Buckeyes Will Be Proud: Why This Was Ohio State's Best Football Decade Ever

At this point 10 years ago, Ohio State Buckeyes football finished a pathetic 6-6, failing to go to a bowl game for the first time in 13 years.

John Cooper had suffered yet another loss to Michigan, who would go on to win the Orange Bowl, and would last only one more season in Columbus.

Not too many people could have imagined that 10 years later, the Ohio State football program would have won six Big Ten titles, and play for three national championships, winning one in 2002.

And really no one could have fathomed that since 2001, Ohio State would only lose once to hated Michigan, who went into an unprecedented downward spiral.

In short terms, the 2000s have been very kind to the Buckeyes.

From Craig Krenzel to Ted Ginn, Chris Gamble to Cameron Heyward, and every superstar in between, few programs have enjoyed the sustained success that the Buckeyes have enjoyed in the 2000s.

Jim Tressel in 1999 was the coach at DI-AA Youngstown State, hardly the cradle of coaches.

But he eventually got the job over former Minnesota coach Glen Mason and current Oregon athletic director Mike Bellotti, and the rest is history.

2002 saw Ohio State win the national title for the first time in 32 years, going back to the legendary Woody Hayes.

And any Buckeye fan who thought this would be a simple fling would be sorely mistaken.

In fact, since that championship season, only once have the Buckeyes not played in a BCS bowl game, a feat only the USC Trojans have accomplished in the same time (including 2010).

While Ohio State has only one national title to their credit in the new millennium, the program has enjoyed great, sustained success and sent a great amount of quality players into the NFL.

Among those drafted in the first round since 2004 were Saints DE Will Smith, Panthers DB Chris Gamble, Green Bay LB A.J. Hawk, Pittsburgh WR Santonio Holmes, and Miami WR Ted Ginn, Jr.

By comparison, no Ohio State Buckeyes were drafted in 1998's NFL Draft.

But if Buckeye fans want to argue that the 1970s might have something to say about the title about "best decade ever", one needs to look at the record over Michigan to understand.

In the 2000s, Ohio State finished 8-2 in the rivalry against Michigan, while the 1970s record stood at 5-4-1.

The record and rivalry mean so much to Ohio State fans that earlier in 2009, Ohio State fans purchased a Detroit billboard commemorating the 2000th day since Michigan last beat Ohio State in football, in Nov. 2003.

Success might have made fans very arrogant and demanding, but at heart, every Buckeye should be thankful for the ride that has been the 2000s.

Never in the history of the great program has there ever been a more successful 10-year period, and no Buckeye should ever take that for granted.

Because when the calendar flips to 2010 and OSU takes on Oregon in the Rose Bowl in an ironic twist dating back to 2001's coaching search, where Bellotti, now the UO AD, could have been the head coach, who's really to say what we all should expect?

All we know is that we must be thankful for what we've seen and be ready to enjoy the next 10 years, because anything can happen.