Eleven Warriors

I remember the first time I realized Mark May enjoyed goading Ohio State fans. I was sixteen-years-old, and Ohio State was on the cusp of its first national footballing title since 1968. Nobody knew that yet, however, especially Mark May. I'm too lazy to Google his exact quotes, but I remember him basically saying Ohio State didn't deserve to share the field with the star-studded Miami team.

The 2003 BCS Title Game showed just how much Mark May's opinions are worth.

Not to be outdone, Mark May has continued his trolling of the Ohio State fan-base for a decade. That's stamina and constitution you usually don't find outside of terrorist organizations. On one hand, I'm impressed. On the other, I'm not, because Mark May is a run-of-the-mill troll.

It's all a calculated ploy. Outside of "the Buckeye Empire" or whatever nitwitted, interchangeable phrase you want to paste on Ohio State's fanbase, there is no love for Ohio State. It's the most hated team in the country. Ohio State fans have hated Mark May since the 2003 championship, so what's he got to lose with his incessant needling of an already obnoxious fanbase? Don't worry, I'll wait.

~*~*~*checks watch~*~***and when i say "watch" i mean cell phone***~*~*~

... The best medicine for a troll is to simply ignore them. I know this, because I've trolled people practically since I was able to type. I've been blocked on Twitter by everybody from Bill Simmons to Clay Travis to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to Adam Schefter. I'll put my trolling accolades against anyone's this side of the Sun. It amuses me when millionaires like Bill Simmons have to block somebody because they questioned their interpretation of the NBA's collective bargaining agreement with banter. Were I Bill Simmons, he of Grantland and ubiquitous NBA on ESPN TV presence, there's nothing somebody on Twitter with a cat avatar could say to anger me.

This rustic wheelhouse is where the troll derives all his powers. Mark May probably prints out the abuse tweeted at him and uses it as masochistic pornography. His tweets may be ghostwritten by a third grader, but with every RT -- no matter how ironic -- his personal brand grows. (Yes, even this 500 word post is feeding into his troll-powers, but alas, such is the price of this PSA.)

Doubt me? Mark May probably cleared well over 500,000 dollars last year. He's literally laughing all the way to the bank on us.

We must quit taking the same bait Mark May has been laying since the winter of 2002. It's over a decade old, and he's not even giving Ohio State fans the courtesy of shaking up his routine. He's not even trying anymore; he's on troll auto-pilot. Frankly, it's insulting, and I wish more Ohio State fans would see through his bullshit facade. The faster that happens, the faster Mark May fades into irrelevance, which is where that goof belongs. He is not worth our time, our energy, and especially not our hate.

This is Ohio State fans to whom I'm talking though, so I doubt I'll ever get that lucky. Perhaps Mark May is the troll we deserve.

http://mgoblog.com/content/week-life-al-borges-part-1

I didn't read the whole thing on MGoBlog, and although I'm sure it's interesting, I thought it would be more fun to make it up instead:

"Well, let's set the stage for what is a normal week during the season:

"I try to get home as soon as practice is over since Mom likes to serve dinner at 6 pm SHARP. If it's any later, she might miss the start of her programs (she LOVES wheel of fortune). So once I get the dishes done and finish the rest of my chores out in the garage, I try to get to work on the week's gameplan. 

"The basis for my gameplan usually comes from a 4-6 hour marathon of playing the NCAA '13 on XBOX Live against any and all comers. It can be hard during the beginning of the season to find opponents (who wants to play as Eastern??), but once I've gotten about 3 or 4 different looks, I feel pretty confident. I typically use only 4 plays or so (Denard zone keep Left, Denard Zone keep right, Fake Zone read followed by Denard throwing to #12 regardless if he's open, and Punt), figuring that gives me a pretty solid vision of what we'll all see Saturday.

"Once I have finished my Xbox session, I usually have to text Coach Hoke back a fake excuse for why I couldn't meet him for Pizza and Beer that night (Mother doesn't like me out after dark of course). Then I'll usually spend a good chunk of the rest of the night on the internet. I usually spend an hour or two matching up the numbers of those guys on NCAA '13 with who they are in real life. If I finish early I spend time surfing Reddit for conspiracy theories about 9/11 and then usually some 'special videos' that Mother doesn't know about (that last part is a little frustrating with her dial up connection). 

"The next day I get up around 10 or so and head straight to the cafeteria at Schembechler Hall. The players are usually in class by then, so I get the waffle bar to myself (It's amazeballs, you gotta try it). After a few waffles I get one to go and lock myself in my office. My work computer has a great connection, so this is usually when I get my World of Warcraft time in.

"Finally once practice starts, I head straight to the scissor lift. I try to avoid the coaches locker room as much as possible, since Coach Mattison usually just makes fun of me for all the mail my recruits send back (I think he makes up some of those letters, but I can't prove it). Once I'm in that scissor lift, I'm in my zone.  No one can tell me 'No' as I yell down to run the same play 6 times in row, even though Denard can't feel his right arm at this point. It's truly my favorite part of the day. Then, once it's over, you know the drill..."

A wrestling stand-out since his days at Oak Harbor High School, recent Ohio State graduate CJ Magrum spoke with me to recap his wrestling career as a Buckeye. Magrum ended his career with a record of 85-48 and went undefeated against Michigan wrestlers in his final 3 seasons. Magrum was a 4 time NCAA qualifier and a 4 time Academic All Big Ten honoree and provided outstanding leadership for the young Buckeye team for the past few seasons. 

What was it about wrestling that drew you to the sport?

The fact that my older brother started wrestling. The hard work and discipline that wrestling requires. Also, the fact that it is a fair sport in that you and your opponents both weigh the same and it is one on one.

Growing up in Oak Harbor, was there any wrestler you really considered a role model? Was there any wrestler that you modeled your style after?

I really looked up to my older brother Mike Rando. He is 4 years older than me and we had similar styles. I also looked up to JD Bergman who was a multiple time state champion that went on to wrestle for tOSU.

After winning 3 state titles in Ohio, what made you decide to come to Ohio State? Were you receiving offers from other programs?

I loved the coaching staff, the campus, and the guys on the team. It was a college that I wanted to go to since I was a kid. Yes, I was receiving offers from multiple different programs.

When you stepped onto the mat as a freshman, what did you notice was the biggest difference between high school wrestling and wrestling at the collegiate level?

College wrestling is much more physical. There are no easy matches because everyone you wrestle is a man who has been doing the same thing you have at the same level.

From what I was able to find, you went undefeated against the Team Up North in your last 2 years as a Buckeye. Is the rivalry with them as intense on the mats as it is in football and basketball?

Yes, my freshman year I lost to a Michigan wrestler during our dual meet I believe. That was my only loss to “those guys.” Yes it is a very intense rivalry. Bragging rights and gold singlets are on the line. Wrestling as a whole is also very personal so every match is intense.

Aside from the Maize and Blue, who would you say is the Buckeye wrestling team’s biggest rival?

IOWA!!!!!!!

Of all of the matches you wrestled in college, which would you say was your most memorable?

My sophomore year I beat AJ Kissel from Purdue at Big Tens to qualify for the NCAA Tournament. He was a top 12 ranked guy at the time and I was having an up and down season.

It’s widely known that the Big Ten most of the toughest wrestlers in the country. Who was your toughest opponent throughout your career (and why)?

I wrestled Jake Varner from Iowa State my Freshman year, who turned out to be an Olympic Gold Medalist. That was tough because he was a senior who was much more experienced and stronger than me. The other one was Ed Ruth from Penn State. He is a freak of nature who is one of the best college wrestlers of all time. Next year he will be going for his 3rd NCAA Title.

Aside from St. John Arena, where was your favorite place to wrestle?

I loved when our team went to my High School this year and I got to wrestle in front of my hometown.

Now that you’re moving on, which Buckeye is someone that fans should keep an eye out for in the future?

Well, Logan Stieber is a future Olympic Champion no doubt in my mind, but he is very well known. Noticeable incoming freshman that can have a big impact right away are Tomasello and Jordan.

In addition to your accolades on the mat, you were recognized time and time again for your excellence in the classroom. How were you able to balance your busy schedule in the wrestling program with hitting the books and just being a kid? (if you’d like, describe a typical week in-season).

I chose a major that was easy for me to be successful in while being the best wrestler I could be. The biggest thing for me that most college kids struggle with is just going to class every single day. I never missed classes, and while I was there I was pretty attentive. My days usually went, breakfast, morning workouts, class, lunch, afternoon workouts, dinner, and then any homework or assignments, then playtime if I had the energy.

As someone that’s wrestled at the collegiate level, what advice would you give to a young wrestler just starting out in the sport?

I would tell them to stick with it. It’s the hardest sport there is and can get overwhelming physically and mentally, so it is important for beginners to just stick with it and stay positive. Also, work out as much as you can because the last thing you want is to step on the mat unprepared.

You’re now a graduate from The Ohio State University. What’s your degree and what will you be doing after college?

Strategic Communications. I will be seeking a job in sales or personal training.

Having nothing to do with wrestling, what do you think you’ll miss the most about being a student at The Ohio State University?

I will miss all my teammates and the fun things we used to do such as softball, vball, Frisbee, and cornhole with our shirts off obviously.

'The Chase' leading up to National Signing Day 2013 was a very exciting one for Buckeye Nation. Urban Meyer's first full recruiting class, a full compliment of schollies, an undefeated season, and many of the country's top recruits on OSU's board. Many recruitniks coming down the stretch were pre-occupied with Vonn Bell's decision between OSU, Tenn, Georgia, Alabama; Tre Johnson flirting with Auburn;  EZE's courtship with Mizzou, and wondering about Mike Mitchell and a few WR's.

My main interest came in the form of Dontre Wilson. Ever since I found out about the mutual interest (after Chip Kelley started looking into the NFL) I became excited. Wilson, an Oregon commit, came on late and fast, due to the Ducks facing violations and Kelly possibly bolting.

The reason Wilson became so exciting to me is the fact this athelete/RB is of the same mold Oregon has been recruiting with much success over the last 10 years. When he showed interest, the first thing that came to my mind was getting a super-fast Oregon-type athelete out of Tom Herman's territory in Texas who can join our already potent backfield and combine with Braxton to wreak havok on opposing defenses.

Unlike at Oregon, Wilson won't have to worry about his defense getting scored on a majority of drives as Ohio State prides itself on its defense! Imagine a high octane Oregon type offense paired with an SEC-caliber defensive line, LBrs, secondary, all infused with some Buckeye attitude!

I beg you permit me, my fellow Buckeyes, during this long offseason to spin a yarn about our neighbors to the east. Work takes me all over the country and on Friday morning I found myself in Morgantown, WV. While I will always bleed scarlet and grey, as a fan of college football I love it when I get to work in other college towns and see how the other half lives. If time permits I try to hit up famous/favorites places to eat or at least drive by famous sites or campus landmarks. I had worked in Morgantown quite a few times over the past few years and was fairly familiar with the campus, and as I had a second stop in Pittsburgh before I was able to return to our beloved Columbus, there was no time for wandering around. I work in real estate and my destination was a recently developed apartment complex.

I met with the owner/developer who, not surprisingly was a huge football fan. I asked about how he expected a Geno Smith-less West Virginia would perform this year and he replied back, "About the same as a Braxton Miller-less Ohio State." Touché dear sir, touché. We talked about their defense, or lack thereof last year and he said that Keith Patterson, the current DC for WV lived in one of his apartments or houses (I can't remember, but I hope they are paying him enough to live in a house). He said that while there are many question marks post Geno, Patterson feels confident that we will see a much improved defense this year from the 'Eers.

In an interesting coincidence, his grandfather was the original Mountaineer mascot for West Virginia University in the 1920s. A cursory search of the internet names Clay Crouse, the original Mountaineer mascot in 1927. I assume the picture below is a statue of the Mountaineer and not my host's actual grandfather. He made a distinction that he was the first "unofficial" mascot because the first "official" mascot was not named until years later. I asked why they made it official and he said that the university needed to be able to control the image. Apparently in years past there had been some iterations of the Mountaineer who found that West Virginia moonshine a little too agreeable and would get drunk at games which caused some embarrassment for the university. One Mountaineer in particular would go get drunk during halftime with the head cheerleader (a man) and they would often come out loaded for the second half. When your mascot is also carrying around a real musket which could turn a Redcoat into swiss cheese at 20 paces, you can see where a university of higher learning may become concerned. So they began holding elections for the mascot. Believe it or not, they have had two women Mountaineers over the years, Natalie Tennant in 1990 and Rebecca Durst from 2009 to 2010.

So we are walking through this apartment complex and we knock on the door of the next unit we need to enter and who answers the door but a steely eyed man with a big friendly smile and the most magnificent beard I have seen in person in a long time. It was none other than Jonathan Kimble, the current Mountaineer. Now, sometimes when you meet someone that you have seen on television, I wonder if that is what they are like in real life. Well, having met Mr. Kimble and walked through where he lives I can tell you, he was born to play the Mountaineer and is the real deal. And honestly, that makes me like him and our eastern neighbors a little bit more. This is not a theater major playing the role of a mountain man, this is a guy who when not decked out in buckskin is in his camo pajamas (as seen below) preparing to hunt what I can only assume to be a liger. You may remember, a while back when Mr. Kimble got in trouble and made the news for killing a black bear with his trusty WVU issued musket. I am sure many school officials never thought that they would see the day when they would have to tell their team mascot to not murder a bear with a prop that they gave to him to wave around at football games. I love Brutus, but damn, that is pretty cool. When it was disclosed that I was an OSU alum and fan, he shoot me a gaze and said, "Oklahoma State?" to which I responded, "No, the real one." I followed up with, "We're rivals geographically, but not in conference." He smiled and said, "You want to see the musket?" "You're damn right I want to see the musket!!!!" was my thought, but I said, "Yes please." and he went out to his truck to fetch it, as seen at right. He also let me see the powder horn, coon skin cap and the rest of the outfit. I asked, "How old is the musket?" He said," They make a new one about every 8 years." Having just been told about the drunken exploits of past Mountaineers I asked if he had any restrictions to wearing the outfit in public placed on him by the university. That also reminded me of when a Brutus got in trouble for going out on Halloween one year to get his drink on and probably try to bed a slutty-looking Alice in Wonderland, Rainbow Brite, or the hotter of the two Doublemint Twins. He said, "I have around 400 engagements that I must attend every year, so I am usually in the buckskins every day so there really isn't much novelty to putting it on when not at an official function." That is a crazy amount of appearances for a student (sports management) who does this on the side. I asked how comfortable the outfit was and he said that each costume is handmade and tailored to each Mountaineer. He then excused himself as duty called as he was heading to Parkerburg, WV for an event where he had to make an appearance. We continued our walkthrough and a few minutes later he comes out in all his Davy Crockett-looking glory and smiles and waves. I shot one final question at him, "What came first, the beard or the job?" He ran a hand through his impressive array of auburn whiskers and said,"I just got re-elected to my second year in this job. I've had the beard for three." He then hopped in his truck and drove off. While I love the Buckeyes, I admit, it was a pretty cool experience for a random Friday afternoon.

In the short time Urban Meyer has been head coach of The Ohio State University, his first full recruiting class ('13) has been one for the ages. From the get-go, it started out with high level nationally ranked players from Ohio (Marshall, Burrows); followed by high level OOS players in Eli Apple,  Joey Bosa, J.T. Barrett; and concluded with receiving commitments from the likes of Vonn Bell, Tre Johnson, Mike Mitchell, and Dontre Wilson. I'd be hard pressed to find a better OSU recruiting class in the last 15 years.

That said, I feel Joey Bosa might be the biggest prize of the class, at least from an out of state perspective. Case in point: 

He comes from St. Thomas Aquinas (FL), one of a handful of elite programs in the entire country.

His measurables are as good as it gets for a DE in HS. 6-5, 270 with a strong cut body.

According to his video he thouroughly mauled and manhandled some seriously high level competition in H.S.

Has strong family ties to Ohio.

He handled the Charles Eric Waugh situation the right way by stating:  'I'm not going to let some weirdo define OSU to me."

Called ichigan 'That team up north' correctly throughout his H.S. carerar.

Insane speed and athleticism for his size and can continue to grow. Plus a nasty disposition.

Very high profile recruit from SEC country with offers from Bama, LSU, Florida, South Carolina, and many others.

2 time NCAA champion Logan Stieber wasn't representing the Scarlet and Gray when he took on #1 Ranked Opan Sat on Wednesday at the Rumble on the Rails event at NYC's Grand Central Terminal, he was representing the USA, and looked excellent doing it.

The elder Stieber brother dropped the 1st period to Sat by a score of 7-5, but he kept the Russian star off of the scoreboard for the next 2 periods, winning 6-0 and 3-0 to earn the victory.

The Rumble on the Rails was an event which brought much attention to some of the international wrestling powers in the wake of the IOC's suggestion to drop wrestling from the Olympic games starting in 2020. The event showcased wrestlers from the USA, Russia, and Iran in both freestyle and Greco Roman wrestling. 

Also competing for the USA were former Buckeyes Reece Humphrey and JD Bergman (both NCAA runners up for the Buckeyes). Both Humphrey and Bergman dropped matches by decision to their Iranian counterparts. Humphrey fell by scores of 1-0 and 6-0 against Iranian Maumoud Esmailpour Joybari and Bergman lost a tough decision to Hamed Tatari 3-1 and 1-0. Also representing the US against Iran was Ohio Regional Training Center competitor (and new dad) Tervel Dlagnev, who lost to Khomeil Ghasemi 1-1 and 1-0. 

The American wrestlers won all but one of their 9 bouts against Russian wrestlers, but didn't fare as well against the Iranians, losing all 7 matches. 

I started out writing a post under the actual article but found myself creating a long, thought out argument so I created this instead. 

I do not feel that players should be compensated anymore than they already are. As many have mentioned, the costs of attending a university (tuition, books, living expenses, interest on student loan debt, etc.) are extremely high and more than adequately compensate the players. 

It seems as though the majority of the opposing camp seems to hang their hat on the idea that the level of compensation a player receives from a scholarship is inequitable when compared with coaches salaries and the revenues generated by athletic departments. Well I ask, what about a med student who pays tuition to the university for the opportunity to learn their profession and refine their craft? They are stewards of The Ohio State University Medical School and the Les Wexner Medical Center. How they perform in the classroom, in academia, and as professionals (whether they work for OSU or not) directly impacts the reputation of the University and the Medical Center. The good will and reputation produced by students and doctors from the University allow the Medical School and Medical Center to achieve some of its recognition and increase funding. The Med Center and Med School revenue dwarfs the Athletic Departments. An example is the $1 billion renovations/additions being made to the Med Center, which is where the med students are trained. Do you think it is unfair that med students are not paid?

Additionally, all students add to the reputation and value proposition that a university proposes to new students and displays to the academic community. This is why admissions standards have continued to increase at OSU. A published undergraduate, graduate, or law student does not receive any money for their work (maybe they have a scholarship), yet by becoming published they have fostered a better reputation for the university. The better the academic reputation, the higher tuition a university may charge its students. Do you think published students should have the ability to be paid as well, or are their contributions to the university unworthy? I have worked on several scholarly articles in undergrad and grad school. The amount of work put in, while taking a full course load of non-gimme classes, is equal to that which a student-athlete puts in. Especially if the student also has to work part-time to make ends meet. Perhaps student-athletes have a higher perceived value because they are more visible and are given higher status than academics and academia in our society. Student-athletes work tirelessly, and should be commended for their efforts, however, so do other students who do not receive scholarships, free-rides, recognition, and fame, but still contribute significantly to the university and enable it to generate increased revenue.

Lastly, let's recognize college football for what it really is, it is mostly professional training for young men interested in joining the profession of football. Professional training does not typically come for free (I should know I just finished forking over more than I care to say for a professional education). Now, imagine your profession or what you hope your profession to be. Next, imagine that one of the pre-eminent institutions and practitioners in your profession asked you to come work for them for 4 years with no salary, even though they will generate hundreds of millions of dollars of revenue while you are there. It will be hard work with long days and short nights, but the relationships you make and experiences you have will be life altering. In return for your hard work and dedication, they will teach you in-depth knowledge regarding the profession and all of the tools of the trade necessary to succeed in your profession and in life. Whether you succeed or not is up to you, but they are willing to give you this professional education and a path to success for free. They foot the bill for all living expenses and incidentals. Would you turn this opportunity down or say that it is unfair that they make money while you receive "nothing" in return?

Those are some of my arguments opposing the payment of players. Agree or disagree, I think the issues are much deeper than just "they make money off those poor players and the players receive nothing in return, that is unfair, players should be paid." I hope these thoughts, along with Johnny's article and others opinions, continue to spark thoughtful debate on this issue among the community.         

In a forum thread, someone was talking about how they were getting married the day after the first Buckeye game this year.

This got me thinking about the absolute WORSE experience I had with an Ohio State game... You'll see why it reminds me of this after I tell the story. I'm going to try to paint a very vivid picture in your mind so you can see just how upsetting the experience was.

It was a cool day on the second to last Saturday in October. Me and my fiancé were house shopping at the time and had appointment to view a house (the house we would eventually buy) about 20 minutes away from my parents where we were staying. Our appointment was at 3pm. This was the only time we could see the house that day and it was a HUD home so there was a very strict timeline we had to follow if we wanted to offer on the house. Long story short, if we didn't see the house that day, we probably wouldn't have gotten it.

Now, if you are any bit of an Ohio State fan, you know that there was a game on that day (of course). And if you have a good memory (hell, it doesn't really even have to be that good), you know which game it was. But I will get to that later.

The game started at "high noon" (as douchey douche Beau Bishop would say) and my parents were recording the game and starting it at about 2pm because they had people coming out to watch and those people had something going on and couldn't make it there at noon. So you can see the dilemma I was facing. I could either watch some of the game, pause it and watch it after our appointment, or I could watch it with my parents when we got back from the appointment. Well, my parents decided to wait until we got back to start it so that's what we decided on.

So we went and saw the house and then hurried home so that my parents could start the game. I avoided the radio like the plague and my phone like the bird flu and I was unaware of any updates on the game. It was a week-before-Halloween miracle. I settled in at my parents with some family and friends, grabbed a beer and we started the game up to hopefully enjoy a win. Or so I thought.

My Buckeyes started out pretty slow... They had only scored 7 points by halftime and were down by 6. I was a little worried.

At some point during the game; I can't remember the exact point in time or even who it was, but an Ohio State player went down and was a little banged up. At this point, my sister and my fiancé were sitting beside me. They weren't really watching the game to begin with but came in after half time... I thought it was weird at the time but didn't give it much thought. When they saw the aforementioned player being helped off the field, their conversation went something like this....

Fiancé: Is this when he gets hurt? Is that him?

Sister: No he's not the quarterback.

Me: Hey!! Shut the hell up!!!

They had evidently been talking to someone in the other room who knew what had happened in the game.

They apologized and didn't realize I was listening. But they couldn't keep the secret. They then proceeded to tell me that Braxton Miller would be seriously injured (or so it would seem) and taken to the hospital.

Me: SHUT THE HELL UP!!!!

I wasn't happy. The game was close. Ohio State was under-performing. And now I had been informed that they would be without their star quarterback in a short amount of time. I told them to leave me alone so they wouldn't spoil anything else for me.

And then it happened. Just as they said it would. Towards the end of the 3rd quarter, Miller took a read option right up the middle, bounced a little bit to the outside towards the sideline and was pulled down by a Purdue defender after a big game. Looked harmless enough and everyone else around me was pretty excited, but when he didn't get up I knew that this is was the moment that had been spoiled for me.

This, of course, isn't the reason that I call this "my worst buckeye football experience ever". There wasn't anything I could do about it. I wasn't terribly upset that I had found out that Braxton Miller would eventually leave the game and not return. So I continued to watch the game with hope in my eyes and that terrible feeling in my stomach that you get during these close games.

Ohio State was down 6 at this point and things weren't looking good. Purdue got a safety and the Buckeyes were now down 8 and I started to get depressed. And things would only get worse from here.

Ohio State got the ball back on their own 30 with about 6 minutes left. They got one first down and then Kenny G threw an interception. I was devestated. With less than 3 minutes to go in the game, the Buckeyes were down 8 without their star quarterback. It seemed like they needed a miracle to keep their undefeated season alive. Even if they stopped Purdue on this drive, they would probably have less than a minute to go down and score AND execute two-point conversion. Not likely in my eyes.

I sunk down in my seat for a moment and then got up to use the restroom. I walked into the other room and my fiancé asked what was wrong as I was visibly upset.

"They threw and interception," I said. "I don't want to watch anymore."

Now, I wasn't actually giving up and not watching. I was just going to go empty my bladder and come back and watch my beloved Buckeyes get beat for the first time this year. I thought she knew better than to think I would actually stop watching a game. But she didn't....

"No! Don't stop watching!!!!" she said, almost immediately.

BOOM!! That was it. The moment that everything came crashing down.

My fiancé knows me well enough to know that I get super depressed and grumpy when Ohio State loses, just like a lot of other fans. And I know that she knows that. I also knew that she knew the outcome of the game already.

Now, I don't consider myself a genius by any means at all. But you don't have to be a genius to put 2 and 2 together. I knew that there was no way that she would want me to watch the rest of that game unless the Buckeyes won.

So that was it. Now I was even more depressed than I was when I thought they were going to lose. I knew that I had to go back in that room with all of those other people who had no idea what was going to happen. I knew that Ohio State would stop Purdue on that possession after the INT. I knew that, when they were on the 2 yard line with only seconds to go, they would score. I knew that, after that touchdown, they would convert their two point conversion. And I knew they would eventually win in OT.

Some people might say, "Well why were you so upset? You knew they were going to win so you should be happy."

Well part of me was. Of course I was happy that they were going to win. But I couldn't enjoy it.

This was the absolute worse thing ever because, while my dad and mom and aunt and uncle were all screaming their brains out when Jeff Heuerman caught that 2 point conversion pass to send it to overtime, I was sitting slouched in my seat with nothing to get excited about.

Worse Ever.