Ohio State Buckeyes: Undeniably Overrated

I grew up in Utica, Ohio, a small town 42 miles northeast of Columbus. I grew up a Buckeye.

My clothes were adorned in scarlet and gray, all the way down to my red and white Reebok high-tops. My bedroom was decorated with the same.

I played Nerf football in the backyard with my older brother, pretending I was the next star quarterback for the Buckeyes. 

Saturdays were sanctified in my family's house. We were watching the game. No ifs, ands, or buts about it. We cheered when the boys won, and felt sick when they didn't.

I'm sure you know the feeling. The tightness in your chest, the way your stomach aches as it twists inside of you. The feeling of high hopes crushed at the feet of your adversary.

That's the way I feel now: the way I felt when we lost to LSU in the 2007 National Championship game, the way I felt when we lost to Florida in the 2006 National Championship game.

One thing about being a fan, a true fan, is that you always believe in your team. You believe that your team is indeed the best of the best: that despite what the "experts" say, your team can fight against the odds and win the games they're supposed to lose.

And when a commentator like Mark May says something so absurd ("Trojans will win by four touchdowns"), you immediately dismiss it on the grounds that Mark May is an idiot.

However, it's been said by men wiser than myself that the truth will prevail.

The much anticipated game between the USC Trojans and the OSU Buckeyes has concluded, and the Buckeyes came up on the short end of the stick, if their hands were on the stick at all.

Mark May said it'd be by four touchdowns. Mark May was right. I hate to admit it, but there's no sense in denying it. The Buckeyes are, in fact, overrated.

I won't blame the loss on the absence of Chris Wells, though some will. I won't blame the loss on poor officiating, though some will try. I won't even blame the Sports Illustrated cover. We got beat. Fair and square, we got beat.

The Trojans outplayed the Buckeyes in every aspect. The offense was faster, the defense was stronger. Both teams had their fair share of penalties, but the Buckeyes lost big plays by undisciplined mistakes. Opportunity was quickly lost.

It's hard to stare defeat in the eyes. It's hard to admit to the obvious and swallow the lump in my throat called pride. The team I so love, the team I relentlessly cheer for week in and week out, isn't what I thought it was. 

Am I giving up on the Buckeyes? No, I could never do that. My blood is scarlet; I am Buckeye.

Will Ohio State win the Big Ten Championship? It will be a fight, and I'll root for them the entire way. However, after three weeks of watching this Ohio State team, I realize that we're not a top 5 team, as the polls will show on Monday.

We're probably not even top 15. We may be the best team in the Big Ten, but compared to the best teams in the top conferences, we do not match up.

I can't believe I just said that, but it's true. It's been proven. Three times it's been proven. And until the Buckeyes can dismantle this certainty, they'll continued to be seen by the country as second-rate champions.