The Ohio
State Buckeyes football season was certainly one that fans will never forget. And while
this was a team with lofty expectations, no one had them in the national
championship come week 1. It’s hard to imagine that they themselves were even thinking
national title. I know most players always say that there goal is to win it
all, but after Braxton went down just two weeks before the season, there’s no way anyone was
thinking it'd be a realistic shot. Then came along J.T. Barrett, and he quickly changed the
mindset of the talented Bucks and got them thinking, why not us?! The team
quickly realized their talent and potential, as Barrett grew with every start.
They started to believe in their quarterback and one another. The result was title
number 8.
Here's a deeper look inside the remarkable title run:
Not one, not two, but three
The number
of Buckeye quarterbacks. Preseason, who would have thought it’d be
the least likely that would lead them to both the BIG Ten and National Title?
No Miller,
no Barrett, no problem. For the Buckeyes, it seemed as though two injuries
would derail the 2014 season. It started in the preseason with news that
Heisman candidate and three year starter Braxton Miller would be out for the season due to a shoulder
injury. While many fans may have panicked, Urban and company sure did not. With
talent abundant, the Bucks turned to red-shirt freshman J.T. Barrett. And after
a rough second start (3 INT’s, sacked 7 times) in their loss to Virginia Tech,
all he did was set records for total yards (3,772) and touchdowns (45) in a
single season by any quarterback in school history, in route to leading the
Bucks to the BIG Ten title game. Unfortunately, just like Miller however,
Barrett was injured and lost for the season in the final game of the year.
The next man
in line? Third stringer Cardale
Jones!? Yes, Cardale Jones. The same player infamously quoted on Twitter as
saying, “Why should we have to go to
class if we came here to play FOOTBALL, We ain't come to play SCHOOL classes
are POINTLESS”. One: How do you ‘play’ school? Two: I can see why he doesn't
want to go to class…just look at that grammar! Regardless, that’s beside the
point. All Mr. Jones did when he was called upon (besides maturing) was throw for 257 yards and 3
scores in his first collegiate start – the BIG Ten Championship Game – in
leading the Bucks to a 59-0 rout of Wisconsin. His second start? He upset the
#1 team in the country, throwing for 243 yards & a TD, while running for
another 89. And his third start?! (See below)
The story here is
unbelievable. Three quarterbacks. All from Ohio. All with the same skill set
(some attributes better than the other). All with the same mentality. All with
a common goal: WIN.
Not one, not two, but three
The number
of starts (and wins) by Cardale Jones this season – every one of them a
postseason game (BIG Ten Championship, First Four Playoff, and the National
Championship). In just the third start of his career, in front of the whole
nation, Cardale Jones dazzled yet again. Aside from a fumble and an
interception that wasn't his fault, Jones was virtually unstoppable, throwing
for 242 yards and a TD, rushing for 38 & another score, and picking up
crucial conversions time after time.
Not one, not two, but three
The number
of Heisman finalists the Buckeyes defeated (and shut down) in consecutive games.
First, they held running back Melvin Gordon to just 76 yards on 26 carries (2.9 avg.). Then, in
the semi-final, the Bucks contained wide receiver Amari Cooper to just 71 yards
(although he did score twice). Lastly, in Monday night’s Title game, Ohio State
held the Heisman winner [Mariota] to 333 yards passing and just 39 yards on the
ground, including an INT.
Not one, not two, but three
The number
of losses in Urban Meyer’s career as the head coach at Ohio State. With the win
on Monday Night, Urban improved to 38-3 (.926 winning %) in 3 seasons at the
helm. He has reached at least 12 wins in each of his first three seasons.
Not one, not two, but three
The number
of National Championships Urban Meyer has now won. His record in those games: a
perfect 3-0. Of all his titles however, there is no doubt that this one has to
be the sweetest. For one, Meyer is an Ohio product, hailing from the city of Ashtabula.
There can’t be a better feeling than winning one at ‘home’. Two, after the
injury to Miller, this is a team that no one had going to the playoff, let
alone the national title. Of the seven SI experts who made predictions on the
first-four playoff in the preseason, not a single one had the Buckeyes in the
playoff. And three, to add to the amazing feat, all the adversity this team had to face – a
lopsided loss to unranked Virginia Tech, the loss of a fallen teammate, losing
two starting quarterbacks due to injury, among others – their response is what
has to make this one the most memorable.
Not one, not two, but three
The number
of post-season wins it took to make history. With wins over Wisconsin, Alabama,
and Oregon, the Buckeyes are the first team ever to win the national
championship via the playoff, silencing many critics in the process.
Undeserving. Untested. Lucky. Surprising. Say what you want, the Buckeyes are National Champions.
