Why I hate Ohio State...

So today is D-Day plus 1. September 13, 2009. September 11th is a day that will live in infamy for all Americans, September 12 is now a date that should live in infamy for all Ohioans. But first, let's talk about Ohio State football for a while. I never really noticed until I started meeting people from assorted (non-Ohio) locales, but people from less genuine and authentic places than Ohio often have a problem with the hoopla and excitement surrounding Ohio State football. Ohio is not a place with a transient population, it is not really a destination in and of itself. My family, on both sides, moved directly from the old country(ies) to Ohio, where it remains. This type of situation gives rise to feelings typically known as "pride" and "loyalty". People from locales on the coast and the new south often have difficulty understanding this concept. In addition, Ohio is one of the original homes of football. (Professional football was born in North-East Ohio, and Ohio is home to many of the most storied high-school programs in the nation). Players from Ohio, while not as hyped as those from say California or Florida or Texas, match up pretty favorably across the board. Check It
When one considers this storied football tradition and the fact that Ohio is far and away the largest and most football-crazy state with only one major program (until the past several seasons, UC has been a joke) - Florida has FSU, UF, Miami, Texas has Texas & A&M, Georgia has UGA & GT, California has USC, UCLA, Cal, Stanford, you'll see the root of tOSU madness. Where fan-dom in most states is determinate on where you went to school or your parents went to school, in Ohio, its determinate on the fact that you're from Ohio. You root for Ohio State because you're born and raised in Ohio, kind of like how you root for Michael Phelps and the Dream Team instead of Cuba and China in the Olympics. When these factors: football-mad, large population base, midwestern values, are combined with historical ineptitude among Ohio's professional sports franchises (with the exception of the Reds, who have been bad for 19 years now, no one has won a title since 1964), what you get is a brew that results in a rabid fanbase.
Tragically, the Ohio State Buckeyes have become the pre-2004 Boston Red Sox of the college sports scene. Not in duration of ineptitude, obviously, but just in the comedy of errors and cursed-esque shit that's been going down. If you ask me, it goes back to Texas, 2005. The Vince Young game. The same Vince Young team that went on to beat "the Team of the Century" in "the game of the century". The Ryan Hamby drop game. The Troy Smith/Justin Zwick game. tOSU just did stupid shit up and down the field in a game in which they outplayed a higher-ranked opponent en route to a loss. obviously, after that game, they beat an EXTREMELY overrated Notre Dame team in the 2006 fiesta bowl and a texas team on the road in 2006 (with a freshman QB), but since then, it's been all bad. The Florida game, obviously, where 21st century football exposed 1990s football as outdated and obsolete. The LSU game, where OSU blew a 14-0 lead, and had a dropped touchdown pass that would have put them up 24-14, which was immediately followed by a blocked field goal, and needless to say, resulted in a loss of all momentum. then, comes USC '08, Texas '08, and USC '09. USC '08 was a legitimate ass-beating. OSU was without its best player, and was overmatched and undermanned against a superior veteran-laden USC team. However, against Texas and USC yesterday, Ohio State was clearly the better team, and outplayed their opponent for 90% of the game, only to blow it in almost legendary fashion. These things only happen to teams without confidence, who are convinced that they will not win, because no one steps up and makes a play. This negative attitude permeates throughout the locker room, from the players to the coaches, and requires a serious exorcism. Ohio State needs to play loose, without regard for consequence or reputation. Clear Eyes, Full Hearts... Can't Lose. It's no fun to root for a team that's playing tense and who you're convinced is going to blow it. The '04 Red Sox broke their funk by putting a legendary ass beating on the Yankees at home. That is what needs to happen for Ohio State.
Dear Jim Tressel, please allow your roster full of future draft picks to break their funk by letting the dogs off the leash. Please stop playing it safe and take some goddamn chances. Watch game tape of Urban Meyer coached teams for reference. Thank You. Or you could just hire an offensive co-ordinator. Honestly, which big-time coach calls his own plays in 2009? What is this? 1970? To clarify Jim, I don't want you to be fired, I just want you to recognize that you don't know everything about football and could use some help because your offensive ideas are a little... behind the times? Last Night's loss was unacceptable, and the blame must go solely on your shoulders. You cannot allow your star player to be so shook by the national spotlight that he shits the bed in what should have been his coming out party. As the offensive play-caller, it is your responsibility to open up the playbook and give him opportunities to shine. Where were the run-pass option plays? Everything all night was pre-determined and Pryor was clearly so afraid to make a mistake that he chose more often than not, to do nothing at all. Please, take your hand off the throat of your football program and allow for it to breathe a little on its own. Sometimes less is more, particularly if you are clearly overmatched in the world of football, 2009. Also, I wanted to tell you that I've been let down so often these past 4 years that I'm going to temper my enthusiasm and watch as a more casual fan until you get your shit together.
Thank You Again, AB