2008 Woodie Awards
Youngstown magic sends Ohio State to BCS
Andrew Berry, Sports Editor
Issue date: 12/4/07 Section: Sports
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Christmas came early for The Ohio State University, and they didn't have to make a single tackle to get the gift of their dreams.
On the outside-looking in, the Buckeyes and their massive fan base were forced to spend Saturday glued to the televisions as the outcome of two games would decide just how late in January Ohio State would play its bowl game.
Fans at the Youngstown Sports Grille in Boardman traded in their scarlet and grey for one night to become largest group of Sooner fans outside of Norman, Oklahoma. If the Sooners could beat the No. 1 Missouri Tigers for the Big 12 conference title, the Tigers would fall in the polls allowing Ohio State to usurp one of the top two spots and a national title berth.
Hopes were high as Oklahoma had already trounced Missouri earlier in the regular season.
But Buckeye nation got more than they ever could have dreamed for as both Missouri and No. 2 West Virginia were toppled to conclude the wildest season in the history of the Bowl Championship Series.
At the conclusion of both games, fans at the Sports Grille slapped high-fives and broke out into cheers followed by the playing of the Ohio State fight song over the restaurant's sound system.
Just a couple miles away, it was the same exact scene at Buffalo Wild Wings at the Southern Park Mall in Boardman as Buckeye fans couldn't find enough ways to celebrate their team going back to the national title game.
Back in Columbus on the Ohio State campus, junior Matt Morell was cemented in the middle of a celebration that could have doubled as a win over Michigan for the Big Ten title. The biology major and Mahoning Valley resident who lives in Columbus during the semester described the scene as one of uncontrollable bliss.
"There were parties in the streets, and I think there was a couch burning out there," Morell said in between laughs. "It got pretty crazy around here after Missouri went down."
With Oklahoma taking care of business, Ohio State was handed a spot in the BCS championship game on a silver platter.
On the outside-looking in, the Buckeyes and their massive fan base were forced to spend Saturday glued to the televisions as the outcome of two games would decide just how late in January Ohio State would play its bowl game.
Fans at the Youngstown Sports Grille in Boardman traded in their scarlet and grey for one night to become largest group of Sooner fans outside of Norman, Oklahoma. If the Sooners could beat the No. 1 Missouri Tigers for the Big 12 conference title, the Tigers would fall in the polls allowing Ohio State to usurp one of the top two spots and a national title berth.
Hopes were high as Oklahoma had already trounced Missouri earlier in the regular season.
But Buckeye nation got more than they ever could have dreamed for as both Missouri and No. 2 West Virginia were toppled to conclude the wildest season in the history of the Bowl Championship Series.
At the conclusion of both games, fans at the Sports Grille slapped high-fives and broke out into cheers followed by the playing of the Ohio State fight song over the restaurant's sound system.
Just a couple miles away, it was the same exact scene at Buffalo Wild Wings at the Southern Park Mall in Boardman as Buckeye fans couldn't find enough ways to celebrate their team going back to the national title game.
Back in Columbus on the Ohio State campus, junior Matt Morell was cemented in the middle of a celebration that could have doubled as a win over Michigan for the Big Ten title. The biology major and Mahoning Valley resident who lives in Columbus during the semester described the scene as one of uncontrollable bliss.
"There were parties in the streets, and I think there was a couch burning out there," Morell said in between laughs. "It got pretty crazy around here after Missouri went down."
With Oklahoma taking care of business, Ohio State was handed a spot in the BCS championship game on a silver platter.
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