College football is the best sport in the world.
I love the NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL and everything, but nothing tops college football.
Look no further than this short clip of Ohio State's three-overtime win against N.C. State in 2003, otherwise known as the quarterback duel of the century between Phillip Rivers and Craig Krenzel.
September 13, 2003: Ohio State beats NC State 44-38 in a 3OT thriller in Columbus.
— This Day In Sports Clips (@TDISportsClips) September 13, 2022
Philip Rivers: 315 yards, 4 TDs
Craig Krenzel: 273 yards, 4 TDs pic.twitter.com/SGAoi9NoAe
That game took place 19 years and one day ago but watching the highlights brought within me an excitement that few things on earth can generate. I hope you all feel the same way.
Let's have a good Wednesday, shall we?
NO TRIP-UPS HERE. After Ohio State's 45-12 win over Arkansas State, Ryan Day addressed his team in the locker room and spoke with the media before driving to his home, where he spent the rest of his day watching some other college football programs play their games.
Day saw Marshall take down Notre Dame, Appalachian State upset Texas A&M and Georgia Southern beat Nebraska. He thought it was entertaining. It also confirmed his belief that "anybody can beat anybody," and Ohio State is not exempt from that rule.
With an undefeated Toledo team visiting Columbus this weekend, Day said his team will need to perform at a high level to ensure they don't become the next biggest upset alert in the sport. He doesn't think that's too much to ask of his players. In fact, he believes playing at a high level is the minimum expectation.
We saw Notre Dame and Texas A&M get upset in Week 2.
— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) September 13, 2022
Ryan Day has avoided the noncon trip-up, and mindset is a big reason why.
"It really doesn't have anything to do with the team we're playing. . . . It has everything to do with Ohio State." pic.twitter.com/7o4CSM5MMG
"We are Ohio State," Day repeats again and again.
Ohio State doesn't lose non-conference games. Ohio State doesn't lose conference games. Ohio State doesn't lose in the Big Ten Championship. Ohio State doesn't lose in the College Football Playoff. Ohio State doesn't lose.
It's time for the Buckeyes to prove that on Saturday and every week this season until they lift a golden trophy above their head in Los Angeles on Jan. 9, 2023.
DID YOU KNOW? Ohio State has been a model for consistency in college football since the program's inception in 1890, but the same hasn't always been said about the Buckeye basketball team.
We romanticize the early Fred Taylor years when Ohio State was a national title contender every season, hoisting a trophy in 1960 and claiming runner-up prizes the next two years. The 1999 Final Four team was fun with Michael Redd and Scoonie Penn, as was the 2007 squad with Greg Oden and Mike Conley Jr. The Aaron Craft and Jared Sullinger years were a blast, too.
Aaron Craft discusses what he misses the most from his Ohio State career: pic.twitter.com/MhfOt99SqL
— Griffin Strom (@GriffinStrom3) September 9, 2022
But all those tremendous highs were also met with immense lows – *coughs* the six-win 1995 team *coughs* or the six-win 1975 team. That's been the reality of Ohio State basketball. Sometimes, but not always, the Buckeyes are one of the best teams in college basketball.
However, Thad Matta and Chris Holtmann would like to speak with Buckeye Nation about the program's consistency since 2010. Combine those coaches' winning percentages with those of Jim Tressel, Luke Fickell, Urban Meyer and Ryan Day, and Ohio State athletic's money makers look pretty darn good.
Pretty good https://t.co/fZwLPDxirO
— Ohio State Hoops (@OhioStateHoops) September 13, 2022
That's right. The football and basketball teams have won almost three out of every four games (.744 percent) played in the last 12 years, which leads all Division I schools. The next closest competitor was San Diego State at .735 percent.
So remember this, Buckeye fans: Ohio State might not be a basketball school, but the hoopers excel at winning games.
ABOUT ROUTE MAN MARV. At this point, we've discussed at length Marvin Harrison Jr.'s performance against Arkansas State. But I'm here to tell you that it hasn't been enough. That is mainly because I have news to deliver from the folks over at Pro Football Focus.
Yes, even the advanced statistics loved Route Man Marv's dominance over the Red Wolves. With seven catches, 184 yards and three touchdowns, Harrison received an 87.0 from PFF and was named to the website's offensive team of the week.
Marvin Harrison Jr. vs. Arkansas State:
— PFF College (@PFF_College) September 12, 2022
87.0 PFF grade
7 receptions
184 yards
3 TDs pic.twitter.com/1k0Ze04ccN
Week 2 Team of the Week: Offense pic.twitter.com/b1BnGF6Rdr
— PFF College (@PFF_College) September 13, 2022
It's also worth noting that Wisconsin left guard Jack Nelson and left guard Tyler Beach were featured with Harrison on PFF's offensive team of the week. The Badgers are set to visit Columbus for a matchup with the Buckeyes on Sept. 24, and those linemen will undoubtedly play a significant role in establishing the trenches.
With the Graham Mertz-led Wisconsin passing attack slightly out of sorts to start the season, Jim Knowles and Larry Johnson will want to pay close attention to the left side of the Badgers' offensive line. Making Nelson and Beach non-factors will ensure that star running back Braelon Allen doesn't burn Ohio State on the ground and will help the Buckeyes secure a win in their first Big Ten game of the season.
OLYMPIC VILLAGE. Ohio State cross country runner Addie Engel earned U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) national athlete of the week honors on Monday for her performance at the Big Ten Preview in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
.@OhioStateTFXC junior Addie Engel is named @USTFCCCA National Athlete of the Week after posting a major win at the Michigan Big Ten Preview with a time of 20:54.9. #NCAAXC pic.twitter.com/QjcSQL7ZTq
— NCAA Track & Field (@NCAATrackField) September 13, 2022
Engel closed a 15.8-second gap at the two-mile split to come from behind and win the 6K (3.73 miles) race in 20:54.40, besting the second-place finisher by 1.2 seconds. It was Engel's second straight win and her third career victory for the Buckeyes.
The third-year from Springfield, Ohio, was an All-Big Ten selection last season and has finished in the top 25 in nine races, including six top 10 finishes, during her Buckeye career. Last season, Engel finished fourth at the Big Ten Championships and third at the Great Lakes Regional Championships, earning herself an individual berth to the NCAA Championships.
A question posed in the 11W Slack: How fast could you run the 3.73 miles Engel ran in under 21 minutes?
SONG OF THE DAY. "So Long Honey" by CAAMP.
CUT TO THE CHASE. The Emmy's reached a record-low audience of 5.9 million people... A sailor will finally be laid to rest 80 years after Pearl Harbor attack... The man who shot and killed John Lennon in 1980 was denied parole again... A hotel broke a Guinness World Record by making a 167.4-gallon Negroni cocktail... A bear crashed a Connecticut birthday party and ate all the cupcakes.