Well, well, well, a few points I feel the need to hit on and explain. First and foremost, our Buckeyes wanted this win more than the Tide, no question about that. Secondly, Alabama may be down, but they are not out. Urban Meyer, his coaching staff, and his players ran onto the field with a sense of purpose more important than winning the game. They ran onto that field with pride and dignity, they ran onto that field with a sense of purpose far beyond lifting a trophy above their heads. Ever since Ohio State was announced as the #4 seed, the onslaught of drama was kicked into high gear. It was relentless and easy to be consumed. This team has been smacked in the face this entire season. From Braxton Miller going down, to Virginia Tech, to relentless media doubters, to J.T. Barrett going down, to being told this defense will give up points. The icing on the cake was when the body of Kosta was found. We can say all of these events brought the team together, but when a comrade's life is taken way too early in life, a win is no longer a win, it's a sense of meaning. That win signified to a Nation, to their opponent, to themselves, and to their fallen comrade, that we are here and we are here to stay. This win was not by accident, it was from a relentless amount of hardwork and personal pressure. That pressure comes from within, meaning each player pushed themselves to leave the field a better player than what they came on. This team may never achieve perfection, but they'll be the closest thing to it.
The Tide are 0-2 in the last two Sugar Bowls. The SEC West did not fair well this bowl season. This does not mean the division is somehow weak or the most dominant, but it does mean that this year, they are down. The most consistent title contenders are those in the SEC West, which cannot be denied. What can be denied though, is their effectiveness. In 7 of 8 National Titles Games, the SEC has been the Champion. However, Florida State broke the cycle against Auburn, and the streak was over. Likewise, Oklahoma beat Alabama in the Sugar Bowl. This year a different kind of streak has started. Texas A&M and Arkansas won in their bowls, but Ole Miss, Miss St., LSU, Auburn, and Alabama all lost. My point is, college football and sports in general do not define winners and losers before the clock starts, they are defined after the final quarter ends. Therefore, when 99% of the season is over, is when 100% of the season is defined.
Something to think about, if I must. I entered into this game hoping and praying that Ohio State won with memories of Tressel and Cooper stuck in the back of my head. I have watched hundreds of games with the expectation of winning the match, only for the game to slip away, therefore; games that I once thought were already won, where not. With this in mind, I watched this game with sheer amazement. In an earlier post, I said Alabama was a mole hill that became a mountain because of the media. Ohio State proved that Thursday night. The biggest difference between what Alabama prepared for and what they got was Urban Meyer and Tom Herman. Alabama revealed that they watched Gators film in 2006 and 2008, then also Gus Malzhan, and Dan Mullen, which is perfectly fine except for one simple fact. None of those coaches are in the present state of mind of Urban Meyer.
This game was won before the Buckeyes stepped on the field. The post game press conference were the most entertaining. Nick Saban shouldered all the blame for the loss, than proceeded to mock the importance of a win, something he is accustomed to achieving. He stated that even though they lost, there were plenty of winners in his locker room. That a trophy does not signify a winner, but instead their effort. What a load of crap! What Ohio State did was beat his team at their best, and as a result they were awarded a trophy and a spot in the Title game. This game was not luck, it was psychological preparation.
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