This is an impulse entry. I just read about USC's loss to unranked Oregon State and had to write this.
Anyone who keeps up with college football at all knows that Ohio State has been everyone's favourite punching bag. And why? Because they keep having embarassing losses in big games over the pat few years. Personally, I do not consider last January's loss to LSU in the title game to be an embarrasment. Even though LSU won handily in what was technically an upset, OSU never should have been there in the first place. The fact that they scored over 20 was quite a feat. And Beanie was just stellar against that "speedy" LSU defense.
Anyway, this loss by USC revives a question I have long been pondering: why do people hate OSU for losing to good teams, but they still love USC, who keeps losing to crappy teams?
Seriously. Just after the one loss to Florida, people were already questioning OSU, which continues to this day. But now, after several losses by USC to unranked opponents, I have only begun to see anything resembling questioning. It's like they've become the new Notre Dame. After last season, even Lou Holtz was having trouble defending the inexplicable love affair with the Irish. So I guess everyone needed someone else to dote on just because of who they were. It seems to be USC now. "Oh, I know they lost to freaking Stanford, but they still deserve a shot in the title game." All Ohio State did to be declared undeserving was lose to the best team in the nation. Sure, it was an embarrasing loss, but can you tell me that ANY loss to Stanford isn't?
When people talk about Ohio State's recent performance in big games, why do they leave out their last two meetings against Texas and the phenomenal '06 Michigan game? In '05, the lost by only 3 to the Texas team that would go on to be National Champs (by defeating favoured USC, btw), then blew them out in '06 when they were ranked #2. Then they beat #2 Michigan in a game that was an instant classic. Then there was also one of my favourite games: the demolishing of Notre Dame in the 2006 Fiesta Bowl. Anyone remember any of that?
So now OSU loses to the then #1 USC (without their star player) and they plummet in the rankings. Then USC loses to an unranked opponent. You watch. Their fall will not be nearly as bad. Or maybe the voters will surprise me, which would be fantastic. But that's my prediction.
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4 comments:
Dennis Dodd agrees with you.
http://www.sportsline.com/collegefootball/story/10995474
OSU's big problem isn't that they've lost those games, but they were embarassed in them. Florida and USC just manhandled them. As for the title game last year, OSU probably shouldn't have been in that game. They should have been in the Rose Bowl. But, of course, everyone else squandered their chance to get to the title game. At least OSU won their games and got in.
But yeah, USC should drop to at least 10. We'll see, though.
OSU is incapable of adapting to what the other team is doing. That's the problem. They clearly have talented players, but the coaches are unimaginative and do not know how to plan for a running qb (look what OHIO'S SECOND STRING QB DID!!!) If we didn't get for those 5 turnovers, we lose to Ohio.
In more important news, the Office was awesome and a VA Congressman touched my ass
Well, I'll be you aren't happy with this week's AP poll. Trojans still in the single digits (no 9) AND despite all of the teams ahead of them losing, the Buckeyes didn't move even 1 spot.
It's nuts.
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