"Bizarro 2002"

Remember the “Bizarro Jerry” episode of Seinfeld? Elaine ditches Jerry, George, and Kramer to associate with her new friends Kevin, Gene, and Feldman, that turn out to look exactly like her former cohorts, but act almost the complete opposite. Jerry refers to them as her “bizarro friends” in reference to the alternate Superman universe “where up is down and down is up”. Well, now that we are approaching 2007, looking back at this past year; I think it’s safe to say that 2006 could be considered “Bizarro 2002”.

Think about it:

In 2002, Ohio State finished the regular season undefeated, waiting to play in the National Championship game in Tempe, Arizona. After managing to barely squeak past each of their opponents throughout the season, they were the heavy underdogs heading into the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl against a flashier #1 team. In 2006, the Scarlet and Gray finished the regular season undefeated, waiting to play in the National Championship game in Glendale, Arizona. After dominating their schedule, the Buckeyes are heavy favorites to win the Tostitos National Championship Game, against a team that barely played their way to up to #2 (Now, I’ve said before in this blog, I don’t think you can compare the 2006 Florida Gators to the 2002 Ohio State Buckeyes, because the Gators have a loss, while the Buckeyes were undefeated, but forgive me for the sake of this argument)...

In 2002, Maurice Clarrett dominated the headlines for his on-the-field performance. In 2006, Maruice Clarrett dominated the headlines with his off-the-field performance...

In 2002, a second year coach for the Cleveland Browns led his team to the brink of the playoffs. In 2006, a second year coach for the Cleveland Browns led his team to the brink of disaster. (Still don’t believe its “Bizarro 2002”? At some point this Sunday, the last day of the year, Ken Dorsey will be starting at Quarterback and will probably connect with Kellen Winslow Jr., and they’ll be playing for an Ohio team…and I’ll be rooting for them.)...

Anyway, you get my point. All in all, 2006 was a great year for those who rooted for THEE Ohio State University, and a not-so-great year for those who rooted for “That City by the Lake” (and a roller coaster ride for those, like me, who rooted for both). So as we countdown to 2007, let me countdown my Top 5 storylines from 2006.

5) Pronk Power

It was a disappointing year for the Cleveland Indians as they were the pre-season favorites to win the A.L. Central and perhaps contend for the World Series. The Tribe had good hitting and good pitching, then the season started, and yada-yada-yada they finished 4th in their division. Travis Hafner delivered the best storyline from an otherwise substandard year, hitting a record 6 grand slams, tying Don Mattingly for the most in a single-season.

4) Wherefore Art Thou?

Romeo Crennel continues to show that he is in way over his head, not winning a single game within the division for the first time in 50 years, and on the verge of going 4 and 12 for the second consecutive season. One of the positives that can be taken from this otherwise dismal campaign, Kellen Winslow Jr., Braylon Edwards, and Kamerion Wimbley (the Browns’ last three #1 picks) have each played full seasons and have each competed at a high level – even though Edwards is starting to become a real problem in the locker room. Regardless, this is encouraging considering how snake-bitten our #1 picks have been since the Browns returned to the league in '99 (damn, I just jinxed them).

3) The Year of the Rivalry

For the first time in the long history of the rivalry, Ohio State and Michigan faced each other as the top 2 teams in the country (and both with undefeated records). The game on November 18th dominated the headlines for the last 4 weeks of the regular season, and with a 42-39 win by the Bucks, it was as good as advertised. Mini-rivalries with Texas and Florida over the past year have also added to the enjoyment of Ohio State's sprint to the Championship. The White Sox and Indians hate-fest picked up where it left off the previous season (although it didn’t turn out to be as big as it should have been). And the Cavs found competition that will stand between them and the NBA Championship in the coming years, namely the Washington Wizards and the Detroit Pistons.

2) Basketball is Back!

Before LBJ, basketball in Ohio had been pathetic (with exception to Ohio State making the Final Four in 1999). However, a great season by the Cavs, taking the defending champion Detroit Pistons to Game 7 of the Quarterfinals, and brought a relevant playoff series back to Cleveland. Those who had their eye on incoming freshmen Greg Oden and the Thad Five, missed the Buckeyes come out of nowhere to win an outright Big Ten title and snag a #2 seed in the NCAA Tournament (not to mention how much fun the Buckeyes are to watch this season). As The Rock would say: "FINALLY...Basketball has COME BACK...to O-HI-O!

1) #1 With a Bullet

Troy Smith started the year off as MVP of the Fiesta Bowl and built on that success by delivering nothing short of the greatest season ever by an Ohio State quarterback (not to mention becoming the first Quarterback at TOSU to win the Heisman Trophy). Overall, the Buckeyes won 13 games in 2006 (losing 0), and hope to start 2007 where it left off, by winning a bowl game in the desert.

Looking back, 2006 was pretty fun for Ohio Sports. It was a great year to be a Buckeye and for the first time in a long time we saw a meaningful playoff run by a Cleveland team. Moving forward, 2007 will either start with a bang or with a bust, but I'll always remember 2006 as the year we time traveled back to 2002, even if it was "bizarro" (Good Times!).

(Heis)Man of Troy

Glance towards the sideline of any Ohio State game and you’ll find one constant. Whether it’s 1st and goal with a 30-point lead over Michigan State or 4th and 12 in overtime of the National Championship game, Jim Tressel paces the sidelines, sporting his trademark sweater vest, as a monument to calm, cool, collectiveness. Twice since THEE Ohio State University hired him as head coach, have I seen Jim Tressel lose his composure. The first was following the 2003 Fiesta Bowl (celebrating his first Division 1A National Championship). The second came on Saturday when Troy Smith won the Heisman Trophy. With tears in his eyes, Tressel watched his quarterback walk up to the podium, accept the coveted award, and take his rightful place among the College Football all-time greats. 5 years of hard work, perseverance, and dedication culminating in one great moment shared by two great individuals.

(The irony is, 5 years ago, 2 High School athletes from similar backgrounds with similar talents came to Ohio State in Jim Tressel’s first great recruiting class. Maurice Clarett was the jewel, the guy who would join the long list of great Buckeye running backs, Troy Smith was the last man signed, without a position and simply listed as “athlete”. Over the next few years, each would get into trouble, and each would serve suspensions. However, in the end, the “athlete” will go down as the greatest Ohio State Quarterback ever, while the “jewel” is currently a resident of the Franklin County Corrections Center serving a minimum 3 and a half-year prison sentence. What does that tell you about the choices a person makes?)

There is no doubt that Troy Smith IS the best quarterback ever to wear the Scarlet and Gray (you can even argue that he has a chance to be the greatest Buckeye ever). He is the first Big Ten Quarterback to win the Heisman. He is second only to OJ Simpson in Heisman voting margin of victory (OJ beat Leroy Keyes by 1,750 points, while Troy beat Darren McFadden by 1,662), his 801 first place votes are also second all-time behind the Juice, but his 86.7% of the first place votes is a Heisman record.

So when he was at the podium this past Saturday, I got to thinking about my favorite Troy Smith moment. The problem is, he has dazzled us so many different times, that I can’t come up with just one. Since I couldn't decide on one, here are my Top 5 most memorable Troy Smith moments:

5.) September 9, 2006: “A Texas-Sized Payback”
Austin, Texas - With the score tied 7-7, Troy Smith hits Ted Ginn Jr. with a perfect 29-yard over-the-shoulder touchdown pass with 16 seconds left in the first half. The Buckeyes took the lead into halftime and never relinquished it. Smith finished with 269 yards passing and 2 touchdowns in route to a 24-7 victory.

4.) September 23, 2006: “Exorcising the Demons”
Columbus, Ohio – Penn State, the only team to give Troy Smith problems in his great career, was once again proving a worthy opponent, that is until Troy Smith delivered what would become the signature play of his Heisman campaign. With the Buckeyes nursing a slight lead, Smith dropped back to pass, rolled right, avoided a sure sack by turning on a dime, reversing course, and hitting Brian Robiskie in stride for a 37-yard back-breaking touchdown pass. The Buckeyes go on to win 28-6.

3.) November 20, 2004: “A Star is Born”
Columbus, Ohio – In his coming out party, Troy Smith hits Tony Gonzalez with a 68-yard touchdown bomb on the 5th play of the game. His first of three victories over Michigan, unranked Ohio State went on to upset #7 Michigan. He finished with 241 yards passing (2 touchdowns) and also running for another 145 yards.

2.) November 18, 2006: “The Game”
Columbus, Ohio – Curious to see how Troy Smith might do in the NFL? Look no further than “The Game of the Century”. Troy Smith locked down the Heisman Trophy with his 316-yard, 4-touchdown performance, leading #1 Ohio State over #2 Michigan. Smith hit Ted Ginn Jr. for a 39-yard end zone strike on a play-action fake to take a 2-touchdown lead. Although Michigan fought back, Smith held on to cap off his third straight win over that team up North and clinched a spot in the BCS National Championship game.

1.) November 19, 2005: “The Comeback”
Ann Arbor, Michigan – With 47 seconds left in the game, and the Buckeyes down by 2 points, Troy Smith hits Anthony Gonzalez for 26-yards to set up the game-winning score. Since I can’t begin to explain it, see it for yourself (little did we know, you could have mailed the Heisman to him right then and there):



I feel privileged to have been able to watch Troy Smith grow as a person and as a player over the last few years and it will be bittersweet to see him suit up for the last time. Lets hope that the best Troy Smith moment comes after the game on January 8th, when he holds up the Crystal Football. Then we can look back on his career at Ohio State not only as a Heisman Trophy winner, but also as a National Champion. And you never know, maybe, just maybe, we’ll get to see Jim Tressel show his emotions for the third time in 6 years (but don’t count on it).

Anything Can Happen

There was no way USC was going to lose to UCLA. They were going to rollover the Bruins, lockdown that #2 BCS spot, and book a ticket to Glendale, Arizona for a shot at the National Championship. Everyone was happy and the BCS was saved for at least one more year. Of course its never that simple in college football. Ask head coach Karl Dorrell if there was any way UCLA could’ve beaten the Trojans. Ask Pete Carroll the same question and you’d get the same answer. Ask Lloyd Carr if one game can change a rivalry. Ask Urban Meyer if his team deserves to play in the National Championship, or ask Jim Tressel what an underdog can do in the desert. My point is this, in college football, on any given day, anything can happen.

UCLA’s upset over USC sent shock waves through the NCAA and sent the BCS into an absolute frenzy. In the end, Florida won the popular vote against Michigan and will face The Ohio State University for the National Championship. But did the BCS get it right? I think so. Out of 4 teams that had a chance at the title game, Ohio State and Florida each won their last game, while Michigan and USC each lost their last game. Michigan’s only loss came in the Horseshoe to the #1 team in the country by 3 points, while Florida’s only loss came on the road in Auburn, on a controversial call in the closing minutes. Now, since its ridiculous to compare who should play for the national title by deciding who had the better loss, let’s see who had a tougher schedule. Florida finished with a 3-1 record against ranked teams, while Michigan finished with a 1-1 record. Florida defeated 9 bowl eligible teams (faced 10) while Michigan defeated 6 bowl eligible teams (faced 7). Florida won their Conference, Michigan didn’t.

So forgive me if I don’t feel the least bit sorry for the Maze and Blue. In fact, forgive me for enjoying it too much (You know in National Lampoons Christmas Vacation, when Clark Griswold opens up his Christmas bonus, only to find it’s a 12-month subscription to the Jelly-of-the-Month club? I like to picture Lloyd Carr watching the BCS Selection show, expecting a bid to the National Championship game, getting the Rose Bowl game, then completely losing it - kicking everything thing in site, stumbling over to the side, and taking a giant swig of eggnog, “It’s good, it’s good!")! Old Lloyd should be happy it isn’t 10 years ago. If it was, the bowl picture would look like this; Ohio State would be playing USC in the Rose Bowl, Florida would be playing in the Sugar Bowl, and Michigan would be stuck in Tampa playing for the Outback Bowl. So get over it! Go win the Rose Bowl and prove you deserve to play on January 8th. Until then, take it like a man (By the way, seeing how things shook out this year, I think we might be on the verge of getting even with Michigan for all those John Cooper years…but, not quite yet).

The last thing I’ll say about the BCS is this: Its pretty close to getting this whole College Football National Championship thing right. I would have no problem with using polls to decide the rankings, if it weren’t for people like Jim Walden. Who is Jim Walden and why does Iowa State’s old Head Coach have anything to do with the 2006 National Championship you ask? Well, he voted in the Harris Poll and his top 3 went like this - 1) Florida, 2) Ohio State, 3) Michigan. What? Florida is #1? Shenanigans! Yet, this is someone who has a say in who should play in the National Championship. And as long as you give dopes like Jim Walden a voice, the system will always be flawed.

Regardless, we finally have our match up. The Ohio State Buckeyes will face the Florida Gators on January 8th in Glendale, Arizona for all the Tostitos. But if you can’t wait until then, wet your whistle on December 23rd. That’s when Greg Oden and the rest of the Scarlet and Gray Basketball Team head to a hostile Gainesville to face the Gators on the hardwood floor (By the way, one of the most interesting storylines that absolutely nobody is talking about is when Oden came to Columbus, the hot topic was “Could the Buckeyes win the Football and Basketball Championship in the same year?” At the time, I shrugged it off as being ridiculous, until I saw both teams play. Now I think it could potentially happen. But as Lee Corso would say, “Not so fast my friend!” Look who just won the National Championship in Basketball and is now playing for the National Championship in Football – yep, you guessed it. I don’t really know how I feel about that, but it is definitely interesting).

Let me close with a warning to Buckeye Nation. We have a chance to do something great - no team has ever beaten three teams ranked #2 in the same season. But don't look past the Gators. For the next 32 days, they'll hear about how they don’t belong in the National Championship. For the next 32 days, when our guys are collecting trophies, Florida will be hearing about how they don’t even belong on the same field as this Ohio State team. For the next 32 days, these Gators will here about how there is no way they can win. So just remember…in college football, on any given day, anything can happen…especially in January…especially in Arizona. Just ask Larry Coker.

A Pack of Trojans?

It’s been 11 days since the Buckeyes beat Michigan in the biggest regular season College Football game ever played... and my head is still spinning. Rarely do games of that magnitude live up to the hype (and man did that game get a lot of hype). It had just the right amount of suspense, controversy, hitting, big plays, and Buckeye dominance that all great games need to have. Add in the tragic passing of Bo Schembechler, then sprinkle in 2 Undefeated teams, an outright Big Ten title, and a shot at the National Championship and you’ve got yourself a Classic! I can still see Beanie Wells’ spin move - turning a 4-yard loss into a 52-yard touchdown run. I can still see the play-fake by Troy Smith before hitting Ted Ginn Jr. with a perfect 39-yard touchdown pass (easily the best play-fake by an Ohio State Quarterback since Johnny Utah torched Bodhi’s gang during the great beach game). I can still see the thousands of Buckeye fans storming the field, heading to sing the Alma Mater with the team in front of TBDBITL (avoiding the SWAT Team protecting the goal posts in Flying V formation). I’ve watched that game at least 4 times already, and it gets better every time!

You know how you’re supposed to wait at least an hour before getting in the pool after you eat? Well, it takes at least a week to digest a game like this year’s Ohio State – Michigan game. But now that we know the Buckeyes will officially occupy one of the sidelines inside University of Phoenix Stadium (and the hangovers from November 18th have finally subsided), our attention can now be focused on which team Jim Tressel and the Buckeyes will battle on January 8th. Will it be Pete Carroll’s USC Trojans? Will it be Lloyd Cooper and the Michigan Wolverines? Will it be Ashtabula, Ohio native and former Buckeye Urban Meyer’s Florida Gators? Right now, it looks like the Trojans are in the best position to get a ticket to Glendale, but the other two have legitimate arguments and legitimate chances. So lets take a look what each team brings to the table, and what needs to happen for them to get a shot at the Scarlet and Gray for the Crystal Football.

FLORIDA

The SEC continues to get no love from the BCS. Despite having only one road loss in one of the toughest conferences in College Football (or the most over-rated, I’m not sure), the Gators won’t have enough steam to make it to #2 in the BCS (even if they beat Arkansas in the SEC Championship game). So once again, the SEC will be on the outside looking in on another BCS National Championship (and I have to say, I’m really looking forward to hearing all the bitching!).

There is one thing that intrigues me about the possibility of facing Florida. On more than one occasion in the past few weeks, I’ve heard analysts compare this Gators team to the Ohio State National Championship team from 2002. Despite the fact that Florida has one loss (while the 2002 Buckeyes won every game that year), the way in which the Gators rely on a good defense and an offense that delivers when it has to, the comparisons are being made. Since it looks like they won’t jump ahead of Michigan, it doesn’t really matter, but the chance to face a team similar to the 2002 National Champs does sort of intrigue me. In the end, they don’t have enough Buckeye in them to be undefeated, UCLA needs to beat USC, and the voters will need to sour on an Ohio State-Michigan rematch for the Gators to be in Arizona on January 8th.

MICHIGAN

If everyone in Ohio feels a slight rumble coming from up North on Saturday, that would be every Michigan fan collectively dropping to their knees and praying for a UCLA upset over USC. Right now, that looks like the only way that the Wolverines will have a shot at redemption over their Big Ten rivals. Personally, if you don’t win your own Conference, you don’t have a chance to win the National Championship. It’s that simple. How can you finish #2 in your Conference, but #1 in the Country?

However, after that incredible game on November 18th, you can’t deny that Ohio State and Michigan are the two best teams. If there is a rematch, and Lloyd Cooper somehow finds a way to out-couch Jim Tressel, then that means they will have lost in the Horse Shoe by only 3 points and will have beaten the Buckeyes in a neutral location. The neutral stadium would be the X-factor, and you have to say that Michigan deserves the title (of course every Buckeye fan knows that there is nothing neutral about playing in Arizona). Which is why I don’t want to see an Ohio State-Michigan rematch. It’s really a no-win situation for the Scarlet and Gray. We already took care of business once; doing it again will be a bit anti-climactic (plus, it never gets old seeing Michigan have to bend over and take one!).

USC

After shellacking Notre Dame this past Saturday, USC is now #2 in the BCS and on a crash course to meet the Buckeyes in the dessert on January 8th. This game will have everything that a National Championship game should have: Two great coaches, two great programs, two great fan bases, an old Rose Bowl rivalry renewed, and a (likely) Heisman Trophy winner. That right there is enough to love this match up, but it isn’t the real reason why I’d like to play the Trojans.

If we want to be the best, we have to beat the best – and nobody has been better than USC in the past few years. They have owned College Football: 3 Heisman Trophy winners in 4 years, 1 BCS National Championship (and would have 2 if not for a Super-human effort by Vince Young), and 1 Consensus National Championship (which they shared with LSU in 2003). Pete Carroll continues to reload and every year fields one of the top teams in the nation. If we’re going to win it all, lets do it against the top program!

Plus, if we can pull off a win, not only will we have 2 BCS National Championships this decade (not to mention another Top 5 finish), but also we will likely add our own Heisman Trophy winner to the list. I wouldn’t say the Buckeyes will have a more impressive resume than USC, but since Miami has tanked in recent years, we can at least throw our name into the “Who’s the best team this Century?” discussion (right now I would put Ohio State right behind USC and slightly ahead of Oklahoma – they have 1 BCS National Championship, a remarkable 4 other top 5 finishes, and 1 Heisman Trophy winner so far this decade).

So will it be USC playing for a Dynasty or will the Maze and Blue get a shot at redemption? Regardless, come Saturday I can finally file away the 2006 Ohio State – Michigan game into the “Greatest Game of the Greatest Year” file, and start to concentrate on who’s next. And who will have a say in whether the 2006 Ohio State Buckeyes will be Legends or Letdowns?