Yes, I’m part of the Ohio State cult. Yes, I’m going to make Joe Burrow/ Ohio State references. And yes, in the second paragraph of this, I’m going to take a moment to bash Clemson. If this is going to offend you in any way, shape, or form, do not read any further. If you have chosen to read any further than this, and you’re somewhere in the comments complaining, shut your damn mouth, because I already warned you.
Last night, Joe Burrow and the Louisiana State Tigers beat the Clemson Tigers in the College Football Playoff National Championship, by a final score of 42-25. THANK GOODNESS!! It was becoming unbearable hearing all about how great Clemson was. How great of a quarterback Trevor Lawrence is and how he’s never lost in any college football game he has ever started. Dabo Swinney talking about how Clemson has been underrated all year, and how the committee wasn’t showing them any respect. SHUT YOUR DAMN MOUTH DABO!!
In one of my previous blogs, I wrote about how The Ohio State Buckeyes were winless in their history against the dreaded, Clemson Tigers. Since I have written that blog, they are still winless after losing to them in their playoff semi-final matchup. Needless to say, the Buckeye faithful, who have claimed Joe Burrow as one of their own ever since he came to the university, and even after he left for LSU, were all on board with Burrow and the Tigers.
Burrow was born in Ames, Iowa, but bounced around here and there because of his father’s job as a college football coach. He ultimately ended up in The Plains, Ohio in his early teenage years when his father took the job as the defensive coordinator of the Ohio Bobcats. He attended Athens High School in Athens county. Ever since then, Joe Burrow has claimed southeast Ohio as his true home.
Burrow came up through and was developed in the Ohio State football program. He was red-shirted his freshman year, but was only given the opportunity to play mop up minutes at the end of games in his second and third years, playing backup to quarterback, J.T Barrett. Looking back at it now, some might be asking, “What the hell was Urban Meyer doing putting in Barrett over Burrow”?
Barrett holds many records in the Big Ten, including the top spot for the passing touchdown record, which was held before by Purdue alum, Drew Brees, and the top spot for most total touchdowns. Before he suffered a season ending injury while playing Michigan in the last game of the 2014 season, Barrett and running back, Ezekiel Elliot, were leading the Buckeyes charge to the national championship. Burrow however, wouldn’t have what’s considered an “Amazing” season, until his final year. Even last season he did good but not great for a top SEC quarterback.
Burrow transferred to LSU prior to Dwayne Haskins being named the starter at Ohio State before the start of the 2018 season. Burrow in his first year at LSU threw for 2,894 yards, and 16 touchdowns. Haskins in the same season threw for 4,831 yards and 50 touchdowns. It’s hard to say that at the time, Urban Meyer didn’t make the right decision to start Haskins over Burrow, as much as it hurt to see the hometown quarterback leave, especially to the SEC. Burrow just simply wasn’t ready to start over Ohio State’s talented, record setting quarterbacks.
Finally, after bouncing around the country as a kid, settling down in Ohio and going to his dream school, just to transfer to LSU because of the talent in front of him, the whole country was watching as the kid from Ohio won the national championship, for LSU, Ohio State, southeast Ohio, and for all of Louisiana. A truly brilliant, fairy tale like ending, to an astounding college career, that almost never happened. Go Bucks, and Geaux Tigers.
