Pain:  Everyone had to feel this on some level.  I wont rehash it all but I think the last thing that gets me about the UGA vs. OSU game is simply the amount of injuries that piled up come 4th quarter.  Sure there were some iffy calls here and there, and bad execution that just shouldn't happen.  But having Trey, Miyan, JSN, Stover, and then Marv out all by the time 4th quarter hits for biggest game of the year is tough.  Even with the defense as bad as it was I feel like just one of those guys is good for getting us another 3 points and that wins you the game.

Gratitude: Its easy to think of another reality where we are in the Championship game against TCU.  Its also easy to think USC comes to play and if Caleb Williams is healthy they beat Utah and we don't get a shot.  I'm glad that, although painful, I don't have to wait another year wondering truly how do we measure up against Georgia.  At the end of the day their recruiting/development paid off for being 1 point better than ours.

Perception:  All of us fans, the media, co-workers, friends, etc will all perceive Ohio state some way.  For me I think we were a great team that couldn't overcome all the injuries, and had a leaky defense that couldn't execute when it mattered...and we STILL almost got it done.  Others (Mostly TTUN fans, SEC fans etc) I already am hearing say it was a fluke Ohio State played Georgia so close.  Hearing "OSU is lucky they didn't play Georgia a week later" etc.

At the end of the day the only two groups (in my opinion) that matter when it comes to how to perceive the 2022 Buckeyes are the guys in the Woody, and the 18 year olds in High school that are being Recruited by them.  And from the outside looking in, I have to imagine that both those groups perceive Ohio State to be an elite school that can compete with the best of the SEC and is capable of winning the whole thing.  

Lets hope they can make that a reality in 2023.