Matt Tamanini
Guest
Ohio State’s title win was a microcosm of the season with love and emotions winning the day
Matt Tamanini via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images
The tears and feels were very real as the clock finally went down to 00:00.
Holy shit! The Ohio State Buckeyes are College Football National Champions following their 34-23 win over the Notre Dame Fighting Irish on Monday night. Somehow, this historic victory is both incredibly improbable and practically predetermined, and it felt like we relived the entire season during this one 60-minute game.
At the beginning of the season, many across the college football world declared the Buckeyes to be the most talented team in recent memory and pumped the false narrative that the program bought the best roster in the sport. But following what was arguably the worst loss in program history, it seemed like the Buckeye program was destined to underachieve under head coach Ryan Day.
But that was not the legacy that Day and this team wanted to leave behind. The Buckeyes reportedly rallied together following the Michigan defeat thanks in large part to an honest and passionate player-led meeting that clearly recalibrated the focus, aggression, and intensity of the team and coaching staff.
The turnaround that followed has resulted in one of the most memorable runs in Ohio State history as the Buckeyes bulldozed their way through the bulk of the playoffs. Day’s squad looked as close to unbeatable as a team can against elite competition in the postseason. And that culminated in a hard-fought, surprisingly fraught win over Notre Dame to secure the Buckeyes’ ninth national title.
The championship game played out like a microcosm of the season. The Buckeyes had incredible highs — at times looking like they were going to boat-race ND like they did Tennessee and Oregon. But the Irish had no intention of letting that happen, and for a while, the Buckeyes obliged.
While the evening ended in extreme jubilation for everyone wearing scarlet and gray around the world, the game was full of far too many moments of extreme frustration over tediously unimaginative playcalling and inexplicably inopportune turnovers and penalties. As fans, we relived some of the low lights of the season during the last quarter and half of the game, thanks in no small part to the heart of Marcus Freeman’s team. Throughout the season, Notre Dame has built a reputation for never giving up until the final whistle, and that bore out in Atlanta on Monday night.
After the Irish opened the game with an 18-play, 75-yard drive, Day and Chip Kelly’s offense was masterful. The Buckeyes scored touchdowns on their first four possessions and looked to have put the game away up 31-7 with 11:18 remaining in the third quarter. But like Freeman’s squad has done all season, the Irish continued to fight and refused to give up. The Domers eventually got the game to 31-15 with 3:03 left in the third quarter. But, a puzzling decision from Freeman to opt for a 27-yard field goal on 4th and Goal with 9:27 left in regulation resulted in a Mitch Jeter doink that kept the game at a 16-point spread.
However, after Ohio State was forced to punt, Freeman’s scrappy bunch continued to scratch and claw, and thanks to a 30-yard pass from Riley Leonard to Jaden Greathouse and a halfback-pass two-point conversion, all of a sudden, it was a one-score game with the Buckeyes clinging onto a 31-23 lead.
Throughout the fourth quarter, Day and Kelly reverted to the ultra-conservative offense that has reared its ugly head at the worst moments over the year, replete with inexplicable runs into nine-man boxes and quarterback keepers designed solely to drain the clock.
But thanks to a remarkably gutsy 56-yard bomb from Will Howard to Jeremiah Smith on 3rd-and-10 with 2:29 left, Ohio State was able to ice the national title with a 32-yard Jayden Fielding field goal to put the game out of reach at 34-23.
As Day, Howard, Jack Sawyer, and the rest of the Buckeyes were finally able to celebrate the ebullient end of a roller-coaster season, it was magical to watch the emotion that allowed them to overcome the hardships they faced throughout the season put on full display for the entire world to see was special.
This team and this coaching staff deserve all of the credit in the world. They turned what could have been a backbreaking defeat into the catalyst for one of the most impressive string of victories in modern college football history. There will be plenty of time to break down how the Buckeyes were able to bring the national title back to Columbus, but right now, it is time for tears, hugs, and celebrations.
How firm thy friendship, indeed! Go Bucks!
Continue reading...
Matt Tamanini via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images
The tears and feels were very real as the clock finally went down to 00:00.
Holy shit! The Ohio State Buckeyes are College Football National Champions following their 34-23 win over the Notre Dame Fighting Irish on Monday night. Somehow, this historic victory is both incredibly improbable and practically predetermined, and it felt like we relived the entire season during this one 60-minute game.
At the beginning of the season, many across the college football world declared the Buckeyes to be the most talented team in recent memory and pumped the false narrative that the program bought the best roster in the sport. But following what was arguably the worst loss in program history, it seemed like the Buckeye program was destined to underachieve under head coach Ryan Day.
But that was not the legacy that Day and this team wanted to leave behind. The Buckeyes reportedly rallied together following the Michigan defeat thanks in large part to an honest and passionate player-led meeting that clearly recalibrated the focus, aggression, and intensity of the team and coaching staff.
The turnaround that followed has resulted in one of the most memorable runs in Ohio State history as the Buckeyes bulldozed their way through the bulk of the playoffs. Day’s squad looked as close to unbeatable as a team can against elite competition in the postseason. And that culminated in a hard-fought, surprisingly fraught win over Notre Dame to secure the Buckeyes’ ninth national title.
The championship game played out like a microcosm of the season. The Buckeyes had incredible highs — at times looking like they were going to boat-race ND like they did Tennessee and Oregon. But the Irish had no intention of letting that happen, and for a while, the Buckeyes obliged.
While the evening ended in extreme jubilation for everyone wearing scarlet and gray around the world, the game was full of far too many moments of extreme frustration over tediously unimaginative playcalling and inexplicably inopportune turnovers and penalties. As fans, we relived some of the low lights of the season during the last quarter and half of the game, thanks in no small part to the heart of Marcus Freeman’s team. Throughout the season, Notre Dame has built a reputation for never giving up until the final whistle, and that bore out in Atlanta on Monday night.
After the Irish opened the game with an 18-play, 75-yard drive, Day and Chip Kelly’s offense was masterful. The Buckeyes scored touchdowns on their first four possessions and looked to have put the game away up 31-7 with 11:18 remaining in the third quarter. But like Freeman’s squad has done all season, the Irish continued to fight and refused to give up. The Domers eventually got the game to 31-15 with 3:03 left in the third quarter. But, a puzzling decision from Freeman to opt for a 27-yard field goal on 4th and Goal with 9:27 left in regulation resulted in a Mitch Jeter doink that kept the game at a 16-point spread.
However, after Ohio State was forced to punt, Freeman’s scrappy bunch continued to scratch and claw, and thanks to a 30-yard pass from Riley Leonard to Jaden Greathouse and a halfback-pass two-point conversion, all of a sudden, it was a one-score game with the Buckeyes clinging onto a 31-23 lead.
Throughout the fourth quarter, Day and Kelly reverted to the ultra-conservative offense that has reared its ugly head at the worst moments over the year, replete with inexplicable runs into nine-man boxes and quarterback keepers designed solely to drain the clock.
But thanks to a remarkably gutsy 56-yard bomb from Will Howard to Jeremiah Smith on 3rd-and-10 with 2:29 left, Ohio State was able to ice the national title with a 32-yard Jayden Fielding field goal to put the game out of reach at 34-23.
As Day, Howard, Jack Sawyer, and the rest of the Buckeyes were finally able to celebrate the ebullient end of a roller-coaster season, it was magical to watch the emotion that allowed them to overcome the hardships they faced throughout the season put on full display for the entire world to see was special.
This team and this coaching staff deserve all of the credit in the world. They turned what could have been a backbreaking defeat into the catalyst for one of the most impressive string of victories in modern college football history. There will be plenty of time to break down how the Buckeyes were able to bring the national title back to Columbus, but right now, it is time for tears, hugs, and celebrations.
How firm thy friendship, indeed! Go Bucks!
Continue reading...