The story of the 2018 College Football Season is not about Alabama’s quest
for back-to-back titles… not about Clemson’s Defense which may be one of the
best D’s in College Football History… not about Georgia’s quest to return to the
Title Game for a second chance… not about Michigan finally getting the title
shot promised when Jim Harbaugh was hired… not about Wisconsin or Washington
proving they are playoff-worthy, etc.
If there are three people who best epitomize this year in College Football,
it is three professional Wrestlers who hail from the western parts of the state
of Ohio… Jake and Dave Crist from Dayton, and Sam Johnson (aka Sami Callihan or
Jeremiah Crane) from Bellafontaine. Together the Crist Brothers and Sami form a
Tag Team Trio known as oVe… Ohio Vs. Everything. They wrestle in Impact
Wrestling as heels, and are very talented athletic professional wrestlers. To
describe their ring attire is tough. It’s a hint of goth mixed in with hints of
sadistic culture, and they act always angry and very brutal (pro tip: don't get caught alone in a bathroom with those three... especially if they have a video camera). In short, they are
a perfect symbolism of the forgotten parts of the rural Midwest… the parts that
helped elect a certain person as President two years ago.
Ohio State and their fans are angry this year, even though the situation is of their
own making. They hired Urban Meyer six years ago thinking he would win Titles
and mold men of virtue like he allegedly did with Tim Tebow at Florida. They
ignored the issues of Aaron Hernandez and other Florida players who acted badly
in Gainesville under Urb’s Florida tenure. And they ignored how one of Urb’s
Assistants, Zach Smith, had treated his significant other at Gainesville. Zach
joined Urb in Columbus, and reports surfaced earlier this year that in 2015,
Zach had physically assaulted his wife. Smith was fired, so end of story,
right? Well, Urban handled that situation very poorly, and there are still
questions as to what Urb knew and when he knew it. A decade ago, such questions
would seem irrelevant, but that was before Jerry Sandusky, before Larry Nassar,
before Maryland and their issues. As reporters pressed on Urb, he gave the
impression he was hiding more than what was known. Apparently, there was enough
issues that Ohio State suspended Urb for the first three weeks of the
season.
So Buckeye fans are angry… but not at Urb. They are angry at the University
for suspending Meyer. They are especially angry at the media for reporting on
this story (hmmm, that sounds familiar…). And they are angry because they (and
not eventual Champion Alabama) should have been in the playoff last season.
Professional Football stinks in Ohio. Lebron has left them again. Baseball is
going nowhere. Now the one thing Ohio has (Buckeye football) is under siege.
It’s everyone else’s fault. Buckeye fans will make them ALL pay!
So, Ohio State has a huge chip on their shoulder in 2018. And they are a
wounded animal right now. And that what makes this season all about how Ohio
State responds to this crisis. Two things can happen when a storm rages all
about you (whether that storm is of your own making or not). You can crack
under the pressure. Or you can circle the wagons and come out swinging. If
Ohio State falls apart while Urb is suspended, it is likely he will be fired
after the season. But I don’t think that will happen. Ohio State will take an
“Ohio Vs. Everything” approach this year. I predict Ohio State will win all
three games Urb is suspended. They will finished the regular season undefeated,
win the Big Ten Title, and will beat Alabama for the National Title in January.
My heart still wants Georgia to win it all, but my gut says Ohio State is OK
with playing the heel and do what it takes to win it all. After all, Urb above
all things was brought in for one purpose: win multiple titles.
For this year, O-H… I-O should be replaced with o-V-e as the popular chant in
Columbus. It is more indicative of Buckeye football and their fans in 2018.
This College Football season is truly about Ohio (State) vs. Everything.
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