Who Shall Prevail?

In case I haven't mentioned it (or you didn't see the pictures), I am a girl/woman/female type, etc. While I have no complaints about the situation (and neither does my new husband), it has limited my education in some ways. I was almost 30 before anyone explained the "righty tighty, lefty loosey" thing to me. I did not spend a significant portion of my youth (or adulthood) looking at pictures of naked women in magazines. And I never played organized football. (That one game of flag football in high school was in no way, shape or form 'organized'!)

While I did learn a lot from sitting on the sidelines, whether it was watching my brother's team or cheering on the Pee Wee squad, or dancing to the fight song as part of the band (I twirled a flag, I am not musically inclined) I know there are things I just don't understand about the sport. Part of that includes the different types of offenses and defenses and the actual plays themselves. There are even some positions that I can't remember if they are on offense or defense. It obviously doesn't matter to me or I would learn more and it does not impair my enjoyment of the game. It does, however, make some of my analysis pure B.S.

Having admitted my shortcomings, I want to publicly declare that I am tentatively taking The Ohio State University in tonight's BCS National Championship Game. I am hoping for a good game, a fairly close game and I want tOSU to win it all. Not possible? Am I crazy? Maybe, but maybe not.

Exluding 2004, the underdog has won the Championship each year since 2000. Five out of six times. Both teams have incredible defenses and both teams have solid offenses, so what does that leave as the deciding factor? Drive, stamina, desire and coaching. A lot of the players for the Buckeyes were on last year's team and were humiliated in the desert by an undeserving Gator ball club (Go Gators!). They remember, they want revenge. They want to prove they deserve to be playing in this game. They want to erase the memories of last year's debacle. They want to show the world they are champions. LSU? They were anointed in August and, while they have known adversary, they have already been crowned King of 2007. The Bucks don't stand a chance (if you listen to the press).

The main factor here, in my humble opinion, is coaching. Les Miles has never coached in a game this big. This is Jim Tressel's 3rd National Championship game in Div 1A and he coached Youngstown State to 4 titles in D1AA. He has the battle scars. He has been in the trenches. And he, too, was humiliated in the desert last year. He wasn't prepared for Florida's speed, for their power or for their desire to prove themselves. So, his team wasn't prepared. Jim Tressel (my opinion here) is a man who learns from his mistakes and he will not make the same ones again. OSU is 0-8 against SEC teams, but Jim Tressel is 0-1. I think he ties that up tonight!

Plus, I am now officially a Buckeye by marriage. DSD was raised close enough to the OSU campus to watch football practice after school. When tOSU changed from grass to turf in the 70's his dad sodded their entire front yard with endzone sod. DSD saw Archie Griffen play in the Rose Bowl in Pasadena one of the years Archie won the Heisman. Things were tense at our house during last year's Championship game. They will be tense again tonight, but it is nice that we are on the same side in this one!

Go Bucks!

(Gators for a 2008 Championship!)