Well, Buckeye Nation, it was a fun ride. OK, it was a fun ride at the end. There were periods of the ride that were pretty crappy and other periods where you just wanted to get off of it and vomit. But, yeah, at the end it was pretty fun.
I know it took me a while to put my thoughts down about the 70-66 loss to Wichita State that bounced the Buckeyes out of the Tourney within sight of the Final Four. Really, though, what could I say? The Buckeyes simply dug themselves into a hole they couldn’t get out of. At the end, there were flashes of hope. It looked as if the magic that had worked against Iowa State and Arizona was going to take out the Shockers, too. Really, though, when you play as horrible of basketball as you possibly can for a half, eventually the luck is going to run out.
That’s basically what happened here.
This was a Buckeye team that had been written off by many, including most of Buckeye Nation, after the Feb 17th debacle against Wisconsin. At that point, if you had told me that Ohio State would be a two seed playing for a shot at Atlanta, I would have mocked you.
I mocked myself. They didn’t lose after that and went into the B1G tourney on a roll. It was a dream run, and one that gave everyone a glimmer of hope that maybe, just maybe, this was a team of destiny. They were playing their best ball of the season at the right time. They were peaking exactly when you want to see a team peak. They were playing as a team and doing it well. The leadership was evident. I took what I had seen and filled out a bracket where I put OSU in the Final Four with no hesitation.
Then, it happened. One by one the monsters of the West Regional fell. Ohio State fans everywhere were filled with hope and started talking about “it” again. Was this the year? They had been so close so many times in the past few years. They have certainly had the talent that would, in theory, eventually propel them to the first basketball National Title since 1960.
In the end, however, it was more of the same. The team that failed everyone in February returned for one last half, and lingered just a bit too long. Buckeye Nation was deflated and another tourney of hope ended with a resounding thud.
But, really, the fan base needs to look at this for what it really is and that is a heck of a run. This team exceeded expectations. I don’t think there are many out there that thought the Elite Eight was probable after that gloomy February day. What the team accomplished from that day on is what they should be remembered for. It was a run that everyone would come out of with their heads held high prior to the Matta years.
Now, it feels like just another year where they were so close, yet so far away.
What’s next? Deshaun Thomas will likely leave and take a bunch of points with him, but Craft will be back to lead the team next year. The late season emergence of LaQuinton Ross gives a little hope that the offense can find itself between now and then. The B1G will be tough, though, and expecting too much is ill advised. Expecting what they did this year is likely expecting a bit too much.
Thanks for the memories, Bucks. Now, onto Spring Football and a team that will have the weight of the World on its shoulders. They will be under the microscope of a fan base with high expectations. Anything less than a B1G Championship will feel like a failure. A trip to any city but Pasadena for the post-season will be deemed unacceptable to a hungry fan base. No pressure.
Makes the Basketball team’s accomplishments seem a little better, right?
