Ohio State of Mind: Fiesta Bowl vs Notre Dame

This is not a consolation prize.

This isn't where we wanted to end up, but that doesn't matter now.  If we think we can just show up and win this game, we will be greatly disappointed.  Notre Dame wants this.  Badly.  The last time the Fighting Irish beat the Buckeyes FDR was president of the United States.  A gallon of gas cost 10 cents.  Rudy would not be born for another 12 years.  Since that Notre Dame victory in 1936, Ohio State has won 3 straight in the series, including a win in the Fiesta Bowl exactly 10 years ago.  Notre Dame wants this badly.

This is not a meaningless game.

This is about defining a legacy.  This class of seniors has the opportunity to win their 50th game.  50 wins in 4 years.  No Power 5 team has ever done that before.  This might not be a playoff game but it means a lot to a bunch of guys who have poured their hearts into this team.  This isn't a championship game; it's a send-off to some special players.  Make it a good one.

This is not an insult.

We can believe that we should have been in the final four.  Or that we should have been selected by the Rose Bowl.  But when it comes down to it, we didn't win when it mattered most.  And the Fiesta Bowl vs Notre Dame is still a great game and a great opportunity and it's what we deserve.  There are over 100 FBS teams that would gladly trade places with us.  Play like we understand that and take nothing for granted.  This is a big time bowl against a big time team.  Notre Dame is two (or maybe just one) play away from being in the playoff themselves.  Don't take them lightly.

This is not the end of a disappointing season.

This is the exclamation point on the legacy of a stellar senior class.  This is a new beginning.  Win number two of a new winning streak.  The closing argument on an outstanding 2015 season.  With a victory, we build momentum to carry into the off-season and into the 2016 season, where we will strive to be even better.

Go Bucks.  Beat Notre Dame.

Ohio State of Mind: Deus ex machina

This is all part of the script, right?

In our culture, we should be used to it by now.  The hero finds himself in a desperate situation.  The odds are stacked against him.  All hope is lost.  But we know better.

We know that somehow, someway it will all work out in the end.  We see it before it even happens.  Out of nowhere, the day is saved.  Deus ex machina.  The god from the machine.  We would complain about the contrived plot device, but we're too busy celebrating.

In ancient Greek culture, they literally lowered a god onto the stage.  Will the football gods grace the field this Saturday?  They've interfered more than once already this season.  They dangled a victory in front of Michigan and then snatched it away.  We laughed at the time but now we wish that the gods just let Blake O'Neill punt the dang ball.  They hated Nebraska.  Except for that one time.  They mercilessly toyed with the Seminoles.  They must have felt sorry for the 'Canes, because they gave them a gift.  They almost ruined Alabama's season and then indirectly saved it.

Are the football gods to blame for a windy rainstorm that happened to roll into Columbus, Ohio on November 21st?

Maybe it's all part of the script.

One of the main reasons last year's championship run was so incredible was because of the improbability of the whole thing:  An early-season loss.  Having to go to our 2nd, and then later, 3rd string quarterback.  Being heavy underdogs in every big game.  And then came along Cardale Jones. Zeke started running over everyone and everything.  The Silver Bullets became bulletproof.  Deus ex machina.

Everybody expected us to come in and easily beat everyone this year.  How boring would that have been?  The football gods just wanted to make sure it was a little more exciting.  They just wanted to add a little drama.

They're just sticking to the script.  It's called entertainment value.

I don't know if we'll make the playoffs.  We might not see the deus ex machina this weekend.  But if we do, and the football gods lift us up into the top 4, I'm betting on us to win it all again.

And either way, we'll still have this:

Go Bucks.  Go Chaos.

Ohio State of (X)ind: at TSUN

We can sit around and feel sorry for ourselves or we can go up to Ann Arbor and beat the pants off TTUN.

I choose the latter.  The Game is bigger than the rest of the season.  What happens in the The Game defines our legacy as Buckeyes.  We don't have time to feel bad about losing nor do we have the need for it.  It's pointless and unproductive.  Learn from our mistakes and move on.  It's time for war.  Beat Michigan.

We can give up on the season or we can do everything in our power to save it.

I choose the latter.  We can only control what we can control, so let's make sure we make our efforts count.  The season isn't over.  We might not make the Big Ten championship or the playoffs, but that doesn't matter right now.  All that matters is what's right in front of us.  It's time for war.  Beat Michigan.

We can go out with a sizzle or we can go out with a bang.

I choose the latter.  Let's make sure our seniors, the most successful class of Buckeye football players in Ohio State history, go out on a high note with a perfect record against TTUN.  They've earned it.  You know they will be playing their hearts out; everyone else better be too.  It's time for war.  Beat Michigan.

We can limp in, dejected and unfocused with seemingly nothing to play for.  We can give the critics more ammunition.  "We knew it," they said after last week.  "Ohio State is overrated.  They're weak."  We can prove them right.  We can let the season slip away and end in more disappointment, amid celebrations of Jim Harbaugh throughout TSUN, as they proclaim TTUN's resurgence to the forefront of college football.

Or... we can go up to Ann Arbor and beat them in their house.

I choose the latter.  It's time for war.  Beat Michigan.

Go Bucks.  Beat TTUN.

Ohio State of Mind: Michigan State

The true test begins now.

The grind is over.  It's time to let loose because there's no one left on our schedule who won't challenge us and fight us to the very end.  Same goes for our TBD schedule, which could be an even more daunting task than what lies directly ahead.  Forget about last year's epic three game gauntlet.  The true test begins now.

The real battle for the East begins now.

Three teams left.  In two weeks, one will emerge victorious and head to Indy with dreams of going even further.  It might come down to who wants it more, who is hungrier.  Make sure that team is us.  The real battle for the East begins now.

Beat TSUN: Part 2 begins now.

Part 1 was a solid, but uninspiring success.  But who can blame us for not caring about a directional school?  It was the appetizer in a three-course meal.  Now we're hungrier than ever.  Beat TSUN: Part 2 begins now.

The Chase: Part 2 begins now.

Last year was all about embracing the underdog role.  We surprised folks around the country week after week.  This time around, there's no surprising anyone.  We aren't the underdog.  But that doesn't mean we will lose our edge in big games.  We are still chasing.  We're chasing back-to-back titles.  The Chase: Part 2 begins now.

11-0 begins now.  24 straight wins begins now.  31 consecutive regular-season Big Ten wins begins now.

The final home game for our seniors begins now.  Make it a good one.

Go Bucks.  Beat Michigan State.

Ohio State of Mind: at Illinois

Don't look ahead.

We all know what's coming.  But we can't look ahead.  The moment after we look ahead, we will find ourselves looking back, wondering what went wrong.  We can't look ahead.

Don't give back the Illibuck.

It's the first trophy we play for this year. Make sure it's not the last. Keep him in Columbus, where he belongs.

Don't sleep on the Illini.

They've caught us sleeping before and spoiled our quest for perfection.  They would love to do it again and they are more than capable.  Be ready and fight hard from the beginning.  We can't be caught sleeping.  Our honor defend.

Don't believe the hype.

Don't believe the hype about us. We are only as good as how well we play. All the previous wins and the accolades and our top 4 ranking don't matter on the football field. The only thing that matters is that we give everything we've got for our brothers.  We will fight to the end.

Don't lose focus.

Remember why we play - and don't forget: this is a game. But it does matter. Because we play to remind ourselves that there is always something greater than ourselves.  While we do battle on the football field, remember that there are those fighting on actual battlefields.  Remember that there are people losing their lives and all that's at stake for us is the possibility of losing a game.  That doesn't mean it doesn't matter. It might matter more because of that, actually.  Fight hard because we're lucky and can enjoy life and freedom. Don't waste it. Fight hard for France. Fight hard for our country. For Ohio.

Go Bucks. Beat Illinois.

Ohio State of Mind: Minnesota

November is the month when contenders rise and others' hopes die.

Will we rise to the challenge or will we crumble at the feet of our enemies?  This is when we learn who we are at our core.  We will be tested.  We will be pushed to our limit.  How we respond will define our season and determine how we will be remembered.

November is the month when champions are born.

They don't give out trophies for winning in September and October.  There are a lot of undefeated teams still, but only a few will remain by the start of December.  Some have already fallen.  We must make sure that we are still one of the ones standing.  That starts today with a win over Minnesota.

November is the month when the grind gets tough.

We knew from the beginning that this would be the month to make or break us.  Starting right now, we learn how tough we really are.

November is the month when leaders step up.

Will we learn from our mistakes or fall into mediocrity?  We must not regress.  Move forward and get better.  If not for yourself, do it for the guy next to you.

November is our month.

Urban Meyer owns November.  We own November.  Meyer is 46 - 3 in his three-and-a-half seasons at Ohio State.  That means he is losing only one game per season, on average.  You might think that means we are due for a loss.  Wrong.  Last week was our loss.  Bye week got the better of us, but from here on out, we beat everyone.

Go Bucks.  Beat Minnesota.

Ohio State of Mind: at Rutgers

Rule the night.

When we get to Piscataway, we will make our presence known.  We will roar and they will know the Buckeyes have arrived.  We live in prime-time because it's our time.  The nation will be watching and most people will be waiting for us to fail.  They will be hoping to see us fall.  We won't.

Rule the field.

From start to finish.  From the first kick-off until the last whistle.  We will own Piscataway.  New Jersey is ours for 3+ hours.  Don't relinquish it until we leave with the victory.  Don't give them an inch.

Rule Saturday.

From Sunday to Friday, we grind.  We push and sweat and bleed for that next win before anybody sees a thing.  We work hard to earn everything on the football field before we even reach the field.  During the week, we grind.  On Saturday, we shine.

Rule the Big Ten.

There are no bad teams in this conference.  There are only bad performances, and every team has them from time to time.  The difference between good teams and great teams is that great teams find ways to win regardless.  Rutgers is a good team that almost beat Michigan State.  They rallied back from a 25-point second-half deficit against Indiana to beat the Hoosiers in their house.  We already know that everybody will bring their best against us; Rutgers will too.

Rule the Knights.

Give them credit.  Give them respect.  Give them our undivided attention on Saturday night.  Give them nothing else.

Go Bucks.  Beat Rutgers.

Ohio State of Mind: Penn State

Win for your brothers.  Stand with them and fight.  Just win.

They will fight with you until the end.  They will give everything they have and more.  After exhaustion sets in, they will not stop, they will not give in.  Return the favor.

Win for the fans.  The real fans.  Just win.

To listen to some Ohio State fans, you wouldn't know that we just won a national championship.  You wouldn't know that we ride a nation's best 19-game win streak.  You wouldn't know that Urban Meyer owns the best winning percentage among active college football coaches.  Win for the fans who believe.

Win for the seniors.  Make this a season to remember.  Just win.

Some will make it big in the NFL.  Some won't.  They've all given years of their life to this program and deserve to go out as champions.  Don't let them down today.

Win for the Buckeye legends.  The ones who came before you.  Just win.

There have been many greats.  They left behind a legacy of winning.  Honor them by keeping that tradition going.

Win for future Buckeyes.  The ones yet to come.  Just win.

They will look to us as an example.  They will strive for perfection just was we have done and will continue to do.  Make them proud to wear the scarlet and grey.

Win for yourselves.  Play the way you know you can.  Just win.

The time for working out the kinks is over.  We know we can be better.  We will be better.  The only way we can lose is if we beat ourselves.

Just win.

Go Bucks.  Beat Penn State.

Ohio State of Mind: Maryland

Enough is enough. It's time to play like we know we can.

We didn't come here to be OK or good enough. We came here to be the best.  Yes, we're 5-0. But we know we can be better.  Because when we face real adversity, we can't rely on pure talent alone. Our ability has gotten us this far. The rest is hard work and it starts now.

Enough is enough.  It's time to make it known that this is our turf.

We've had teams come into our house and push us around.  We've struggled before finally digging deep to pull out the victory.  It's time to make our opponents struggle.  It's time to force them to dig deep.  But they won't find any victory.  They will only find pain and defeat.

Enough is enough.  It's time to silence the critics.

Every week the voices grow louder.  The doubters continue to gain ammunition.  The fake "fans" throw their insults at us.  We don't need them.  Let them doubt us.  It will only make us stronger.  It will only make us hungrier.  Feed off the hate.

Enough is enough.  It's time to break the rock.

We're close.  It's time to make that final push.  We will not stop until we prove we're the best.  Again.  One play at a time.  One game at a time.  We will not give in to pain or fatigue.  We will not lose.

Enough is enough.  It's time to let loose.  It's time to break through.  It's time.

Go Bucks.  Beat Maryland.

Ohio State of Mind: at Indiana

This is when the real season starts. This is the time to step up. This is Big Ten football.

The first four games are done and over with. We should learn from the mistakes of those imperfect victories but not dwell on the past, good or bad.  We have gotten better but the journey is only beginning.  The margin for error gets smaller and smaller from here on out.

This is over 100 years of tradition.  This is the melding of old and new.  This is Big Ten football.

We've played Indiana a total of 87 times. They've won 12 of those games. Their last win was in 1988.  How badly do you think they want to beat us?  5 of those games ended in ties, and the other 70 games were Ohio State victories.  Let's make it 71.

This is 4-0 vs 4-0. This is win or go home.  This is Big Ten football.

1942 was the last year we met as unbeatens. Only one team can leave that stadium still unbeaten.  Let's make sure that team is the one wearing Scarlet and Grey.

This is power vs power.  This is speed vs speed.  This is Big Ten football.

Don't think for a second that they're not as strong us as.  Don't doubt their speed or talent.  This is a physical team that will hit us in the mouth if we aren't ready.  They will blow past us if we don't stay 100% focused.  They've almost knocked us off before.  This time, we will be ready.

This is Buckeyes vs Hoosiers.  This is college football at its finest. This is Big Ten football.

Go Bucks. Beat Indiana.

Ohio State of Mind: Western Michigan

Relax. Take a deep breath. Play football.

Let's get back to the basics.  Stop worrying about the explosive plays and focus on that next first down.  3 yards here, 4 yards there.  Be patient.  The big plays will come if we are patient.

Calm down. Just play football.

You can't beat them all on your own.  Work as hard as you can to beat the guy in front of you.  If we each do that, we will succeed.  Individually, we don't stand a chance.  As a team, we are unstoppable.

Smile. Have fun.  Just play some damn football.

We don't have to beat every team on the schedule by 50 points.  We just have to beat the next team on the schedule.  It doesn't matter if we win by 1 or 100. The goal is simple: just win.

Chill. Be smart.  Play sound football.

Take care of the football.  Take care of the football. Then, when you're done with that, take care of the football some more.  The football is your baby.  Would you trust your baby with some kids from Kalamazoo, Michigan? I didn't think so.

Forget about everything else and just play.

Forget about last year.  Forget about the number one ranking.  Forget about the critics and the experts and every person saying we can't do it or we're not good enough.  Forget about who's behind you on the depth chart or who's in front of you on the depth chart because we are a family.  We are nine units strong.

Get loose.  Get rowdy.  Let's play some Buckeye football.

Go Bucks.  Beat Western Michigan.

Ohio State of Mind: Northern Illinois

Underestimate no one.

Anyone who looks at Northern Illinois and sees just another "cupcake" doesn't know what they're talking about.  This is a good team with high caliber players that will beat us if we aren't prepared.

Make no excuses.

Last week was our wake-up call.  We can't just show up and expect to win.  If we aren't ready to play against the Huskies, how can we expect to be ready for Penn State, Minnesota, Michigan State, etc?  We have to be ready.

Hold nothing back.

Every team will play their best game against us this year.  We have to leave it all on the field every game or the other team will take it from us.

Yield to no one.  Surrender nothing.

Go Bucks.  Beat Northern Illinois.

Ohio State of Mind: Hawaii

It doesn't matter that we're supposed to win by 40.

On the first kick-off, the scoreboard will still read 0 - 0.  Being a heavy favorite won't help us tackle.  It won't allow us to gain more yards or score more points.  We still have to earn every inch on that football field and if we aren't prepared, we won't be successful.

It doesn't matter that we have 15 former four-star or five-star recruits in our freshman class and they've had 2 in the last ten years.

They will still be motivated, perhaps more so because of that.  They will play their hardest football of the year because of where they are and who they're playing.  And if we don't match their level of intensity, we will lose.

It doesn't matter that we could have as many as 7 players drafted in the first round of next year's NFL draft.

What happens in the future doesn't help us today.  Ignore what the analysts think.  Disregard projections for conference winners and bowl games and playoffs, because it won't change what happens on that football field.  If we listen to the hype surrounding our own football team, we will fall.

It doesn't matter if Hawaii players do the Haka dance or wear retro uniforms with rainbow stripes.

All that matters is 60 minutes of all-or-nothing football.  All that matters is leaving it all on the field.  All that matters is beating them.  We will beat them.

Go Bucks.  Beat Hawaii.

Ohio State of Mind: at Virginia Tech

It's not about revenge.  It's about redemption.

It's about taking back what's ours.  Last year, they came into our house and took something from us: perfection.  The dash-1 on a championship season.  They almost took more, as the loss nearly cost us the fourth and final playoff spot.  In the end, we showed we were the best in the country.  But on that night on September 6, 2014, we weren't even the best team on the football field.  They pushed us around and beat us in every facet of the game.

It's not about proving something to the rest of the country.  It's about proving something to ourselves.

It's about showing that we are a different team from a year ago.  We aren't the young and inexperienced team from that embarrassing week 2 loss, nor are we the team that bludgeoned Wisconsin and outran Alabama and bullied Oregon.  We are a new team and nobody knows yet what we can do but us.

It's not about defending.  It's about winning one game.

It's about winning this game.  It's a matter of one team wanting it more.  Working harder.  Last year they wanted it more than we did and fought harder, were tougher than us.  This time, we have to want it more.  We have to be tougher.

It's not about repeating.  It's about redefining.

It's about redefining ourselves.  It's about lining up across from the other guy, knowing that this time we're better.  It's about looking them in the eyes and knowing we will beat them, and then doing it.

It's not about revenge.  It's about redemption.

Go Bucks.  Beat Virginia Tech.