Expectations don’t change in Columbus.
There’s a saying that goes, “He who chases two rabbits seldom catches one.” In sports, it applies to both a team aspiring to go undefeated and winning the championship.
The goal for every team going into every season should be to win a championship, but an extended undefeated streak can be a major distraction. That’s why there’s also a saying: “Winning a championship is more important than going undefeated.”
Remember when Chris Simms compared this Buckeyes team to the heyday of the New England Patriots’ dynasty?
The Patriots’ peak was in 2007, when they were 18-0, and one win away from going both undefeated and winning the Super Bowl. Then, they lost everything in Super Bowl XLII. Being undefeated proved to be a mounting powder keg of pressure that was inevitably going to explode, and it did for the Patriots at the worst possible time.
The good news for this Buckeyes’ team is that they don’t have to worry about going undefeated while also winning a national championship. They already have one loss, meaning the sole focus is on winning a repeat national championship.
That means anything short of a national championship would be a disappointment.
A friend of mine asked me what it’s like to be a fan of and cover the No. 1 team in the country. This was when the Buckeyes were No. 1 in October. My response was that it was great and fun, but I feared it could come crashing down at any moment in the Playoff.
Imagine if the Buckeyes, for as dominant as they have been for nearly all of this season, lose in the Semifinals or Quarterfinals of the College Football Playoff? How disappointing would that be?
It would be an incredibly disappointing thud to what’s been a really great season to this point heading into the Quarterfinals next Wednesday night on New Year’s Eve. The expectation is for the Buckeyes to win the national championship every season.
Especially with this team, which has systematically beaten every opponent but one into submission, losing early in the Playoff would bring back a lot of old questions about Ryan Day and the program that, let’s be honest, we thought had been answered and vanquished.
This Ohio State team is too talented to lose early in the Playoff. Anything short of playing for the national championship, let alone winning it, would send shockwaves through Columbus.
Even though the Buckeyes are the No. 2 seed, one spot behind No. 1 Indiana in the College Football Playoff, they still feel like the best team in the field.
Best offensive player? Check. Best defensive player? Check. Best head coach? Check.
Were there potential distractions surrounding the Buckeyes leading into the Big Ten Championship? Perhaps. But now those potential distractions are behind them.
Ryan Day has taken over play-calling on the offensive side with Brian Hartline remaining as the offensive coordinator. Their roles? Let the offense cook as it should. Don’t get fancy. Don’t get unconventional. Don’t do anything that’s not the bread-and-butter in crucial situations.
Ohio State is still the best team in college football. For any team that’s not them, they’ve got to beat the champs to be the champs.
For the Buckeyes, anything short of repeating as national champions would be a massive disappointment and make for a long, cold winter in Columbus.
Category: General Sports
