There's nothing I can add that hasn't already been said in the thread, so I'll rant a bit from the airport bar.
I joined the site in 2008 after the BCS loss to LSU, second in a row. My Fandom has waned quite a bit accounting to not being an alumnus and having not lived in or around Columbus in 25+ years. Still watch most every Saturday and peruse the boards during the season.
Frankly for me, it hasn't been a lot of fun to watch Buckeye football in a while. I feel like I've seen more big game duds than positive big game showings. Anecdotal, sure, but hard to deny feelings wise. Obviously, that's why 2002 and 2014 are so special. It's tough to win it all.
From section A27, about halfway through the third quarter, it was like watching a slow motion car wreck. You know what's going to happen, you can't stop it, you can't look away. I'm in the stadium, I can't change the channel. It sucked. The crowd was good, but the stadium experience wasn't great. I missed the only fucking touchdown right in front of us because the line to piss was so long. God dammit.
Cold and sober wasn't the way to go through that game. We cheered but didn't have a lot to cheer about. Stayed til the end and left disappointed. I didn't get all the analysis live obviously, but you could tell the team just wasn't crisp. You knew, in the 'Shoe, someone was trying to prove something when you looked at the rush yards on the scoreboard. I knew exactly what would happen with 7 minutes left. Chip shot FG to win it. It was so obvious and no matter how many 3rd downs you scream for you can't stop it. Slow motion car wreck.
Weird to say but it felt far easier to come to terms with in person. If I was at home I'd probably still be pissed, but I kinda realized what was going to happen when the second half kickoff bounced. I felt it when the "O" flag knocked the hat of the trombone player in the opening festivities. Not scoring a TD on the first drive. The collective groan after the first missed FG. The second missed FG after the Downs INT. Sleep paralysis... "Turn the wheel!..." Crash...
There's nothing much else to say. I'll watch the playoff with no positive expectations. I'm just glad I didn't listen to any of the preseason hype because I've learned. Too much success and too few results to align my hopes. Hopefully we get a BMW thread for the postseason cause I'll be there, even though it's against my nature to be miserable. Now I really sound like I'm from Ohio. Go Bucks.