Don’t Geaux Away Mad, Luckeyes … Just Geaux Away

Don’t say Ohio State didn’t try. In fact, they tried everything.

They changed their locker room passcode to 4114, they played the “disrespect card” even though they were ranked No. 1 in the country, they challenged the assertion that the Big 10 is overrated, they mysteriously reinstated a suspended starting cornerback, they packed the Superdome with scarlet and gray, they featured an overly demonstrative Jim Tressel on the sidelines, they tried to disrupt LSU with false coaching rumors, they picked up five personal fouls, they talked trash all game long, they came out for the second half dancing and playing to the crowd down 14 points, they badmouthed the city of New Orleans, and they trotted out DVDs with all the meanie things anyone has ever said about the Buckeyes.

And then they got bitched.

Again.

Here are some of my observations from LSU’s not-that-close 38-24 romp over Ohio State in the national championship game (it was pretty Big Easy):

• LSU was 11 for 18 on third downs, and you can throw out a couple near the end when they were just running out the clock. That means that when the Tigers lined up on third-and-short and everyone within 500 miles knew what was coming, they still got it. They imposed their will on Ohio State and when they needed something, they flat-out took it.

• Good to see Ted Ginn Jr. on the sideline hanging out on the sideline and wishing he was back skipping classes with his homeys. I guess there’s nothing better for you to be doing right now than wearing a White Sox hat and clowning around with a gang of losers? Like, I don’t know, lift a weight maybe? Rehab an injury that’s going to happen in the future? Maybe even work on catching passes?

• The Buckeyes jumped out to a 10-0 lead, but LSU never panicked. Why? Because they’ve been in that situation time and time again this season, and knew that the false start was a result of nerves and getting caught sleeping on a few new-look plays from Ohio State. When the teams began to line up and just go mano-a-mano, it was clear that the Tigers easily outclassed the Buckeyes.

• The biggest difference? LSU plays a game against a high-caliber opponent like Ohio State every single week. The Buckeyes don’t play a single game against anyone as good as the Tigers all year long. There are probably five teams in the SEC that are better than Ohio State, and no one else in the Big 10 nearly on par with Ohio State, much less the Tigers.

• Ohio State is 0-9 against the SEC in bowl games. There’s almost nothing more that needs to be said.

• The Big 10 finished 3-5 in bowl games this year, with wins by an average of 5.3 points—and losses by an average of nearly two touchdowns. On the flip side, the SEC was a resounding 7-2 in bowls.

• Matt Flynn needs more pub as being one of the very best quarterbacks in the nation. All he did was throw for 2,407 yards, 21 touchdowns and 11 picks and rush for four more scores, then toss four touchdowns in the championship game. He has made huge throws in huge situations all year long, and here’s hoping he gets a shot at an NFL club this April.

• All I heard all week long was how massive the Ohio State offensive line was, bookended by a pair of All-Big 10 tackles. Yet all I saw all game long was hold after hold against the LSU defensive ends, nearly all of which went uncalled. It was easy to see that they were intent on stopping Dorsey, yet he still held up double times along the line of scrimmage and allowed his defensive line mates to make plays. Of course, he still came through with a big sack, forced fumble and several stops at the line.

• The LSU secondary helped control the game, and that was after All-American safety Craig Steltz was knocked out with an arm injury. People downplay the better speed and athletic ability in the SEC over the Big 10, but the Buckeyes were rarely able to get open man-to-man.

• The Fox broadcast was horrible. To ignorance of certain officiating calls to missing plays due to showing highlights from 30 years ago to sheer erroneous facts to a horrible panel of Chris Rose, Eddie George, Urban Meyer and Jimmy Johnson, this was bad from the start and only got worse. Fortunately, they made up for it by not showing many commercials. Er …

On a side note, hopefully the predicted beatdown last night will break down the false bravado and undeserved stature of the Big 10. Perhaps “the Vest” will think twice the next time he schedules Central Eastern Idaho Tech of the Blind. Maybe voters will finally see that the Big 10 is a one-team conference with a couple of above-average teams year in and year out. And perchance the mystique that is assigned to the Big 10 based on traditional football played 30 years ago will finally dissolve and actually have to be earned on the field.

The bottom line was that LSU was destined to win it all this year. The remarkable number of things that had to happen to allow the Tigers to make it to the title game after a pair of triple-overtime losses, getting to play in New Orleans, having to deal with the fabricated innuendo of Les Miles leaving, winning the SEC championship matchup without their starting quarterback, best special-teamer and with three of their best defenders hobbled … through it all, as one sign said, LSU was the best team by “Miles.”

Both LSU and Ohio State backed into a shot at the BCS national championship. But only one truly deserved to be there.