Final: #13 OSU 3 vs. #1 USC 35

There are so many thoughts that come to my head just thinking about this loss that it has been hard to put any of them together. We just stunk. The game plan was not good enough, it was not executed well enough, and the players came out flat and got punched in the mouth. USC had two weeks to prepare for this game and it showed. They played sharp, they were fast and they wanted to win more than the Buckeyes. It was just plain embarrassing to loose, in blow out fashion, on the biggest stage…once again. It is plain to see that Ohio State is not an elite program. This weekend has been one that has finally opened my eyes to what we have here at Ohio State. We have a football program with a great leader in Jim Tressel, a University that is raising academic standards and a President (Gordon Gee) that is changing expectations of what this university is all about. To this institution and coaching staff winning is not everything. Ray Small may have been wrong to say it but what he implied about OSU was right. He said at USC it is all about football and at Ohio State it is more of a class thing. Before you get your panties in a bunch Bill Plaschke he may be right in one way. Here at OSU its not just about football but that is not what fans here are looking for. Every beer drinking (implied) Buckeye fan wants a beat down of Michigan and a National Championship at any cost but that’s not what Jim Tressel and this school are about now. He has instilled his Christian morals and genuine love for his players into this program and you can not dispute that he has balanced these principles with a winning team on the field. Each year this team is good enough to loose less than three games but that just is not enough. Ohio State is a Football School; fans bleed Scarlet and Gray, when they close their eyes they see Ken Dorsey staring at three Buckeye defenders on fourth down. We expect Championships and nothing less. Maybe at any other time or on any other team this loss would not be such a big deal. This team carries so much experience and, with those last two trips to the National Championship, lofty expectations. For this team another Big 10 Championship and a win against Michigan is not good enough. Buckeye fans don’t care what the national media thinks of their team but they understand expectations and this year’s mantra of "National Championship or Bust" was fair. It will be a fresh start for Ohio State when these very talented seniors move on to their Pro-careers. When they graduate, if they have instilled their heart, determination and dedication to Ohio State into the remaining players that will one day be leading this team, the program will be better for it. Let’s just hope they take that dear in the headlights look with them. Ohio State still has much to play for and like the 2005 team if they come together all may be forgotten. The season has just begun and by the end of the season this team could once again be looking at a BCS Bowl berth lets just hope they play for the love of the game and not for anyone else’s expectations…but their own.