Momentum is hard to predict, especially for a game against your biggest rival (no Penn State, that’s not you) that’s still a month away. Based on the apocalypse we witnessed in West Lafayette last Saturday night, and the resurgence of #littlebrother in the twitterverse, I’d venture that the momentum might be with the visitors at the moment.
So how does Ohio State change that? What does the staff totally control that can inspire the Buckeyes, at home, against That Team Up North at just the right moment? They choose the person who addresses the team before the game. So who would be a good choice to inspire a team that looked so uninspired in the loss Saturday night?
A few that come to mind: a grown-ass man, an icon or two, and a fighter.
Urban Meyer had kind of a Tebowesque man crush on John Simon., but for good reason. Simon was a workaholic who inspired his teammates to work harder and overachieve in Meyers’ first season in Columbus. That grown-ass man helped lead the Buckeyes to an undefeated season punctuated by a victory against the hated rivals. That win helped heal the wounds from the previous year’s 6-7 campaign and dissapointing Gator Bowl loss. Simon would bring it.
Football commentary on Saturdays and Sundays are filled with Buckeyes. BTN, Fox, ESPN, almost everywhere you look (or listen) you’ll find a Buckeye in football media. Of the many Buckeye greats who traded the pads and jersey for a jacket and tie I can think of two who bleed scarlet & gray no matter the crowd they find themselves in. Cris Carter and Chris Spielman.
Cris Carter went 1-2 against TTUN, and missed his chance of evening up the score after secretly signing with an agent and being declared ineligible for the 1987 season. Carter’s freshman season was his only victory against the weasels, and if you’ve payed attention to his rhetoric throught the years it’s evident that his record against his rival still eats at him (just not as much as Mike Hart’s does). A Buckeye and NFL Hall of Famer who every player in both locker rooms would know by sight or sound, Cris Carter would bring it.
Spielman’s heroic 29 tackle game against TTUN not only tied a record for most tackles in a game, those 29 tackles didn't even come close to the levels of effort and leadership that seeped from his pores as he made them. The “undersized” linebacker from Massilon led by example while inspiring and imploring his teammates to do the same. Especially in The Game. Most importantly in The Game. Spielman would bring it.
But this year many believe this team needs something more, something to help overcome the injuries and drama that have plagued this team from day one of fall camp. They need a fighter. Someone who’s not only fought That Team Up North with great success, he’s in the middle of his biggest fight right now.
I would bring in Ryan Shazier. Who better to talk about total comittment to a goal in the midst of overwhelming adversity and pundits who don't believe he can? Shazier was a beast as a Buckeye- and a leader with an opinion that you owed your best effort each game, each play, each practice to yourself and your team. He believed to give less than 100 percent tarnished the legacy, the blood, sweat and effort of the Buckeyes who wore the uniform before you.
This team has talent, but there are obstacles they still need to fight through to be successful November 24th and beyond. For that kind of motivation they need a fighter, and Ryan Shazier would bring it.
