AP Photo/Mark J. TerrillWell, everything we said would happen happened. It just happened for the Gators instead of the Buckeyes. We, like the rest of Buckeye nation, are pretty numb right now. We're so conditioned for success under Jim Tressel, that we sometimes forget what it's like to lose.
In thoroughly dismantling the heavily favored Buckeyes, the Gators seemed to be a step faster, a tad stronger, hungrier and dare we say -- better prepared. The loss was the worst of Tressel's Buckeye career and were the most points hung on the Buckeyes since 1999. More significantly, the defeat put a sour aftertaste on the brilliant career of Troy Smith.
There were plenty of moments we can look back on and shake our heads in amazement over. The 4th and 1 gamble by Field Marshall Field Position that quickly lead to a 13 point Gator lead. The fact that the Ohio State receivers could not get open once Ginn left the game. The two useless personal fouls that kick-started Florida's first two drives. These points, and more, will be debated for months and years to come.
Todd Jones of the Dispatch wrote an especially prescient piece today about how Buckeye fans should realize all good times eventually come to an end. Indeed. The Buckeyes will be back. There will be other opportunities down the road. We salute the entire senior class on a wonderful career -- a career that brought many smiles to the faces of Buckeye nation.
Comments
un-freaking-believable...it was over when tress panicked and went for it on our own 30 down just 10 (i think) in the first half...the layoff definitely had an impact as we seemed slow and out of sync..regardless, florida was the better team tonight and troy tarnished his still storied legacy...that funky offense kept us off balance all night...
speechless...........................................................
It's been a long time since we've witnessed that bad of an a$$ kicking....
They definitely earned it. We now have a holy trinity of ass-whippings: Penn State '94, FSU in the Sugar Bowl '98, and this.
You just knew it was going to be a long night when their kicker turned Morten Anderson on the Bucks. Now we get the pleasure of 150 days of SI commercials to look forward to. At least there's not one play to look back and think "what-if" about..
The Gators made Steve Irwin proud.
We needed Mic on the sidelines
Because you CAN'T win Rock! this guy will kill you to death inside of three rounds. You're crazy! What else is new. He's just another fighter! No he ain't just another fighter! This guy is a wrecking machine, and he's hungry, hell you ain't been hungry since you worn that belt
The Gator pass rush was in the backfield in a hurry all night long. If that is the case where was the draw play, the quarterback draw play, a screen over the middle, or even pick up a loose Gator helmet and do the old hide the ball trick in it?
Favorite play - It took 16 seconds to run, take a guess and you will probably be right
Most useless pass - last play of the 1st half where Troy throws his hail mary out of bounds. Not out of the back of the endzone but the SIDE of the endzone
Most pathetic call - The call Tressel made to Weis on his cell in the 2nd quarter and Weis talking him into going for it on 4th down.
I thought only kickers got hurt celebrating. Are we sure it isn't Ted Grammatica Jr.?
Aw shucks Nut Nation... feeling low because your over-rated wannabes got exposed for the never-will-bes that they are?? Outcoached, outplayed and embarrassed on national TV... something the couple/few NFL prospects will get used to soon enough. And sure Heisman boy can hold a clipboard, right?
BTW - better get the lawyers on the phone... those gaudy earrings yer star RB was sporting in the post game press conferences might raise an eyebrow or two. Guess we know where those spaghetti funds went to, huh??
Hey Integrity, you Troll-
Head back to whatever swamp you crawled out of. If it was that teeming human cesspool called Florida, then enjoy the win. It's a feeling you won't have again for another 50 years based on history: your coach's history --two years and out. He's heading to the NFL.
Your team's history--2 championships in 100 years of football....yowza. That pairs well with your measly two Heismans. Collect 8 of one and 6 of another and then troll back over here and talk your smack.
If you're not a Gator, then you are just a pathetic jerk whose team was sitting home on the couch wishing they were in Phoenix.
We had a great year. We ended it with a horrific loss. Florida played lights out and deserves credit for the win.
We'll be back. Where will you be? Still on the couch with your team.
Hey REAL, you fool... voice of the idiot masses
I'm actually an NFL fan so obviously of the college teams, I like USC (whom I'm sure as a nut fan, are very familar eh?) because they historically play a 'pro' game. So if your grandchildren are alive when/if the nuts get to double digits, get in touch... though by then, the Trojans will likely have over 30 well in hand. Missing the chance to do what the Gators did yesterday was painful, but the crystal will be even sweeter next year in the Sugar when we beat whoever comes out of the SEC for number twelve.
Nuts had a great year? Based on what?? Enlighten me o' wise one... was it the BIG win over the overrated Longhorns who went on to lose a handful more? Maybe mighty Iowa who finished below .500?? Oh no, but of course, its by squeeking by that other wannabe of the Big Ten, Michigan on your home field, who laid an egg though not near as big as that one the nuts put out there in Glendale. And then there is future clipboard holder for life Heisman chump who piled up stats against the weakest schedule a BCS champion participant has ever faced. IMPRESSIVE!
Face reality, you had an above average year in an over-rated conference and lost to one of a half dozen teams that would expose the REAL buckeye team on any given day. It wasn't lights out football that beat you... it was a superior team over a media over-hyped paper opponent
I'd say go and enjoy your own couch but as it undoubtedly went up in flames after beating the 'mighty' Wolverines, nothing left but to take down your scarlet flag, get the crap off the car and put away all your nut wardrobe until you are 'back' and can come out of the closet to run your trap before reality of life outside the 'big' ten hits you again.
Integrity evidently has a short term memory......weren't the 'Canes supposedly unbeatable just a couple of years back and got their helmets handed to them by not even one of our best Buckeye teams ever.....although Willis McGahee and Ken Dorsey might disagree with me on that point.....
I do give Florida credit.....they were definitely ready to play
I
Leave it to a guy named "integrity" to be a USC fan. I am guessing that before that you were a Miami fan and before that an FSU fan, and Nebraska and on and on.
My guess is you know nothing about the NFL either and you are a San Diego fan this week.
The sad part of this is we're stuck with this antiquated BCS system that caves to the merchandising muscle of these over rated and over hyped schools like Notre Dame and OSU as the nation misses out on the real unfolding stories of true champion like Boise State. We're all losers by missing teams like Boise state climbing the playoff brackets to gain their rightful place among the elite this year. Wouldn't it have been more fun to see an overrated team like the Bucks knocked off in an early round by a Divison II team?
I have integrity.
Have fun haters. Realizing this is one of the few brief periods in your vapid lives that you get to toss some salt on Buckeye fans, this must be heaven.
All the credit in the world to the Gators. The Buckeyes were outplayed, outcoached, etc. But they'll be back.
[...] are quickly becoming the new Michigan. I can hear the old-timers screaming now, but based on the fiasco in Glendale, the basketball blowout earlier this season in Gainesville and the fact that the Wolverines [...]
LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOL