meganhusslein
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This or that: If you could only pick one, would you rather beat TTUN or reach the national championship game?
meganhusslein via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK
I’m getting desperate for a rivalry win...
From now until preseason camp starts in August, Land-Grant Holy Land will be writing articles around a different theme every week. This week is all about taking sides in head-to-head debates. You can catch up on all of the Theme Week content here and all of our ”This or That” articles here.
The expectations for Ohio State football are the same every single year: beat TTUN, go undefeated, win the conference championship, make the playoff, and win the title. However, the Buckeyes have only succeeded in one of those items over the past couple of years, and that would be making the playoffs.
Yes, it’s only been two years since the Bucks came on top in the rivalry matchup, but it’s been an extremely long two years. So, it got me thinking, would I rather Ohio State beat TTUN or reach the natty?
I feel like this question could be answered from two different views. The first being it is 2023, and the Buckeyes haven’t beaten TTUN since 2019 (2020 it was canceled, don’t forget). BUT, that means that they haven’t won this decade! The last time the Buckeyes beat their rivals was Nov. 30, 2019.
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24722959/usa_today_17225520.jpg "Syndication: The Columbus Dispatch")
Adam Cairns / USA TODAY NETWORK
I was still in high school the last time Ohio State beat That Team Up North, and now I’m about to be a senior in college. For us fans, it feels like a really freaking long time since the Bucks have won The Game, even though it has only been three years that resulted in just two losses. However, those two losses have been devastating, so it feels even longer.
Normally, I might say that I would rather the Buckeyes have a shot at the national championship, but, suffering two losses in a row to TTUN has got me very desperate. I need to witness a rivalry win before I graduate from Ohio State. Otherwise, I might have to take a fifth year.
This game is THE Game. This game is what Buckeye fans live for. Obviously, everyone would rather them win this and reach the natty. But, it is “This or That” Week here at Land-Grant Holy Land, not “This AND That” Week. So for right now, in 2023, I’m going to say I would rather see a rivalry win. At this point, I think it would mean more than a national championship berth — winning the national title would be a different discussion.
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/13467137/usa_today_11725664.jpg "NCAA Football: Michigan at Ohio State")
Greg Bartram-USA TODAY Sports
A rivalry win this year would demonstrate that Ryan Day can, in fact, do it. He is not another John Cooper. A win could prove that Jim Knowles and his defense can show up in big games. A win would mark a successful season.
But, let’s flip the script. Let’s say that the Buckeyes did defeat TTUN last year. Would I still prefer a repeat, rather than compete for a national title? Honestly, I’m not sure. In order to answer this question, I’m trying to convince myself that Ohio State did win last year, but unfortunately, my brain isn’t letting me.
I think that I would still choose a rivalry win. Do I want the Bucks to reach the natty? Well duh. But would I rather see them lose to TTUN and compete for the natty? There’s no guarantee they even win it all; they would just be one of the final two teams standing. I truly feel like it is a failure of a season if they don’t win the rivalry game, so I believe I would rather have that victory either way.
Let’s hope this season it’s not a “this or that.” Instead, let’s believe it’s going to be a ‘this AND that’ type of year!
Continue reading...
meganhusslein via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK
I’m getting desperate for a rivalry win...
From now until preseason camp starts in August, Land-Grant Holy Land will be writing articles around a different theme every week. This week is all about taking sides in head-to-head debates. You can catch up on all of the Theme Week content here and all of our ”This or That” articles here.
The expectations for Ohio State football are the same every single year: beat TTUN, go undefeated, win the conference championship, make the playoff, and win the title. However, the Buckeyes have only succeeded in one of those items over the past couple of years, and that would be making the playoffs.
Yes, it’s only been two years since the Bucks came on top in the rivalry matchup, but it’s been an extremely long two years. So, it got me thinking, would I rather Ohio State beat TTUN or reach the natty?
I feel like this question could be answered from two different views. The first being it is 2023, and the Buckeyes haven’t beaten TTUN since 2019 (2020 it was canceled, don’t forget). BUT, that means that they haven’t won this decade! The last time the Buckeyes beat their rivals was Nov. 30, 2019.
I was still in high school the last time Ohio State beat That Team Up North, and now I’m about to be a senior in college. For us fans, it feels like a really freaking long time since the Bucks have won The Game, even though it has only been three years that resulted in just two losses. However, those two losses have been devastating, so it feels even longer.
Normally, I might say that I would rather the Buckeyes have a shot at the national championship, but, suffering two losses in a row to TTUN has got me very desperate. I need to witness a rivalry win before I graduate from Ohio State. Otherwise, I might have to take a fifth year.
This game is THE Game. This game is what Buckeye fans live for. Obviously, everyone would rather them win this and reach the natty. But, it is “This or That” Week here at Land-Grant Holy Land, not “This AND That” Week. So for right now, in 2023, I’m going to say I would rather see a rivalry win. At this point, I think it would mean more than a national championship berth — winning the national title would be a different discussion.
A rivalry win this year would demonstrate that Ryan Day can, in fact, do it. He is not another John Cooper. A win could prove that Jim Knowles and his defense can show up in big games. A win would mark a successful season.
But, let’s flip the script. Let’s say that the Buckeyes did defeat TTUN last year. Would I still prefer a repeat, rather than compete for a national title? Honestly, I’m not sure. In order to answer this question, I’m trying to convince myself that Ohio State did win last year, but unfortunately, my brain isn’t letting me.
I think that I would still choose a rivalry win. Do I want the Bucks to reach the natty? Well duh. But would I rather see them lose to TTUN and compete for the natty? There’s no guarantee they even win it all; they would just be one of the final two teams standing. I truly feel like it is a failure of a season if they don’t win the rivalry game, so I believe I would rather have that victory either way.
Let’s hope this season it’s not a “this or that.” Instead, let’s believe it’s going to be a ‘this AND that’ type of year!
Continue reading...