Since the days of Jim Tressel there has been one overriding theme that is always present in the Woody Hayes Athletic Center.
You have to beat Michigan.
To that end, the Buckeyes spend every day of practice with the Michigan game in mind. Not a day goes by that the team does not do something related to that Michigan game, whether it be a drill, film study, or whatever.
This year the Buckeyes prepared as usual, but at the last minute had the rug yanked out from under them when the Michigan game was canceled due to a COVID outbreak on the Michigan football team.
It was one more slap in a season of slaps, and the kind of disapppointment that can leave a team flat and unmotivated.
Not so for this year’s Buckeyes.
This has been a year of disappointments for a team that had high hopes coming into the season. First there was the threat of no season whatsoever. Then there was the disappointment of the cancelation of the Maryland game, then the Illinois game and of course the potential backbreaker in the loss of the Michigan game.
It might be too much for some teams, but this year’s Buckeye team says not so for this group.
“This team has matured with this season,” said OSU Head Football Coach Ryan Day. “They have become hardened to getting bad news. They’ve developed the ability to take the bad news and move on quickly to what it is they can control.”
That’s good news for Buckeye fans as the Buckeyes prepare for the Big 10 championship game against Northwestern. There is little chance that they will be flat for that game because of an emotional low due to the fact that they didn’t get a chance to play Michigan.
“Nothing really surprises us anymore,” said team captain senior defensive end Jonathan Cooper.
“We’ve been through so many things,” said Justin Fields. “Not many things phase us anymore. You can throw anything at us and we can handle it.”
The Buckeyes are hardened to adversity, but that doesn’t mean they are taking Northwestern lightly.
“I think they are a really good team,” said Cooper.
Cooper is probably right about that, and the Buckeyes will have to be on their game to beat them. Being flat from not playing Michigan, however, is not going to be a problem.
Sad Saturday with not being able to kick Michigan butts again as it never gets old.
Anyone rather play Notre Dame or Florida this week rather than Northwestern?
Shame we could not have played Cincinnati or Texas A&M last Saturday,
I wonder if maybe we should switch conferences to the ACC or SEC before next season. Better competition and can have fans and not worry about season being cancelled while conference athletic director children plays sports in another conference.
If you would lower your standards enough to join the SEC, then maybe you should just switch teams.
What happens to the gold pants that goes along with the ttun game.
*faze, John. “Phase” means something entirely different.