked teams. Yes, instead of flying from New Orleans to Dallas, Ohio State fans could look forward to weekends in Ohio Stadium (possibly).

Stop and think about it – what is the one thing you hear about this time of year with teams fighting for a spot in the NFL playoffs? Home field advantage. Can you imagine fans of the New England Patriots flying to multiple playoff spots, then heading to the Super Bowl? So why should college football fans do that?

I can already anticipate some of the questions, so why not take care of them right here…

Would I eliminate games? As these are college athletes, yes, I would. Simply put, every team would begin Labor Day weekend, and would conclude by the final weekend of November (conference championships could be held this weekend). First playoff round of sixteen would be the first weekend of December. Second playoff round of eight would be the third weekend of December; as most schools have final exams the second week of December, this would allow for athletes to study this week.

Now we are down to the final four. We can have these games January 1st, at a college location of the highest seeded team. The national championship could be held at one of the designated bowl sites. In other words, fans could make a week out of it, versus moving from town to town, under the present system.

Aren’t you overemphasizing the playoff season vs the regular season? If a team knows that the only sure way to get a shot at the title is to win their conference, it kind of makes that every game counts mantra truly stand out, doesn’t it? Next question.

What about the other bowl games? What about them? They can continue, albeit outside of the playoff system. Next question.

How would this help players’ families, or fans, with travel expenses? Maybe it would not, but the possibility of home site games, versus multiple cities that require airfare, would seem plausible to me that this system would be a step in the right direction.

If you could change only one thing, what would it be? That’s easy. Considering how much money the college football playoff is raking in, why can’t the NCAA adjust its rules and allow for schools to assist families to be able to get to the playoff sites? I am not suggesting that the schools pay for a family’s hotel, but considering teams charter flights for coaches, administrators, and other university officials to get to a bowl site, why can’t they do the same with a flight for players’ families? And Coach Urban Meyer seems to be of a like mind on this issue with me…

Is my solution ideal? Perhaps, perhaps not. I do know that any system that does not recognize or involve every conference cannot truly call itself a true playoff. And above all other sports, college football has truly grown through the years because of the passion of its fan base – why not reward those fans, instead of trying to squeeze every possible cent from them?

My system is so practical, it makes complete sense why the NCAA will not implement it. Instead, I will console myself with a 12 Dogs Of Christmas Ale, and prepare myself for next season’s Airing Of Grievances. Best wishes to each and every one of you for a safe and happy holiday season.

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The Annual Airing Of Grievances (Part 1)

December 12, 2014 by 6 Comments

Festivus is one of my favorite Seinfeld episodes, and a holiday we celebrate within our household. The Airing Of Grievances is something we routinely will do, before we commence with The Feats Of Strength.

Anyone who knows my passion for college football is well aware of my long-standing desire to have a college football playoff system. You would think that I would be tremendously satisfied with a 4-team playoff that begins this season, especially as Ohio State was seeded as one of the top four teams?

Wrong.

Yes, I am happy that there is a four team playoff. It certainly beats the old BCS system, and will help to satisfy the idea that college football will settle its champion by results on the field, versus being voted upon. But…

Even with this new system, with four teams better than two, have we truly improved upon the system? After all, the new College Football Playoff determined its four teams via a committee. Co-champions of the Big 12, Texas Christian and Baylor, were left out of the playoff mix. And we have not even addressed the other conferences that are being excluded (Spoiler alert – I will address how to handle those other conferences in part two. I hope that little teaser will bring you back to see how this could be handled.).

Another area that needs to be contemplated with the new playoff system is the financial challenges or difficulties that fans will have in trying to go to multiple bowl locations. This is something that I have addressed in the past, and the families of players are focusing upon this as well…

Here is a tweet from the mother of Ohio State cornerback Eli Apple…

Here is a tweet from the mother of Ohio State linebacker Darron Lee…

Here is a tweet from former Ohio State defensive lineman Matt Finkes…

And thanks to Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer for continually raising this point…

Let me spell it out for you in simple economic terms. Using expedia.com, I looked for flights from Cleveland to New Orleans (home of The Allstate Sugar Bowl on January 1st, 2015), and from Cleveland to Dallas (home of The College Football Playoff National Championship Presented By AT&T on January 12, 2015).

Here is the price of a flight from Cleveland to New Orleans

CLE_NewOrleans

Here is the price of a flight from Cleveland to Dallas

CLE_Dallas

In case you were wondering about the price of Sugar Bowl tickets…

And I didn’t even bother looking into tickets for the game in Dallas. Please remember that I have not plugged in hotels or food, and I believe you are getting an idea about the financial implications of this new system for college football fans.

Are you starting to understand why I would include this new system under my Airing Of Grievances? Good. Tune in next week, and you will see my ideas on how this system could be improved upon in so many areas. Until then, start practicing for The Feats Of Strength…

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The 2014 B1G Championship: A Game Of Blackjack?

December 5, 2014 by Leave a Comment

“Rain Man, let’s play some cards…”

In the aftermath of Ohio State’s 42-28 victory in THE GAME, the speculation among Ohio State fans, as well as the national media, was this burning question – how could Ohio State possibly expect to win the 2014 B1G Championship without star quarterback J.T. Barrett?

The speculation is not without merit. After all, Barrett was the leader of the Ohio State offense, and a possible Heisman Trophy candidate. Backup quarterback Cardale Jones has played sparingly throughout his Ohio State career, and will be making his first career start against one of the top defenses in college football when the Buckeyes face the Wisconsin Badgers.

More importantly, Ohio State’s defense has not played well down the November stretch run. Against Michigan State, Minnesota, and Indiana, all with talented running backs, Ohio State gave up substantial yardage on the ground. But against Michigan’s Drake Johnson, the Wolverines’ third-string running back, giving up 74 yards, only added fuel to the fire of concern. Now Ohio State will be facing Wisconsin’s Melvin Gordon (2230 yards) and Corey Clement (830 yards). Oof.

Here are the three areas I will be focused upon as Ohio State and Wisconsin kick it off at 8pm EST on FOX…

1. The Ohio State Rush Defense Against The Wisconsin Offense: If Ohio State cannot slow down Wisconsin’s running game, it will be all over for the Buckeyes. Co-defensive coordinators Luke Fickell and Chris Ash must figure out a way to slow down Wisconsin’s Gordon and Clement. Look for Ohio State to put eight men in the box, leaving the cornerbacks on an island with Wisconsin’s receivers one on one. It is a daring and risky strategy, but it may need to be done to keep Ohio State in the game defensively. Rotating interior defensive linemen will be critical to keep Ohio State’s defensive linemen from tiring out. A cause for concern will be if Wisconsin can continually line up on first down, then on second down hear, “2nd and 3.”. That could spell doom for the Buckeyes if Wisconsin is in perpetual short yardage plays throughout most of the night.

2. Ohio State Cannot Be Conservative On Offense: Ohio State Head Coach Urban Meyer made a statement about new starter Cardale Jones – “It’s his show, he’s got the keys to the car,”… Coach Meyer and Ohio State offensive coordinator Tom Herman will be working overtime on how to best tweak the offense for Jones heading into this game, focusing upon the areas and plays that Jones handles best. If Ohio State tries to simply run the ball, down after down, predictably and conservatively, Ohio State will lose this game. A possible strategy with Jones on passing plays could involve a moving pocket, using quarterback waggles and bootlegs that will allow Jones to get out of the pocket and hit an open man, or simply run for positive yardage if nothing is open. Again, Ohio State needs to focus upon what the offense can do with Jones at the helm, and emphasize that getting the ball into the various Buckeye playmakers is the way to win this game offensively. Letting Jones play with no holds barred can only boost Jones, and the team’s, collective confidence. And that leads me to…

3. Winning The Psychological Battle: Ohio State is in great shape here. At his customary press conference on December 1st, Coach Meyer was audibly surprised that Ohio State was the listed underdog to Wisconsin. For a master motivator such as Coach Meyer, the media simply gave Coach Meyer one more button to push on his team. Coach Meyer can truly play up the disrespect angle of the national media, and should have his team ready to go at a fevered pitch when the game begins. And if Ohio State wins over Wisconsin, my guess is Coach Meyer will look into the television cameras, pointing out how Jones did what was needed in only six days of preparation; how much better would Jones be able to play with nearly a month’s worth of preparation, as in preparation for The College Football Playoff?

Prediction: Up above, I used a blackjack reference, as I believe this game will be relatively low-scoring, as well as I believe the first team to hit 21 points will win. It won’t come easy, and it may not be enough to impress The College Football Playoff committee, but I see it Ohio State 21, Wisconsin 17.

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Cardale Jones: A Man With Many Expectations

December 3, 2014 by Leave a Comment

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What can we expect of Cardale Jones in the Big Ten Championship this Saturday? This is the million dollar question on everyone’s minds.

Really it depends on who you ask. Urban Meyer says he believes in his quarterback and expects him to perform quite well in the game. If you ask the media, they expect a make or break performance. Just tune into ESPN or FOX when they’re discussing the Buckeyes and you’re bound to hear them discuss how Cardale’s performance will determine whether the Buckeyes make the playoffs or not. If you ask Buckeye detractors and really most college football fans, they expect Jones to have a bad game and cause the Buckeyes to lose. If you ask Buckeye fans, you could get any answer. Some have full confidence, while others have already given up on the season (way to be a true fan).

So what do I expect out of Cardale Jones this Saturday? Well let’s go over the facts. He’s a redshirt sophomore from Cleveland, Ohio. He’s listed at 6’5″ and 250 pounds. Jones saw little playing time in 2013, as he went one of two passing for three yards and rushed for 128 yards and one touchdown. With starting quarterback Braxton Miller going down with an injury in August, Cardale competed with J.T. Barrett for the starting job and narrowly lost the quarterback battle. Jones has been the backup for Barrett all season and has seen some playing time. Currently this season he’s 10 of 17 passing for 118 yards, two touchdowns and zero interceptions. Jones has also rushed 26 times for 206 yards.

This Saturday will be the first ever start for Jones in college football. Based on the facts I just laid out, this seems like a pretty daunting task for the young quarterback. Really on paper it seems like an impossible task for Jones to replace Barrett and match his production. That’s because it is impossible. But guess what? Jones doesn’t have to replace Barrett and match his production. If you’ve watched Ohio State football this season, while J.T. Barrett was a big part of it, the offense has been more than one player. As they say it takes a team to win.

You shouldn’t expect Cardale Jones to put up great numbers. If he does, that’s great. But you know what Jones’ main job will be on Saturday? Win the game. It’s that simple. Jones won’t be expected to make all of the big plays because he has several dynamic offensive weapons around him in Ezekiel Elliott, Jalin Marshall and Curtis Samuel. Those are just his running backs/h-backs. He also had wide receivers Michael Thomas, Devin Smith, Corey Smith, Jeff Heuermann and Nick Vanett. Yes J.T. Barrett is talented, but he didn’t put those big numbers up on his own. He’s had a pretty good supporting cast around him and Urban Meyer’s system to thank too.

The talking heads can speculate all they want about the Buckeyes’ playoff chances being affected by Cardale Jones. It’s their job to sit around and deliver hot takes to entertain the masses. I’m not saying the injury to Barrett is affecting the playoff chances of the Buckeyes. I’m sure it is, but the Buckeyes can’t worry about. Their job is to go out, execute the game plan and win the game. That’s all they can do. What a novel concept! Win the game and then see what happens. Style points are bullshit. It’s just a term the media loves to use in one of their debate segments. At the end of the day, getting the win is what matters and I think Urban Meyer will be drilling this into the players’ heads all week.

So what can we expect of Cardale Jones in the Big Ten Championship against Wisconsin? You can expect him to try to win the game. (And maybe hurdle someone)

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Ohio State Football, THE GAME, and “Mrs. Potter’s Lullaby”

November 28, 2014 by 1 Comment

Ohio State has been established as a 20 point favorite over their rival (since Coach Urban Meyer states it like this, I figure I will follow suit). So many Ohio State fans look at this visiting team and believe Ohio State will easily win THE GAME. So many Ohio State fans have no memories of what THE GAME was like in the 1990s.

One of my favorite bands from the 1990s to present day is Counting Crows. The album “August and Everything After” is widely considered to be one of the influential albums of the 1990s. Perhaps being a fan of Counting Crows makes me old, but I want to elaborate a bit further.

A lengthy song by Counting Crows that was on the album “This Desert Life” was “Mrs. Potter’s Lullaby”. While the song never became a hit by music chart standards, it certainly stands as one of my favorites by Counting Crows.

What does this song, or the band Counting Crows, have to do with Ohio State football, and THE GAME? Let me share some of the lyrics from “Mrs. Potter’s Lullaby”, and I will paint you a picture at the end…

“If dreams are like movies then memories are films about ghosts…”

Memories of THE GAME from the 1980s and 1990s, I have plenty of those; I am haunted by those “films about ghosts”. I can vividly recall how THE GAME ended on a field goal attempt in Ohio Stadium in 1986. Or how a one-time high school rival athlete was able to win THE GAME almost completely by himself in Coach Cooper’s first season in 1988.

“Well I am an idiot walking a tightrope of fortune and fame…”

Running an option play on 4th and short when THE GAME is tied late in the 4th quarter in Ohio Stadium in 1990. Or the former university president proudly proclaiming that a final game result of a tie in 1992 in Ohio Stadium was “One of our greatest wins ever…”

“I am an acrobat swinging trapezes through circles of flame…”

Memories of THE GAME include finally breaking through in 1994 with a victory that saved one coach’s job. The 1994 victory in Ohio Stadium helped to propel Ohio State into some of the most memorable seasons for the remainder of the 1990s decade.

“And the price of a memory is the memory of the sorrow it brings…”

The price of the memory of THE GAME in 1996 is not only sorrow, but also regret for a missed opportunity at a national championship. I will always contend that while the 1998 team should have played for the BCS Championship (we’ll get to that team soon enough), the 1996 team was five points away from an undefeated season and the national championship. Ask any of the players on that team about the price of the memory from THE GAME in 1996.

“And there is always one last light to turn out and one last bell to ring…”

The 1998 victory by Ohio State in THE GAME was satisfying, but not nearly enough for fans who expected so much more. The 1998 team truly played like it had nothing to lose, as everything had been lost to an unranked team only a few weeks before in Ohio Stadium.

“All the razor perceptions that cut just a little too deep
Hey, I can bleed as well as anyone but I need someone to help me sleep…”

In 2000, fans such as myself had developed a weary sense of resignation for THE GAME. Yes, Ohio State might play well for a quarter, maybe a half, but eventually…Ohio State would lose. And I do not believe I was alone within the fan base who believed that way, after so many painful memories, or “films about ghosts”, as Counting Crows might have stated.

For those of you who are curious, Ohio State was not always the superior team. I would argue that the 1988, 1990, 1992, and 1994 teams were not as talented as our rival. 1986 and 2000 were probably equal. 1996 and 1998 were more talented than our rival. No matter the year or example I have cited, all of the games I listed above took place in Ohio Stadium. And in so many circumstances, our rival left Ohio Stadium with the victory.

“Well I know I don’t know you and you’re probably not what you seem…”

It was not until THIS MOMENT that Ohio State fans such as myself knew Ohio State had turned the corner. And thirteen years after that moment took place, there are generations of Ohio State fans who truly do not understand why Ohio State fans such as myself look at this upcoming version of THE GAME with apprehension and anxiety. Ohio State fans have seemingly forgotten how close THE GAME has been in both 2012 and 2013.

Perhaps I am being too fearful. After all, Ohio State has clinched a trip to Indianapolis, and can secure a B1G championship with a victory on December 6th. A possible shot at a national championship is still up for discussion, as Ohio State is presently lurking on the perimeter of being a playoff participant. I am predicting the final score to be Ohio State 35, Our Rival 17 (figured I should again follow Coach Meyer’s lead with this approach…)

Or maybe I can rely upon Counting Crows to summarize my anxiety before this version of THE GAME, if events do not turn out in Ohio State’s favor on Saturday afternoon…

“That’s when I know that I have to get out cause I have been there before
So I gave up my seat at the bar and I head for the door…”

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Ohio State Is At “The Doorstep” To B1G Championship Game

November 21, 2014 by Leave a Comment

“Obstacles are those frightful things you see when you take your eyes off your goal…” ~ Henry Ford

The 2014 Ohio State Buckeyes, proud owners of a 9-1 record, return home to Ohio Stadium to face a traditional B1G rival with the visiting Indiana Hoosiers. Considering Indiana enters the game with a 3-7 record, is playing a true freshman quarterback, and has not defeated Ohio State since the 1988 season, Ohio State is heavily favored by the Las Vegas oddsmakers (34.5 point spread). By all reasonable expectations, by both Ohio State fans and Indiana fans, Ohio State has a tremendous opportunity to win easily. During the most recent Men of the Scarlet and Gray podcast, even stalwart Indiana fan Kyle Swick acknowledged the challenges that Indiana is facing against a talented Buckeye squad.

Lurking in the background, in the blogosphere, within Internet fan sites, on sports talk radio, are the audible hopes and dreams of a demanding fanbase for Ohio State to win out and emerge as one of the four participants in the inaugural College Football Playoff. Presently, Ohio State is ranked sixth in the latest poll of the College Football Playoff committee.

The obvious question that is on the mind of Ohio State fans before the Buckeyes meet Indiana – how will Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer keep his team focused upon Indiana, and not be concerned about the playoffs?

Below is an example of how focused Coach Meyer is upon the task at hand with Indiana…

Q. A little bit along those lines, you guys are kind of on two tracks here. You obviously have to win. That’s all you can control. But there is this playoff, you’re trying to get into the playoff. At 31‑24 win over Indiana probably won’t help you. How do you kind of balance the idea that you have to obviously take care of business, but there is this perception game?

URBAN MEYER: That’s not even going to be addressed. We wake up every November or we wake up every day to compete for championships in November. It’s at the doorstep now.”.

“It’s at the doorstep now…” . Coach Meyer knows that all of the talk about the playoffs is just that – talk. The task at hand is to defeat Indiana, and clinch a berth in The B1G Championship Game.

The three areas I will be focusing upon as Ohio State meets Indiana in Ohio Stadium at 12pm on BTN?

1. How Will Ohio State’s Defense Play Against Indiana’s Tevin Coleman? – As Coleman goes, so goes the Indiana offense. Coleman has rushed for 1678 yards, and is coming off an impressive performance against Rutgers (32 carries for 307 yards). While Ohio State’s defense has improved, last week Ohio State surrendered 145 yards and 3 touchdowns on the ground to Minnesota’s David Cobb. Look for Ohio State to truly sell out against the run to bottle up Coleman as best as they can.

2. How Will Ohio State’s Jalin Marshall Respond After A Challenging Game At Minnesota? – The trials and tribulations of Ohio State sophomore wide receiver Jalin Marshall are well-chronicled, and we discussed them in great detail on the aforementioned MotSaG podcast. I will be keeping an eye on Marshall during the game, most especially on punt return opportunities.

3. Will Coach Meyer Substitute Backups After Ohio State Takes A Commanding Lead? – While I have complete confidence in Ohio State to win this game convincingly, I question whether Coach Meyer will substitute backups into the game. Cardale Jones, Bri’onte Dunn, Warren Ball, etc, should all play at least the fourth quarter, after the game has been decided.

Prediction: Ohio State rolls Indiana 63-17, impressing the College Football Playoff committee. More importantly, Ohio State earns a trip to Indianapolis for The B1G Championship Game.

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