Thoughts on last night's BCS Championship.

Well, although I'll probably be looking for a new OSU hat sometime in the near future despite the loss. For now, the brown OSU hat stays on top of my head as a reminder of the past two BCS championship games.

Here are a couple thoughts concerning the Bucks 38-24 Bashing in the Bayou (in glorious copywriter bullet points, of course):

• As soon as Wells ran back the first touchdown to go up 7-0, my first response was "Uh, oh. I've got a bad feeling about this." I kid you not.


• As soon as the score was 10-0, everyone at The Winking Lizard in Peninsula started laughing and having a good ol' time like the Buckeyes already won the championship. I remember looking around thinking "What is wrong with you people?"


• 83 penalty yards for Ohio State including a roughing the punter penalty for a first down. Yikes.


• What's up with the defense? Why can't they wrap up and tackle opponents?


• 31 unanswered points? Can someone explain how that happens against the nation's No. 1 defense?


• LSU's secondary looked awesome. LSU's defense looked awesome.


• On offense, whenever the Tiger's were looking at third and long, I thought to myself, "They're going to get a first down." And they did. Every. Single. Time.


• Why is it as soon as Ohio State is behind one touchdown, it seems like the entire Buckeyes game plan gets thrown out the window?


• Where's Ricky Dudley when you need him? LSU tight-end Richard Dickson caught two TD passes. What's up with that?


• Just like last year, I can't believe I actually watched the whole freaking game waiting, hoping, thinking the Bucks were going to turn it around. Blech.


• I think Ohio State needs to shelve Youngstown State and Kent State and schedule at least two very big non-conference games a year to prepare for a possible conference title and championship run. If they don't win the two biggies, then at least they'll know they're not good enough to make it to the big game.


• I wonder what the Rose Bowl against USC would've been like?


• I wonder if West Virginia would have done the same thing to us had they beat Pittsburgh?
  
  To add insult to injury I came across this very unflattering Ohio State commentary by ESPN regular Pat Forde on ESPN.com today.
  
  

  All I can say is YEEEEEOUCH!

Remembering 41-14.

About 11 years ago, I was walking through the now-defunct Long's Bookstore in Columbus, Ohio, looking for a black Ohio State Buckeyes hat to wear to a game.

I walked past the bargain bin and did a double take. I just laid my eyes upon the perfect hat.

Black. Ohio State logo. The little plastic rip-and-tear head size tag. And, let's not forget the price tag...$5.99. Like I said, perfect.

I pulled out my credit card and bought three.

(In hindsight, I wished I would've bought more.)

The first hat was lost around 1998 by a solo gigantic wave during a drunken, night excursion at Hunting Island, South Carolina.

The second one was pitched into the trash after Ohio State defeated Miami in the BCS National Championship in 2002.

The third one is now a nasty shade of brown from the wear and tear of five continuous years of blood, sweat and tears. And although I still wear it proudly, I'll be the first to tell you that it's seen its last days.

That's why I finally broke down and told my wife-to-be that if Ohio State wins the National Championship tonight, I'm going to finally pitch my old hat into the trash and begin my search for a new, black Ohio State hat to wear triumphantly into my 40's.

Hell, I may even buy three and start the whole process again.

The hat is one of many reasons that I've got that bittersweet taste in my mouth as I count down the hours to tonight's game.

To be honest, I really haven't touched base too much on the Buckeyes making it to the National Championship game since it was announced in early December.

For one, I thought the Bucks postseason game was going to be played out against USC in the Rose Bowl on New Year's Day.

Maybe I'm still shocked. Maybe I'm hesitant to say anything at all.

Maybe I'm thinking about 41-14.

Yep I think that's it.

41-14. Ech.

Word around the campfire was that OSU Coach Jim Tressel had the Ohio State video guys make DVD's for the Ohio State players to take home and watch. You can see a snippet of it right here.

Word around the campfire was that the players were dead silent as they watched the DVD together the first time during a team meeting.

"Ouch. Point taken, coach!"

In a funny anectdotal story written by Tim May in today's Columbus Dispatch, LSU Head Coach Les Miles said his team was going to watch the movie 300 to get psyched up for the game.

May wrote:

As for the Buckeyes, senior right tackle and co-captain Kirk Barton was asked yesterday what movie he and his teammates might take in on the eve of the game.

"Film," he said.

Which film?

"Game film," he said.

Well played sir. Well played.

In any event, I'll be at The Winking Lizard in Peninsula drinking beer, eating wings and rooting on the Buckeyes with my good friend (and fellow, former OSU scoreboard operator) Eric.

Oh yeah, my brown Ohio State hat will there too.

Hopefully, playing it's final swan song on top of my head.