My Apology to Ohio State – and the B1G

By klownboy on January 13, 2015 • ( 1 )

Throughout the 2014-2015 college football season, I have been a member of the “Big Ten Conference Sucks” club. I was not a believer all season until the bowl season kicked off. It was then when I realized I had a lot of crow to consume.

Before I state my mea culpa, let me count the ways where I had sniped at the B1G from afar.

First, I questioned the conference’s strength vs. the rest of the Power Five conferences. The notable losses were Michigan St vs. Oregon and the biggest being Ohio State losing to Virginia Tech (Virginia Tech???). Second, I questioned the conference’s strength against the Mid Atlantic Conference, aka #MACtion. Bowling Green, Central Michigan and Northern Illinois had a big say in that. And finally, I didn’t believe that a team who lost to Virginia Tech should participate in the College Football Playoff. Not over TCU and certainly not over Baylor.

Now that Ohio State and the rest of the B1G (a 6-5 record during the bowl season, which was better than the ACC and Big 12) made me look like an idiot for such assertions, I have crafted an apology to the Buckeyes and conference in the form of an open letter. Here it goes:

Dear Ohio State,

I have doubted you and your conference this entire season.

I scoffed at your conference’s struggles against the “mighty” MAC. I didn’t think your conference measured up against the other Power Five conferences. You gotta admit, y’all didn’t look too hot against the likes of Oregon, TCU, Washington, Notre Dame, and Virginia Tech.

And speaking of Virginia Tech, what was that Ohio State? Maybe it was the case of you not bringing you A-game. Whatever the case, you didn’t have the look of a contender – let alone a future national champion – after that game.

I held that Virginia Tech loss against you, especially since the Hokies were a shade better than mediocre this past season.

I will say that you impressed me after that Virginia Tech loss, especially in the way you handled Michigan State at their place. The icing on the cake proved to be in your curb-stomping of Wisconsin in the Big Ten championship, with a third-string QB.

I agreed that there was no way the College Football Playoff selection committee could leave you out of the playoff, no matter how well TCU and Baylor looked the last week of the season.

And if the blowout of Wisconsin was not impressive enough, you beat Alabama in the Sugar Bowl – a virtual home game for the Crimson Tide. And that championship game beat-down you laid on Oregon was not only impressive, it was friggin’ awesome.

It was a great showing all around for the Big Ten, as you guys won more than half of your bowl games – all of which you and your fellow Big Ten members were decided underdogs.

I must admit, I was wrong about your team and the Big Ten conference. Please find it in your heart to forgive me.

Humbly yours’,
Klownboy

P.S. Jim Delaney, I still hate your pompous ass. That shit will never change…