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{"id":1410,"date":"2015-01-13T00:49:00","date_gmt":"2015-01-13T00:49:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/admin.patheos.com\/blogs\/daffeythoughts\/2015\/01\/ohio-state-the-little-team-that-could.html"},"modified":"2015-01-13T00:49:00","modified_gmt":"2015-01-13T00:49:00","slug":"ohio-state-the-little-team-that-could","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/daffeythoughts\/2015\/01\/ohio-state-the-little-team-that-could.html","title":{"rendered":"Ohio State: The Little Team that could"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

Against all odds, the Ohio State Buckeyes have finally silenced the critics<\/a>. \u00a0During the years of the BCS, the SEC dominated. \u00a0For whatever reason, year after year the teams of the south, primarily the southeast, swept title after title and won bowl game after bowl game. \u00a0Yes, in recent years there seemed to be a gradual shift, but the south was dominant. \u00a0But giving in to decades of cries, the college football program was changed and for the first time in college football history, we had an actual playoff system.<\/p>\n

Into this new situation came the Buckeyes. \u00a0Long reviled by the sports media as an overblown has-been, \u00a0The days of Woody Hayes have long gone, and while the Bucks enjoyed some success under Jim Tressel, the later years were marred by overblown scandals built on minor transgressions, and poor performances in key bowl and championship games. <\/p>\n

Then coach Tressel was forced to leave, and after a lost year, was replaced by former nemesis Urban Meyer, who himself had left the game due to health reasons. \u00a0After one undefeated season that didn\u2019t count due to sanctions from previous scandals, we lumbered through Meyer\u2019s second season, only to lose the key games of the year and lose them horribly. <\/p>\n

Then after a summer of hoping for a solid year to rebuild, our Heisman Trophy candidate quarterback was injured before the season began. \u00a0And we were forced to turn to our backup quarterback, \u00a0Then against Michigan, he too was injured and out, only to be replaced by a third string quarterback that hadn\u2019t played the entire year. \u00a0We won, but faced Wisconsin and a Heisman candidate and one of the best runners in the nation. \u00a0We won. \u00a0We decimated.<\/p>\n

Then it was number one Alabama, favorite of ESPN and the sports media, and overwhelming favorite. \u00a0The fluke against Wisconsin would fade and the Big Ten would once again fall under the dominate south. \u00a0We won. \u00a0We stunned.<\/p>\n

But now, we were against what many felt should have been the number one team all year. \u00a0Oregan. \u00a0That was a team most teams feared to play. \u00a0They were fast. \u00a0They were a blur. \u00a0They shocked and awed. \u00a0Most assumed the best OSU could hope for was a good showing, and a great place in next years ratings. \u00a0And now? \u00a0Well, read for yourself. \u00a0It was a storybook season in a storied program. \u00a0It was teamwork and that magic that is football. \u00a0It was a good cap off to a great story. \u00a0And now it\u2019s time to go to bed. \u00a0Tomorrow we celebrate.<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"