But Ohio State fans, be glad Chris Wells is out. Celebrate that all is not Wells for the Buckeyes. Cheer the fact that he's out like you're Elijah Dukes receiving the one paternity test that reveals you're not the father.
Yes, in Saturday's game against Southern Cal, you might lose the battle so badly that it seems like a directive of the Bush administration, but you might win the war when it comes time to select the BCS national title participants.
Chris Wells' injury is your get out of jail free card. Feel free to beat Chris Henry back with a cattle prod.
Before Wells' injury, Saturday's tilt with Southern Cal was an absolute must-win for the Buckeyes if they hoped to make a third straight national title game. Sure, the Buckeyes might've won out and finished 11-1 even with a loss, but even if they finished No. 2 in the polls at the conclusion of the Big Ten regular season, the Jonas Brothers have a better chance getting elected into the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame than Ohio State has of earning a third straight BCS title bid. John Daly would've replaced Jared in Subway ads before anybody thought twice about bumping the Buckeyes down in the polls.
After all, voters showed no qualms jumping LSU up last year and, plainly, the Buckeyes have two straight embarrassments in national championship games and a team brand about as hip as Joe Paterno's phonograph collection.
Latest College Football Photos
PISCATAWAY, NJ - SEPTEMBER 11: (L-R) Head coach Greg Schiano of the Rutgers Scarlet Knights talks with head coach Butch Davis of the North Carolina Tar Heels prior to their game at Rutgers Stadium on September 11, 2008 in Piscataway, New Jersey. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Greg Schiano;Butch Davis
Getty Images
Florida Atlantic coach Howard Schnellenberger, center left, watches his team run drills during NCAA college football practice Thursday, Sept. 11, 2008 in Boca Raton, Fla. FAU won its Sun Belt Championship last year, a giant step considering the program did not exist 10 years ago. (AP Photo/J. Pat Carter)
AP
Florida Atlantic football coach Howard Schnellenberger checks the area around the FAU memorial on the practice field on the Boca Raton, Fla. campus Thursday, Sept. 11, 2008. FAU claimed its first Sun Belt Championship last year_a giant step considering the program did not exist 10 years ago. (AP Photo/J. Pat Carter)
AP
Florida Atlantic football coach Howard Schnellenberger, right, talks to his starting quarterback Rusty Smith before NCAA college football practice Thursday, Sept. 11, 2008 in Boca Raton, Fla. FAU won its Sun Belt Championship last year, a giant step considering the program did not exist 10 years ago. (AP Photo/J. Pat Carter)
AP
Florida Atlantic coach Howard Schnellenberger watches his team during NCAA college football practice Thursday, Sept. 11, 2008 in Boca Raton, Fla. FAU won its Sun Belt Championship last year, a giant step considering the program did not exist 10 years ago. (AP Photo/J. Pat Carter)
AP
UCLA quarterback Kevin Craft (3) celebrates after UCLA defeated Tennessee 27-24 in overtime in an NCAA college football game at the Rose Bowl Monday, Sept. 1, 2008, in Pasadena, Calif. In his Bruins' debut, Craft threw four first-half interceptions, shook it off at halftime and led the underdog Bruins to a dramatic victory. (AP Photo/Jeff Lewis)
AP
UCLA quarterback Kevin Craft hands the ball off against Tennessee during the first half in the NCAA college football game at the Rose Bowl Monday, Sept. 1, 2008, in Pasadena, Calif. In his Bruins' debut, Craft threw four first-half interceptions, shook it off at halftime and led the underdog Bruins to a dramatic overtime victory. (AP Photo/Jeff Lewis)
AP
UCLA quarterback Kevin Craft prepares to pass in the second half against Tennessee in the NCAA college football game where UCLA defeated Tennessee 27-24 in overtime at the Rose Bowl Monday, Sept. 1, 2008, in Pasadena, Calif. In his Bruins' debut, Craft threw four first-half interceptions, shook it off at halftime and led the underdog Bruins to a dramatic victory. (AP Photo/Jeff Lewis)
AP
Notre Dame quarterback Jimmy Clausen drops back to throw a pass during the Irish 21-13 victory over San Diego State Saturday Sept., 6, 2008 in South Bend, Ind. Saturday Notre Dame faces rival Michigan in South Bend. (AP Photo/Joe Raymond)
AP
Ohio State head coach Jim Tressel talks to an official during the second quarter of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Sept. 6, 2008 in Columbus, Ohio. Southern California's Pete Carroll and Ohio State's Jim Tressel are both in their mid-50s and have each been on the job at their ultra-successful college football teams for eight seasons. They will meet in an epic showdown on Saturday night at the L.A. Coliseum. (AP Photo/Jay LaPrete)
AP
So if the Buckeyes had lost to Southern Cal, which Vegas experts predicted them to do with double-digit efficiency even with Wells in the lineup, even Barbaro would've rooted for their national title hopes to be euthanized on the track. (And Southern Cal, by the way, has won its last seven meetings with Big Ten teams by the squeaker only-for-Duke margin of 27.8 points per game.)
But without Wells in the lineup, it's a little less Chernobyl for Ohio State and a little more like cleaning the sidelines behind UGA VII ... or Najeh Davenport.
Embrace these two words Buckeye fans: Plausible deniability.
If the full-strength Buckeyes lost to the Trojans, there are no teams remaining on their schedule that could've bolstered their resume without the help of Michael Brown. Wisconsin is a fine team, but they're just another three-yards and a cloud of bore in the eyes of the national media. Illinois brings speed and spread, but was beaten by Missouri, hammered by Southern Cal to finish last season and covered with its own Pigpen-styled cloud of Ron Zook. And Michigan? Bud Selig's underwear drawer has more variety than the Wolverines' offense.
But here's the problem for Ohio State. Without Wells, their ground game is solid, but might lead quarterback Todd Boeckmann to try and win the game. This is a bad thing, perhaps the worst of things. With the yearly strength of Ohio State's ground game, the Buckeyes are better suited with Craig Krenzels rather than Justin Zwick wannabe playmakers. Troy Smith is an obvious exception, but Tressel has a better chance of being mistaken for Carrot Top than Boeckman has at passing for the 2006 Heisman winner.
And Boeckman's big-game showings have been more or less an in-pads interpretation of the mortgage industry. In games against ranked teams, he's thrown seven touchdowns and seven interceptions. In last year's final two regular season games against Illinois and Michigan, Boeckman threw four interceptions without a touchdown pass.
Latest Cheerleader Photos
Cheerleaders dance before a World Cup 2010 qualifying game between Paraguay and Venezuela in Asuncion, Tuesday, Sept. 9, 2008.(AP Photo/Atilio Fernandez)
AP
Steven Lopez shows off his bronze medal in taekwondo to a group of University of Houston cheerleaders during the Houston Olympic Heroes Day at City Hall, Tuesday, Sept. 9, 2008, in Houston. The event honored Houstonians who competed in the Olympics in Beijing. (AP Photo/Houston Chronicle, Smiley N. Pool) ** MANDATORY CREDIT **
AP
PHILADELPHIA - SEPTEMBER 07: A cheerleader of the Philadelphia Eagles entertains the crowd during a time out against the St. Louis Rams on September 7, 2008 at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)
Getty Images
PHILADELPHIA - SEPTEMBER 07: A cheerleader of the Philadelphia Eagles entertains the crowd during a time out against the St. Louis Rams on September 7, 2008 at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)
Getty Images
PHILADELPHIA - SEPTEMBER 07: A cheerleader of the Philadelphia Eagles entertains the crowd during a time out against the St. Louis Rams on September 7, 2008 at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)
Getty Images
MIAMI - SEPTEMBER 07: A cheerleader for the Miami Dolphins performs against the New York Jets at Dolphin Stadium on September 7, 2008 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Doug Benc/Getty Images)
Getty Images
Cheerleaders from the Merrimack Mudcats scrimmage with the cheerleaders from the Carrabassett Valley Rats during the World Championship Mud Bowl in North Conway, N.H., Saturday, Sept. 6, 2008.(AP Photo/Jim Cole)
AP
Cheerleaders from the Merrimack Mudcats scrimmage with the cheerleaders from the Carrabassett Valley Rats during the World Championship Mud Bowl in North Conway, N.H., Saturday, Sept. 6, 2008.(AP Photo/Jim Cole)
AP
DENVER - AUGUST 31: The Colorado State University Rams cheerleader lead their team onto the field against the University of Colorado Buffaloes at Invesco Field at Mile High on August 31, 2008 in Denver, Colorado. Colorado defeated Colorado State 38-17 to win the Centennial Cup. (Photo by Doug Pensinger/Getty Images)
Getty Images
EUGENE, OR - AUGUST 30: A cheerleader performs before the start of the game between the Washington Huskies and the Oregon Ducks at Autzen Stadium on August 30, 2008 in Eugene, Oregon. (Photo by Jonathan Ferrey/Getty Images)
Getty Images
But with a defense that features two players that could be starting on Sunday already (James Laurinaitis and Malcolm Jenkins), Ohio State may have a chance to ugly it out against the Trojans. If Kirsten Dunst can make it in Hollywood, than anyone can succeed uglying it up in L.A. After all, two years ago, UCLA and backup quarterback Patrick Cowan knocked off Southern Cal with a BCS trip on the line.
And is the Trojans' offense really that much more fearsome than last year? Their offensive renaissance is based entirely off of one win over Virginia, a team that struggled badly to beat the FCS Richmond Spiders 16-0 Saturday and a team that couldn't put pressure on Vince Young with a Wonderlic test.
Hailing Southern Cal's offense after beating Virginia is like giving the Red Sox pitching staff credit for beating a tee-ball team that stinks at tee-ball.
There are as many questions for this Trojan team as there are players who have dated Paris Hilton. Mark Sanchez and college football's most famous kneecap have to prove they can stand up to a game full of hits. The USC receiving corps, which was underwhelming last year, needs to prove itself against a top-caliber secondary. The ground game will have to move the football against the only linebacking group in the nation in the same league as Rey Maualuga and Brian Cushing. And they need to do it all to leave enough screen time for Will Ferrel.
But there is one certainty about this game. Lose respectably and Ohio State can still make an argument for a third straight national title. After all, Beanie Wells might just have been the difference.
Comments (Page 1 of 1)
It's USC or SC or University of Southern California or
Southern California, but NEVER EVER EVER Southern Cal.
FIGHT ON!
Playing Southern Cal. is the fun and the game. Southern Cal. might stomp OSU but until Southern Cal. does lets wait and see how good Southern Cal. really is. If you say OSU is the same team that got beat by LSU badly, then Southern Cal. is still the team that lost at home to Stanford. Southern Cal knows they will have to play a top Southern Cal game to win in Southern Cal.
Playing Southern Cal. is the fun and the game. Southern Cal. might
stomp OSU but until Southern Cal. does lets wait and see how good
Southern Cal. really is. If you say OSU is the same team that got
beat by LSU badly, then Southern Cal. is still the team that lost at
home to Stanford. Southern Cal knows they will have to play a top
Southern Cal game to win in Southern Cal.
that may be the stupidest thing i have ever heard of......u think pollsters will show pity on the bucks just because a running back was out? they played shitty without him, if they dont have him against usc, they will get stomped, and if they get stomped how would that help them in the end of the season......stupid ass article.....stupid to think if beanie is out, the buckeyes would be better
usc will win big! im a sec fan and i cant understand why osu gets so much love? they are overated how many times does a sec team have to exploit them before people will realize that . osu is just a mediocre at best they just play in a weak conf.
I was afraid of this back when wells was just injured, before they even announced he was out. In my mind's eye (ear?) I heard the collective wailing of a thousand Buckeyes saying "WAAAAAHH! If we had Beanie (at full strength/at all) we'd have won!!! Let us lose the national title again!!! We're _totally_ not the Buffalo Bills!!!" Assuming, of course, that Southern Cal. wins Southern Cal.
Also, at least Michigan's boring offense is a different kind of boring. It used to be run left every play, now we just know there'll never be a forward pass.
Where do you get your sportswriters? Mad Magazine? I have never seen such pre-game Buckeye apologia in my life? The Buckeyes are a very good, very talented team, they don't need this kind of nonsense!
Last year Michigan's starting quarterback and running back had injuries for 10 out of 13 games. Did you hear anyone from OSU land say......gee Michigan would have played better if they didn't have injuries to their star players, maybe even beaten the buckeyes. No you didn't...buckeye fans loved seeing the M offense struggle and said Michigan was whining........look whos whining now.
EVERYONE KNOWS THE LUCKEYES ARE ALWAYS OVERRATED. NO WAY THEY GET INVITED TO GET HAMMERED IN THE BCS TITLE GAME AGAIN. NO ONE WILL LET THEM USE WELLS ABSCENCE TO DEFEND THE LOSS. SC WINS EASILY BY 28.