The Buckeyes run of football and basketball success in 2005-2006 leads me to Austin, Texas. Yes, it gets me thinking of the big game next year. We have a dominant football team at a big state school…so does Texas. We have a great basketball team at a big state school…so does Texas. We think the world revolves around our athletic program…so does Texas.
Not many schools can pull off the football/basketball combination. As painful as it is to admit, the “Fab 5” gave our rival a run of glory, but nobody seems to pull it off with consistency. Truth is, Jim Tressel will win a lot of games whenever and wherever he roams the sidelines. Thad Matta’s win total in his short coaching career is ridiculously good. That trend will continue as well. As long as we have those guys on our side, OSU will sit near the top of the rankings consistently.
So what does any of this have to do with Texas? Well, see the last sentence of the first paragraph. Texas won the football title and the basketball team has been phenomenal in 2005-2006. They have great coaching mixed with great recruiting in a talent-rich state. Love them or hate them…you have to respect them.
Even more than the two-sport dynamic though is the game last September. Ouch. I realize every life lesson I’ve ever learned tells me not to dwell on the past. With that said though, I can’t get over that defeat. I moved past the Penn State loss right away, but Texas still haunts me. The football purist in me says they made the plays when they needed to and OSU didn’t. The football fan in me says “could’ve, would’ve, should’ve” and “if OSU played them 10 times they would win….” Darn right I have revenge on my mind.
USC and Duke are rare. Ohio State and Texas are rarer. Go Bucks!