The 2008 Ohio State Buckeyes: Images of the Year

This is what we started with. A nation against us. After losing it's second straight National Title game to an SEC team, could the Buckeyes recover and prove to the world that they're still a powerful football program?

Everyone, and I mean EVERYONE was looking ahead to week three. A collision with Pac-10 powerhouse USC. Aside from that game, the non-conference match ups were fairly weak, and a winning season seems inevitable.

In the first game against Youngstown State, Chris "Beanie" Wells goes down in the third quarter with a toe injury. Many people would go on to ask Coach Tressel why Beanie was still in the game in the first place.

With Chris Wells on the sideline and the Buckeyes looking disoriented, the Ohio Bobcats give OSU a scare nearly knocking off the 2 time Big Ten champs. OSU fends off Ohio with a final score of 26-14.

It's been almost four months since this debacle and I'm still at a loss for words.

The USC loss cost senior quarterback Todd Boeckman his job and true Freshman phenom Terrelle Pryor was given the reigns.

A top ten Wisconsin Badger team was coming off a huge loss to the Michigan Wolverines. The Buckeyes were in town and the Badgers wanted some get back. In prime time fashion, the Bucks pull off a narrow victory 20-17.

After giving up 35 points to the Trojans in week 3, the Ohio State Buckeyes' defensive unit bolstered up their efforts finishing the season only giving up 13 points per game on average.

An undefeated Nittany Lion team came to Ohio State seeking to knock off the defending Big Ten champs. The game was as thrilling as advertised and Penn State sealed the victory with an interception in the end zone with 27 seconds left in regulation.

The losing quarterback's response afterwards:

"I've never faced adversity like this," Pryor said. "When you turn the ball over twice, it's on you. I gave them the ball and put pressure on the defense again. I feel the loss is on me."

After the Penn State loss, the Buckeyes won their last 3 games, including "The Game" against rival Michigan.

The Buckeyes out gained the Wolverines on offense 416 yards to 198, dismantling Michigan with a 42-7 win in Columbus.

The Buckeyes finished the regular season with a 10-2 record. Impressive, however both losses came to Top 5 teams, USC and Penn State.

Ohio State faces another Top Five team, the Texas Longhorns in the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl on January 5th. Will the Buckeyes be able to prove the nay sayers wrong and walk away with a win in Arizona?

Only time will tell.

Go Bucks!