And Then There Was One...

I had actually thought up the title for this post prior to last Saturday’s game and loss to Illinois. Now it occurs to me that it still is apropos – the Buckeyes now have one loss, but there is still one game to go. One game for all the marbles - Big Ten title, Rose Bowl birth, bragging rights. And as everyone in the Buckeye Nation knows, Saturday’s game, The Game, is the one that really matters. The E=mails and the rhetoric are already flying in and around cyberspace as each side strives to outdo the other in displaying their scorn and disdain for the other side. Here's a particularly good one that landed in my inbox today:

For the uninitiated, the sign reflects the fact that Jim Tressel has only lost once to Michigan since he became the Buckeyes' head coach in 2001. We have every confidence that that streak continues on Saturday.

Despite the results of last Saturday’s game, or perhaps because of them, I think we have a very good chance to win. And should that come to pass, the Buckeyes would likely play in the Rose Bowl on January 1. Frankly, that’s what I had hoped for all along. They haven’t played in the Rose Bowl since 1997 (we won a thriller against Arizona State), and it would be very nice not to have to travel to see a game. On the other hand, as the president of the LA Alumni Club, a Rose Bowl would mean a lot of work for us. But it’s work we’d be more than happy to take on. Plus, it would be great practice for next year’s regular-season game against USC.

So come Saturday, I'll be at the bar watching the game with about 120 other crazed Buckeye fans, cheering our team on to victory. Well, my cheers will have to be silent as I can't risk straining my voice before Candlelight on December 1. But that will not dampen my enthusiasm one iota. We can do it!

GO BUCKS!!