The Quarterback Conundrum

For as many summers as I can remember, an annual rite of mine is meticulously searching the local grocery store for the college football preseason magazines (It used to delectably pair with purchasing NCAA Football from Best Buy, but unfortunately, the legal system has robbed me of this). Scouring the predictions for the upcoming year, I couldn't help but notice all the attention given to Ohio State. From disbelief still remaining from their implausible run to the national championship, to discussing all the firepower returning to Columbus this fall, to looking ahead to all the top ranked recruits who have committed since January, I realized scarlet and gray stock has never been more bullish. Can anything buck this trend?

Last January, I wrote at length about how much fun it was rooting for the Buckeyes. To recap:
-"Ohio Against the World" wasn't just a clever slogan atop a gray sweatshirt on New Year's Day in New Orleans. It seamlessly became a mantra that every fan could connect with and rally behind after the questions and doubts that rained down on the Buckeyes throughout the season.
-I'm not sure if we'll ever see a third string quarterback light up the football field, regardless of the level of competition, as well as Twelve Gauge. Cardale Jones is not only a folk hero in Ohio now, but he's quickly grasping the pros social media can offer athletes.
-Joey Bosa trademarked his celebratory shrug with his play on the field, but Buckeye fans could emulate it off the field with their own pleasurable message of gesticulating to the skeptics they were going to be silenced by these players.
Of course, it ultimately wound up being the perfect script to watch unfold, ending with Ohio State being named the first, true "Undisputed Champions."

Many of the same cast of characters will return to try and claim consecutive College Football Playoff championships when fall practice begins in a couple of weeks. There appears to be no lack of focus or celebratory hangover from the program going all the way back to the winter. As soon as the clock in Arlington showed all zeros, Meyer declared "The Chase" complete. Now, "The Grind" to stay on top of the college football universe will serve as the Buckeye's mission. With this theme, Ohio State embraced the fact the hunters from last year will become the hunted this fall. Will it even matter for the Buckeyes during their regular season? Aside from Michigan State, their predators will be armed with not nearly enough ammunition to kill the Buckeyes' dreams of a repeat. I'd say there's about a 95% chance of Ohio State blowing out every opponent in their path on the way to the number one seed in the playoff. The 5% chance of derailment would result from either a Herculean effort from one of their opponents or complacency replacing competitiveness. Luckily, Ohio State's biggest question regarding the 2015 season is going to come down to a competition. And what a competition it's going to be.

That question, of course, is who will be the starting quarterback come September 7th? The quandary became less complicated with Braxton Miller's decision to change positions last week. The proven playmakers in Ezekiel Elliot, Michael Thomas, Curtis Samuel, Jalin Marshall, Dontre Wilson, Nick Vannett, and now the 2x Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year, being on the field with the victor might render the decision meaningless. Joe Bauserman might look competent in this system for God's sake! The defense returns leaders across the front, in the linebacker corps, and in the secondary meaning the Silver Bullets have a chance to be among the national leaders in a variety of categories. If the Buckeyes have a chance to dominate on both sides of the ball, does it matter what proven, beloved, Heisman candidate, player takes the reign? I don't think so. First, both players are incredibly talented, which I'll get to in a little bit. Secondly, Urban Meyer's track record with quarterbacks is almost as impressive as the coaching tree he is beginning to plant. At Utah, Alex Smith became the number one pick in the NFL Draft. At Florida, Tim Tebow became one of the most decorated players in college football history. At Ohio State, Meyer's guise and acumen helped JT Barrett and Cardale Jones prepare for their respective calls of duty last season. Now, during the offseason, Barrett and Jones have both been seen taking larger leadership roles, gaining a greater knowledge of the playbook, and taking the battle and notoriety in stride, backed by the attitude and energy Meyer has pumped into the program. Come September 7th, only one man will ultimately get the nod from him to take the field for the first possession.

I believe that man is going to be JT Barrett. He stepped in last year at basically a moment's notice and became one of the most poised quarterbacks in the country. His name is etched in the record books, not only for Ohio State, but across the conference after only one season. He is mentioned in the same sentence as Drew Brees in regards to his accomplishments from last year. He finished fifth in Heisman voting. He combines Miller's ability to create explosive plays with his feet with Jones' ability to sling the ball around the field, albeit not quite as far. He glides across the field with the natural moxie of Russell Wilson. He has worked with Braxton Miller during his transition to receiver, showing the desired team first attitude a leader should have. As for Jones, he has just as good of a shot at winning the job. He performed above what was expected of him in the most important three game stretch in Ohio State history. He can run over linemen, run past linebackers, and throws the ball over the heads of defensive backs... from a knee. Oh, he can also unleash the hit stick on a defender should he make a mistake. His game doesn't illustrate quite as beautifully and naturally to the eye as Barrett's does, but the brute force and intense passion he plays with gets the job done just as well. He has matured off the field, evident by his Twitter account. He has a great chance of success in the NFL modeling Ben Roethlisberger, after his own ability benefits from more polish and experience.



I could go on, and every notable, college football journalist will the next few weeks, so I'll stop now. I think I've explained the point Meyer's decision won't have horrible consequences regardless of what direction he goes. He's choosing between watching Game of Thrones and watching Breaking Bad. When you look at a single point in time, one might be better than the other on that given day. But when you examine the whole work, you end up splitting hairs on what aspect of greatness you would be better off indulging.

J. Nave

The Poison of Nostalgia

For the next several weeks, the driest stretch of the sports calendar will leave fans longing for football season. Jordan Spieth's quest to capture golf's Grand Slam, Wimbledon, and the Women's World Cup will captivate certain groups of fans, but unfortunately that will be the only escape from baseball highlights dominating SportsCenter's Top Ten. It has been an exciting and championship filled past few weeks in the world of sports, though. Golden State beat Cleveland in a great NBA Finals. Chicago won another Stanley Cup establishing another dynasty in the Windy City. The aforementioned Spieth outlasted Dustin Johnson to win the US Open. All of those stories are great, but there is another theme from this summer, lurking beneath all the glory, that I feel needs some commentary.

It started in May with the "Fight of the Century" between Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao. There was little to no chance the fight would live up to its tremendous level of hype. However, I don't think anybody expected the dud we got. Mayweather toyed with Pacquiao for twelve rounds and won by a comfortable margin via unanimous decision. The few flurries of punches thrown by Pacquiao were easily countered by the bigger Mayweather, and it was clear Pacquiao's last couple fights were not flukes. His time as a dominating force in boxing was over. 

It continued in early June on two different continents in the same week. In my hometown of Dublin, Ohio, Tiger Woods teed it up on Saturday afternoon of the Memorial. Throughout his career, Woods has dominated the tournament. Huge crowds followed around the multiple time winner, hoping this would be the tournament to jumpstart his run at a long awaited major championship. Instead, patrons were treated to Woods shooting an 85, the worst round of his career. A few weeks later at Chambers Bay, Woods would fail to break 80 in the first round. Hopes of passing Jack Nicklaus' mark of 18 majors seemed faint, event among the loyalest of Woods' worshipers, before the season. Now, I would wager many of them are seriously questioning whether he can even capture one more. 

Across the Atlantic, Rafael Nadal faced off against Novak Djokovic in a French Open quarterfinal. Even the least knowledgeable of tennis fans know of Nadal's mastery of the red clay at Roland Garros. Although his play had been on the decline in recent years, Nadal lost in straight sets, a result nobody would have predicted. It was only his second lost in the tournament. Previously, he had racked up 70 wins. Djokovic is arguably the best player in the world right now, but to watch him remain one shot ahead of Nadal during the entire match was an unexpected spectacle. Questions about Nadal's future soon replaced plans for another coronation for another French conquest.

I bring these events up to illustrate the unfortunate, yet inevitable, decline of greatness. It happens across every area of life and to everyone, but in sports, the fall from grace takes on a different character. At the first sign, we try and rationalize the event as an outlier. It won't happen again, we tell ourselves. He'll bring his A game next time around. Then, another defeat comes along. Is this the new normal, we wonder. Is it because of an injury? Finally, we accept that one of our legends is no more. They might still be competing, but it's fueled by a need to write the epilogue of their story, not a burning, competitive drive to win. The chapters of greatness came and went right before our eyes. We long to go back and add more treasured tales, but time's steady crawl has closed that door, leaving YouTube highlights and memories as the only options to relive the glory days. 

In individual sports. there are few casualties besides the athlete. A decision to finally call it quits can be made at any time, and there's a good chance no fans will abandon the athlete until the last game, match, or tournament. Woods, with his sex scandal in addition to his decline, attracts TV ratings and followings any other golfer would dream to experience. In team sports, though, many people can suffer from a decision to refuse mediocrity has replaced excellence. Whether it be a player, coach, or executive, the choice could potentially doom future seasons, cripple relationships between teammates, or lose the faith of fans. Last year, Derek Jeter played his final season with the New York Yankees. He played the worst season of his career (especially if you're a fan of sabremetrics), and since one of the wealthiest franchises in sports stuck with the legendary shortshop throughout his farewell tour, they prevented themselves from moving on and acquiring a replacement with their checkbook. Of course making Jeter ride the bench last year would not have gone over well- I get that, and I get Didi Gregorius hasn't lived up to his billing this season. Still, if more athletes and coaches would decide to go out while they're still on top, or at least near the top, it would greatly benefit their respective team. 

This brings me to a precarious case for one of my own teams. The South Carolina Gamecocks spent much of their football history as an afterthought. That all changed, however, when they convinced Steve Spurrier to come coach in Columbia. Now, nearly eleven years later, the program has been taken to unprecedented heights. Double digit win totals are now expected by Gamecock fans. Revenge against long hated rivals has been joyously felt numerous times. Recruits want to experience the thrill of Sandstorm and 2001. New facilities and stadium renovations seem poised to keep the program near the top of the SEC East. This all was the case even in light of a disappointing 7-6 campaign last year. Before the season, I remember reading articles predicting an SEC title, and a trip to the College Football Playoff. Afterwards, hindsight showed the fact losing the most successful quarterback in school history and several defensive stars was too much to overcome to attain those lofty goals. Gamecock fans accepted the season for what it was and were ready to have their team make a statement in 2015 that the defensive collapses of 2014 were nothing more than an inconsistent blip on the team's radar of things to come.

The road got a little more complicated when the Head Ball Coach made an off the cuff remark about not knowing how much longer he wanted to be the Head Ball Coach during this past bowl season. Recruits and opposing coaches took notice of this, and commits soon jumped ship. Spurrier would eventually retract his statement, but the damage was already done. Then, this past week, ESPN insider Travis Haney shared Spurrier wanted to call it quits last November on the Paul Finebaum Show. It took close family and friends to convince him to not give up on his love of football. This is a much more troubling sign of things to come in Columbia. I am rather bearish on the upcoming season of Gamecock football. The defense has to improve (right?), but the offense will likely experience growing pains behind whatever quarterback lines up under center (Actually, in this day and age, stand five yards behind the center). If Spurrier isn't showing the fiery energy and enthusiasm that has taken college football by storm ever since his playing days at Florida back in the 1960s, one more middling season might lead him to decide on working on lowering his handicap full time. 

South Carolina will not and should not fire Spurrier. That would be a ludicrous move and horrible treatment for the winningest coach in school history. However, trying to devise a contingency plan to provide easy relief from this conundrum would be incredibly beneficial. Whether that is to have talks with Spurrier about finalizing his personal plans for the coming few seasons or hiring a coach in waiting and giving Spurrier freedom, ushering in the post-Spurrier era needs to be done seamlessly. Attracting a big time coaching commodity, who will keep the recruiting pipeline flowing, will be a much easier task than it was a decade ago, all thanks to him. However, letting the respect for South Carolina football slide back towards pre-Spurrier levels would be crushing to these tasks and to a fanbase now grown accustomed to winning. 

It's possible the Gamecocks will find a way to return to the decade's earlier successes this season. It's possible I'm overanalyzing nothing more than an unlucky stretch of thirteen games. However, it's possible last season was Steve Spurrier's first step on an inevitable journey away from college football. The 2015 season will be one of the most important seasons in team history, whether it functions as adding to Spurrier's successes or laying the path for the program to move on from him in the future. I pray it turns out to be the former. Should it be the latter, hopefully one of my favorite personalities in college football will realize handing off his headset to a qualified replacement, rather than spending a few more frustrating seasons spiking his visor into the ground, will let Gamecock fans see his legacy continue to blossom in Columbia, South Carolina.

 J. Nave

The Tale of One City (And Its Improbable Quest for a Championship)

If there's one lesson I have learned during my lifetime, it's that there are certain moments you will never forget. Once it happens, the memory can be triggered by the slightest thing; a sight, a sound, or a smell can become a powerful reminder for years to come of either tremendous happiness or crushing horror. Certain events can even bond together large populations of people.

July 11th, 2014 was one of these moments for the state of Ohio. Four years after "The Decision", LeBron James announced to the world his intentions to come home and play for the Cleveland Cavaliers beginning with the 2014-15 season. I will never forget where I was that afternoon (Trapped inside my cramped, drive thru "office" at work as a bank teller. I can recall the announcement of the hosts on 97.1 The Fan speaking in a tone of equal parts elation, surprise, and relief about the breaking news. It's probably a minor miracle I did not screw up any transactions for the rest of the day...). Many people within the Buckeye State could do the same exact thing if asked. The acquisition of perennial All-Star Kevin Love followed in the coming weeks. For the next couple months, anticipation and hype built throughout the state to what should have been an inevitable breaking point. Instead, that climax never arrived. The excitement continued to crescendo all the way up to opening night in late October. When LeBron did his trademarked chalk toss for the first time, the city could finally acknowledge the moment was real; it wasn't just a fantasy forged throughout four losing seasons. The Cavaliers, plagued by sloppy play by James, responded to the hype by falling flat on their faces and lost. The starting lineup that night was composed of James, Kyrie Irving, Dion Waiters, Anderson Varejao, and Love. For the next few months, similar disappointing efforts followed. At one point in January, the Cavaliers owned a 19-20 record. Varejao was lost for the season due to an injury. Rumors of Love opting out of his contract after one season raged amongst the media. Calls for David Blatt to be fired furiously grew. Injuries continued to pile up on James leading many fans to wonder if his decline from omnipotent, league dominance had begun.

Now, fast forward a few months. The Cavaliers are facing the Atlanta Hawks in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals. Kevin Love had suffered a shoulder injury after being put into one of the nastiest arm bars this side of the UFC, but the Cavs hold a 3-0 series lead and are looking to capture the franchise's second appearance in the NBA Finals. The starting lineup for the Cavaliers would consist of James, a limping Kyrie Irving, and Tristan Thompson. One more player that was in Quicken Loans Arena several months ago in October held the fourth spot. However, Iman Shumpert, was wearing orange and blue, instead of wine and gold back then. Another key role player, JR Smith, was in the same position as Shumpert. Finally, Timofey Mozgov, acquired via trade with the Denver Nuggets, would start the game at center. Cleveland's most beloved new athlete, Matthew Dellavedova, would bring his hustling effort off the bench. The Cavs, as you already know, would go on to get the sweep with a resounding 30 point victory.

Tomorrow, the Cavaliers will begin their series with the Golden State Warriors in LeBron James' (and James Jones!) fifth consecutive NBA Finals appearance. To say this appearance would be his most impressive would be a gross understatement. Yes, the Eastern Conference offered very little in terms of quality opposition, but this team took more tweaking than the previous four combined where James sat at the helm. An unknown coaching entity from international play had to learn how to handle three of the sport's most talented players. Draft picks would be wagered to mortgage the team's future on ending Cleveland's long and infamous championship drought this summer to pick up missing pieces. James would have to understand his own aging body learning when to press and when to relent. The roster upheaval alone during the course of the season would have been enough of an unprecedented challenge for any team to overcome to find success. As pointed out earlier, it was not always pretty, but watching this team finally blossom during the playoffs has been a treat. Shooting threats surround the best player on the planet forcing opposing teams to never take a possession off defensively. The aforementioned play of Dellavedova, as well as strong effort by Thompson and Shumpert, have created the solution to earlier problems regarding the Cavaliers' defensive ability.

Now, one of the NBA's most successful teams of all time is what stands between LeBron James and his desperate city from a long developed hunger for championship glory. Should the Warriors win the series, they will finish the season with the third most wins in NBA history. They are led by the league MVP, Stephen Curry, and his backcourt running mate, Klay Thompson. Curry's shot is one of the prettiest sights in the league, he makes behind the back passes look effortless, and his floaters leave big men unable to protect the rim. Their starting lineup also boasts a defensive pest in Draymond Green, whose life's purpose for the next two weeks will be to annoy LeBron James. Their depth and health currently trump the Cavaliers, even when factoring in the concussion like symptoms Thompson has been dealing with (All indications point to him suiting up in uniform on Thursday night). Golden State has won 46 of 49 games in Oracle Arena, giving them a home court advantage on par with college basketball's most dominant blue bloods in a series they hold the actual home court advantage. Their coach, Steve Kerr, picked the brain of Michael Jordan and Phil Jackson during his playing career as a reserve guard with the Bulls. Trends throughout NBA history also suggest there is a strong correlation the Warriors will win the series with what they accomplished during the regular season. Convinced this will be a challenge for the Cavaliers yet?

On a deeper level, it's rather fitting a finely tuned and flashy product from Silicon Valley will face this ruggedly pieced together bunch from the Rust Belt. Equally scrutinized along with Cleveland's failures in the world of sports is the decline in the city's economic activity. Anyone who has visited the city in recent years, including yours truly, can speak to the disheartening scenes throughout the city. Abandoned factories dot the outskirts of downtown. Minus certain blocks around the arena and stadiums, the rest of the downtown streets yearn for their glory days of yesteryear. Hardship and Cleveland have developed a symbiotic relationship in recent decades, and the blue collar spirit ingrained in the city's culture has fought to overcome the economic obstacles related to Cleveland's manufacturing past. It might sound ludicrous to certain people, but LeBron James elevated those optimistic efforts with his proclamation last summer because the city received something to believe in again. A glimmer of a new, promising future emerged for the city with his return to replace obsolete dreams from the 20th century, and even his previous time in Cleveland. Even Nike realized this spirit with a powerful ad they released just before the beginning of the season, showing the whole city of Cleveland preparing to go on this journey together. As blasphemous as all that sounds, this tale for Cleveland's championship is one of biblical proportions. The Prodigal Son might have initially taken his wealth elsewhere, but when he found himself and needed to return home, he was greeted with immense love. LeBron James caused the city of Cleveland devastating heartbreak when he took his talents to South Beach, but he has received nothing but respect, love, and admiration during this wild season. Even the fans who could be seen lighting his memorabilia on fire, like the bitter older brother, have come around to acknowledge the rebirth of the Cavaliers (Some might call these people fair weather fans, but if the heart and soul of your team decided to leave on national television, wouldn't there be some hard feelings?). The only question remaining is will the streets of Cleveland be able to erupt into a celebratory parade to rival the party thrown in the Book of Luke?

Back in January, I would have been ecstatic to see the Cavaliers simply make the NBA Finals in LeBron's first season back home. Momentum would be achieved for Cleveland's drought to come to an end next summer, following Kevin Love's recovery from injury and another season of figuring out the team's strengths and weaknesses for every piece of the puzzle. While definitely influenced by bias and fandom for the general underdog story, as well as this underdog in particular, I'm picking LeBron James and the Cavaliers to end Cleveland's half-century of suffering. The plays and games haunting fans of the Browns, Cavaliers, and Indians will be replaced by memories of the Larry O'Brien Trophy being hoisted into the air by Northeast Ohio's native son. 2015 has already shown us a third string quarterback can win a championship for an Ohio team. In this underdog world we seem to be living in, I like the chances of The King winning a long overdue trophy for his home's mantelpiece.

J. Nave

The Third Annual March Madness Preview of All Previews

Christmas in March to many people in the United States is St. Patrick's Day. A holiday built around drinking green beer to celebrate a patron saint and channeling your inner Irish alcoholic, however, has no business competing with the actual day that is Christmas in March. That day is Selection Sunday. If you believe there is a better postseason tournament in sports than the NCAA Tournament, or as it more affectionately known March Madness, you better be thinking of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. If not, stop reading this blog. Your opinion regarding sports is invalid. Only in March can a team like Florida Gulf Coast captivate the entire country. Only in March can the underdog be given a fair shot. 68 teams right now stand six-or seven, if they play in the first round- wins from a national championship. Now, some of my professors would not advocate using this busy week of mine to publicly announce and analyze my predictions. Anybody can fill out a bracket and just about everybody I know does. Predictions on this blog don't have the greatest track record of getting tournament picks right, either. But the third time is the charm, right? It's Saint Patrick's Day, right? I can write down Kentucky to win it all and finally get the ultimate prediction correct without concern, right? Let's dive in and look at the 2015 field and my bracket.

MIDWEST REGION-Will Anybody Stop Kentucky? No. 

It's no secret I despise the Kentucky Wildcats. Just take a look at the blog archives for a post I wrote the day before Kentucky played in the National Championship game last year. As I've tried to understand the core nature of my hatred it hit me- John Calipari is the Tywin Lannister of college basketball. Fans of Game of Thrones will come to see this is a brilliant metaphor. People who don't watch the show should stop reading this and go immediately start watching Game of Thrones, as you have 26 days to watch 40 episodes in preparation for Season Five. At his previous two stops, illicit activities took place vacating both Massachusetts and Memphis of Final Four appearances. Calipari was never personally indicted, though. You know who that sounds like? Tywin Lannister. The patriarch of House Lannister never gets his hands dirty, but only the naivest of the naive would argue Tywin is a saint. Both men come off as smug and arrogant whenever they are on screen. Tywin's relatives have long practiced inbreeding. I'm sure some people would argue the same could be said about a population of Kentucky fans. Both men are creepily obsessed with their legacy- Tywin, with his family and maintaining rule of Westeros; Calipari, with his players becoming high NBA draft picks. Both men have a lot of power, but little control of their situation- Tywin must trust Joffrey and his kids; Calipari must trust his players. In Season 4 of Game of Thrones, the Lannisters mighty rule slowly and surely tumbled into absolute chaos after a steady three season rise to the top. The Lannisters ultimately did themselves in. Will Kentucky crumble under the pressure of a 40-0 season? Will Devin Booker, AKA the grown up, boy scout from Up, stop scoring? Will the Harrison twins shoot Calipari with a crossbow in the team hotel? Any of these could happen, and for the sake of completing this analogy, I hope they do. But I don't see that happening. Talent, height, length, depth, great defense, a vastly improved offense, NCAA tournament experience. The list of reasons goes on and on for why Big Blue Nation cuts down the nets. Watching Calipari go 40-0 would suck until the season gets vacated seven years from now. Having a team beat Kentucky would take a Herculean effort likely resulting in one of the greatest college basketball games of all time. Either way, it's a win/win. 

WEST REGION- Arizona Gets Revenge On Wisconsin

Last year, Wisconsin beat Arizona in the Elite Eight in one of the most entertaining games of the NCAA tournament. This year, Arizona will beat Wisconsin in the Elite Eight in one of the most entertaining games of the tournament. This region was by far the easiest for me to fill out. In my opinion, these two teams are playing better than anyone not named Kentucky. These are also the two teams I think have the best shot at beating Kentucky. It's a shame only one will get the chance. Arizona, under Sean Miller, has become a perennial power in the desolate wasteland that is college basketball out west. Stanley Johnson might sound like one of the plainest names of all time, but his game is far from plain. Watching TJ McConnell play is like watching a more offensively potent Aaron Craft come to life. Arizona has size that will suffocate Wisconsin's Player of the Year candidate, Frank Kaminsky. The Wildcats reward will be to play the Wildcats for a shot at the National Championship. 

EAST REGION- Michigan State Is My Cinderella Final Four Pick

Villanova might be one of the most underrated one seeds of all times. Virginia basketball is the Michelangelo-esque masterpiece of what college basketball should look like. It pains me to not pick either team to have a crack at the National Championship. But there's something about this Michigan State team. The Spartans have been a virtual non-factor all season, but after taking Wisconsin to the brink in the Big Ten tournament, they appeared back in the national discussion. The Spartans are never a team you want to face in March, and this team seems to be no exception to this classic rule. Tom Izzo is personally my favorite coach in college basketball. His grimaces on camera are hilarious. His ability to continually get more out of his teams than he should is downright miraculous. He could lead the Michigan State managers to the second weekend of the tournament. This in many ways reminds me of Michigan State Final Four teams in years past. Travis Trice has morphed into a type of guard like Keith Appling or Drew Neitzel that pulled off a deep run for the Spartans before. Brendan Dawson has become an enigmatic mismatch. Denzel Valentine plays with incredible confidence. Matt Costello is better than you think he is. I picked the Spartans to make the Final Four last year, and they made the Elite Eight after beating the #1 seed in the region, Virginia. Another upset over the Cavaliers starts the run for the Spartans back to the Final Four, where Tom Izzo hasn't been since 2010. That's a long time in Izzo years. The Final Four's prodigal son comes home in Indianapolis. 

SOUTH REGION- The Mayor Brings Hilton Magic to the Final Four

Every basketball analyst in the country has been drooling over the inevitable title game between Kentucky and Duke since November. I've got news for you. That game isn't going to happen. The selection committee obviously wanted it to happen based on the draw the Blue Devils were given. In all likelihood, Duke won't break a sweat until at least the Elite Eight. Typing that sentence is exactly why I can't pick Duke to make it to the Final Four, however. When a sixteen seed finally beats a one seed, it will be Duke to lose. Mercer? Lehigh? VCU before they were a national brand? North Florida plays in the same state as Florida Gulf Coast. Robert Morris beat Kentucky in the NIT a few years ago. The winner awaits Duke. Is this going to finally be the year? Duke's rotation depends on Grayson Allen, who looks suspiciously like Freddie from iCarly, and Marshall Plumlee, who is the ugly stepsister of the Plumlee family in terms of basketball ability. The lack of depth is frightening should Duke find themselves in a physical game against San Diego State in the third round. Factor in the allergy to playing defense and some of the losses Duke has had this year, and I can't bring myself to pick Coach K to advance this team too deep. 

That brought me to the issue of who to pick to replace them in the Final Four. Gonzaga is talented, but they're Gonzaga. They don't have a good track record for lengthy tournament runs. Georgetown should be about a #6 or #7 seed, and they have a reputation for upsets in the tournament as well. Eastern Washington will score a ton of points and might upset the Hoyas. Utah might get beat by Stephen F. Austin. I contemplated picking Davidson or Iowa to make the Final Four. Ultimately, I decided this has got to be Iowa State's year. Fred Hoiberg has turned Ames, Iowa into one of college basketball's most passionate hotbeds. The Cyclones are firing on all cylinders with their offense like always, and they have a much needed interior presence that has been lacking in years past. Also, there's the fact Iowa State won the Big 12 tournament WITHOUT EVEN TRYING IN THE FIRST HALF. Hoiberg's starters acted like they wanted to go eat Kansas City barbecue, listen to TLC, and/or watch Netflix for the first half of every game, and they still won their second consecutive conference championship. The Mayor is a good enough coach to fix this intensity and effort issue if it still needs addressed. Iowa State has their own serious concerns, none bigger than the fact they lost to my South Carolina Gamecocks. The South Region is a total toss up, but I'm going with the team that has made me believe Iowa State's famed Hilton Magic has spread out of Ames. The Cyclones then would get the Spartans in a classic clash of styles and pit a veteran coaching icon against a likely future one. 

Other Tournament Tidbits

-A long standing joke about the Mormon faith is the practice of polygamy. Brigham Young University, a predominantly Mormon institution, has a player in Kyle Collinsworth that practices polygamy- on the stat sheet. The guy has six triple doubles THIS SEASON. In addition, the Cougars have Tyler Haws, who can channel his inner Jimmer Fredette on any given night. BYU will have to to win three games to get there, but they could be a double digit team still playing during the second weekend. 

-The 5/12 upset has by far become the most commonly picked tradition in the NCAA Tournament. However, this year, I don't see a single 12 seed getting the job done. This basically is picking an upset! Don't get me wrong, the twelve seeds all pose interesting threats. The five seeds all have a player, though, that can take over any game, which is not always the case, especially when you observe the field from last year where every five seed played a dogfight. For West Virginia, Juwan Staten's skill set combined with the Mountaineers' pressing defense will be tough to overcome. Arkansas has the SEC Player of the Year in Bobby Portis, and Wofford doesn't have the size to contain him. Northern Iowa has Seth Tuttle, one of the most underrated forwards in the entire country. Lastly, Utah has Delon Wright. If you decide to pick an upset, I'd choose Buffalo over West Virginia or Stephen F. Austin over Utah. Staten has been hobbled from injuries in recent weeks, while Utah as a team has struggled recently.

-If you like bold upset predictions, I'd like to introduce you to two intriguing options. Belmont over Virginia and Georgia State over Baylor. Belmont shoots A LOT of threes. They have a tendency to make A LOT of threes. Virginia's pack line defense is built around allowing teams to take perimeter shots. This allowed Duke to beat them after being outplayed for 38 minutes. Combine this with Justin Anderson's seemingly inability to play at 100% from injury, and the Cavaliers might be ripe for an upset. Virginia has only lost three games on the season, and like I said before, I believe at full strength they are the epitome of college basketball excellence. If Belmont isn't making their shots, they might not score more than 45 points. I advanced UVA, but I thought about pulling the trigger. Meanwhile, Georgia State has one huge intangible advantage over Baylor. A mention in a Drake song. Ohio State is mentioned in a Drake song, and they won it all in football this year. Georgia State also has former Louisville player, Kevin Ware (Leg injury picture not included because NSFW), and former Kentucky player, Ryan Harrow on the roster. NEWS FLASH: Those programs are good at basketball. The advanced stats say Georgia State has the potential to pull off the stunner as well, if you are a math guy or gal. Plus, I hate Baylor after ending the career of Doug McDermott last spring. Yet again, couldn't bring myself to pull the trigger.  

-Wichita State should not be discounted as another seven seed that can make a run. A match-up with Kansas is what Shocker fans have been pleading for ever since Gregg Marshall took the program to new heights a couple years back. Fred Van Vleet and Ron Baker have a lot of tournament experience, and backcourt play is normally crucial in terms of a team advancing in March. 

-Ohio State will go only as far as D'Angelo Russell can carry them. Beating VCU is one thing, but beating Arizona will literally, and figuratively, be a tall task for the undersized Buckeyes. If there's any consolation for hope, UConn, behind the play of one really good guard last year, made a fairly deep tournament run from a very similar spot on the bracket last year. 

-I have a personal history with one player in the field this year. I attempted to get into a fight with Davidson guard Jack Gibbs after a high school basketball game between his school and mine. I was not on the team, and I'm not sure why I thought I could take him. However, in the moment, I was ready to move past verbal heckling for the only time in my student section career. It would have probably ended very poorly for me. Anyways, the guy plays with grit toughness and when you combine him and A-10 Player of the Year Tyler Kalinoski in the same backcourt, the Wildcats could easily become a tough out. They lack strong frontcourt play, which is going to be problematic, but Davidson as a 10 seed with competent guard play has led to something special before in the tournament. Isn't that right, Steph Curry? 

-I'm picking Kentucky to win it all solely hoping that doing so will result in them not getting the job done.

-I picked against Ohio State hoping that will allow them to win at least one game.

-The one prediction I can guarantee? March Madness will once again live up to its name.

-When Iowa State gets beaten by UAB, and Virginia enacts revenge on Michigan State by beating them by 20 points, don't tweet hateful things at me. 

THE BRACKET

J. Nave

Can Any Elite Team Beat Kentucky?

After a brief hiatus, your girlfriend's favorite amateur sports blogger is back with a confident vengeance after picking the Super Bowl correctly earlier this month.

When this blog was created two years ago, the focus was supposed to be exclusively on college basketball. Once April rolled around, however, I realized this was too entertaining to just do only a couple months of the year. Yes, I know I have not written about college basketball this year in a season that is now four months old. Yes, I know my propensity for picking games in the NCAA Tournament has been disastrous in my two attempts through this medium. But you know what, this is a new year. To begin, it will take only two sentences and one Vine to summarize the first four months of the season for those of you who don't follow the sport:

1) Kentucky is hands down the best team in the country.

2) Teams that have tried to beat Kentucky have been as successful as Amir Williams was in this attempt to dunk a basketball

There you have it. All talk this year has revolved around if, and when, Kentucky will lose. The quest for 40-0 was the story in the preseason, and it still is the story in mid February. During the first television timeout of their first game, I knew I would have the Wildcats winning it all barring an Ebola epidemic wiping out the entire first platoon (Ebola was a serious thing back in November, remember?!). There have been some close calls in SEC play, but an unblemished record still resides by Big Blue Nation in the standings. I would wager a substantial amount of money the NCAA Tournament is going to be nothing but a formal arrangement to determine which team will serve as tribute for Kentucky in the national championship. But you see, when the calendar turns to March crazy things have a tendency to happen in this wonderful sport. Butler can come one half court shot rimming out from winning it all. Guys like Kemba Walker and Shabazz Napier can go off and lead UConn to national titles. Christian Laettner can happen. So, I'm going to take a look at the select few teams that might just have enough talent and find themselves needing a play or two to go their way to beat Kentucky. Then, I'll explain why Kentucky could just as easily beat each of them by 20 points and not even break a sweat.

Duke

CASE FOR: Jahlil Okafor is more than likely going to be the number one pick in the NBA Draft. Duke scores a lot of points with ease, and they know how to get good looks from deep. Duke has played a rigorous ACC schedule preparing them for close games in the tournament. Coach K is on their sideline. They have the potential to hit an absurd number of threes. Duke's freshmen are only outmatched by Kentucky's freshmen. Duke makes threes.

CASE AGAINST: They rely on the three pointer way too much, which can lead to losses that shouldn't happen. For example, they got blown out on their home court by MIAMI in a sport that's not football. They got dominated by a mediocre NC STATE team. They avoid playing defense as frequently as the average college student avoids studying for a test. They rely on the three pointer. They have a tendency to lose in their first game of the tournament against the likes of Lehigh and Mercer, so they'll never advance far enough to play Kentucky. Marshall Plumlee might have to guard Karl Anthony Towns (For those of you unfamiliar with the Plumlee family and Duke basketball, think of Plumlee as Cinderella. His more talented older brothers likely humiliated him on the court growing up, but then his fairy godmother -Coach K- offered him a scholarship to allow his lacking basketball skills into something special. It must have turned midnight before poor Marshall ever got to campus, though, because he has never blossomed and would be a serious liability for Duke against any elite team). Also, it's Duke. The only thing nearly as bad as Kentucky winning it all is Duke winning it all. Finally, they shoot too many threes.

CHANCE OF WINNING: Me getting a hole in one during my next round of golf (There's potential, but there are a lot of things that will likely prevent it from happening).

Gonzaga

CASE FOR: Let's compare the 2014-2015 Bulldogs' basketball team to the 2014 Ohio State Buckeyes' football team. Chastised for playing in a weak conference? Check. Successful seasons of late, but a failure to do anything on the national stage in the postseason? Check. Very good coach? Check. Very talented team? Check. Weak analogy that conveniently gets across the point I'm going for? Check. In terms of actual basketball reasons, Gonzaga's best hope might be they run one of the most efficient offensive attacks in the country. They also have Kyle Wiltjer, who transferred from Kentucky. Can't imagine anything more satisfying for somebody that despises Coach Cal as much as me than to have a former player go off for one game and knock Big Blue Nation out of the tournament.

CASE AGAINST: Gonzaga is an annual underachiever in March- Maybe it's because of playing teams like Pepperdine, Portland, Loyola Pacific, and Saint Mary's for three months (Only one of those four isn't a real team!). Gonzaga's best road win was against UCLA- UCLA was trailing Kentucky 41-7 at the half. I can't name three players on this Gonzaga team- I can name seven players that come off of Kentucky's bench.

CHANCE OF WINNING: Me going on a date with Anna Kendrick (The story would be incredible and one for the ages, but unless some circumstances change, it's highly unlikely to happen... If you're reading this, Miss Kendrick, please follow back on Twitter and slide in the DMs).

Wisconsin

CASE FOR: Frank Kaminsky. Wisconsin's own seven foot tall, player of the year candidate menace could cause the lane to vacate by forcing one of John Calipari's League of Extraordinarily Tall Gentlemen to follow him out to the three point line. A system that prides itself on limiting turnovers, playing good team defense, and taking good shots on offense. A team that can knock down the amount of threes you will need to swing the game. Momentum and experience from a tournament run last year. A mindset of revenge after Kentucky beat them with a late three in the tournament last year.

CASE AGAINST: Traevon Jackson, Wisconsin's starting point guard, has been injured for several weeks now. While he should return in time for the tournament, your field general will need to play lights out to beat Kentucky. Wisconsin lost to Duke on their home court. The Badgers' system might struggle to score against Kentucky's trees- It's hard to successfully get open cuts to the basket with the tallest team in college basketball clogging the lane. The Big Ten is having a down year, and Wisconsin hasn't played many great teams the last two months.

CHANCE OF WINNING: Me getting an internship at Google (The prerequisites to give me a chance might be there, but unfortunately the competition might just simply be better qualified than me)

Villanova

CASE FOR: Villanova, to borrow a concept from one of my sports journalist icons, Bill Simmons, is a sneaky good, nobody believes in us team. Last year, Villanova steamrolled everybody in the Big East except for Creighton, because Doug McDermott was a corn oasis, Nebraskan deity. However, in the tournament, the Wildcats got Shabazz Napier'ed and bowed out in the second round. Kentucky's depth is continually lauded, but Villanova goes nine deep regularly this year. They run a balanced offense where the leading scorer is rarely the same on a game to game basis. The Big East plays its game on Fox Sports 1, so casual basketball fans likely don't realize the top to bottom strength of the conference, and it provides another way for Villanova to float under the national radar. Ryan Arcidiacono provides a savvy, leadership presence on the court. Darrun Hillard, as the kids are saying these days, gets buckets. Oh, and Jay Wright's coaching acumen shouldn't be discounted either.

CASE AGAINST: Villanova's best opponent all year has arguably been VCU. While the Big East does provide a lot of top to bottom depth and the Wildcats could potentially lose on any night, the other elite teams on the list would compose an entirely different set of challenges. Villanova is also unlikely to get a one seed. This means they'll face another potential dangerous opponent as early as the second round. For example, Wildcat fans would be terrified of a potential game against Ohio State, currently projected to get a seven seed by Joe Lunardi. D'Angelo Russell it appears was put on this planet (and this Ohio State team for one year) to crush a team's dreams in March. Villanova would have to get through a couple of these games before even facing Kentucky. Winning three tough games and being rewarded with dealing with Big Blue Nation? It really isn't fair.

CHANCE OF WINNING: Me going skydiving within the next couple weeks (It would be surprising, but the more you think about it, the more you realize it could actually happen).


Virginia

CASE FOR: If defense wins championships, this is the only team in the country that defends on the same elite level as Kentucky. The "packline" defense has stifled many high octane offenses throughout conference play in the ACC. London Perrantes doesn't have flashy numbers, but he might be the most underrated and important point guard in the county. Virginia's guards have the size to match up with the Harrison twins and Devin Booker. Justin Anderson might be the best player in the country you've never heard of.

CASE AGAINST: Justin Anderson suffered a finger injury a few weeks ago, and his return remains a huge question mark. Without Anderson on the court, Virginia's offense has struggled to score the basketball. Not being able to score makes basketball a very difficult game, even if your defense held a team to 28 points in a game (Which Virginia did against Harvard earlier this year).  Mike Tobey and Anthony Gill will be giving a few inches to Kentucky's forwards.

CHANCE OF WINNING: Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather agreeing to fight (There's a good chance of it happening, but both parties will n--- WAIT?!? THEY AGREED TO A FIGHT?!? BOTH SIDES PUT THEIR EGOS ASIDE TO GIVE THE FANS, NAY, THE WORLD WHAT IT WANTED?!? SCREW IT! ALL THE CRAZY, DIFFICULT TO UNDERSTAND, THEORETICAL PHYSICS FROM INTERSTELLAR HAS INFILTRATED OUR WORLD. WE ARE IN A NEW DIMENSION. KENTUCKY'S GOING TO BE THE FIRST ONE SEED TO LOSE TO A SIXTEEN SEED. HAPPY ALMOST MARCH, AMERICA!!!!!).

J. Nave

Second Annual Super Bowl Prediction (By Previewing Absolutely Nothing Related to Football)

One of my favorite blog posts in my two year history was written almost a year ago to the day. I thoroughly analyzed Bruno Mars, the legalization of marijuana, Omaha, Nebraska, and a bunch of other random nonsense to make a Super Bowl prediction. If you weren't a fan of the blog this time last year, shame on you. However, I've provided a link to the piece here. For those of you readers who hold me to every prediction I make, you'll remember I picked the Broncos to beat the Seahawks 21-20. As you all know, that didn't happen. I received death threats from friends who had wagered on Denver. I was ridiculed by my peers into deactivating the site for six weeks. It was a dark time, indeed. However, I've decided last year was a fluke. The Xs and Os mean nothing when it comes to forecasting the biggest sporting event of the year- Intangibles trump everything! So on that note, let's dive in and look at who wins Super Bowl XLIX the fun, correct, and unorthodox way.

1. Deflategate/Ballghazi
The higher-ups at ESPN must be readers of this blog because I can't think of a single more ridiculous intangible than under inflated footballs causing a team to win a game by 38 points. Tom Brady could have used a t-shirt cannon or slingshot and performed the same onslaught through the air. LeGarrette Blount could have ran through the Colts defense with his legs tied together. General Andrew Luck would have still lost if his troops were armed with UMP45s. The Patriots have a history of questionable ethics. The story and subsequent lies should not have come as a surprise!

But you see, the media's got it all wrong. Neither Tom Brady nor Bill Belichick gave the order to deflate the balls. It was Pete Carroll! It's no secret Carroll employed less than questionable methods during his tenure at Southern Cal. Reggie Bush had a Heisman trophy taken away? Scholarship sanctions for multiple years? The hole he dug the Trojan program in is why he went to Seattle after all. So, Pete got smart. Knowing the Colts would get run out of the stadium, he paid an associate to fly to Boston and start the media crazed scandal that has taught us all valuable information about PSI. Belichick hasn't had time to game plan for Marshawn Lynch. Tom Brady hasn't made a trip to the mall in weeks, and he has no new outfit to wear in Glendale. It truly was one of the greatest tactical maneuvers I've ever witnessed, and it has made me question whether Pete Carroll is the Frank Underwood of our actual universe. Nicely done, Pete!

Seattle: 1          New England: 0

2. Rob Gronkowski

Yes, I know Gronkowski is a football player for the Patriots. Yes, I know I said I wasn't going to talk about football. But Gronk warrants his own section. The things he can do on a football field couldn't be accomplished with even the coolest glitch in Madden. Off the field, the man is JJ Watt with a personality. What more could be desired out of a football player? He has broken the hearts of (we'll keep this PG) "adult film" starts. He can be seen in the Entourage movie trailer drinking a beer, through a bong, poured by teammate Julian Edelman (Russell Wilson will also appear in the movie!). He parties like Johnny Manziel, yet still manages to be one of the greatest players at his position of all time. He is a 6'6", 265 pound, self-proclaimed child. His tweets are fire. He is Rob Gronkowski, and he's the most interesting man in football. 

Seattle: 1         New England: 1

3. Marshawn Lynch

In 99% of football games, Rob Gronkowski would by far be the most intriguing character. However, the Super Bowl is in that rare 1% because of Marshawn Lynch. Like Gronk, Beast Mode can do some freakish things on the football field. This year, though, his antics while interacting with the media have been generating the headlines. I side with Lynch's behavior. I think you could make the case Marshawn is exactly what the NFL needs: A figure head to make a mockery out of Roger Goodell and some of the NFL's policies. Why should Lynch be forced to step in front of a microphone every single week when Goodell can arrange his own disastrous press conferences to talk about incidents like Ray Rice's several months back? Why should the media be forced to listen to him give the same answer to every question for five minutes when reporters could gain insight from another Seahawk? Roger Goodell and the NFL have taken a lot of deserved criticism the past year, and proclamations, like the one to throw Lynch out for wearing gold cleats during the NFC Championship, are just adding fuel to the fire. Let your players play, Roger. They're making you millions of dollars a year. Quit continuing to take advantage of one of the most powerful positions in all of sports. Marshawn's (and once again, we'll keep it PG) "a certain Big Sean song" attitude gives Seattle another point.

"Shout out Oakland, California"

"Shout out Westbrook"

"Shout out my teammates"

"Shout out to my real Africans out there"

- Marshawn Lynch

Seattle: 2         New England: 1

4. Coffee vs. Chowdah 

It's no secret Seattle is the birthplace of Starbucks. PSLs. Frappuccinos. Tall, Grande, and Venti. The coffee shop's Evergreen State roots were the beginning of the empire we all know today. You can find their products in your town, on your campus, and in your grocery store. A Starbucks' gold card is an achievement sought after by many members in our society. Some stores even sell wine to entice you to stay there all day. Amateur bloggers set up camp at local shops for hours at a time trying to have their espresso fueled insights launch a career towards literary stardom. What this all basically boils down to is the fact that Starbucks is a big deal. 

On the other side of the United States, though, there is a far more potent and underrated liquid. A heavenly broth filled with succulent clams and potatoes that has been crafted and re-crafted towards ever closer perfection in New England since the dawn of time. Of course, I'm talking about clam chodaw. Not chowder. Chodaw. Your cup of Campbell's is one thing. Some authentic, Bostonian chodaw, however, will change your culinary life for the better. It's not taking over every street corner in America like it's cocoa opponent, but it definitely could. New Englanders, raise your pint of Sam Adams and give yourself a celebratory toast. You just tied this contest back up.

Seattle: 2          New England: 2

5. The Katy Perry Factor

Do you ever feel like a plastic bag drifting through the wind wanting to start again? Do you ever feel, feel so paper thin like a house of cards one blow from caving in? If you answered yes to either of those questions, football is not the game for you. If you sang those questions to yourself, you definitely made the right decision, as Katy Perry will be performing at halftime this year! Over the past several years, whether you're a fan or not, you must concede the fact Perry has been a pop radio mainstay. Does her career make her Super Bowl performance worthy? Definitely more debatable. This past fall Perry appeared on College GameDay and upstaged Lee Freakin' Corso with corn dogs and revealing a crush on Trevor Knight, the quarterback at Oklahoma. Since it appears Katy has a thing for attractive quarterbacks and bizarre men (She was married to Russell Brand for a couple years), it looks like she will be pulling for the Ugg boot stepping, trenchcoat wearing, Michigan scum Tom Brady. Don't worry though, Russell. When Taylor Swift inevitably gets the nod in 2016, the queen of heartbreak will be rooting for more tears. You'll just have to get your team back to a third straight Super Bowl of course.

New England: 3          Seattle: 2

6. American History

It goes without saying Boston, Massachusetts has played a much larger role in our nation's history than Seattle, Washington. People in Seattle make pots of hot tea, bundle up inside for 300 rainy days every year, and watch Sleepless in Seattle and Grey's Anatomy for entertainment. Patriots from Boston stormed British ships, poured barrels of tea in the Boston Harbor, and started a revolution and war to found the United States of America. New England dominates this category.

New England: 4         Seattle: 2

GAME, SET, MATCH! New England claims the best of seven series, and we avoid the Game Seven speed round we had to go to last year. It looks like the Legion of Boom won't be able to stop the Patriots' offense much this Sunday. Another slow start, like the one against Green Bay, dooms the Seahawks, and the Patriots win Super Bowl XLIX.

Score Prediction: New England- 31          Seattle- 21

J. Nave

Why the 2014 Buckeyes Have Become My All Time Favorite Sports Team

When you are born in Columbus, Ohio, there are a few different paths you can embark on as a football fan. You can support the Cleveland Browns, where heartbreak has become so synonymous with the team people wonder if God actually hates the city. You can support the Cincinnati Bengals, but their own cruel pattern of failure ensures things won't be much better. You could choose to support the successful, neighboring Pittsburgh Steelers, but if do that, you are a traitor and have no friends. 

When you are born in 1995 like myself, the lack of success becomes even more apparent. The Browns were shipped away to Baltimore, and since they reformed in 1999, the team has gone on to start more quarterbacks than I have celebrated birthdays. The Bengals, thanks to some brilliant moves in the NFL Draft over the past few years, have made the playoffs each of the last four seasons, but they have not won a playoff game since 1991. The Steelers have won two Super Bowls during my lifetime, so once again, go away Pittsburgh fans nobody likes you. 

While there may be a strong divide for who to root for at the professional level, nearly every resident bleeds scarlet and gray, especially on Saturdays in the Buckeye State. Whether you're a student at the university, have an alumnus as a parent, are employed by the university, or grew up attending games in the 'Shoe and at the Schott, a tie to Ohio State binds all 88 counties together. There are some Michigan fans scattered around the northern portions of the state and transplants from other places who despise the program, but as Dave Skylark would say, "They hate us, cause they ain't us!" (Side note: The Interview was incredibly disappointing. Not Seth Rogen's best. At all). Ohioans conversation from July through January is dominated by Buckeye football. From January to April, it shifts to Buckeye basketball. And from April to August, anticipation for the new seasons feverishly grows. 

I bring all this up because of the events that transpired Thursday night in New Orleans, Louisiana. For the first time in my nineteen years on this planet, a football team from the state of Ohio won a playoff game when Urban Meyer led a third string quarterback into the Sugar Bowl with guns blazing and knocked off Alabama, the most dynastic team in sports this decade. A wide receiver threw a touchdown pass to another wide receiver. A running back recorded a 200 yard effort against the Crimson Tide defense for the first time since Nick Saban took control of the reigns. The Silver Bullets shut down another Heisman finalist. This Ohio State team, in a conference many left for dead on September 6th, completed a twelve game tear to give themselves a shot at winning a national championship. How did this all happen? I don't have all the answers. The few answers I do have, though, go a long way in explaining why I have enjoyed watching this version of the Buckeyes more than any other team in any other sport I have watched before. 

The most iconic image from the Sugar Bowl for me did not take place on the field. Rather, early in the second half, a man was shown in the stands wearing a sweatshirt that declared the message, "Ohio Against the World." The sentiment, which can be traced back to a clothing company, portrays a theme many Buckeye fans can sympathize with. Since the 2006 team was run out of the building in the national championship (ironically, by Urban Meyer), the media has been incredibly bearish on the Buckeyes. People doubt the quality of their wins against inferior, Big Ten opponents. Analysts question if they are fast enough to compete with elite teams. Mark May picks against them whether they are facing Georgia, Georgia Tech, Georgia State, or East Georgia A&M. It seems as if the sporting world celebrates and awaits for new opportunities to attack after each and every Ohio State loss. 

Ohio State's inquisition wasn't any different this year. The doubting began even before the first game! Braxton Miller's shoulder injury raised questions about whether the Buckeyes would win 10 games let alone a conference championship. The poor performance by JT Barrett against Virginia Tech seemed to confirm these concerns, and thanks to other losses that same day by Michigan State and Michigan, the media scoffed at Ohio State and the Big Ten like never before. The Buckeyes started to regain some momentum leading up to a late October trip to Happy Valley. Once again, they struggled in prime time, but thanks to one of the most impressive feats of physical strength this side of JJ Watt, Joey Bosa guaranteed the matchup with Michigan State would keep its preseason value and importance. Nobody gave the Buckeyes much of chance to win in East Lansing, but after a slow start, the Ohio State offense didn't just manage to pick up a win, they steamrolled the Spartans to prove they belonged back in the playoff conversation. The debate raged on throughout November, but when JT Barrett was injured against Michigan, the doubters came back more energized than ever before. Cardale Jones, or as he prefers 12 Gauge, was thrust into the national spotlight against Wisconsin in the conference title game with a playoff berth on the line. All Jones did was deliver shot after shot after shot in a 59-0 rout, which allowed the Buckeyes to claim the four seed in the first ever College Football Playoff. But would that performance allow Ohio State to be given any respect or a chance to defeat the big, bad Crimson Tide? Of course not. The Cardale led, Ohio State offense proved they had plenty of ammunition to annihilate another elite defense and ensured the Buckeyes, not the Tide, would roll to Dallas.

The season's anecdotes above would be enough to captivate the average sports fan. But when you dig deeper and read into this team's journey, subplots arise to tell an even more intriguing narrative. There's the story of Cardale Jones, who overcame a tumultuous situation growing up to earn a scholarship, and his famous, controversial tweet and horrible relationship with the coaching staff to earn himself covers of Sports Illustrated and ESPN Magazine. There's the receiving corps that at one point was repeatedly called out by Urban Meyer for playing so poorly that has gone on to develop into one of the best units in the country. There's the local, Columbus kids, Darron Lee, Jacoby Boren, Joshua Perry, and Nick Vannett, who have become unexpected leaders and bonafide studs for this young team. Most impressive is how the team has dealt with bout after bout of adversity. Adversity is one of the most blatantly overused and misused words in all of sports. Nearly every telecast will include the term multiple times, but it's often used to describe something trivial like a costly penalty. However, this Buckeye team encountered adversity far more times than their fair share. The injuries of two quarterbacks, one who was and one who became a Heisman candidate, was unprecedented and would be enough to unravel any team. However, one blow just days before the conference championship game truly put football and the concept of adversity in perspective. Kosta Karageorge, a walk on who became one of the most well liked players on the team, was found dead from an apparent suicide after a multiple day search. Throughout the season, Meyer preached this was the closest team he had ever been around, but the loss of Karageorge put these feelings on display in the public sphere. During the Big Ten Championship, Michael Bennett paid homage to Karageorge by wearing his number and put on a dominating performance. The act continued in the Sugar Bowl victory. Any football team can bounce back from an ill-timed turnover and go on to win a football game. I'd wager not many teams could have dealt with some of the experiences the Buckeyes have had to be one game away from a national title. 

Next Monday, the Buckeyes will take on the Oregon Ducks and this wild ride will come to an end. On the other sideline, there will be one of the best players in college football leading one of the most dynamic offenses in college football. Once again, Ohio State has opened as a sizable underdog to their opponent. When Monday evening rolls around, I doubt many analysts will pick the Buckeyes to come out victorious. After the performance against Alabama, I believe this defense can slow down Marcus Mariota and give Cardale Jones the opportunity to put up enough points. At the same time, I wouldn't be surprised if Mariota makes one more play than Jones and gives the Ducks a victory in a shootout. I can guarantee you I will scream at the television 500 miles away from Columbus for three and a half hours hoping the Buckeyes claim another victory. If they do get it done, the band will play Carmen Ohio, Urban Meyer will raise another trophy, and the team that all fall he has said to be a year away from being special will have conquered college football. If the Buckeyes fall short, Carmen Ohio will still be played, Urban Meyer will watch the Ducks raise another trophy, and the team he has said to be a year away from being special will have eight months to prepare for revenge against Virginia Tech and start on another quest for championships. Either way, I will come to terms with whatever happens. Either way, I don't anticipate forgetting the events of this season any time soon. How sweet it would be, though, if a national championship became the 2014 Buckeyes' defining chapter, and this team of destiny could lay the framework for a dominant dynasty in the years to come.

J. Nave