Reflections on a Championship Squandered

Tweet

As I sit in line at a Bob Evans in nowhere, Indiana, I just can't stop shaking my damn head, and not because I'm jonesing for sausage gravy.

Ohio State's loss in the Big Ten championship just became the latest in the never-ending trail of gut punches suffered by (northern) Ohio fans.

What. The. Hell. Was. That?

It's not like I thought Michigan State would be a walkover. And I got all the pregame howls about the strength of the SEC and the weakness of the Big Ten. But I did not expect the Buckeyes to come out and shit the bed like that.

And by the Buckeyes I mean the defense/special teams and the coaching staff.

The extremely partisan crowd (I'd put it at 80% red, 20% green, which actually made it very festive for the season) was immediately put in a bad mood by two terrible pass interferences and a punt reception interference, three idiotic plays that no accomplished team should make. After the coaches went away early from the unstoppable Carlos Hyde, and the OSU DBs forgot to guard people, all of a sudden Sparty was up 17-0.

And yet I don't think many fans were nervous yet. With a couple quick scores and one more after halftime, all of a sudden it was tied up and soon it was 24-17 good guys.

So what did the brilliant OSU coaches do next? (And for once we are not picking on Luke Fickell.) Abandoned the horse they rode in on, the aforementioned Carlos Hyde. Even on busted runs up the middle Mr. Hyde gets four yards, and if he gets a head of steam it's more like eight or ten. Summarized perfectly up by trying a Braxton Miller run on the critical 4th and 1.5 that basically sealed the game for Michigan State, while Carlos could just block, and MSU completed its 17 point bookend and won, 24-17.

Inexcusable lapses by the coaches and defense. Heartbreaking walk through the cold for the throngs of long faced Buckeyes fans. And a long few weeks coming for the team, who has to know that they can beat Sparty 6 or 7 times out of ten.

And OSU would beat Auburn 8 out of ten times.  Although at this rate those games would be 70-63.

Whether Florida State or Auburn really is the best team in the country, nobody knows or ever will. But I suspect not.

Thank goodness for the playoff system starting next year. Even though Ohio State would likely be watching on television if it were in place this year.

Uggh. An Orange Bowl vs Clemson sounds about as much fun as the Sugar Bowl versus Texas A&M in January 1999. Which is after the last ridiculous loss to Michigan State.

Strong words can't mask stench of Browns' return to obscurity

Tweet

I'm singin' to myself, there's got to be another way.

Just two months ago I was sitting in the upper levels of the Dawg Pound as the Cleveland Browns were polishing off Cincinnati in dominating fashion. It was a great win against a division foe, punctuated by two touchdown passes from hometown kid Bryan Hoyer and an aggressive performance by Ray Horton's defense. 

It was a fantastic day for Cleveland sports and an exhilarating one as well. Many high fives were given and/or received that chilly autumn Sunday, I can tell you, while the guy one seat over generously offered me his beef jerky. Whether that last is a euphemism is for the courts to hash out.

Anyway, that first Cinci game was one that made you want to believe a corner was being turned on a season and perhaps even on a decade-and-a-half of futile football. The Browns were actually being discussed as playoff contenders, if not a threat to take the division in a down year for the Steelers and Ravens.

Knowshon Moreno cries, like all Browns fans

Tweet

Great screen capture here. (If you missed his fire hose tear ducts.)

What we think the Browns will do today against the Jaguars (Week 13)

Tweet

Cleveland Browns vs. Jacksonville Jaguars

December 1, 2013

Brian	Browns 15 Jaguars 13	These are the veggies you have to eat after yesterday's wonderful football buffet. Time to put the Christmas lights up.
Tom	Jaguars 17 Browns 14	Another December to forget. Winning games or playing for a draft pick, which is more important? Who knows--we can't seem to do either right. With the boo birds out in full force, Weeden lays an egg.
Doug	Browns 10 Jaguars 6	You have entered a strangely familiar place of sight and sound. A place of boredom toward your favorite football team, where every snap is no longer your No. 1 priority on fall Sundays. Take my hand, friend, because you have entered..the Browns Apathy Zone.
SamVox	Browns 12 Jaguars 10	The Browns were humbled the past two weeks, and so was the Vox, but I think we'll find a win today. Vegas, however, should know our pal BWeeds should never lay a touchdown to any NFL team. Hell, I'm not even sure Weeden should be favored against the Mentor Cardinals.
Kevin	Jaguars 21 Browns 16	I figure Weeden's good for at least one incredibly disastrous play. Along with too many 3-and-outs by the offense, the defense eventually wears down enough to let the Jags squeak out an ugly victory.
Ryan	Browns 40 Jaguars 7	Brandon Weeden flips off the crowd like Marcus Hall.
Sean	Jaguars 12 Browns 9	How now bad Browns?

Amazing Saturday leaves Ohio State with inside track and further points out BCS obsolescence

Tweet

It's not like your normal Ohio State-Michigan game lacks drama, hype, passion, heartbreak, and glory. But 2013's edition lived up to the hype and more, and kicked off the amazing day in college football we just experienced. Ohio State came into The Big House as a huge favorite, in the 14-16 point range, and the pitiful Michigan offense promised to make this a cakewalk.

Nobody has run for more yards for OSU v Michigan. Ever. (AP/Carlos Osorio)

But it never is. Devin Gardner came out playing like he hasn't in a long time, and I, for one, was seeing shades of the nightmare of 1995 early in the first quarter. However, it wasn't meant to be, as Ohio State roared back with their predicable offensive explosion, marred only by a Carlos Hyde fumble (after a Herculean-effort on a run up the middle). Too bad the defense wasn't up to the task. It took an interception by Tyvis Powell on a two-point conversion after the porous Buckeye defense let the Wolverines back from a two-touchdown deficit to seal the game. 

A huge fight after a kickoff marred the first half, and of course that will be playing in OSU-UM hype films for the next century. Unfortunately it cost Ohio State a ton more than Michigan, as speedster Dontre Wilson and starting O-lineman Marcus Hall were kicked out for punching. In addition, Hall gave the 100,000+ fans in attendance a nice double-finger salute. Undoubtedly lots of people are using that as their Facebook cover today.

Now on to Indianapolis next week, where Ohio State plays the stingy defense of Michigan State. If Braxton Miller and Carlos Hyde are on their game, I don't see any way any defense can hold the Buckeyes under 30 points. Now, if the defense of Luke Fickell plays like the defense of Luke Fickell, 30 points may not be enough.

And this isn't just for the Rose Bowl any more, after one of the most amazing finishes you will ever see down in the "Iron Bowl", as an instant replay put one second back on the clock as it appeared #1 Alabama and #4 Auburn were headed to overtime. With that one second, Alabama coach (and Bill Belichick protege) Nick Saban decided to try and kick a 57-yard field goal to end the game right then and there. With that decision, one of the most improbable endings in the history of college football unfolded, with Auburn's Chris Davis catching the short attempt in the back of the end zone, and rolling 109 yards past all of the Alabama big men who were out to block for the FG, sending the Auburn crowd into delirium....



.....and the Ohio State bus as well (as shown on the Instagram video captured by Ohio State WR Frank Epitropoulos.



Now what? Likely today's polls will have Florida State the new #1, and Ohio State the new #2. Likely (but not as likely), if Ohio State takes care of business against MSU and Auburn beats Missouri in the SEC Championship game, Ohio State will still make the BCS Championship game as an undefeated major-conference team (vs. Auburn, who's bigger wins also come with a loss to 3-loss LSU this year.) But that will come with howling from every corner of the sports-talk blogosphere. And to be honest, I can see the point. Auburn beat #1 Alabama, Texas A&M, and lots more. Ohio State didn't. But that's the way the ball rolls sometimes. Wins and losses count too. And moreso, so do votes.

Nobody wants a playoff more than me, but in this case, we don't have one. And if for some reason, (if they beat Michigan State and) Ohio State gets jobbed out of a place in the BCS Championship for a one-loss SEC team, there will be no justice in this world. Which is a shame, because Saturday showed how great college football can be. And once we have a playoff, it will be that much better.