USC vs Ohio State: The Aftermath

Nice pants, Beanie.

The night before the big game, I’m told, students had already started camping outside the Coliseum, ensuring the best possible seat. USC vs. Ohio State: easily one of the most anticipated college football game in years. For the Buckeyes, this was more than just a game to win, it was a point to prove. After being humiliated in two consecutive BCS championship games, the Buckeyes had lost some respect in the college football world. Long considered one of the powerhouses in college football, Ohio State suddenly found it difficult to even remain in conversations discussing the best football programs in the country. Ridiculed for having spotless records as a result of laughable strengths of schedules, Jim Tressel decided to go in a different direction this year. Hoping to silence the critics and nonbelievers, Tressel boldly scheduled USC at the Coliseum. Perhaps Coach Tressel should have thought twice about what he was doing.


Already a 4 to 1 underdog, at least according to the general money line, Ohio State received some bad news just days before the game. Their best player and quite possibly their only hope at beating USC, Chris Wells, would be out of Saturday’s game due to lingering ankle injury. Instead, Coach Tressel would have to turn to freshman quarterback Terrelle ‘Chris Brown’ Pryor. It’s no surprise that the USC defense often struggles against quick, versatile quarterbacks, and the talented Pryor was no exception. His presence was felt immediately as he ate up chunks of yards, earning first downs that kept Ohio State in the ball game early on. When asked about the impact of Pryor in the first half, Pete Carroll casually shrugged it off as a few careless mistakes on behalf of the coaching staff. Sure enough, the effectiveness of Terrelle Pryor diminished in the second half as USC quickly put the game out of reach.

Before this season started, USC had plenty of questions that needed to be answered. Could Joe McKnight really be the second coming of Reggie Bush? Could Patrick Turner finally start living up to his expectations with a new, confident quarterback feeding him this year? Could Mark Sanchez avoid another John David Booty fiasco and bring back greatness to the USC quarterback position? Most, if not all, of these questions have been answered after last Saturday’s ravaging of Ohio State. Joe McKnight is making the steady transition from ‘flashes of greatness’ to just plain ‘greatness.’ And with his performance against the Buckeyes, Mark Sanchez has put his name in the same sentence as Sam Bradford, Chase Daniel, Chris Wells, and Knowshon Moreno for this year’s Heisman Trophy. Although if it were up to me, I would have handed the trophy to BRIGHAM Young quarterback Max Hall three days ago.

Just three weeks into the season, the Buckeyes’ football season is now over. Plummeting in the AP Top 25 to #13, Ohio State has notable matchups against #8 Wisconsin, #16 Penn State, and #22 Illinois left to be played. Even with convincing victories in these games, it won't be enough to reinsert Ohio State back into the national championship picture, especially with USC, Oklahoma, and Georgia guarding the top 3 spots. And with USC on the schedule again next year, it looks like Jim Tressel may have to wait two years before he can finally earn another undeserved trip to the BCS national championship game.