The Ohio State Buckeyes arrived in New Orleans yesterday, five days in advance of the Sugar Bowl. They were all smiles, a marked change from their last visit to the Big Easy a few short years ago.
Don't let the NCAA's record book deceive you: four years ago, the Buckeyes really did play in a bowl game. No. 6 Ohio State faced No. 8 Arkansas in the 2011 Sugar Bowl, and the Buckeyes won, 31-26. Although it was a quality game, it was overshadowed by off-the-field events.
Four years ago, the Buckeyes were mired in controversy. In December 2010, the so-called "Tat Five" (Terrelle Pryor, Boom Herron, DeVier Posey, Mike Adams, Solomon Thomas) were suspended for the heinous crime of bartering their possessions for goods and services. In 2010, national media were pretty stupid about defending amateurism, and Ohio State became storied as a program out of control. The dastardly five were reinstated for the bowl game, and America would not let Ohio State hear the end of it.
Even though the Buckeyes won the 2011 Sugar Bowl, the program was in decline. The win was largely dismissed as a lucky escape by a dirty team against an inferior opponent. Kirk Herbstreit responded to Ohio State's win by dropping the Buckeyes in his final AP Poll ballot. Even the seemingly permanent legacy of the game, ending Ohio State's winless bowl record against the SEC, was undermined by the Buckeyes' Gator Bowl loss to Florida the following year.
Four seasons later, the Buckeyes have recovered from those events. Now that most of the media have realized that college sports have much bigger problems to deal with, Ohio State's reputation has recovered. The Buckeyes are done with scholarship reductions and nearly off probation, and the stakes of this year's Sugar Bowl are much higher: a spot in the national championship game.
Four years ago, Ohio State players were forced into a dog and pony show where they had to pretend like they were sorry, sorry, so very sorry to violate the sham of amateurism. Free of that stigma, current Buckeyes are a bit more energized.
Take Adolphus Washington, who had this to say about this year's team: “We’re very confident in what we’ve done. Everybody knows about Alabama — how they are, how they win championships. But we feel like if we come out here and play like we did against Wisconsin, then we shouldn’t have anything to worry about. With the way we prepare, there’s no reason to worry about what they do. All we need to do is go out and there do what we do.”
Washington is right to be confident; this is the most talented Buckeye team since 2006. Pryor led a solid Ohio State offense in 2010-11, but J.T. Barrett and Cardale Jones have been even better this year. Posey was a better wideout than anyone on the 2014 team, but the Buckeyes have more options at receiver now. Ezekiel Elliott is better than Herron, and Ed Warinner's offensive line is even better than Adams and the 2010 crew. The old defense was slightly better, but the increased tempo on offense over the last few years might have something to do with that.
The foe has upgraded, too. In 2011 the Arkansas Razorbacks were a scrappy overachiever with many three-star players. They were coached by offensive genius/noted scumbag Bobby Petrino, who left the program in disgrace less than two years later. The centerpiece of the Arkansas offense was Ryan Mallett, a Michigan transfer with the arm of a heavy cannon and the mobility of... a heavy cannon.
The Buckeyes will face no such weaknesses against Alabama. No team in the country has more five-star recruits than the Crimson Tide, and few coaches get more out of their talent than Nick Saban. Top-ranked Alabama has All-Americans on both sides of the ball and a well-balanced quarterback (Blake Sims) who could wreak havoc. Ohio State is a heavy underdog, and for good reason.
By all rights, interest in this game should be down. The Buckeyes are a heavy underdog, and there could be travel fatigue for fans who went to the Orange Bowl last year or are planning on attending the national championship game in Arlington. Even so, the Sugar Bowl is a hot ticket; the median price of a ticket bought online is about $325, nearly double the price for the Rose Bowl. More fans in Ohio have been buying tickets than fans in Alabama; the diehards are ready.
Four years, the Ohio State football program was at its lowest point in decades. Four years removed from controversy, the Buckeyes are once again in the Sugar Bowl. It's a much bigger deal, and the nation will see if Ohio State is back.
