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Topic: Napkin thoughts in Oxford

Topic: Napkin thoughts in Oxford

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Brian Smith (No, not that one)
General User

Member Since: 2/3/2005
Post Count: 3,016

Status: Offline

Napkin thoughts in Oxford

Posted: 10/27/2012 10:11:13 PM

A lot of us put our hands to our heads. I know I did. I also had to sit down, the taste of bile and stomach acids trying to make their way up the esophogus. I was about 50 feet away from the final play, my first OU moment that even approaches the trauma of being a Cleveland sports fan who pins just a little too much of his emotions in a silly game for children.

How could he not throw it away? How did the right tackle get so damn whipped? How come the magic that this program has seemed to conjur so many times over the past two seasons disappeared when we needed it most? Why couldn't the defense get off the field? Why did they call holding at the worst moment every drive?

It's a reminder that even the guy you'd bet your life on making the big play can't aways do it. It's a reminder to an upstart just how difficult this being expected to win thing is. On the previous drive when Tyler Tettleton took what looked like a potentially disastrous sack before the game-tying field goal, Frank Solich barked at Tettleton for his carelessness in a crucial situation. As I sat on that cold bench on the east side of Yager Stadium, I thought that stern warning would be playing in Tettleton's head. I thought this final drive would be one we'd remember lie we remember a tip-in in Cleveland or the fourth down conversion in Boise. The seven yard line. Something magical is about to happen and I'm going to be three rows up to see it, to put my arms up in the air, to bask in this new era of GOOD THINGS HAPPEN.

But sure bets don't always pay off. And 28-year old men acting like they accomplished something because of what an athlete did on the field probably deserves some karmic justice. I really did have to sit down or my knees would've given out.

This thing hurts. This thing sucks.

Let's face it. Losing this game plays on the insecurities of Ohio fans. Miami is the staid and true program in this sphere of MAC football. They act like they've been there before. Their bricks are straighter on their streets. I'm not sure there's a town per capita where women who can pull off tights as pants as well as Oxford. They do make more money. Ohio prides itself on its laissez-fair attitude. The freespirit winning out over the demode. But on Saturday Ohio got a feel for what it's like to be expected to win. It's not easy.

This isn't a lament, though. It's not a pauvre-nous or finger pointed at anyone. It's a commemoration of the day that this program took the next step.

Yep. This was a big day. Ohio football finally made us squirm and mutter and say things that would make our moms reach for the Dial bar. For so long, this building by Frank Solich has been a quaint, nice story that really hasn't had any dips. We were forgiving of every loss. Rightfully so. Ten wins in a season was half a decade's worth not long ago. Now its an expectation.

I think Ohio football grew up today, though. Bobcat fans were a presence in an opposing stadium like we always remember Marshall being. When I slumped over in my seat afterwards, Miami singing its vile fight song right in front of me, a few Redhawk fans taunted me.

A few looked at me strangely. How could a MAC football game mean so much to this Tolkien creature sitting next to me? Doesn't he know that this is an appetizer for the guys that matter later in the evening? And how many appetizers did this hobbit eat?

Folks, we get taunted now. Teams storm the field because they beat Ohio. Just think about that.
It still sucks, though. I threw off my green hoodie and slammed it into the back seat of my small sedan and had plenty of time to let some vapor off as I waited in an interminable traffic jam out of the labyrinth that is Miami's campus. I went through the downtown area, where red-clad students went out for the night forgetting if their team won or lost that day even if they did stay for the whole thing. Their bricks don't almost break the axle of my Civic. That somehow seems wrong. They're ornamental. I bet Miami students don't go headfirst into the curbs during rain showers, either. Poseurs.

It still sucks, though, this feeling. For a second I felt like I was five again and John Elway was punching my gut.
I'm smiling now. It's a memory. We make memories around here now. Painful ones. Good ones.

This is a thing now, isn't it?

Pataskala
General User

Member Since: 7/8/2010
Location: At least six feet away from anybody else
Post Count: 9,365

Status: Offline

RE: Napkin thoughts in Oxford

Posted: 10/27/2012 10:47:39 PM

Either the loss or my ranting about it made my 11-year-old son cry. He does get a lot of **it from O$U kids at school. It just drove home that even though we consider T2 & teammates to be seasoned veterans, they're still 18-22-year-old kids who can get flustered under stress. And the players and coaches are human, after all. They will make mistakes. As much as it would have been nice to have been unbeaten this season, all is not lost. The MACC is still a possibility, and we'll still have a bowl game, possibly a better one than the MAC tie-ins. And I was thinking the other day that next season may have better possibilities for that special season than this one. We'll play a probably-ranked L'ville and home games vs. North Texas, Terd and Austin Peay. Plus the MAC should be an improved league next season, because Kent, Fiami, BGSUcks and BSU should build on their success, and Akron and Buffalo should be better. With T2, Travis Carrie, both running backs, several receivers, a few offensive lineman and a goodly part of the defense coming back next year, the possibilities are great. This isn't a "wait until next year" post, but just recognizing that today's loss wasn't the end of the dream. 13-1 would be great this year, but so would just having a better record than last year, especially if the MACC went with it.

We will get by.
We will get by.
We will get by.
We will survive.

OhioCatFan
General User

Member Since: 12/20/2004
Location: Athens, OH
Post Count: 14,763

Status: Offline

RE: Napkin thoughts in Oxford

Posted: 10/27/2012 11:00:52 PM

Brian, in full bipartisan spirit, I quote former President Bill Clinton:
"I feel your pain!"

The only BLSS Certified Hypocrite on BA

"It is better to be an optimist and be proven a fool than to be a pessimist and be proven right."

Note: My avatar is the national colors of the 78th Ohio Veteran Volunteer Infantry, which are now preserved in a climate controlled vault at the Ohio History Connection. Learn more about the old 78th at: http://www.78ohio.org

Marching110Alum
General User

Member Since: 12/31/2004
Location: Centerville, OH
Post Count: 2

Status: Offline

RE: Napkin thoughts in Oxford

Posted: 10/27/2012 11:14:49 PM

Keep your head up, man! I apprecitate your post and actually read throught it all. You have some good points, but have to strongly disagree with your diatribe about some long lost insecurity issue about Ohio University versus Miami. I certainly do not have this problem.

In fact, both are excellent midwestern, state supported universities. The folks in Oxford may talk a better sales game, but at the end of the day Miami is still a state supported school, no more, no less.

Frank should have kicked the field goal and lived to fight another day (overtime.) We may never know all that went in to that ill-fated decision, but we have to live with it and move on.

Let's win 'em out and go Bowling!

Casper71
General User

Member Since: 12/1/2006
Post Count: 3,090

Status: Offline

RE: Napkin thoughts in Oxford

Posted: 10/28/2012 1:22:21 AM

My final thought on Miami: we played well enough defensively to win. Offensively, penalties, sacks, bad throws and too many point left off the board.

We'll come back vs Eastern!

Pete Chouteau
General User

Member Since: 11/17/2004
Location: You Can't See Me
Post Count: 1,660

Status: Offline

RE: Napkin thoughts in Oxford

Posted: 10/28/2012 7:02:28 AM

Brian, you are articulate at a point in time that I am not.

I could not agree with you more.

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