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In a way, it’s fitting that Ohio State’s season ended in Indianapolis. Even more so that the Buckeyes were the ones holding the B1G trophy inside Lucas Oil Stadium for a second straight season.
One month ago, in a town 65 miles away, everyone was convinced Ohio State was cooked like a Thanksgiving turkey. A 49-20 blowout loss in West Lafayette to an average Purdue team was the page we stapled a bookmark to. Anytime something positive happened for the Buckeyes, we flipped back to that ugly chapter.
Saturday night’s convincing 45-24 win over No. 21 Northwestern in the B1G Championship Game should end that criticism of Ohio State. Since that trip to Ross-Ade Stadium, the Buckeyes have posted a 5-0 record, defeated three ranked opponents and won a conference title. It wasn’t always pretty, but, at the end of those five Saturdays, Urban Meyer and Co. found a way to put more points on the scoreboard.
What else could you want them to do?
Ohio State’s performance against Northwestern wouldn’t exactly qualify for a beauty pageant. There was a 77-yard touchdown run surrendered to John Moten IV, who rushed for just 127 yards entering the game. Clayton Thorson found his way to the end zone on an 18-yard run. There were nine penalties for 90 yards, and two turnovers.
At times, it looked like Ohio State might choke away a 24-7 halftime lead. Once again, though, the Buckeyes answered the call.
Saturday night’s game was a fitting finish for Dwayne Haskins, too. Because it was that same trip to West Lafayette over a month ago that his named dropped out of the Heisman Trophy conversation, despite throwing for a career-high 470 yards while completing 49-of-73 yards.
Haskins left his mark in Indianapolis, complementing a remarkable regular season with a spectacular championship outing. He completed 34-of-41 passes for 499 yards and five touchdowns, all of which are B1G Championship Game records. After his final touchdown pass — a 17-yard toss to J.K. Dobbins — the quarterback struck a Heisman pose that resembled Desmond Howard. Nobody could argue with his worthiness.
On the same day that legendary competitive eater Joey Chestnut polished off nearly 19 pounds of shrimp in an eating contest outside Lucas Oil Stadium, Haskins may have had the more satisfied appetite.
Now, all of it gets overshadowed. Over the next several hours, we’ll all spend time debating whether Ohio State belongs in the College Football Playoff or whether the B1G champion should be left sitting at home for a second straight year. Rather than measuring the weight a conference title holds, the selection committee — and the rest of the analysts on the major networks — are going to flip back to that bookmark.
There are a million reasons to include the Buckeyes in the College Football Playoff. There are a million reasons why they should be omitted. Regardless of what happens next, the real story of this season can’t really be defined by what the selection committee decides on Sunday afternoon.
Everyone in the country, from California to Maine, thought a blueblood program was collapsing. On Oct. 20, Ohio State football had reached an ultimate low in the Urban Meyer era. Everything was being held together with bubble gum and duct tape.
Six weeks later, the Buckeyes are holding the B1G Championship trophy — and their breath, hoping for a shot to compete for a national title. Haskins will receive an invitation to the Heisman Trophy presentation ceremony with a legitimate argument to bring the award back to Columbus.
Whether you believe Ohio State is one of the best teams in the country is irrelevant. To do what the Buckeyes did over the last six week, with the nation waiting for an implosion, is nearly impossible.
The Buckeyes rectified their shortcomings on Saturday night. It was only appropriate that everything came together in Indiana, just 65 miles away from where everyone thought it was falling apart.
Dustin grew up in the heart of Big Ten country and has been in sports media since 2010. He has been covering Big Ten football since 2014. You can follow him on Twitter: @SchutteCFB