With apologies to Ernest Thayer and “Casey at the Bat”—
“Oh somewhere in this favored land the sun is shining bright,
The band is playing somewhere, and somewhere hearts are light;
And somewhere men are laughing, and somewhere children play,
But there is no joy in Buckeye Nation, THE has fallen short again, along with Ryan Day!!”
Fear not, OSU fans, your favorite team will still be in the playoffs come December 20th, albeit possibly without a first-round home game. However, the sting of Saturday’s loss to Michigan (after four straight victories in THE GAME, they have earned the right to be called by their proper name!) will remain. What’s the cure? Don’t count the Bucks out of a possible national championship yet as their head coach fights to retain his position. Need to get the ball to their playmakers though!!
Marion Local and Coldwater advanced to OHSAA championship football games this coming weekend, the 15-0 Flyers to take on 14-1 Jeromesville Hillsdale Friday at 3:00 in Canton while the 14-1 Cavaliers square off with 15-0 Kirtland Saturday at 10:30, also at Hall of Fame Stadium. Marion Local will be seeking a fourth consecutive state crown and fifteenth overall, as well as extending a state-best winning record to 64, while Coldwater will be looking for an eighth state title against a Kirtland program that has reached its 13th state title game in the last 14 years, also with seven trophies. Could be cold, better bundle up, but these schools’ fans are used to December football!
How about some other college football news? From the second round of the NCAA Division II playoffs comes this score featuring one of my all-time favorite college names—Slippery Rock 25, Kutztown 24. The Rock scored on a two-point conversion in overtime by using the old-fashioned “hook and ladder” play to down the Bears and advance to the next round.
Miami (the original one!) advanced to the Mid-American Conference title game in Detroit this coming weekend by defeating Bowling Green Friday 28-12. The RedHawks will face the Bobcats of Ohio University for a second “Battle of the Bricks” this season to claim MAC honors.
The “other” Miami came up short against Syracuse and failed to make the ACC finale, which will feature SMU and Clemson. Penn State gets a shot at the country’s number one team, the Ducks of Oregon, for Big Ten bragging rights; Arizona State and Iowa State vie for the Big 12 crown; and Georgia (what a marathon eight-overtime win over Georgia Tech!) faces Texas a second time in the SEC championship clash.
By the way, this flag-planting post-game by victorious visiting teams on the home team’s field has to stop. It’s not only poor sportsmanship but, as shown by the melee in Columbus, has the potential to cause harm to players, coaches, officials, and fans alike.
High school basketball is well underway around the area as the girls complete week two and the boys have just gotten started. It’s always a great atmosphere that surrounds prep roundball here in West Central and Southwest Ohio—nothing better than the sounds of balls bouncing on the hardwood, the squeaks of sneakers, the music of the pep bands, and the enthusiasm of the crowds and cheerleaders when it’s cold outside!
With high school bowling, swimming, and wrestling all ready to roll I’ll try to keep you up-to-date on the progress of the various teams and leagues. Lots of young athletes involved in these sports who deserve coverage and attention for all of their efforts and hard work!
What were the odds that the Bengals would be 4-8 at this point of the season? The 44-38 loss to the Steelers eliminated any possibility of the playoffs for the Stripes, another defeat that demonstrated the complete breakdown of the defensive unit this season. It’s hard to grasp just how this team, with so much offensive talent at the skill positions, could fall so short after all of the preseason hype. I guess if you’re looking for a silver lining, they’ll have a higher pick in next spring’s draft—do you go for help on the offensive line or just about anywhere on the defensive side?
See where the Bears finally said adios to Head Coach Matt Eberflus after yet another error-filled ending to an NFL contest. My son-in-law Erick is a diehard Chicago fan and has started on a third bottle of Maalox as a result of a six-game losing streak by “Da Bears”! Maybe he’ll have enough left to share with Bengals fans!
I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving holiday weekend and has survived the trio of Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, and Cyber Monday. Sure there were lots of bargains to be had as you start to whittle down those Christmas wish lists! Not sure that a THE national title can be purchased however even with a $20 million roster!
