bukIpower
Head Coach
The more I think about our game against Bama' in the first ever playoffs I can't help but think of this years team and what this team has done for each other and for THE Ohio State University. I felt this warrants it's own conversation because as a long time fan I have seen many classes come and go some successful and maybe some not. I've seen highly rated recruiting classes, I've seen classes less decorated. I've also seen big classes, and I've seen smaller classes come through our great University. However, I have never been this proud of a group of guys' than I am with this group of Seniors and the team in general.
This group was suppose to be our sacrifice into next year's promising team to gain experience and to get us ready for next year's run with how much talent we have returning. We lose 4 of 5 starters on the offensive line, we lose our most productive WR and RB, we lose our leading pressure end with 8 sacks last year, lose 2 first round draft picks in the back 7 who declared early and in total had to replace 5 on defense. Then as we all know Braxton goes down leaving us dead in the water this season after what appeared to be a rough looking year after struggling with Navy then losing to Tech. If that wasn't enough we lose our starting QB again, lose Noah permanently,and of course we lost a teammate in Kosta when he took his own life.
All of this... All of this is more than most programs classes' face in it's entire college career and here we are where this all goes down in a 4 month timeframe with the biggest body blows coming in just a one week span. Yet, these guys rose to the occasion and proved everyone wrong from. This team not only excelled but banded together and put forth a season I will always remember. At this point it does not matter if we win or lose the playoffs as these guys have made me very proud for whatever it is worth. Especially as someone who can be as critical of these guys as I can be. This is one of those years where you wish it would last forever, where you don't want it to end, and although we will reload like always I will really miss this group of seniors because they have been outstanding.
A side note, I love Tressel and a big assist to him for his final class truly paying it forward for tOSU but I am hands down a fan of Urban. Urban really puts a premium on this stuff he teaches leadership, 9 units strong, overcoming adversity and with this years team and the group from 2012 I've never seen such dedication to the team concept. A big shout out to Urban for creating this kind of Culture and I cannot wait to see what all of this pays in dividends for this great school.
I know I originally picked Bama' to beat us earlier today... No, that's just not happening.
OSU-38 Bama-27
This group was suppose to be our sacrifice into next year's promising team to gain experience and to get us ready for next year's run with how much talent we have returning. We lose 4 of 5 starters on the offensive line, we lose our most productive WR and RB, we lose our leading pressure end with 8 sacks last year, lose 2 first round draft picks in the back 7 who declared early and in total had to replace 5 on defense. Then as we all know Braxton goes down leaving us dead in the water this season after what appeared to be a rough looking year after struggling with Navy then losing to Tech. If that wasn't enough we lose our starting QB again, lose Noah permanently,and of course we lost a teammate in Kosta when he took his own life.
All of this... All of this is more than most programs classes' face in it's entire college career and here we are where this all goes down in a 4 month timeframe with the biggest body blows coming in just a one week span. Yet, these guys rose to the occasion and proved everyone wrong from. This team not only excelled but banded together and put forth a season I will always remember. At this point it does not matter if we win or lose the playoffs as these guys have made me very proud for whatever it is worth. Especially as someone who can be as critical of these guys as I can be. This is one of those years where you wish it would last forever, where you don't want it to end, and although we will reload like always I will really miss this group of seniors because they have been outstanding.
A side note, I love Tressel and a big assist to him for his final class truly paying it forward for tOSU but I am hands down a fan of Urban. Urban really puts a premium on this stuff he teaches leadership, 9 units strong, overcoming adversity and with this years team and the group from 2012 I've never seen such dedication to the team concept. A big shout out to Urban for creating this kind of Culture and I cannot wait to see what all of this pays in dividends for this great school.
I know I originally picked Bama' to beat us earlier today... No, that's just not happening.
OSU-38 Bama-27
