Bill Plaschke is a Tool

The countdown to the titanic Ohio State-USC game is two days and Ohio State folks have circle the wagons. It's clear that this game means way more to a team and fanbase that has suffered some big losses to top competition. The media coverage this week has made it clear that few folks outside Ohio believe the Buckeyes can win. The spread remains an insulting double-digit amount, and the obituary has been all but written. News from Ohio State practice yesterday that star tailback Beanie Wells is doubtful to play..

I could post a rather lengthy of articles writing the Buckeyes off. But it doesn't take more than one annoying exchange with an obnoxious fan or reading the inane thoughts of a self-aggrandizing columnist to really the juices flowing for this one. Here's a gem from Around the Horn goof Bill Plaschke that is full of ridiculous statements and specious arguments. It typifies the type of bashing Ohio State and their fans are taking right:
http://www.latimes.com/sports/college/usc/la-sp-plaschke10-2008sep10,0,3076831.column

I once though Plaschke was a decent journalist, but over the years he shown a distaste for Ohio State that I didn't quite understand. I even e-mailed him some questions over the years, but he never deigned to respond. But the venom is out in full force in this piece, with his hatred of both the Buckeye team and their supporters. A few of the choice items:

*We've already covered Ray Small's comments about USC, which were inappropriate but hardly hard-core bulletin board talk. Plaschke takes Small's few digs and makes the leap to assume they reflect the attitude of the entire Ohio State staff and its players. This logic is ridiculous, but I guess I shouldn't expect substantive argumentation in his superb work.

*He claims he blames the Buckeyes for "ruining" the last two national championships. Yes, the #1 Buckeyes didn't show up to play against Florida in Glendale, and once Teddy Ginn went down the team and it's gameplan went into the tank. But the LSU game should hardly qualify as a "ruined" game - Ohio State led early on, and you want to give a rebuilt team a hard time about losing to the preseason #1 in a virtual home game? Whatever. Is this game any better if West Virginia or Missouri take care of business? Doubtful, so why penalize a team for overachieving? Do we respect Ohio State more if they lose three games and then dismantle Florida the way Michigan did in the Capital One Bowl?

*Plaschke reaches back to Ohio State's '02 national championship with a cheap shot about the pass interference call. As if this comment has anything to do with the USC game or Ohio State as a program in any useful way. Screenshots and video clearly show the contact on the play. Was it late? Yes. But a number of other critical calls went the other way late in that game. And media must still be in shock that their predictions of a Miami route did not come to fruition. Who did you pick in that game, Billy boy?

*The columns veers into a rambling tirade about how Ohio State fans believe they are better than USC, that OSU football is a superior version of the game, blaah blaah. Apparently it is this attitude that forced Carson Palmer to rip into the Buckeyes on the radio a few weeks ago. Yup, poor Carson just couldn't take it anymore. Must have been the same thing with LenDale White, when the doughboy said unscripted, "Ohio State sucks!".

I could go one. I could write a white paper or a treatise of some sort on this game and Ohio State's place in the sport right now. But there's no need...it's time for the Buckeyes to take the game's biggest stage and shock everyone again. No, this is not Ohio State's best team in the last few years. Yes, the most dynamic playmakers is wounded. But this is a solid, experienced team with a great coach that needs to show the college football world something. Plaschke is right about one thing - college football runs on perception - and Ohio State is on the wrong side of it right now. Plaschke calls OSU "slow, boring, overrated" and there's only one way to change that.