1. TWELVE DOWN
My wife and I have a restaurant we often go to that she dearly loves. Near the end of each meal she always motions towards someone just being seated and comments how much she envy's them. She wishes she could do the meal all over again (I don't mention that I probably could).
That is how I feel about this season. So much anticipation - then 12 games come and gone before you know it. But wow! From the appetizers to the Cherries Jubilee. What an incredible menu - cooked and served to perfection. Can we do it all over?
But not now. Let rematches take care of themselves. Let the meal settle. I don't want to think about Quantum Physics - I just want to be.
Time to grab some dental floss and see if you can find a big rancid chunk of that Texas game. Maybe pass a little gas (like the hot air I pass in these threads each week).
In time I will turn my attention to the BCS game. But not now. I am full in ways I can barely describe.
Well, OK. Maybe a nacho or two...
2. THIS WAS MORE THAN THE NC GAME - IT WAS THE MICHIGAN GAME
Most talking heads were calling this the "Real NC" Game. I never thought of it that way. There was too much at stake. That it was OSU versus Michigan so overshadowed all other considerations that I never thought of this resulting in anything more than winning the annual grudge match, garnering an undisputed Big Ten title, and capturing bragging rights for yet another year.
To try to combine the two is like getting married and having your first child on the same day (my apologies to any West Virginia fans that might be reading this*). They are separate and distinct events. Both wonderful in their own way - but meant to be savored individually.
* - "West Virginia fans ... reading" - sorry for that oxymoron
3. DON'T FORGET TO SET YOUR CLOCKS AHEAD.
What a carnival atmosphere.
I generally leave home two hours before game time. Plenty of time to park, make my way to the stadium and watch pre-game warm ups.
But my buddy was in from Florida and wanted to see the skull session. So we left FIVE hours before game time. Made it to St John just before noon.
It was full.
So we went in search of a program.
They were gone.
4. PRE GAME FESTIVITIES
Have I ever mentioned that I love HDTV? You can see a game so much better at home on a large screen HDTV than you ever could in person.
But I will never pass up an opportunity to go to the Shoe if I can.
The Band entrance. The electricity and crowd reaction. The hat - not just the plume this week, but the tip of the hat itself - touching turf behind the band major.
The tunnel of pride. Hundreds of former players lining the field representing so much of OSUs past glory.
The team streaming onto the field behind the cheerleaders trailing their banners.
The senior intros. All those kids who have had so much success - so many of them 5th year players (55 wins and counting). Mike D'Andrea and Antonio Smith - their contributions on the field the reverse of expectations. But all contributors in their own way.
And Troy. The most genuine, heartfelt, and downright clamorous reaction to a graduating player I have witnessed.
I have one of those cameras that records short AVIs and I captured Troy's intro. Scratching his foot like a charging bull - then running into JT's arms amid an absolute din. I have watched it half a dozen times. It is out of focus and unsteady - but the noise is the message. What a moment.
5. QUOTE OF THE WEEK #1
From the Michigan players, Michigan fans and much of the media:
"but... but... but..."
6. STATS
All year long many of us on this board have spent countless hours compiling and dissecting volumes of statistics to try to summarize past and project future performances of OSU and our opponents. Saturday we saw just how futile those efforts were.
Prior to The Game OSU had scored countless points off of turnovers while giving up zero points off turnovers of their own. That was who we were. It was part of how we would beat Michigan.
Prior to the game Michigan had slammed the door on the run for every opponent they faced. It was why we would have to rely on defense, special teams, passing, and perhaps a trick play or two to prevail.
Prior to the game we lead the nation in scoring Defense - giving up an average of 20% of 39 points per game.
For all the stats I and others had compiled during the season, if anyone had told me we would have given up 39 points and won I would have said they were crazy. Had anyone told me we in the first half we would have scored 28 points and gained over 300 yards against the best Defense to grace the planet since the Jews at Masada I would have offered them a ride to the Betty Ford. And 81 points total? From teams whose last Battle of the Titans resulted in a 10-10 tie? Forget that it is the most since 1906 - the last time we came within 16 points (two TDs with two point conversions) of that total was 1961.
This is The Game and it stands above statistics. It is played on emotion and pride and determination. That is why we lost in 1969. And it is why Michigan has come to the Shoe undefeated six times - and never won.
And since we are on the topic of stats, just one little one. Last week someone brought up that 19 players have scored for OSU this season. Saturday, in the biggest game of the year, there were 7 - not counting Troy.
7. NACHO REPORT
I wasn't about to leave the stands for nachos.
Honest.
8. THE SET UP
In 2002 it was the option to Hall - the only time we ran the play all season.
This year it was Beanie up the middle when we needed a yard or two. Every time - without fail.
But not Saturday. It was predestined that Smith and Ginn would hook up for a TD in The Game before their careers were through. There are no other candidates for play of the game.
JT is looking at the depth charts right now, starting to think about what might work next year. What can they work on in Spring practice, Fall practice, every week - that will help them beat Michigan in November 2007? It is the way it has been done since Woody and Bo - 365 days of preparation. Not 50 or so.
9. QUOTE OF THE WEEK #2
Steve Rehring when asked what he was going to do following the game:
"I just want to get together with my family and have a little dinner"
Little dinner? Steve Rehring hasn't had a "little" dinner since he was 9.
10. MICHIGAN PRESSURE AND EXPECTATIONS
It is easy now to say what I thought would happen - but the first drive did not surprise me at all. I fully expected them to march down the field on us. I also thought they would stop us cold on Offense our first drive - and they might well have done so had we tried to run the ball.
OSU has arrived. We are recognized as a program at the top of the sport and still rising. Saturday could not have changed that.
Michigan is trying to get back to that point. 11-0 made a statement. But 2-8 in the OSU game and Bowl games over the past five years makes a statement also.
They regrouped and refocused this year. They got in better shape and changed defensive coordinators and defensive philosophies. Things were different. They were better. But that was only true if that 2-8 became 4-8.
So Saturday was huge. It was essential. They didn't come in here to win in 46-42 or in OT. They came in to win by two TDs. And they expected that to happen. They deserved it. Henne even said so.
So when they finished watching Russel Crowe beat up one of the attorneys from Boston Legal for the last time they came in pumped up. There was simply no way to deny their emotion on that first drive. Any play they called would have worked. OSU could not have countered. They don't play at that level emotionally. They aren't coached to play at that level. You can't play at that level for 60 minutes.
So after that first drive it was time to play football.
And when it was over and they had lost and it appeared that a win may have been within their grasp it was worse than if we had won by 20. Because now they are 2-9 and they don't know what to do to fix it. And they have to wait an entire year to try again. And if they win their first 11 games next year it will have proven nothing and the pressure in game 12 will be stronger still.
At least that is how it should be. That is what WE won Saturday. And I would hate to see us have to put that on the line and be asked to prove on the field what has already been proven.
11. HEISMAN
Am I the only one who had to think for a moment to figure out what that boulder was doing in the Heisman commercial where they show all the mascots running down the street in pursuit of the Heisman award? I have to admit it made me rethink the Buckeye as our mascot - if only for a second.
But my real problem with that commercial is that they did such a poor job of story-boarding. What they should have shown was a huge Buckeye bouncing down the street, then about thirty seconds of quiet solitude, followed by the rest of the mascots.
His stats are incredible. His performances have been remarkable. But his personal growth and maturation in the past five years are a story in themselves.
I remember watching Steve Belisari and telling myself he would get better. That he would become a "real" quarterback. But he never really did.
Two years ago when I watched this kid (recruited as an athlete more than a QB) duck his head and run every time his first receiver was covered I was conditioned to hope for little more than that he would become an adequate QB - a stronger version of Stanley Jackson perhaps. Instead he has become an extraordinary passer, consummate field general, and team leader.
But his growth as a QB is only an analogy for his growth as a person. His maturity, poise and the values he exudes make him a poster child for what the Jim Tressel football program is all about. He has become something more than what he was 5 years ago.
In this age where so many athletes use college as a training facility while they wait to become NFL eligible it is nice to be able to kid myself and pretend that CFB is about something more.
12. THE BAND
All things being equal I am not what you would call a fan of marching bands. But Saturday's halftime performance was the best - from a marching perspective - I have ever seen.
It was a medley of movie tunes. ET - with band members forming the bike and riding off into the sky. Titanic - with the ship not just sinking, but breaking in half and perfectly mimicking the scene from the movie as shown on the jumbotron. That was followed by the rising of a detailed pirate ship from Pirates of the Caribbean. And then a giant tray of nachos, smothered in cheese, with band members in green hats dancing around like hot peppers.
Sorry about that - my mind wandered. I said I didn't go get any nachos. I never said I didn't want some.
13. BEANIE
The 52 yard run was wonderful - but only the second most impressive thing I saw from Beanie.
My favorite was after the interception when Troy was sitting with his head down. There was Beanie berating him. From what I can gather from other comments I have heard (including Troy's) Beanie was one of the players reminding Troy that he was their leader and that he wasn't allowed to sulk. Essentially he was telling him to get his head up and get back in the game.
When you start to worry about the loss of all those fifth year players and wonder where the leadership for next year will come from - relax. The lessons have been passed along - even to the true Frosh.
14. ALL THOSE TICKETS ON EBAY ...
There were quite a few Michigan fans scattered throughout the stadium. But in the sections normally reserved for visitors - upper reaches of the Western section of the South stands and next to the band - Scarlet and Gray was quite prominent.
They sold out. They didn't believe.
15. QUOTE OF THE WEEK #3
From an OSU fan a few rows back discussing how he would greet a visiting fan if the issue of Bo's passing should arise. "Sorry about your loss. F*** Michigan."
16. BO AND WOODY
I mean no disrespect by the quote above.
I have been surprised and disappointed this week by some comments I have read. It seems some folks really "hate" Michigan - Michigan fans, Michigan players, Michigan coaches.
I don't - not really. I hate the yeller and bleu and I hate that damn fight song. But I don't hate the people wearing the colors and playing the music. Not before the game or after the game. I don't think that guy a few rows back did either. I don't think very many fans do. I sure hope not.
I respected Bo. Without him this game is not what it is. We could never call the IU game "The Game". They aren't worthy of being our rivals. It was always a rivalry, but Bo and Woody created The Game as we know it.
You can make the argument that this game - this year's game - killed Bo. Frail as he was, the demands on him all week - even addressing the players. And he was so emotional about it. It was probably just too much.
But true hatred and respect are not compatible. Woody and Bo respected each other. And if at some level we don't respect Michigan players and fans and coaches it does not add to the rivalry - it turns it into something less.
That said - F*** Michigan.
17. HOW CLOSE WAS THE GAME - REALLY?
I don't agree with many OSU fans who argue the game was not as close as the score because we gave them 10 points on turnovers.
How can a team that has lived off the turnover all season hold such a sentiment? Unforced you argue! I disagree. The interception was clearly forced (never mind that it might have been a penalty).
The first fumble was a bit of a bad snap, but it could have been caught. In fact, that one play was the closest I have seen Troy Smith to panic this season. He knew he only had a split second to grab that ball before the Michigan D was upon him. They earned that one as well.
And as for the "bad turf" snap - I agree that one was unforced, a result of the field conditions. But were those not the same field conditions that caused Steve Breaston to slip on a key 4th and 10? Didn't the turf create an element of randomness for both teams that we could have done without, but which was fair to both nonetheless?
Those turnovers were all part of The Game.
On the other hand -
From the time OSU scored 21 unanswered points to go up by two TDs there were only two possessions when Michigan had the ball when they were down by less than two scores. Both instances followed turnovers. The first time we gave them the ball at our own 25 and held them to a FG. The second time they got the ball at their won 32 and punted three plays later.
We punted three times all game - and each time we led by two scores.
Even on the last Michigan drive, when all we needed was one last stop to get an early jump on the party, Tressel (oblivious to the spread) was not concerned that they might score. He only wanted time off the clock. They scored. Time went off the clock. We executed the onside kick as we were coached - and the game was over.
That is classic "bend but don't break" Defense. It is also the definitive Jim Tressel butt-whipping.
18. FINAL GET RICH SCHEME
My web site failed, the Rumsfeld CDs went over like a lead balloon, and my efforts to start a band called the Paraplegic Paternos fell flat. But my latest venture is going quite well!
Now YOU too can own a piece of history. Just visit my ebay store and purchase a piece of turf from the Ohio Stadium field upon which the two best teams in the country played The Game. You can either take your chances by bidding or "Buy it Now" for only $29.99.
Please hurry as there are limited quantities.
(However, I have entered into negotiations with my neighbor. When my yard is finished we may dig up his as well.)
19. THE CROWD
The best. Absolutely the best crowd I have ever been a part of.
I never made a conscious decision to stand or to sit - to yell or not to yell. I was under the control of the "mob". It owned me and I did as it willed.
People who all season had sat and watched stood and screamed. Folks you would never expect to speak above a whisper hollered for all they were worth.
And when it was over I was spent.
I have sung Carmen Ohio hundreds of times - often with the team after a game. But Saturday while everyone else was singing "Oh Come and Sing Ohio's Praise" I caught myself singing "May Auld Acquaintance Be Forgot". Don't ask why. I have no idea - and I accept no responsibility. That part of my brain that exercises conscious control over my actions was simply not engaged.
And when the singing was finished I stood for half an hour in the front row of C Deck and watched the mayhem. And every few seconds I giggled. Just giggled like a little girl.
There were over 1100 press credentials issued for The Game. I hope somebody was there from Psychology Today. 105,000 (less a few in yeller and bleu) were as one. After the game we swelled even more as some of the 50,000 from outside the stadium rushed in and joined the celebration on the field. Nobody left for several minutes. We couldn't. We were a single entity. Only able to disperse when The Game had finally released its grip.
It was surreal. And even those who wrote the largest checks to an anonymous ebay auctioneer got every penny's worth.
Oh, and by the way. When they did the O-H-I-O cheer did you notice how crisp the "H" sounded? That was me.
20. THE WINNING POINT
I have made a big deal the past few weeks about when we scored the winning point in each of our games.
Well, I have no comment on that right now. Until the BCS sorts things out and presents us with an opponent from the PAC 10 or SEC I am not convinced we have scored it yet.
Roll Trojans! Go Gators!
21. ON A PERSONAL NOTE
I have been blessed many times over as a Buckeye fan. I was there when we beat Purdue 13-0 in 1968. I attended the 50-14 game. I was at the 1997 Rose Bowl. I made it to the 2002 Championship Game.
Saturday may have topped them all.
The first observations thread of the season I commented about losing my parents this past winter and how much talking to my Dad about the games meant to me. I tried to describe how OSU sports - football in particular - was one of those threads that ran through my family and made our relationships richer. This was true for my parents, my kids and my siblings as well as my wife and I.
On the drive home I was thinking about my Dad. How much I wanted to share this one.
Shortly after I got back my daughter called and I talked to her about the game for a few minutes before she told me someone wanted to talk to me. The next voice I heard was my four hear old Grandson saying "O-H!"
I responded with "I-O" and heard the immediate rejoinder - "O-H".
We did this several times before he finally tired of it and abruptly said "Bye PaPa - I love you."
What a wonderful season this has been. What a wonderful time to be a Buckeye - whatever your age.
So grab your dental floss - and savor.
My wife and I have a restaurant we often go to that she dearly loves. Near the end of each meal she always motions towards someone just being seated and comments how much she envy's them. She wishes she could do the meal all over again (I don't mention that I probably could).
That is how I feel about this season. So much anticipation - then 12 games come and gone before you know it. But wow! From the appetizers to the Cherries Jubilee. What an incredible menu - cooked and served to perfection. Can we do it all over?
But not now. Let rematches take care of themselves. Let the meal settle. I don't want to think about Quantum Physics - I just want to be.
Time to grab some dental floss and see if you can find a big rancid chunk of that Texas game. Maybe pass a little gas (like the hot air I pass in these threads each week).
In time I will turn my attention to the BCS game. But not now. I am full in ways I can barely describe.
Well, OK. Maybe a nacho or two...
2. THIS WAS MORE THAN THE NC GAME - IT WAS THE MICHIGAN GAME
Most talking heads were calling this the "Real NC" Game. I never thought of it that way. There was too much at stake. That it was OSU versus Michigan so overshadowed all other considerations that I never thought of this resulting in anything more than winning the annual grudge match, garnering an undisputed Big Ten title, and capturing bragging rights for yet another year.
To try to combine the two is like getting married and having your first child on the same day (my apologies to any West Virginia fans that might be reading this*). They are separate and distinct events. Both wonderful in their own way - but meant to be savored individually.
* - "West Virginia fans ... reading" - sorry for that oxymoron
3. DON'T FORGET TO SET YOUR CLOCKS AHEAD.
What a carnival atmosphere.
I generally leave home two hours before game time. Plenty of time to park, make my way to the stadium and watch pre-game warm ups.
But my buddy was in from Florida and wanted to see the skull session. So we left FIVE hours before game time. Made it to St John just before noon.
It was full.
So we went in search of a program.
They were gone.
4. PRE GAME FESTIVITIES
Have I ever mentioned that I love HDTV? You can see a game so much better at home on a large screen HDTV than you ever could in person.
But I will never pass up an opportunity to go to the Shoe if I can.
The Band entrance. The electricity and crowd reaction. The hat - not just the plume this week, but the tip of the hat itself - touching turf behind the band major.
The tunnel of pride. Hundreds of former players lining the field representing so much of OSUs past glory.
The team streaming onto the field behind the cheerleaders trailing their banners.
The senior intros. All those kids who have had so much success - so many of them 5th year players (55 wins and counting). Mike D'Andrea and Antonio Smith - their contributions on the field the reverse of expectations. But all contributors in their own way.
And Troy. The most genuine, heartfelt, and downright clamorous reaction to a graduating player I have witnessed.
I have one of those cameras that records short AVIs and I captured Troy's intro. Scratching his foot like a charging bull - then running into JT's arms amid an absolute din. I have watched it half a dozen times. It is out of focus and unsteady - but the noise is the message. What a moment.
5. QUOTE OF THE WEEK #1
From the Michigan players, Michigan fans and much of the media:
"but... but... but..."
6. STATS
All year long many of us on this board have spent countless hours compiling and dissecting volumes of statistics to try to summarize past and project future performances of OSU and our opponents. Saturday we saw just how futile those efforts were.
Prior to The Game OSU had scored countless points off of turnovers while giving up zero points off turnovers of their own. That was who we were. It was part of how we would beat Michigan.
Prior to the game Michigan had slammed the door on the run for every opponent they faced. It was why we would have to rely on defense, special teams, passing, and perhaps a trick play or two to prevail.
Prior to the game we lead the nation in scoring Defense - giving up an average of 20% of 39 points per game.
For all the stats I and others had compiled during the season, if anyone had told me we would have given up 39 points and won I would have said they were crazy. Had anyone told me we in the first half we would have scored 28 points and gained over 300 yards against the best Defense to grace the planet since the Jews at Masada I would have offered them a ride to the Betty Ford. And 81 points total? From teams whose last Battle of the Titans resulted in a 10-10 tie? Forget that it is the most since 1906 - the last time we came within 16 points (two TDs with two point conversions) of that total was 1961.
This is The Game and it stands above statistics. It is played on emotion and pride and determination. That is why we lost in 1969. And it is why Michigan has come to the Shoe undefeated six times - and never won.
And since we are on the topic of stats, just one little one. Last week someone brought up that 19 players have scored for OSU this season. Saturday, in the biggest game of the year, there were 7 - not counting Troy.
7. NACHO REPORT
I wasn't about to leave the stands for nachos.
Honest.
8. THE SET UP
In 2002 it was the option to Hall - the only time we ran the play all season.
This year it was Beanie up the middle when we needed a yard or two. Every time - without fail.
But not Saturday. It was predestined that Smith and Ginn would hook up for a TD in The Game before their careers were through. There are no other candidates for play of the game.
JT is looking at the depth charts right now, starting to think about what might work next year. What can they work on in Spring practice, Fall practice, every week - that will help them beat Michigan in November 2007? It is the way it has been done since Woody and Bo - 365 days of preparation. Not 50 or so.
9. QUOTE OF THE WEEK #2
Steve Rehring when asked what he was going to do following the game:
"I just want to get together with my family and have a little dinner"
Little dinner? Steve Rehring hasn't had a "little" dinner since he was 9.
10. MICHIGAN PRESSURE AND EXPECTATIONS
It is easy now to say what I thought would happen - but the first drive did not surprise me at all. I fully expected them to march down the field on us. I also thought they would stop us cold on Offense our first drive - and they might well have done so had we tried to run the ball.
OSU has arrived. We are recognized as a program at the top of the sport and still rising. Saturday could not have changed that.
Michigan is trying to get back to that point. 11-0 made a statement. But 2-8 in the OSU game and Bowl games over the past five years makes a statement also.
They regrouped and refocused this year. They got in better shape and changed defensive coordinators and defensive philosophies. Things were different. They were better. But that was only true if that 2-8 became 4-8.
So Saturday was huge. It was essential. They didn't come in here to win in 46-42 or in OT. They came in to win by two TDs. And they expected that to happen. They deserved it. Henne even said so.
So when they finished watching Russel Crowe beat up one of the attorneys from Boston Legal for the last time they came in pumped up. There was simply no way to deny their emotion on that first drive. Any play they called would have worked. OSU could not have countered. They don't play at that level emotionally. They aren't coached to play at that level. You can't play at that level for 60 minutes.
So after that first drive it was time to play football.
And when it was over and they had lost and it appeared that a win may have been within their grasp it was worse than if we had won by 20. Because now they are 2-9 and they don't know what to do to fix it. And they have to wait an entire year to try again. And if they win their first 11 games next year it will have proven nothing and the pressure in game 12 will be stronger still.
At least that is how it should be. That is what WE won Saturday. And I would hate to see us have to put that on the line and be asked to prove on the field what has already been proven.
11. HEISMAN
Am I the only one who had to think for a moment to figure out what that boulder was doing in the Heisman commercial where they show all the mascots running down the street in pursuit of the Heisman award? I have to admit it made me rethink the Buckeye as our mascot - if only for a second.
But my real problem with that commercial is that they did such a poor job of story-boarding. What they should have shown was a huge Buckeye bouncing down the street, then about thirty seconds of quiet solitude, followed by the rest of the mascots.
His stats are incredible. His performances have been remarkable. But his personal growth and maturation in the past five years are a story in themselves.
I remember watching Steve Belisari and telling myself he would get better. That he would become a "real" quarterback. But he never really did.
Two years ago when I watched this kid (recruited as an athlete more than a QB) duck his head and run every time his first receiver was covered I was conditioned to hope for little more than that he would become an adequate QB - a stronger version of Stanley Jackson perhaps. Instead he has become an extraordinary passer, consummate field general, and team leader.
But his growth as a QB is only an analogy for his growth as a person. His maturity, poise and the values he exudes make him a poster child for what the Jim Tressel football program is all about. He has become something more than what he was 5 years ago.
In this age where so many athletes use college as a training facility while they wait to become NFL eligible it is nice to be able to kid myself and pretend that CFB is about something more.
12. THE BAND
All things being equal I am not what you would call a fan of marching bands. But Saturday's halftime performance was the best - from a marching perspective - I have ever seen.
It was a medley of movie tunes. ET - with band members forming the bike and riding off into the sky. Titanic - with the ship not just sinking, but breaking in half and perfectly mimicking the scene from the movie as shown on the jumbotron. That was followed by the rising of a detailed pirate ship from Pirates of the Caribbean. And then a giant tray of nachos, smothered in cheese, with band members in green hats dancing around like hot peppers.
Sorry about that - my mind wandered. I said I didn't go get any nachos. I never said I didn't want some.
13. BEANIE
The 52 yard run was wonderful - but only the second most impressive thing I saw from Beanie.
My favorite was after the interception when Troy was sitting with his head down. There was Beanie berating him. From what I can gather from other comments I have heard (including Troy's) Beanie was one of the players reminding Troy that he was their leader and that he wasn't allowed to sulk. Essentially he was telling him to get his head up and get back in the game.
When you start to worry about the loss of all those fifth year players and wonder where the leadership for next year will come from - relax. The lessons have been passed along - even to the true Frosh.
14. ALL THOSE TICKETS ON EBAY ...
There were quite a few Michigan fans scattered throughout the stadium. But in the sections normally reserved for visitors - upper reaches of the Western section of the South stands and next to the band - Scarlet and Gray was quite prominent.
They sold out. They didn't believe.
15. QUOTE OF THE WEEK #3
From an OSU fan a few rows back discussing how he would greet a visiting fan if the issue of Bo's passing should arise. "Sorry about your loss. F*** Michigan."
16. BO AND WOODY
I mean no disrespect by the quote above.
I have been surprised and disappointed this week by some comments I have read. It seems some folks really "hate" Michigan - Michigan fans, Michigan players, Michigan coaches.
I don't - not really. I hate the yeller and bleu and I hate that damn fight song. But I don't hate the people wearing the colors and playing the music. Not before the game or after the game. I don't think that guy a few rows back did either. I don't think very many fans do. I sure hope not.
I respected Bo. Without him this game is not what it is. We could never call the IU game "The Game". They aren't worthy of being our rivals. It was always a rivalry, but Bo and Woody created The Game as we know it.
You can make the argument that this game - this year's game - killed Bo. Frail as he was, the demands on him all week - even addressing the players. And he was so emotional about it. It was probably just too much.
But true hatred and respect are not compatible. Woody and Bo respected each other. And if at some level we don't respect Michigan players and fans and coaches it does not add to the rivalry - it turns it into something less.
That said - F*** Michigan.
17. HOW CLOSE WAS THE GAME - REALLY?
I don't agree with many OSU fans who argue the game was not as close as the score because we gave them 10 points on turnovers.
How can a team that has lived off the turnover all season hold such a sentiment? Unforced you argue! I disagree. The interception was clearly forced (never mind that it might have been a penalty).
The first fumble was a bit of a bad snap, but it could have been caught. In fact, that one play was the closest I have seen Troy Smith to panic this season. He knew he only had a split second to grab that ball before the Michigan D was upon him. They earned that one as well.
And as for the "bad turf" snap - I agree that one was unforced, a result of the field conditions. But were those not the same field conditions that caused Steve Breaston to slip on a key 4th and 10? Didn't the turf create an element of randomness for both teams that we could have done without, but which was fair to both nonetheless?
Those turnovers were all part of The Game.
On the other hand -
From the time OSU scored 21 unanswered points to go up by two TDs there were only two possessions when Michigan had the ball when they were down by less than two scores. Both instances followed turnovers. The first time we gave them the ball at our own 25 and held them to a FG. The second time they got the ball at their won 32 and punted three plays later.
We punted three times all game - and each time we led by two scores.
Even on the last Michigan drive, when all we needed was one last stop to get an early jump on the party, Tressel (oblivious to the spread) was not concerned that they might score. He only wanted time off the clock. They scored. Time went off the clock. We executed the onside kick as we were coached - and the game was over.
That is classic "bend but don't break" Defense. It is also the definitive Jim Tressel butt-whipping.
18. FINAL GET RICH SCHEME
My web site failed, the Rumsfeld CDs went over like a lead balloon, and my efforts to start a band called the Paraplegic Paternos fell flat. But my latest venture is going quite well!
Now YOU too can own a piece of history. Just visit my ebay store and purchase a piece of turf from the Ohio Stadium field upon which the two best teams in the country played The Game. You can either take your chances by bidding or "Buy it Now" for only $29.99.
Please hurry as there are limited quantities.
(However, I have entered into negotiations with my neighbor. When my yard is finished we may dig up his as well.)
19. THE CROWD
The best. Absolutely the best crowd I have ever been a part of.
I never made a conscious decision to stand or to sit - to yell or not to yell. I was under the control of the "mob". It owned me and I did as it willed.
People who all season had sat and watched stood and screamed. Folks you would never expect to speak above a whisper hollered for all they were worth.
And when it was over I was spent.
I have sung Carmen Ohio hundreds of times - often with the team after a game. But Saturday while everyone else was singing "Oh Come and Sing Ohio's Praise" I caught myself singing "May Auld Acquaintance Be Forgot". Don't ask why. I have no idea - and I accept no responsibility. That part of my brain that exercises conscious control over my actions was simply not engaged.
And when the singing was finished I stood for half an hour in the front row of C Deck and watched the mayhem. And every few seconds I giggled. Just giggled like a little girl.
There were over 1100 press credentials issued for The Game. I hope somebody was there from Psychology Today. 105,000 (less a few in yeller and bleu) were as one. After the game we swelled even more as some of the 50,000 from outside the stadium rushed in and joined the celebration on the field. Nobody left for several minutes. We couldn't. We were a single entity. Only able to disperse when The Game had finally released its grip.
It was surreal. And even those who wrote the largest checks to an anonymous ebay auctioneer got every penny's worth.
Oh, and by the way. When they did the O-H-I-O cheer did you notice how crisp the "H" sounded? That was me.
20. THE WINNING POINT
I have made a big deal the past few weeks about when we scored the winning point in each of our games.
Well, I have no comment on that right now. Until the BCS sorts things out and presents us with an opponent from the PAC 10 or SEC I am not convinced we have scored it yet.
Roll Trojans! Go Gators!
21. ON A PERSONAL NOTE
I have been blessed many times over as a Buckeye fan. I was there when we beat Purdue 13-0 in 1968. I attended the 50-14 game. I was at the 1997 Rose Bowl. I made it to the 2002 Championship Game.
Saturday may have topped them all.
The first observations thread of the season I commented about losing my parents this past winter and how much talking to my Dad about the games meant to me. I tried to describe how OSU sports - football in particular - was one of those threads that ran through my family and made our relationships richer. This was true for my parents, my kids and my siblings as well as my wife and I.
On the drive home I was thinking about my Dad. How much I wanted to share this one.
Shortly after I got back my daughter called and I talked to her about the game for a few minutes before she told me someone wanted to talk to me. The next voice I heard was my four hear old Grandson saying "O-H!"
I responded with "I-O" and heard the immediate rejoinder - "O-H".
We did this several times before he finally tired of it and abruptly said "Bye PaPa - I love you."
What a wonderful season this has been. What a wonderful time to be a Buckeye - whatever your age.
So grab your dental floss - and savor.
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