History is made under improbable circumstances. We all know our Buckeyes have the ability and the heart to overcome even this ugly a deficit, but what we can't account for is Florida's desire and execution -- which is flawless. I didn't buy into the comparisons to the 2002 Buckeyes, but it seems clear that Florida's got that 'team of destiny' look to it.
Don't ever count Jim Tressel or Troy Smith out. If it's 48-14 at the end of the 3rd quarter, don't count them out.
We may lose this game. We probably should lose the game. But this is the national championship. Even this half doesn't diminish what this team accomplished this year, and there's plenty of time remaining for the creation of legend.
So relax. Enjoy the game as best you can. Find, as difficult as it is, respect for Florida's truly amazing execution, and Urban Meyer's capacity as a head coach.
Now, if you need something to make yourself feel better, consider that 14 of their points came from exceptional field position realized by really dumb personal foul penalties, and that we've turned the ball over *2* times in the half. We should be down 20. Hell, it might be that we should be down more.
Anyone with half a clue had to come into this game a little worried about the first half. What Florida does with the ball when we kick it off to start the second half, rather, what our defense does to Florida then, will set the tone for the rest of the game.
Anyway, enjoy another national championship game, all. I know it's hard to when everything (including our own play) is going against us, but that's just how it goes sometimes. If the whole of the game plays out what the first half suggested, that Florida is simply a superior team, then we may find peace in the trophy going to those who most deserved it. If we lose a close one after an amazing comeback in the second half, then we'll forever wonder what could have been if X, Y, or Z hadn't happened in the first half. A football fan's purgatory. But, if we somehow manage to crawl out of this hole we created -- that Florida created -- in the first half, if we manage to win? Everything we believe about these teams, and these players, particularly Troy Smith, it will all become legend even before they leave the field.
It's college football, we're still the Buckeyes, Troy Smith is still the Heisman Trophy winner, and for good reason. Jim Tressel is still the only coach we want at the head of our team. Should we lose, let's do it (as fans) with the same grace we might expect of JT.
Now, all that aside, is anyone else annoyed by the little clips of football interrupting the otherwise steady stream of repetitive commercials?