Friday Sept. 11 – by Matt Johnson
Tressels,
I debated sending this email out early this week – Monday or Tuesday. It was going to be very short and to the point….something like “EVERYBODY CALM DOWN AND ENJOY USC WEEK! GO BUCKS!”
Or, I might have thrown in an expletive for effect like “EVERYBODY CALM THE FRONCZAK DOWN AND ENJOY USC WEEK! GO BUCKS!”
Or, maybe something more directive like “EVERYBODY KRENZEL UP THEIR TRESSELS AND ENJOY USC WEEK! GO BUCKS!”
After many rough drafts, I couldn’t figure out the right approach, so I held off.
There’s been negativity around Buckeye Football in recent years, but nothing of the magnitude that we experienced earlier this week. The mood has improved slightly as we get closer to gametime. But, not much.
It’s gotten to the point where you might start to wonder why the game is even going to be played…or, why people don’t find less torturous ways to pass the time.
Everyone knows it is automatic for a team to win on the road at night in Ohio Stadium with a freshman QB. Freshman QBs don’t pay attention to the fact that this has been billed as the biggest non-conference game of the season. All those high school games with 105,000+ screaming fans who had all day to drink about the game: commonplace.
Everyone knows that USC will have no turnovers and no penalties (like Penn State did last year in Ohio Stadium…yes, really..zero) and will coast to victory. As I mentioned last year, no turnovers and no penalties happens 0.3% of the time. We most likely have 25 years before we’ll see it again. More frequently than Haley’s comet, but less frequently than Dimitrious Stanley wearing khakis.
Everyone knows College Football is played by 55-year-old men who keep their emotions in check and just focus on the job at hand. Girlfriends, classes, parents, teammates, coaches, first-time cross-country airplane rides, playing time, NFL agents…none of those are distractions. All that matters is the comforting feeling of hearing how good you are and knowing you won 35-3 last year.
Everyone knows that Ohio State will line up in the I-formation every play and try to run between the tackles. Terrelle Pryor is there to just hand the ball off. No need to move around or throw to the tight end like he did on the first few drives against Navy when the offense looked more interesting in an opener than I can remember.
Also, stopping Navy’s triple option attack is a given, so the Bucks’ defense is in dire straits. Navy didn’t lead the country in rushing last year. It’s easy when Ohio State’s best threat (pass rush of Thaddeus Gibson and Nathan Williams) is contained because those players actually play an assignment as opposed to getting to the QB.
How can a little football program like the one at Ohio State ever hope to compete with the big boys? That’s reserved for programs with New York Yankees-like resources and support. Not programs like Ohio State where you can only scrounge up $21.5 million to update the practice facility. Or, draw 96,000 people for a spring-time practice.
I’m guessing your catching my slight sarcasm.
I absolutely want to see this game played. It’s likely that highly unlikely things will happen. Mrs. Dusky Reider did not hand out scripts to Brian Rolle and Thaddeus Gibson for “Pentacost Boys” on Monday morning at school. There’s lots of room for unscripted drama.
Even beyond the final score of the game…I love everything about this week.
I will have already thoroughly enjoyed the game well before the first snap. The flurry of entertaining email chatter with buddies. The new Buckeye necklaces my Aunt Penny made from Buckeye trees planted by my Grandfather Winters 50 years ago in his side yard. The picture Shannon took of our 3-year-old (Austin) and 2-month-old (Jake) last weekend in their “Go Bucks” (not Buckeye) jerseys. Jogging around the stadium with the whole family (including our dog, Gracie) on Saturday morning. Reading the Dispatch sports page with a cup of coffee when we get back home. Walking the path through the corn field next to North Star on our way to the tailgate and game later that day. Friends in from out of town. The clearly-defined outline of the Horseshoe at night.
This Saturday, Columbus, Ohio is squarely positioned on College Football’s epicenter. The fault line has moved 2000 miles east…or 700 miles north. Let’s keep it here.
Touchdowns: Rolle, Ballard, Posey, Terrelle
OSU 31 USC 28
Go Bucks! Beat USC! Thaddeus Gibson for Heisman!
Fat Daddy
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