Our “New” Basketball Coach

Ohio State made Jake Diebler its new head basketball coach over the weekend. Diebler was also the old head basketball coach, having served in that role in an interim capacity for the last few games of the regular season and then in the Big Ten tournament.

It’s been a disappointing few years for Buckeye basketball, which is why the former head coach, Chris Holtmann, was given his walking papers. This year in particular was difficult to watch, as the Buckeyes blew big leads in several games, endured an embarrassingly long road losing streak, and didn’t seem to play up to the capabilities of a roster with some talent. But when Jake Diebler took over, it was like a light switch was turned on. The team immediately started playing better on both offense and defense, upset highly ranked Purdue, went 6-2 with some other big wins, and looked like a totally different team.

Diebler is an Ohio guy who comes across as humble, knowledgeable, likeable, and genuine. He changed up the rotation, went deep into his bench and got some nice production from players who hadn’t seen much action, and clearly connected with the team during his stint as interim head coach. That personal connection may be an important consideration for the players, who will now be considering whether to enter the transfer portal. Ohio State’s roster often seemed like a bit of a revolving door under Holtmann; perhaps Diebler can stop that trend and establish some stability.

Will Diebler be a good head coach and get the program back to where it was under Thad Matta, when the Buckeyes were perennial NCAA Tournament contenders? Eight games is a slim record on which to base a forecast. We’ve got no insight into his ability to recruit top-notch players, which is a huge part of college basketball success. But if I’m right about the strong connections he seemingly established with his players, that would suggest he will have some success on the recruiting trail.

Ohio State was mentioned as a potential landing spot for one of this year’s crop of hot coaches who are looking to move up from mid-major schools to a big-time school like Ohio State. Only time will tell if Diebler will be seen as a good hire, or a bust–but I’m glad the Buckeyes didn’t go with the flavor of the month as their new head coach, because their track record after moving up to the major college level hasn’t exactly been stellar. Let’s see what this Ohio guy can do.

A Milestone For Women’s Sports

Women’s sports passed a milestone of sorts this week. A broadcast of a women’s college basketball game pitting the number one ranked South Carolina Gamecocks against the number 9 LSU Tigers went head-to-head with a broadcast of an NBA game–and drew more viewers. The women’s game attracted 1.56 million viewers, while 1.38 million watched the NBA game between the Boston Celtics and Miami Heat.

Women’s college basketball has been on a roll lately. The days when the UConn team seemed to win every year, when even games between highly ranked teams were often lopsided, are long since over. The LSU and South Carolina women’s teams have won the last two national championships in the sport and have a strong and growing rivalry. I’m also proud to report that the Ohio State Buckeyes women’s team has made its mark, too–last Sunday the Buckeyes’ thrilling overtime win over the Iowa Hawkeyes drew the most viewers of any women’s college game since 2010. I should add that the Lady Buckeyes packed more than 18,000 fans into the Value City Arena for that matchup, which is the largest crowd for a women’s game in OSU program history.

We’re moving into the post-football period of the sports calendar, when sports-hungry fans who are used to tuning in to watch college or professional pigskin match-ups will be looking for alternative viewing options. With the women’s college game offering exciting, competitive contests, compelling story lines, and some terrific players, don’t be surprised to see the women’s games go toe-to-toe with the NBA or men’s college games and hold their own in the ratings. And if you haven’t watched a women’s game in a while, you might give it a try.

The Jinx Factor On Judgment Day

There I was, standing nervously in front of the podium of St. Peter next to the Pearly Gates. He looked down at me with a knowing expression, twirled his key on his index finger, and then spoke in a solemn voice.

“Before we can consider whether you might gain entrance, we have a few things to discuss. There is a lot to talk about, but we’ll start with sports,” St. Peter said.

“Sports?” I asked. Surprised but thinking quickly, I added: ”I’m sorry for all of the cursing and anger issues when I played golf.”

St. Peter chuckled with a sound like rolling thunder. ”Hah! Don’t worry about that–it’s why we enticed the Scots to invent the infernal game in the first place. Golf was designed to get under people’s skin and provoke them to outbursts of temper and profanity. We figured people generally, and the Scots specifically, needed to get that out of their systems, and golf is a pretty harmless way to do it.”

“Well, that’s good to know,” I said with relief. ”But if it’s not golf, what sports issue do I need to address with you?”

“Specifically, it’s about your commitment to the sports teams for which you claimed to be a fan.” After a glance at a great, leather-bound volume, St. Peter added: ”Your record indicates you were not sufficiently attentive to avoiding jinxes that affected your teams.”

“Wait . . . what?” I stammered. ”Are you saying that jinxes are real, and that my clothing choice, the seat I was sitting in, my decisions on whether to record games, and whether I was wearing a lucky hat and consumed the right number of beers actually influenced the outcome of games? I thought that was all just silly superstition that humanity outgrew in the age of science.”

St. Peter shook his head sadly. ”Actually, the reverse is true. You know from your exposure to quantum physics and the thought experiment with Schrodinger’s cat that an event can exist in a state of superposition, where any outcome is possible, until the event is observed. You’ve heard of the observer effect and the concept of the butterfly effect, where the flapping of a butterfly’s wings can contribute to the generation of a hurricane. In short, the science of your time is just beginning to glimpse the great truth: we are all in this together, and the actions and thoughts of one person can alter the zeitgeist and the karmic forces that affect everyone and can have a definite effect on the results of athletic contests.” 

“Okay, I think I can grasp that,” I said, “but sports? Isn’t being a sports fan kind of . . . trivial in the grand scheme of things?”

St. Peter tapped his key on the lectern, shifted in his seat, and looked down at me with another rueful shake of his head. ”That view is also wrong,” he said. ”In fact, sports are extremely important to the human story. As one of our residents here used to say, they allow people to vicariously experience ‘the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat.’ And they also reinforce some important points that humans need to be reminded of–that the world isn’t necessarily fair, but the important thing is to remain dedicated, keep the faith, and do what you can to try to ensure a better outcome the next time. Sports fans can do that by continuing to support their chosen teams, even through the rough times–and also make sure that they take personal actions that will help to positively influence the outcome.”

St. Peter looked down at his great book again, and added: ”You’ve had some failures and some successes on that score that we need to discuss. Those two Ohio State national championship games you attended–your behavior in those instances was flawless. You did everything you needed to do, from wearing the right clothes, carrying a lucky buckeye, and imparting respectful and positive energy in favor of the Men of the Scarlet and Gray, and the outcomes reflected that.”

I grinned at those positive memories, with a welling sense of pride at my individual contribution to two great days for Buckeye Nation.

“And then there’s the Cleveland Browns, and The Drive and The Fumble,” St. Peter continued, turning to more painful topics. You already know what you did to cause The Drive, when you let one of your friends leave his seat in Cleveland Municipal Stadium when the contest was in the balance. You can’t imagine how upsetting that was to the energy forces that day. And The Fumble happened because you neglected to wear the right sweatshirt, and in watching the game you showed an unseemly overconfidence that the Browns would win that also roiled the kismet in an unfavorable way.” 

I grimaced at these devastating memories, ashamed that my conduct harmed my team.

“So your record shows some good and some bad,” St. Peter noted, as he turned a page. ”Now, let’s talk about what you did on January 13, 2024, the day of the playoff game between the Cleveland Browns and the Houston Texans.”

And then I woke up.

Solid On The Ground

I was in the air for most of the Ohio State game against Rutgers yesterday. Thanks to a nameless fellow member of Buckeye Nation who sat next to me on the plane and had done whatever you need to do to watch a live broadcast on your computer while in the air on a Southwest flight, I was able to catch parts of the game. Of course, you don’t want to look like you’re just glomming on to somebody else’s broadcast, so I tried to carefully pick my spots and not seem too obvious.

It was a tough game, obviously, and I think Rutgers is better than people have given them credit for. They mixed it up on offense and moved the ball against the Ohio State defense–but the defense came up big when Rutgers got down to the red zone. Rutgers played tough defense–but Ohio State was able to put together clutch drives when the chips were down. And the biggest plus for me was the continued emergence of the Buckeye running game, thanks to number 32, Treveyon Henderson. If you’re a running back and you are going to wear a number with as much tradition as number 32, you’d better be pretty good–and clearly Henderson is.

Ohio State fans often get upset if the Buckeyes don’t trounce every opponent by 60 points, but I try not to fall into that trap. I think it’s a great positive that the Buckeye running game seems to be coming together, thanks to an offensive line that has now played together for a number of games and a talented back like Henderson. If Ohio State wants to make a run to the playoffs, and win a game against That Team Up North on the road, they are going to need to run the ball effectively, give their defense a chance to rest, and wear down the other team. The passing game is part of that, but the running game is a big part of that, too.

Watching Ohio State’s offense this year has been like looking at only a few parts of a jigsaw puzzle and trying to imagine what the completed puzzle might look like. It seems like every game one important part is out with injuries. Some games it’s a receiver, some games it’s one or more of the running backs, another game it’s the tight end. But if the running game gels, and the other pieces actually fit together and make the offense a multi-dimensional threat, it will be interesting to see what this team can do.

Getting It Out Of Their System (Hopefully)

Ohio State gutted out a victory over Wisconsin at Camp Randall Stadium last night, 24-10. Playing in a night game before an amped-up crowd of Badger faithful, the Buckeyes brought some tough defense to the table, effectively throttling the Wisconsin offense except for one drive that started the second half and tied the game. Offensively, Marvin Harrison Jr. caught two touchdown passes and had his customary 100-yard game, and the Buckeyes found their running game in the form of TreVeyon Henderson, who rushed for 162 yards and scored the clinching touchdown on a great gallop that saw him run through pretty much the entire Badger defense.

It wasn’t a flawless, dominating win by any means. Quarterback Kyle McCord threw two interceptions–one of which was the result of a really bad decision–and had one fumble, all of which killed decent drives and gave Wisconsin life and kept the score too close for comfort until late in the fourth quarter. We tend to forget that McCord really hasn’t played much until this year, and as a result he’s never known what it’s like to try to march his team down the field in a prime-time game in a hostile environment. He’s now done that in two very tough venues, at Notre Dame and at Wisconsin, and we’ll hope he’s learned from those experiences. We’ll particularly hope that he gets those terrible turnovers out of his system before the toughest road test of all, against That Team Up North at the end of November.

I’ll never take a win against Wisconsin on the road for granted; many good teams have gone into Camp Randall Stadium and come out losers. But what I’ve seen of TTUN this season tells me that if Ohio State loses the turnover battle on November 25 the result is not going to be a happy one for Buckeye Nation. If we want to notch a win in Ann Arbor, we’ll need to hold onto the ball and avoid those bad decisions that lead to interceptions.

The Name Of The Game

This past weekend, my two favorite teams showed the importance of the kicking game in college and professional football.

The Cleveland Browns pulled out a last-second win over the Indianapolis Colts because placekicker Dustin Hopkins had an unbelievable day. By himself, he accounted for 15 points, going 4 for 4 on field goals and converting all three extra points he tried. Three of those field goals were over 50 yards long, including a 58-yarder. (I’m old enough to remember when making a 50-yard field goal was an exceptional feat, so it’s extraordinary to me that someone could do it three times in a single game.) The points notched by Hopkins kept the Browns in the game and allowed them to eke out a win with a last-second touchdown. In the meantime, Browns punter Corey Bojorquez punted five times, averaging 54.4 yards, with a long kick of 69 yards. When your offense is struggling, as the Browns’ offense has been for most of this season, having a punter who can drive the other team deep into their own territory is crucial.

Hopkins’ steadiness is in marked contrast to the inconsistency of the Browns’ prior kicker, Cade York. You never knew whether York would miss a chip shot or shank an extra point, deflating the fans and dispiriting the rest of the team. And having a sound, professional placekicker has also seemed to change the decision-making of coach Kevin Stefanski–who seems much more willing to trot out the field goal team and go for three points this season, rather than always trying to convert on fourth down, now that he knows he has a player who is likely to make those kicks. Hopkins has made 16 of his 18 field goal attempts this season, and Stefanski clearly has confidence in him. The pre-season decision to trade a 7th-round pick in the 2025 draft for Hopkins is looking like an incredibly good move by Browns’ General Manager Andrew Berry.

The Ohio State Buckeyes also showed the impact, both good and bad, of the kicking game in their win over Penn State. In my view, the key play of the game came when the Buckeyes were pinned deep in their own territory and punter Jesse Mirco launched a 72-yarder that totally flipped the field. I texted a friend that former Buckeyes coach Jim Tressel, who once famously remarked that the punt is the most important play in football, would have loved that punt and what it accomplished. The downside for the Buckeyes came when placekicker Jayden Fielding, who has been solid this season, missed a makeable field goal near the end of the game that would have put the contest on ice, giving Penn State hope and spurring them to score on a drive that made the final score closer than it needed to be.

Football is a team game, and special teams are an essential part of the sport. Week after week, the kicking game reminds us there’s a reason the sport is called “football.”

9 a.m. Football

There’s a big game in college football today between two teams ranked in the top ten. The undefeated Penn State Nittany Lions travel to Columbus to take on the undefeated Ohio State Buckeyes. It should be a great battle between two great teams.

The only thing weird about it is that the game kicks off at 9 a.m., Marana time. You’d think this kind of match-up would be a night game, but the networks wanted a noon start. And while Arizona is in the Mountain Time Zone, which is supposed to be two hours behind the Eastern Time Zone, Arizona doesn’t recognize Daylight Savings Time so whenever the rest of the country is on DST, Arizona falls three hours behind.

I don’t think I’ve ever watched a football game at 9 a.m. A high school football practice, maybe, but certainly not an epic struggle between two unbeatens with clear College Football Playoff implications. I know that Pacific Time Zone friends accept such early-morning games as a matter of course, but it’s very strange for a native Midwesterner. You’ve got to get mentally stoked up for a big game like this, and a 9 a.m. kickoff doesn’t allow much time to do that. And forget about cracking open a traditional brewski at the kickoff to enjoy during the game. With a 9 a.m. kickoff, I’ll still be guzzling coffee, and my taste buds won’t be ready for a frosty adult beverage for hours to come.

It’s odd to think that, as I wipe sleep out of my eyes and write this post, there are thousands of wide-awake scarlet-clad people tailgating in the parking lots around the old Horseshoe on a cool morning, analyzing the game, enjoying tailgate food and warming adult beverages, and getting ready to head into the Stadium and scream their heads off. But when 9 a.m. Marana time rolls around, I’ll do my best to be ready, to add my morning rooting efforts to the collective vibe emanating from Buckeye Nation.

The Big Boys And The Tough Yards

I saw only snippets of the Ohio State win over Maryland yesterday. Regrettably, I missed most of the offensive onslaught in the second half that allowed the Buckeyes to pull away from the Terrapins and notch a solid 20-point victory, 37-17.

From what I saw and my analysis of the box score, there was a lot to like in the triumph over a previously undefeated Maryland team. Ohio State remained unbeaten and stays in the thick of the race for the Big Ten East title and potential spots in the Big Ten championship game and the College Football Playoff. For me, the highlights from yesterday’s game included the play of an opportunistic defense that forced two crucial turnovers and one defensive score and held an explosive Maryland team in check during the key moments in the second half. I also liked the continuing development of quarterback Kyle McCord, who threw for more than 300 yards and hit some key chunk-play passes in the clutch.

But, I wouldn’t be a lifetime member of Buckeye Nation if I didn’t also look for areas of improvement, and there is a glaring one about this team: the running game and continued struggles in converting third-and-short and fourth-and-short situations. Yesterday Ohio State ran for a measly 62 yards on 33 carries, which comes out to an embarrassing average of 1.9 yards per carry. Legendary coach Woody Hayes must be rolling over in his grave at that statistic; he took pride in the “three yards and a cloud of dust” description that will be forever associated with his run-oriented offenses. Obviously, the run component of this Buckeye offense hasn’t jelled . . . at least not yet.

The running game starts with the big boys up front. This season, Ohio State’s linemen, may of whom are new starters, seem to be routinely stood up at the line of scrimmage, leaving few holes for running backs, and the problems are especially noticeable when the Buckeyes are looking to move the chains. This is very concerning because experienced Big Ten fans know that when the weather turns cold and foul, the run game is essential. A lot of tough games are coming up, and if Ohio State’s offensive line can’t win the battle at the line of scrimmage, open some holes, and establish a running game, it will seriously impair the team’s ability to realize its goals of a Big Ten championship and another trip to the CFP.

Next Saturday, the Buckeyes travel to West Lafayette to take on the Purdue Boilermakers–a venue where past Ohio State teams have endured some hard losses. I’ll be watching those big boys up front to see if they get a push whenever Ohio State tries to run the ball.

Saying “Enough Is Enough”

The Ohio State Buckeyes won a thriller over Notre Dame in South Bend last night, scoring the winning touchdown from the one yard line with precisely one second left in the game. The touchdown capped a gritty two-minute drive, with the Buckeyes converting multiple long-yardage plays to get in position for the winning score against a tough Notre Dame defense that, up to that point, had stonewalled the Men of the Scarlet and Gray repeatedly in crucial short-yardage situations.

Much as I enjoyed the win–which is the kind of win that makes the sun shine just a little bit brighter in the morning–I was also struck by the emotional reaction of Ohio State head coach Ryan Day after the game, both in his on-field interview and at the postgame press conference. Coach Day is normally viewed as a quiet, cerebral kind of coach who keeps his eyes on his playcalling sheet, but after the game he was demonstrably fired up. He clearly had been bothered by critical comments by former Notre Dame head coach Lou Holtz questioning Ohio State’s toughness and saying that the Buckeyes have lost some big games for that reason. In the heat of the moment, Coach Day called out Holtz and others, saying that the win should put that “toughness” argument to rest.

In the modern social media world, where critics can be found on every broadcast and website, we seem to expect public figures–be they in the political realm, in entertainment, or in the sports world–to either ignore the constant hectoring or just sit back and take it. But those public figures are people, too, and you cannot expect them to be immune from the normal human reaction of getting upset about constant criticism. I would imagine that it is particularly difficult to do so when you are coaching young people, dealing with them every day and knowing that they have been dedicated and hard-working . . . and tough. Through his comments last night, Coach Day gave us a glimpse of the human side of coaching at a high-level college sports program.

With last night’s win, Ohio State has answered the “toughness” question–for now. But the social media world never rests, and criticism from Monday-morning quarterbacks never really ends, either. Part of the toughness that the Buckeyes showed with their dramatic win last night is being able to stay focused and calm during the middle of the media circus, then execute and play your game–and let the emotions come through in the aftermath. I don’t see how you can fairly say that a team that can do that when the chips are down, in a hostile environment against a top-flight opponent, isn’t mentally and physically tough–but then, very little of what you see on social media reflects a rational view of the world.

The “Big Game” Debate

Today Ohio State plays Notre Dame in South Bend, Indiana. It’s a “big game” by any definition of that well-worn phrase. Both teams are undefeated, both teams are ranked in the top ten, and both teams are storied college football programs with lots of tradition. It will be nationally televised and played in front of a crowd of frenzied fans and “Touchdown Jesus,” and the Fighting Irish will be wearing their lucky all-green uniforms. It will be a great atmosphere and a great test for both teams.

But by midnight tonight, all of the hoopla will have ended, the game will have been played, and one team will have won and the other will have lost. And the coaching staff and fans of the losing team may well shake their heads and wonder: why did we schedule this game? I’m guessing that is exactly what Alabama’s coaching staff and fan base thought when the Crimson Tide lost at home to Texas earlier this year.

That’s the big question about “big games” in college football. If you schedule a tough non-conference opponent and win, it’s a great resume-builder that helps to put you into position to qualify for the College Football Playoff. But if you lose, you fall out of the ranks of the unbeaten, and you’ve got that loss on your record that you need to overcome when the CFP selection process starts. So, is it better to take the risk and look for early-season challenges against other big-name programs that will excite college football fans, or to schedule a bunch of patsies that will allow you to get to your conference schedule without a loss? Obviously, some teams take one approach, and some take the other.

I like the challenging match-ups like today’s OSU-ND tilt–and I’m pretty sure I will feel that way after the game, too, regardless of the outcome. Such games are fun for the fans and the players, and good for the sport. I also hope that the committee that ultimately decides on the CFP participants is savvy enough to recognize that losses in early-season “big games” shouldn’t be disqualifying.

But next year, when the CFP expands to 12 teams, I’m hoping that the “big game” equation will change. A single loss won’t be such a black mark, and perhaps then the CFP selection committee will start looking carefully at strength of schedule and quality of wins. If that happens, the teams that go on the early-season cupcake parade might regret their lack of a meaty “big game” on their resumes.

The Buckeye Browns

I didn’t pay much attention to the NFL draft that happened over the last few days. Like so much else in the modern world, the draft has become so overhyped, puffed up, and glitzed up, anticipated for months with mock drafts and pointless predictions, that it is almost painful to watch. But I’m always interested in seeing who the Cleveland Browns have drafted, in hopes that one of these days the Browns will find the right combination of players to turn this storied franchise into a consistent winner, playoff contender, and–we can only hope–Super Bowl participant.

Yesterday the Browns drafted two Ohio State offensive linemen, Dawand Jones, shown above, and Luke Wypler. In addition, the Browns signed Buckeye defensive backs Ronnie Hickman and Tanner McCalister to undrafted free agent contracts. The foursome will join Buckeye alums Denzel Ward and Tommy Togiai on the Browns’ roster–at least until the training camp cuts begin.

The Browns’ moves yesterday are intriguing. Jones, an offensive tackle, is a man-mountain who stands 6′ 8,” weighs about 350 pounds, and has a tremendous wing span. His enormous size will come in handy in opening holes for Nick Chubb and Browns running backs, but the open question is whether he can develop the quickness and technique to deal with the many speedy edge rushers in today’s NFL. He’ll get a chance work on both of those skills in practice, when he lines up against Myles Garrett. Wypler, a 6′ 3″, 300-pound center, was steady as a rock in the middle of the Ohio State offensive line this past season. I can’t remember him making a bad snap or getting beat on a bull rush.

Neither Jones nor Wypler is expected to be a starter, but they will add depth to the Browns’ offensive line and, we hope, become seasoned pros. Hickman and McCalister, both safeties, showed flashes of NFL-level talents during their Ohio State careers, and the question will be whether they can demonstrate sufficient skills to make the Browns roster.

I like having Ohio State players on the Browns, and enjoy watching players who I followed during their college careers as they move to the professional level. It will be fun to follow these new Buckeye Browns and see whether they can help take the Brownies to the Promised Land.

A Redemption Tale

The world of literature is filled with redemption tales. From ancient mythology to the stories of the Bible, from medieval narratives to modern novels, the basic contours of a redemption story plot have proven to be irresistible: the hero does something terrible, is tormented by his misdeed and seeks atonement, and must face some incredible challenge in order to redeem himself and wipe the slate clean. Sometimes the hero successfully meets the challenge, and sometimes he doesn’t.

In Greek mythology, perhaps the most famous redemption tale is that of Heracles (Hercules, in its Romanized form). Hera, the queen of the gods, hated Heracles because he was the son of her husband Zeus, kind of the gods, and Alcmene, a mortal princess who Zeus had tricked and seduced. Heracles’ presence therefore was a constant reminder to Hera of Zeus’ extraordinary and never-ending infidelity and philandering. To punish Heracles, Hera caused him to go mad–and in the throes of madness Heracles killed his wife and children.

When the madness lifted and Heracles realized with horror what he had done, he sought guidance from the famous oracle at Delphi, which advised that he must go into the service of King Eurystheus in order to atone for the murders. The King then required Heracles to complete a dozen seemingly impossible tasks requiring immense physical strength, stamina, extraordinary fortitude, and intelligence and guile, besides. The tasks included slaying the nine-headed Hydra, cleaning the colossal (and filthy) Augean cattle stables in a single day, and bringing the three-headed dog Cerberus, the guardian of the gates of hell, up from the underworld. Heracles completed all of the labors and was thereby redeemed.

Tonight we will see how another redemption story plays out. The Ohio State Buckeyes seek redemption in the College Football Playoff semifinal game after a disastrous second-half performance against Michigan a month ago. To start on the road to redemption, the Buckeyes don’t need to slay the Hydra, but they instead must defeat the mighty and top-ranked Georgia Bulldogs, a three-headed powerhouse on defense, offense, and special teams. Rather than 12 labors, the Buckeyes will need to play a complete game of four quarters of tough, disciplined, hardnosed football, block and tackle, avoid penalties, execute under great pressure, go toe-to-toe with a great and talented team, and perhaps bring some guile and misdirection into play as well.

It’s a plotline as old as time, and we’ll be rooting that the Buckeyes–like Heracles–meet the challenges before them so that redemption lies ahead. Go Bucks!

“The Week” Begins

Today begins the seven-day period that is known in these parts as “The Week.” It’s the period of time right before the Ohio State Buckeyes strap on their gear and take on That Team Up North in what is known as “The Game.”

This year, as in so many years in the past, The Game is poised to be a classic. Both Ohio State and TTUN won nail-biters yesterday, with the Maize and Blue pulling out a last-minute win at home over a tough Illinois team and Ohio State surviving a road battle against a Maryland squad that pulled out all the stops. It was one of those days that make college football so great, as many of the top-ranked teams were pushed to the limit and the playoff hopes of one–the Tennessee Volunteers–were left crushed on the field in South Carolina.

But both the Buckeyes and the Wolverines survived and kept their unbeaten records intact. Both are 11-0, and both have played games were they have looked unbeatable and games where they looked good, but not great. Both teams have lots of talent, and both teams have been dealing with injuries. But we know one thing for sure: one team’s spotless record and great season is going to be marred next Saturday, while the other team will survive and celebrate and advance to the Big Ten Championship Game and, perhaps, the College Football Playoff beyond. But the Big Ten Championship Game and the playoffs aren’t the focus right now–instead, the focus is exclusively on beating the arch-rival and hated (but respected) foe. Nothing is more important, and there is no looking beyond.

This is a familiar scenario for Buckeye fans, and those of us who have followed the team for decades and have Buckeye football in our family DNA. That’s why it is fitting that The Game always happens around Thanksgiving. For many families, including mine, Buckeye football and The Game is as much of family tradition as the turkey and stuffing and the cranberry relish that still maintains the shape of a can. And when another version of The Game rolls around, and both Ohio State and That Team Up North are top-ranked and having terrific seasons, we think about the Buckeye fans in our families, the great games, joyous victories, and crushing heartbreaks we experienced with them in the past, and the tailgates and the scarlet and gray outfits and the thoughtful and earnest pre-game analysis and the killer Bloody Marys and the riotous post-game revelry when Ohio State notches a win against those arrogant bastards from our neighboring state.

So The Week is here, and we can feel, again, that familiar nerve-tingling anticipation that always arrives at this time of year–only heightened now, with so much on the line. And we know that somewhere, those Buckeye fans in our families will be watching, with Woody and Bo and the rest of Buckeye Nation and the TTUN fans, as these two great programs prepare to square off for another chapter in the Greatest Rivalry In Sports.

Football Season Is Political Ad Season

Yesterday, when we watched the Buckeyes game with Penn State at JT’s Pizza and Pub, the vast majority of the TV commercials during the game were for political candidates. The campaign strategists know that, in Ohio, virtually everyone drops everything to watch the Buckeyes on the gridiron, so it is prime time to deliver a message to a captive, very focused, every sense on heightened alert audience. It undoubtedly costs the campaigns a boatload to buy the ad slots, but they figure it is worth it–which is why Buckeye fans were seeing so many political ads rather than the standard in-game car, tire, or “remember to ask your doctor about Altavlid” commercials.

Fortunately, they had the sound off at JT’s, and we couldn’t have heard the voice over of the commercials in any event, over the din of football analysis and “OH-IO” chants. But you don’t really need to have the sound on to follow the political ads. Basically, they fall into two categories: the scary ads and the “humanize the candidate” ads. And it’s immediately clear which category a political commercial falls into, because every ad in either category shares obvious common characteristics. In fact, the touchstones are so commonplace that both Democrats and Republicans use them, and if you run a Google search you’ll find that the British and Canadian political wizards use the same techniques, as the Canadian ad above demonstrates.

Scary ads: Dark, grainy, blurry footage, with quick cuts from one troubling scene to another. Opposing candidate depicted in unflattering poses in slow motion or with some kind of color filter to give him or her a more devilish, unsettling appearance. Children in peril or worried people sitting around their kitchen tables. Messages in large type that appear on the screen like shotgun blasts that usually include the words “we can’t afford.”

Humanize the candidate ads: Candidate is shown in a bulky, woolen, Mr. Rogers-type sweater, carrying a cup of coffee and sitting on the family sofa with their spouse. Candidate makes breakfast or kicks a soccer ball or throws a football with kids. Lots of warm hues and sunshine. Candidate is shown gesturing forcefully to smiling, nodding blue-collar workers, who are deeply absorbed in everything the candidate is saying.

I’ll be glad when November 8 finally arrives and we can go back to watching the Buckeyes, the tire ads, and those helpful spots about the latest miracle drug.

The Buckeyes And The Bars

Today we joined a loyal slice of Buckeye Nation at JT’s Pizza and Pub to watch the Buckeyes come back strong in the fourth quarter to top Penn State in Happy Valley. We cheered lustily, did “OH-IO” chants, marveled at the talent of Marvin Harrison, Jr., and tried to learn how to correctly pronounce the last name of the newest Buckeye hero, J.T. Tuimoloau. (It’s easier to just call him “number 44.”) it was a great game, a great win, and a lot of fun watching the game with a raucous crowd.

Bar owners in Columbus love the football season because they know people will turn out to root for the Bucks, eat, and down a few beers. Today’s noon start isn’t the preferred time slot, however. Pubs like the 3:30 slot best because people come early, enjoy the game, and then roll right into the slate of night games. When the Buckeyes play at noon, however, the crowd tends to head out after the game rather than making a full day of football and feeling guilty about it. Today, a full bar had emptied out about a half hour after the game ended and excited debriefing had occurred.

No worries, though—I’m betting another shift of Buckeye fans will fill the seats tonight, to see if Michigan State can knock Michigan out of the ranks of the unbeaten.