2008 Woodie Awards
Youngstown magic sends Ohio State to BCS
Andrew Berry, Sports Editor
Issue date: 12/4/07 Section: Sports
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And who does Ohio State have to thank for getting this far by doing so little? While there are many Buckeye helpers on the list, the one that should be pretty close to the top is Youngstown.Ohio State's road to the BCS title game began with a contest against the Youngstown State University football squad where the Buckeyes got more than they bargained for against a Penguin team that wasn't intimidated by the personnel lining up against them or the jeers raining down on them from 105 thousands fans in the Horseshoe.
While the Buckeyes may have won the game 38-6, Ohio State should consider itself lucky. In a season where the word "upset" became cliché, Buckeye fans should be counting their national titles that the Penguins didn't pull an 'Appalachian State' and land Ferlando Williams on the cover of Sports Illustrated with the title reading "The Biggest Upset in College Football History." It's hard to recover from a stunner like that; just ask Michigan.
Then there's Oklahoma who came through and dethroned an overachieving Missouri Tiger program. Led by Youngstown native head coach Bob Stoops, the Sooners revived the BCS title hopes back into the hearts of all Ohio State fans. With a solid game plan and maybe even some of that Youngstown magic YSU head coach Jon Heacock so frequently mentions, Stoops put the misery back in Missouri and destiny into the hands of Ohio State.
And of course, Jim Tressel, the innovator of Youngstown magic, also deserves recognition. What Tressel started with the Penguins, he is continuing with the Buckeyes. Every season Ohio State is a serious competitor for the BCS crown with Tressel at the helm, even when the team starts the year ranked in the middle of pack and the talent on the roster makes an 8-4 finish sound like progress.
"Whenever I see Tressel talk I think 'Wow, I feel real confident that he can get us through anything' because he has that confidence about him," Morell said.
A strong argument could be made to thank the Pittsburgh Panthers for defeating the No. 2 Mountaineers, but that isn't necessary. West Virginia is just the latest victim in a string of bad karma that has made a habit of picking off teams ranked No. 2 this season. Pittsburgh gets a nice pat on the back and job well done, but unfortunately for them, no one in the world expected the Panthers to beat the Mountaineers.
"I never would've guessed West Virginia would lose," Morell said. "They would've been our toughest opponent in the title game."
With so much help from Youngstown, the Buckeyes better be ready to share that crystal BCS football should they win it in January. All Ohio State has to do is not choke in a fashion similar to their blowout loss to the Florida Gators in the 2006 BCS title game.
But that may be easier said than done. It doesn't help that Ohio State is 0-8 against SEC opponents in bowl games.
Good luck with LSU, you're on your own for that one.
While the Buckeyes may have won the game 38-6, Ohio State should consider itself lucky. In a season where the word "upset" became cliché, Buckeye fans should be counting their national titles that the Penguins didn't pull an 'Appalachian State' and land Ferlando Williams on the cover of Sports Illustrated with the title reading "The Biggest Upset in College Football History." It's hard to recover from a stunner like that; just ask Michigan.
Then there's Oklahoma who came through and dethroned an overachieving Missouri Tiger program. Led by Youngstown native head coach Bob Stoops, the Sooners revived the BCS title hopes back into the hearts of all Ohio State fans. With a solid game plan and maybe even some of that Youngstown magic YSU head coach Jon Heacock so frequently mentions, Stoops put the misery back in Missouri and destiny into the hands of Ohio State.
And of course, Jim Tressel, the innovator of Youngstown magic, also deserves recognition. What Tressel started with the Penguins, he is continuing with the Buckeyes. Every season Ohio State is a serious competitor for the BCS crown with Tressel at the helm, even when the team starts the year ranked in the middle of pack and the talent on the roster makes an 8-4 finish sound like progress.
"Whenever I see Tressel talk I think 'Wow, I feel real confident that he can get us through anything' because he has that confidence about him," Morell said.
A strong argument could be made to thank the Pittsburgh Panthers for defeating the No. 2 Mountaineers, but that isn't necessary. West Virginia is just the latest victim in a string of bad karma that has made a habit of picking off teams ranked No. 2 this season. Pittsburgh gets a nice pat on the back and job well done, but unfortunately for them, no one in the world expected the Panthers to beat the Mountaineers.
"I never would've guessed West Virginia would lose," Morell said. "They would've been our toughest opponent in the title game."
With so much help from Youngstown, the Buckeyes better be ready to share that crystal BCS football should they win it in January. All Ohio State has to do is not choke in a fashion similar to their blowout loss to the Florida Gators in the 2006 BCS title game.
But that may be easier said than done. It doesn't help that Ohio State is 0-8 against SEC opponents in bowl games.
Good luck with LSU, you're on your own for that one.
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