“Daddy, why are those mean men saying that we “backed into” the national championship game?”
“Son, they “demean well”, but they are part of an insidious cabal of morons who get upset when their predictions don’t come true. Crotchety, maybe? But its part of life’s lessons: I would rather “back into” the #1 spot in college football, than be West Virginia or Missouri and back my way out of it”.
“But…but…you have all these incredible teams that the Buckeyes could never beat, like USC and Florida and Oregon and…”
“You’re right – we can’t beat them because they couldn’t win often enough to get to play us. Half of life is just showing up, boy, and you have to show up more often than they did”
“Didn’t West Virginia show up on Saturday?”
“Well, they showed that the BCS system is a complete farce is what they showed. Hey – and what if the Mountain Goats had come back to win? Would a sorry-ass performance like that – in front of the whole country – still have gotten them to the title game, just to save face with the old-fart savants that begged them – pleaded - to beat a 28-point underdog rival on their home field? I don’t know…”
“Well, then, Dad – why don’t these guys just hold a playoff to see who the best team is?”
“We live in a morally compromised time, son, where it is more important to prove that your theory holds up rather than the rest of the world’s reality. If enough of the dinosaurs would just die off, then the college football planet could be refreshed”
“But, all my friends are asking – is it right to move from third to first because the other teams ahead of us just, well…keep losing?”
“Gosh, son, last year when Florida was fourth in the country on the last week and ended up begging their way into the national championship game, did anyone ask that question? I guess they proved they belonged there. We will have to prove that, too. And here’s another lesson you will learn – Buckeye fans will now have all the friends that money can buy. You will see your “new friends” show up soon!”
“Dad, Freddy said that if it wasn’t for turnovers – West Virginia would be the best team. And if you didn’t count injuries – it would be LSU. In fact, Marcie told me that losing in overtime shouldn’t even count…”
“Son, if college football changes next year to get rid of those rules about overtimes and injuries and turnovers, then you might be on to something.”
“But, Dad – they are saying that we don’t deserve to be in New Orleans. That we are pretenders!”
“Listen, boy, it doesn’t matter what they call you. It only matters what you answer to. What do you think we are?”
“Well, I think…”
“While you are thinking, son, I will tell you this: We are back in the national championship game for the third time in six years! Coach Tressel is in his 9th national title game in 22 years! You think we don’t deserve this opportunity? At the end of the day, nobody will remember how you got there – they only remember if you win once you are there. And they have a name for those people: national champs”.
“One last thing, son. 117 teams played all year and didn’t make it. We did. And when your friends ask? Just tell them this: we’re going. You’re not”.
“Now go to sleep and dream about redemption…”
