Saturday felt eerily similar to my 12th birthday.
All the friends I could fit into my house came over to eat way too much, play video games until my mom inevitably yelled at us to quiet down and go to bed.
My 12th birthday was memorable for a lot of reasons, but one stood out amongst the rest. I had recently gained interest in airsoft guns, and my parents had gifted me a brand-new automatic rifle that I couldn’t wait to show off with my friends. We all gathered around in the backyard, I set up targets all over and we were prepared to spend the night outside having a blast.
Before we even got to shoot it once, my friend dropped it on the ground and it shattered into pieces. I never got to fire it ONCE.
The excitement and joy I had been feeling 5 minutes prior suddenly turned into devastation.
That same feeling crept back into my soul Saturday as the clock struck 00:00 in Bloomington.
Ohio State had just beat Indiana 19 – 15 in one of the ugliest wins I’ve seen as an Ohio State fan. Despite their poor play, they did just enough to escape defeat and to keep their season alive.
Then the news came about Julian Sayin, out for several weeks. My excitement over the massive victory against Indiana quickly turned to worry about what the rest of this season could look like for the Buckeyes.
The fate of this season now rests on the shoulders of a kid who months ago was in line graduating High School in California.
It’s a lot of weight to carry on a shoulder so inexperienced, yet it’s not an excuse.
The standards at Ohio State are different. It’s why players choose to come here. I’ve said it many times before and I’ll say it forever.
We don’t know if we will get to see Sayin behind center again this season, but that doesn’t mean that the goals of this year need to change whatsoever.
It’s still and SHOULD still be National Championship or bust. That’s the mindset that’s made the Buckeyes the most dominant program in college football for as long as I can remember.
Next man up
It’s easy to feel hopeless, like the season is over, and to mentally prepare for disappointment, trust me, as a Browns fan, I get it.
But it’s harder to stay positive, root for the next man, and keep the expectations the same.
And since when have the Buckeyes ever taken the easy route?
2016, down to their 3rd string QB in Cardale Jones, against all odds, National Champions.
2017, JT Barrett goes down, in comes true freshman QB Dwayne Haskins, leads a comeback on the road to beat TTUN.
2024, lose 13- 10 to TTUN, Tennessee, Oregon, Texas, and Notre Dame standing between them and glory, and we know how that turned out.
2026, we’re about to find out.
Luke Fahey, time to see what you’re all about.
O-H!
