OSU/Florida Debacle

As an OSU alum and big Buckeye fan, my thoughts:
1. Florida kicked the crap out of us, no ifs, ands or buts.

2. Their defense dictated the game, as was plain to see. And their speed was the difference. OSU has not matched up against anyone in the past few years with that kind of comparable speed...Yes I said comparable. And yes, I would also give Florida the speed edge. When OSU won the Title in '02 and '03, Miami ran into the same situation--not having played a team with that kind of defensive speed in a long time.

3. As is often the case, the returned kick-off to start the game is a bad omen. I told the crowd at my house as much as soon as it happened.

4. I agree with your FOX blast...And had pretty much decided midway through the game that it was the real reason OSU would lose. Where's ABC when you need 'em?
5. The long wait between end of season and this game was/is ridiculous...especially for Ohio State. You can't help but be a step slower, at least early in a game when you've been off for 51 days! Florida's was plenty long too...but OSU's was ridiculous.

6. Many will say that this outright proves who the toughest conference in the country is. Not so fast. Florida was the best team, hands down tonight, deserving of the National Championship. Still, that game played 10 times, finishes 5 and 5. OSU looked as bad (in large part to how well FL played) as they have in 3 years. Florida looked as good as they have in about 7 years. They had everything to play for and nothing to lose. OSU had expectations to play for and everything to lose. (SEE Miami in 2002-03 when they lost to OSU). BUT, the Big 10 went 2-1 against SEC powers in bowls this year. And, this little nugget came from the pen of John Pennington (in Saturday's Knoxville News Sentinel): Florida's win over the Bucks means that in the last 14 head-to-head bowl games, the "toughest" conference in America is now 6-8 against those poor slobs from the Big 10. Of course, I do think that top-to-bottom, the SEC is probably the toughest conference, but that point gets WAY overplayed, and is not as absolute as the football mad southeasterners wish us all too believe. Passion bears out quite a bit...And the SEC is far and away the most passionate about their football. But just because you're more passionate does not mean your teams are that much better. It just means you have a slightly greater form of idolatry when it comes to your feelings about college football than every other conference and/or team in the country. Except, that is, for OSU which really worships the Buckeyes as ridiculously as any SEC school.

8. I'm less a fan of Urban Meyer than I was before. Was he still petitioning for Florida to get a shot at the Title in the post game interview with Chris Meyers. Urban, you won. Please shut your hole for a minute. And somebody wipe that smug, condescending, smirk off your face. Get over the chip on your shoulder deal. Wow, I really miss Steve Spurrier as their coach. At least his smugness came with humor on the side.

THAT IS ALL. This one stung.