Oller: Look at the bright side, Buckeye Nation, and enjoy Cotton Bowl no matter the score
ARLINGTON, Texas – A strange color appeared in the Lone Star sky Thursday morning. Blue. It is a hue unfamiliar to many Ohioans, who at this time of year mostly know only gray.
And scarlet, of course. But the red feels marooned by an Ohio State fan base still bothered by the loss to Michigan and bored with a non-playoff Cotton Bowl against No. 9 Missouri, a New Year’s Six bowl not even afforded the dignity of being held on New Year’s Day. Friday night football? Are we sure this isn’t Pickerington North vs. Grove City?
Toss in the low hum turnout of OSU travelers – OSU sold less than two-thirds of its allotment of 12,000 tickets – and a bah humbug buzz is audible everywhere.
Everywhere, that is, except in the Dallas metroplex, where the expanse of cerulean heaven stretching across North Texas puts a bounce in the step, a smile on the face and nudges the cynic toward optimism. In short, sunshine makes the brooding early-winter monster more willing to see the silver lining in even the most foreboding of clouds.
And with that, consider this my holiday gift to a Buckeye Nation in need of some cheering up. Call it a perspective pick-me-up, something to excite the inner OSU child numbed by NIL excess, shady transfer portal politics and the rebirth of Michigan. And also by No. 7 Ohio State playing a motivated Southeastern Conference team that gives the Cotton Bowl a retro vibe to the 1990s, when the Buckeyes would lose to the Wolverines and then get stung by an SEC team featuring “SEC speed.” Remember that? (Note: I picked Missouri to win, 24-23. What can I say? My mood was dreary overcast when leaving cloud-covered Columbus for Dallas).
But enough with the negativity. The car windows are rolled down, “Mr. Blue Sky” is blaring and the Buckeyes have a new quarterback to criticize, er, evaluate.
Let’s begin there, with newly minted starter Devin Brown, who for OSU fans gives the Cotton Bowl some sizzle it would have lacked if Kyle McCord had remained in Columbus instead of transferring to Syracuse. At least with Brown there is the possibility of a star being born. That is worth watching. There also is a chance Brown bottoms out, but either way it will be entertaining theater.
All we really know about Brown, beyond what teammates and coaches say of his impressive confidence and charisma, is that he runs better than McCord, who was mobile enough in the pocket but not adept at extending plays with his feet. Today’s college quarterback needs to threaten defenses with his legs as well as his arm if his team expects to win the biggest games. McCord’s ceiling is only a few inches above where he now stands, his growth restricted by an inability to make something out of nothing when a play breaks down.
Next to keeping a keen eye on Brown, the biggest reason to show enthusiasm for the Dec. 29 Cotton Bowl is because the game does not matter … a lot. At least not for fans – it means a whole lot to Ryan Day’s peace of mind. How is that good? It feels counterintuitive, but not having to stress over the Buckeyes losing everything if they lose to Mizzou allows for a reprieve from the weight of stressful “what ifs” that turn fans’ fingers into flaming arrows on social media when things don’t go their (i.e. OSU’s) way.
Certainly, over-the-top fanatics will always go on the attack each time the Buckeyes come up short, and some will go berserk if OSU loses to ... Mizzwho? But for the sane and rationale, the Cotton Bowl offers an opportunity to turn the heat of expectation from high to simmer. The Cotton is more than a glorified spring game, but similarly, it affords a chance to see what Ohio State might look like in 2024. In other words, this is a game about the future more than the present. Thinking of it that way enables a disassociation with the type of in-the-moment immediacy that causes tempers to flare and blood pressure to rise. Not healthy in either case.
If this all sounds like a cop out, like some lame excuse to not care how the game goes, well, you’re reading it through gray-colored glasses, which I can’t blame you. Look up. But do me a favor and try to see the sliver of blue peeking through the horizon of gloom. Marvel at TreVeyon Henderson’s speed. Be impressed by Denzel Burke’s coverage ability. Appreciate the last stand of underappreciated Xavier Johnson. Focus on what went right, not wrong, regardless of the outcome. After all, the sun will come up tomorrow. Even if you can’t see it.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Ohio State Buckeyes football fans should see Cotton Bowl silver lining
