My Little Pony's Last Ride

It has been a long while since an Ohio State football or basketball team went into a big game as a decided underdog. The basketball team has lost just three games this season, at UNC, at Florida, and at Wisconsin. While they certainly were not favored in any of those games, the line wasn't very large either. Further, Oden missed the first game and was in just fifth game when Ohio State visited thr Gators. The Buckeyes avenged the Wisconsin loss twice later this season, once in Columbus and again in the Big Ten Tournament championship.

As for the football team, last year's 12-1 team was favored in every single game. That included the shocking BCS title game when Florida routed the rather flat (footed) Buckeyes. Even during the 2005 season, Ohio State lost just two games to Texas and at Penn State. The line (and general consensus) prior to these games was that the teams were closely matched, and both games were decided by a score or less.

So Buckeyes fans find themselves in a strange position this evening...we're expected to lose. It seem too cruel to that Ohio State could lose both championships to the same school in the same year. It would be especially painful, given the obnoxious nature of Joakim Noah, Corey Brewer and the rabid Florida fans. As ESPN.com's Pat Forde wrote, Noah is NOT a beloved player. So watch him scream, whine at fouls and pound his chest is nauseating. Brewer doesn't seem much better, but this blog hasn't yet gone R-Rated so I'll keep those insults to myself. For anyone you thinking I'm a bitter Buckeye, that's not the case. Mostly. I have no problem with Horfor, Green and Humphery, who generally go about their business while mauling teams. I just don't like loud uppity players. You know, unless their on my team and I can make excuses for them.

We've seen Florida's A game. They have the hardware and the experience. Logic may dictate that you're not going to beat the defending champ, who browbeat you by 26 this season, on a court they won the SEC championship on.

But we haven't seen Ohio State's best game yet. We haven't seen Oden unleashed, free from foul trouble, blocking shots and rattling the rim with dunks for 30 minutes. If this happends, Ohio State's trio of three point assassins will have plenty of room to knock down shots and equalize Green and Humphery. We're just getting to see David Lighty gain confidence and start shutting down players on offense. And Mike Conley has already shown that he simply does not know how to lose. Logic may say that Florida is better, but Ohio State is a young, talented team that is just putting it all together. It needs to happen right now. Oden, and probably Conley, will not be back for a mulligan in 2008.

Ohio State is used to being the juggernaut. It has been just over four years since Ohio State rolled in to a huge game with the underdog label. Too slow. Can't complete with the a more talented team, the defending national champions. No chance, the experts said. That Ohio State football team stunned the Miami Hurricanes and won the national championship. Does this year's basketball team have that magic?

4 hours and change till game time. Let's dance.