No more sleeps.
OHIO AGAINST THE WORLD. JOB’S NOT FINISHED.
— Eleven Warriors (@11W) January 8, 2025
Have a good Friday.
A PICTURE IS WORTH 1,000 WORDS.
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HORNS DOWN. Last week, Texas coach Steve Sarkisian provided Rat Poison for Ohio State to consume before the Buckeyes and Longhorns battle in the Cotton Bowl.
“Clearly, we’re massive underdogs. Nobody is going to give us a shot,” he said. “This is the best team in college football, and we’re going to have to make sure we put our best foot forward to give ourselves a chance to win the game.”
On Thursday, Sarkisian supplied another dose – this time with Ohio State coach Ryan Day seated beside him at a Cotton Bowl press conference.
“I think we can all agree what Coach Day has done, their team, them coming out of that Michigan game and what they’ve been able to do since the playoffs started has been tremendous. That’s a credit to Coach Day and his staff for galvanizing that roster and getting them going,” Sarkisian said. “I could probably poll everybody in this room, and you’d probably all agree they’re the favorite to win this game. And that’s OK. That’s football. That’s sport.
“I’m not gonna back off what I said. The reality is the reality. We have to go perform. That’s our responsibility as a football team to go perform. But they’ve earned that right because of the way they’ve played here the past couple of weeks.”
Given the chance to provide an immediate response, Day said he believes what Ohio State accomplished in its wins over Tennessee and Oregon will have no impact on how the Buckeyes perform in the Cotton Bowl.
“I just feel like every week is a whole new week,” Day said. “I think it’s important for all of us that if we have momentum, we keep it. If we don’t, we have to go get it. But the truth is, nothing that Ohio State has done or Texas has done up until this week has anything to do with what’s gonna happen in this game. If you think otherwise, just go back a couple of weeks and see where we were a couple of weeks ago.
“Every single week, the slate is wiped clean, and you have to start from scratch again. That starts with your meetings, your walkthrough and your preparation. The bottom line is, the team that plays the best and executes the best is gonna win the game. There are a lot of opinions out there, I am sure, of what everyone is gonna expect. But ultimately, it’s gonna come down to the players on the field and how they play. There’s gonna be a lot of great players on both sides. It’s gonna come down to who takes care of the ball and executes in the end. It should be a great night for football. We’re excited about playing in the game.”
I loved Day’s response. To me, it communicated that, yes, Ohio State looks like the best team in college football and has more momentum than Texas. However, once the Buckeyes and Longhorns meet on the AT&T Stadium turf, the team that prepared and then executes the best will win the Cotton Bowl. It’s that simple.
I believe the Buckeyes have prepared the best
I believe the Buckeyes will execute the best.
I believe the Buckeyes will win – and it won’t feel close.
Ohio State 34 – Texas 21
FOR THE BROTHERHOOD. Another reason I think Ohio State beats Texas is because of The Brotherhood. When asked Thursday what has motivated the Buckeyes during their impressive College Football Playoff run, Day said it’s the bond his players share that has made all the difference.
“I think that this team plays for each other,” Day said. “All year, I have been proud of our men. They’re men. They really are. There are a lot of guys on this team who have played a lot of football, and they do play for each other.”
Day’s quote became more eloquent as he continued.
“When they’re playing at their best, they’re playing for each other,” he said. “There are great stories individually within this team and collectively as a team. The only way a story is told about your team is if you win. That’s the reality. I think they realize that. I think it’s a resilient group. I think they know where they are right now. They know the opponent. I think we’re focused on the opponent. But ultimately, it comes down to our execution. That’s really what it is. When we’re executing well, there’s a lot more emotion in the game. That’s really what it is. We’ve all really focused on doing our job, coaches and players included.”
Yeeeeeeesh, that fires me up.
This will not be the final time we see TreVeyon Henderson, Emeka Egbuka, Jack Sawyer, Cody Simon and dozens of other Buckeyes in an Ohio State uniform. As Simon, Henderson, Sonny Styles and Denzel Burke put it in the latest game trailer, the job’s not finished. Their stories will be remembered for generations!
THE MENU. Usually, this section contains a rundown of all the televised college football games on a Saturday. However, since Ohio State vs. Texas is the lone matchup on the schedule, I’ll share all the options you have to watch the 89th Cotton Bowl.
- ESPN: The main telecast with Chris “Crimson Avalanche” Fowler, Kirk “Doesn’t Have Social Media” Herbstreit and Holly Rowe
- ESPN2: Field Pass with Pat McAfee, A.J. Hawk, Darius Butler and other crew members from The Pat McAfee Show
- ESPNU: The Command Center, a multi-angle presentation featuring real-time player and team statistics
- ESPNEWS: The Skycast, a view of the game from above the action
- ESPN Deportes: The main telecast in the Spanish language
- ESPN Radio: National radio broadcast
- ESPN App: Texas hometown radio, Ohio State hometown radio, All-22 and the halftime band performances
As the Eleven Warriors staff shared on Jan. 1, if you don’t want to hear someone tell you that you’re part of a lunatic fringe, we recommend ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPNEWS or – our highest recommendation – the ESPN App to hear the sweet, sweet voice of Paul Keels and his color commentator Jim Lachey live from Dallas.
SONG OF THE DAY. “Hell’s Bells” – AC/DC.
CUT TO THE CHASE. Wisconsin football announces that Tuf Borland has been promoted to assistant linebackers coach… Spacecraft buzzes Mercury’s north pole and beams back stunning photos… “Sesame Street” 55th season will focus on lessons in emotional well-being… Myles Garrett has neat moment with Ravens’ Roger Rosengarten… Participate or keep it quiet? Recent sing-alongs tap into larger discussion on moviegoing etiquette.
