As many of you know I am a proud alum of The Ohio State University, so as you can imagine I am in quite a bit of pain this morning. I honestly don't know what is worse getting blown out (or blowed out as Emmitt would say) or losing a game that you fought your hearts out to win only to lose in the final seconds. I am thinking the latter because the lost last night to Texas is something that is going to burn a lot of Ohio State fans for a long time.
When we (and yes I said we because when you go to school as prestigious as OSU for 4 ½ years you become family) lost to Florida two years ago that was more shock than anything. When we lost to LSU last year that was expected, so a little easier to swallow. This year you would have been hard pressed to find anyone who thought OSU would beat Texas.
It was a moral victory to just be up 6-3 at halftime and wasn't surprising when Texas took a 17-6 lead early in the 4th quarter. But then Ohio State showed resolved that we haven't seen from them in the past. A lot of that has to do with the belief that Terrell Pryor truly is the savior for the program, but when OSU stormed back to take a 21-17 lead with a little under two minutes to go, Buckeye nation grasp onto something they haven't had in a very long time:
In life I am an optimist, but in sports I am more of a pessimist and truly believe certain things are fated. When Texas converted a 4th down right around mid field by the slimiest of margins I thought in the back of my mind:
A couple plays and an ill timed blitz later the game was over and another bitter BCS defeat for Ohio State to swallow.
Personally I believe it is:
I knew Clarett not well, but enough to know what Ohio State did to him (not to mention what he did to himself which is another story). Clarett was always a bit emotionally imbalance, but Ohio State gave him the world and in returned he gave them a National Championship.
Just a little revisionist history most people remember two thing about the National Championship game Miami vs. Ohio State. Willis Mcgahee knee getting dismembered like Lil Kim's face and the very late pass interference call that gave OSU another chance at life when the game seem to be over. But I have always argued the play that changed the game was after a Sean Taylor (RIP) interception Clarett chased him down from behind and strip the ball to give possession back to Ohio State and kept the momentum from swinging to Miami.
Everyone knows what happen to Clarett afterwards an even though Ohio State enabled a lot of his behavior when he was helping them go undefeated turn their back on him when it became obvious that the NCAA was sniffing around and Clarett was a very loose cannon.
So was one National Championship worth the misery of three BCS games disasters? If you ask most Ohio State alums they would say yes, but it doesn't make this defeat any easier to take.
You didn't seriously think you would win did you?
I know where you live Littal and when I get out I am coming for you.
Ohio State sucks
I am a die-hard Miami Hurricane fan and the Hurricane v Buckeyes national championship game had and continues to be a thorn in my side. But that's for another time. I just want to say that your assessment of the game, Maurice Clarett and the OSU nation appears well thought out and truthful. Thank you. I really enjoyed your comments and how unbiased they were. Take care and keep up the good work. By the way, I found this site by wondering how OSU lost to Texas so I googled: the curse of the miami v Ohio State football game. I'm not kiddin' either so you know I was surprised when I saw your site and noted today's date on it. Freaked me the hell out! (laughing).
D. Williams that is a little freaky. It could also means that Mr. Littal's site has more weight than he claims.
The thing that keeps me coming back is the fact that it is an unbiased site even on topics where it is obvious one of the writers likes a particular athlete. Considering it was his Alma Mata that lost you would have thought he would have bashed Texas or the officiating, but instead he took an interesting look at how the school has been affected since Maurice Clarett.
I would have never even thought of that to be honest. That maybe by stealing a national championship they were damnned to failure.
Clarett was finna shoot OSU up
Moron, same thing happened after the 1968 NC, OSU lost (at the time the upset of the century to UM 24-12) losing out on the '69 NC, again in 1970 to Plunnkett and Stanford 27-17, the tie 10-10 to UM in '73 and the Rose Bowl loss to ucla in '76, 23-10 , we'll win another in about 2036. It's OSU's history, we made a deal with the devil and have to live with it!