It’s become painfully clear that Ohio State fans, journalists, and even high-ranking members of the school are perfectly content with playing the victim as they struggle to cope with losing. While there are no shortage of examples to point to, one of the most recent instances occurred when Ohio State Athletic Director Gene Smith suggested that there should be an asterisk next to Michigan’s last three consecutive wins over the Buckeyes.
Instead of taking a level-headed and respectable approach, Smith went in the opposite direction.
“Of course I do,” Smith said when asked if there should be asterisks. “The rules are in place to protect the integrity of the game and try our best to create a level playing field. When those rules are violated, then it affects those principles. We have to keep that in perspective.”
Although the folks in Columbus have certainly dug their heels into this new mentality of being the victim, the national media is starting to push back. One example of this occurred recently on the Paul Finebaum show, where a journalist who’s spent many years covering Ohio State attempted to paint the Buckeyes as being “robbed” and “cheated” out of wins.
Finebaum, who’s the furthest thing away from being a Michigan advocate, wasn’t having it.
Another example of the media pushing back was from a recent podcast appearance by Dan Wetzel, a national sports columnist for Yahoo Sports. During part of his segment, Wetzel took direct aim at Gene Smith’s assertion that there should be an asterisk next to Michigan’s wins over Ohio State – and he did so perfectly.
Translation: Stop crying.
The reality is that the constant losing to Michigan is pushing the folks in Columbus to a place they haven’t been in quite some time, and they clearly don’t know how to deal with it. Making matters even more complicated is the fact that head coach Ryan Day, a guy who boasts a 56-8 overall coaching record, could be out of a job later this year if he doesn’t get it done against Michigan on Nov. 30. With each loss to Michigan, the questions about Day’s future at Ohio State grow louder and louder – and it feels like a fourth consecutive loss would be too much to overcome.
Either way you cut it, this year’s edition of The Game will provide plenty of intrigue as both sides of the rivalry will have plenty riding on the outcome. But then again, what else is new?
