Time to Root for Buckeyes

As a lifelong Michigan fan, I can't believe how much I want Ohio State to win the BCS National Championship Game on Monday in New Orleans.

No, I don't dislike LSU's Les Miles for turning down the Maize and Blue..."Have a GREAT day!"

I'm just sick of the national media fawning over the SEC and bashing the Big Ten. As a result, many college fans have fallen into that same trance. Yes, the SEC is a very good conference and, arguably, the best and deepest at this particular time. But let's not act like the separation is Grand Canyonesque.

(How did this media fawning begin? Remember virtually everyone saying Ohio State would beat Florida and win last season's BCS National Title. The Bucks then lost their most explosive player moments into the game and fell flat in a 41-14 thrashing at the hands of the Gators. Give Florida its due. It executed a great gameplan with multiple offensive and defensive looks and Ohio State didn't have the answers. UF's win was more about that gameplan than "the speed and athleticism of the SEC" prevailing over "the lumbering Big Ten". By the way, Florida's win made the SEC 1-2 against the Big Ten during the last bowl season as Wisconsin beat Auburn and Penn State downed Tennessee.)

A closer look at the SEC's sterling 6-2 record during this bowl season reveals just two impressive wins-- Auburn over Clemson and Tennessee beating Wisconsin. The other four triumphs were hardly "signature" wins. Kentucky barely beat a mediocre and scandal-depleted Florida State, Alabama held on to down a Colorado team that finished 6-7 ("It's Division One Football!!!), Mississippi State nipped Central Florida, and Georgia beat a clearly fraudulent Hawaii.

As for the losses, Florida (and the man who invented coaching--Urban Meyer) was supposed to have little trouble with Michigan. Oops. Meanwhile at The Cotton Bowl in Arkansas' back yard, Missouri laid a 38-7 beatdown on the McFadden-led Razorbacks. Double Yoy!

So, the SEC is exactly 2-2 in bowl games that told us anything. The Big Ten is 1-2 in such games(Michigan's win, losses by Wisconsin and Illinois). Head-to-head, it's 1-1 between the "mighty" SEC and the "second-rate" Big Ten--please note the sarcasm.

That leaves Ohio State-LSU for the national title and, more importantly, conference bragging rights. Go Buckeyes....man, that still doesn't feel natural.