Rock Bottom, a term that I, along with other Buckeye fans, have been throwing around this week. When do you know you've hit rock bottom? Is it only after you've recovered that you realize what or when rock bottom was? I had to laugh to myself because there's tons of D-1A football programs that would love to be 3-2 right now, but the facts are that this is The Ohio State University we're talking about; and going 3-2 in the manner the Buckeyes have is simply unacceptable. There's numerous finger-pointers and still a small population of believers trying to regroup everybody, but the truth is that Buckeye Nation is falling apart at the seams as the football program continues to disappoint on and off the field. Boo's cascade down from the stands serving not as the usual F-you to the refs or opposing teams, but as a symbol of disappointment in our own team and coaches; but honestly, who can blame them? These are the same fans who have been served 10-win seasons, Big Ten Championships, BCS Bowls, and victories over M:ch:gan on a silver platter for the past decade. These fans are like those spoiled kids who whine at Christmas for not getting one of the toys they asked for even though they got everything else that was on their wish-list. OSU has spoiled Buckeye Nation with big gifts year after year; but how can it be made right? Does the parent give in and spoil the child more, does the kid learn to cope and get over it, or do they somehow find a happy-medium? Obviously, the football team isn't trying to perform poorly, but it looks like the they aren't going to be able to get us all of the gifts that we've received in the past; so the Buckeye faithful is going to have to learn to cope with the gifts we're dealt. Hopefully, the team can give us a few good surprises this season; and one of those could happen as early as this weekend as we face an angry Cornhusker team; but the fans have to continue to give positive support to the team even though they're struggling.
Hopefully, you're not the fan who's boxing up all of your Buckeye merch in preparation to jump ship because I see this getting worse before it gets better. I'm not saying OSU can't win, but I'll be surprised if we see a win from the Bucks in the next 3 games as they continue to search for an identity on the offensive side of the ball. The positive is that we have the players to move the ball, but we have to call appropriate plays and execute much better. We also have a pretty good defense, and special teams hasn't been nearly as disasterous as of lately. The Buckeyes have to figure these things out on the fly because this schedule doesn't get any easier. Only the games will determine their record and how the players will develop, but we, the fans, have to continue to support our team. We have to stand strong even if the rest of this year is a downward spiral because we will get better. We are Buckeyes, and no loss, coach, player; or situation should change that. The changes will be made because this is Ohio State, and our program deserves the best coaches. Even when the season started, we had a "shock the world" mentality. Those expectations were very high, and the team isn't playing near the level that was expected; but I also think OSU is severely under-achieving. If you've followed the Facebook page then you know that I put much of the blame on the shoulders of Jim Bollman and Nick Siciliano for awful play-calling and poor development of players. I hate to be one of the finger-pointers, but I feel like we are really getting a chance to see how good these coaches are based on their in-game changes and week-to-week development of our young QB; and it's not looking good. I haven't seen Braxton do a whole lot that he wasn't doing in high school, and he looks too scared to make mistakes which takes away from his play-making ability.
The issues the Buckeyes currently face aren't all on the football field, they're in the locker room and in the stands; but it all stems from those guys on the sidelines and in the pressbox. Changes have to be made by those guys in order to not totally shatter the structure that has been built here, but the fans have to reevaluate their expectations to better suit this team's capabilities. That's how we meet in the middle, and that's how we turn 'are we at rock bottom' into 'remember when'.
I have a few sayings that can be learned here to help our outlook on what's happening. The first is one I've found, and it is, "Happiness is not having what you want, it is wanting what you have". We need to not be the spoiled child, and we will learn to be happy with whatever the team does. This will make wins and bowl games that much more enjoyable, and it'll make losses less depressing. The second quote is one I've used in sports or as a life lesson, and it is one I came up with. That quote is, "Hard times make for good stories"; and we have to realize that if these are the hardest times we have, then we have it made pretty good because we don't have to watch those ugly winged helmets or wear those hideous blue and gold colors every week; so let's do our part to support the team and remember to be proud to be a Buckeye because it's better than being a Wolverine.
