Dodging bullets may be the name of the game this year if your team is in the top five and a national championship is a main goal. This season has been one of many mishaps by upper echelon football squads. Being in the top five is about survival, not about dominance. Many teams who have found their way into this elite range have fallen, but not the Buckeyes. Yes, their schedule may be weaker, but upsets have been coming in all forms this year and no game is a gimme. The Badgers charged into Columbus riding a three game winning streak in Ohio Stadium, so an upset certainly wouldn’t be a fairy tale in this matchup.
To be in Columbus on a fall Saturday means to experience one of the greatest settings in college football. From the pregame band concert to the dotting of the “i,” Buckeyeland is heaping with tradition. As if the 100,000+ arena isn’t intimidating enough, Ohio State marched down on their first drive and scored an easy TD to take the 7-0 lead. Wisconsin made adjustments and turned things around in the second half to surge ahead 17-10. It looked like the Buckeyes might fall victim to the top five curse that had plagued so many this year. But, OSU went to their power game and the Badgers began to implode with penalties and turnovers. The Bucks would storm back to regain the lead and come away with a commanding 38-17 victory.
The football crazed fans in Columbus have much to celebrate this year. They are just two wins from securing another national championship appearance and their 20th straight Big Ten victory (a record) has proven them to be the elite team of the conference this decade. Smiles and laughs graced the faces of red clad fans marching across the bridge over the Olentangy River as they headed back to their cars. In the distance, cheers of “O-H”…”I-O!” could be heard as the Buckeye fans hope for a special finish to this season.
