The 2008 season has not gone according to plan for the Ohio State Buckeyes; there's no way around it.
Ohio State was supposed to be ridiculous this year; that's why all those seniors came back.
This was the year when Ohio State was going to show the nation it can win the big game. This was Beanie Wells' year.
The defense was going to be unstoppable this year. The offensive line was going to be impenetrable this year.
Or...not.
Ohio State has certainly not been ridiculously good this year, even before the Catastrophe at the Coliseum. Remember, they actually dropped in the polls after their Week Two win over Ohio.
Ohio State went to SoCal and showed the nation what the nation already knew: Jim Tressel and Co. are incapable of winning the big games.
Wells has been spectacular this year, but with an enormous asterisk. He missed three games due to injury (including the USC game) and has just seemed spectacular because we know he's not at 100 percent, yet he's still averaging 120 yards per game (and 6.7 yards per carry).
This was his year to win the Heisman, yet he hasn't been in the conversation for a month.
The defense returned nine starters to what was the nation's best last year, yet through seven games, the Silver Bullets are pushing the bend-but-don't-break philosophy to its limit.
After getting thrashed by USC, they have played stronger the past couple of weeks, but they are still nowhere near preseason expectations.
With four starters back from last year's Offensive Line, this year's line looked to dominate opponents. They were going to open a couple holes for Beanie and be praised for his undressing of defenses. However, when Beanie had to sit out, and the linemen really had to perform, the O-Line lost its confidence.
Many programs would happily take a 6-1 record and Top 15 ranking, but Ohio State is not one of them. Ohio State fans are rabid, they want MORE, yet for some reason the Buckeye faithful are pretty calm.
They were complaining for awhile (after the USC game) about the quarterback situation, but when Pryor was given the starting nod, they shut up and have (for the most part) embraced the change, even though the concept of throwing the ball away is still foreign to Mr. Pryor.
Yes, Ohio State has not been good this year, yet there is peace and order within the Buckeye Nation. Where is the peace coming from, you may ask, what is keeping these fans from losing their minds?
The answer: Schadenfreude.
It's childish, perhaps, but for some reason Ohio State fans are overlooking the Buckeyes' problems in favor of highlighting and celebrating the struggles of Michigan.
It all started last year. Ohio State fans know the day: Sept. 1, 2007. Appalachian State goes into the Big House and upsets the fifth-ranked Wolverines. Never mind that Ohio State went undefeated in September. THIS was any Buckeye fan's favorite moment of the month.
Michigan lost to Oregon a week later, much to the delight of Buckeye fans. It didn't matter to Ohio State fans that Michigan won nine of their last 11 games (including a win over Florida, in Florida, in a bowl game).
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