A remarkable Top Ten list indeed.  Interestingly, what probably constitute the three most significant receptions of my time as a fan (going back to the 1960s) were by two phenomenal receivers who didn’t even crack the Top Ten: 1) 4th-and-14 in OT vs Miami, 2) Holy Buckeye, and 3) just before halftime vs Alabama (courtesy of the illustrious Michaels).

I’m almost 70—so I remember a time when stars in team sports were not ultimately judged by the number of championship teams they were a part of.  Perhaps the best example of this: Jerry West’s nickname was “Mr. Clutch” notwithstanding the fact that his Laker teams lost a bunch of times in the NBA Finals to the Celtics and then lost in the Finals to the Knicks before LA won its one and only title with West as a player.

CJ was more impressive than Rex, Craig, and Cardale—the 3 national championship QBs in my lifetime.

I will forever come to CJ’s defense similar to the way (as a diehard Knicks fan) I have defended Patrick Ewing.  Trust me, if Patrick had Clyde and The Pearl (or Dick Barnett) as his starting guards and Dave DeB in front court, he would not have gone ringless in his NBA career.

I hope CJ has the opportunity to wear some championship NFL jewelry.

PS—CJ had a terrific TD scramble run last year against TTUN that was called back.

LMS: I will simply be happy if, two years from now, we can say that Ohio State won the first CFP and then won the first expanded, 12-team CFP.

Absolutely agree.  And I was simply trying to express my opinion in my original post that I think it is highly unlikely we will ever see a TCU-type blowout in the title game because it will be much harder for a TCU-caliber squad to make it to the championship game in the new CFP format.

Interesting point.  But how many schools would be in a better position in a typical year to go through this gauntlet?  

I believe Woody lived in a very modest home for a long time right near the campus.  

This might be a move orchestrated by Irsay to help land Harbaugh.

After all, Rashod knows something about being a winner, having been on a victorious Rose Bowl team (and even scoring what proved to be the game-winning TD)—something Harbaugh never experienced.

Ramzy: great writing as always.  And, just stepping away from the sports angle for a moment, how wonderful that you had grandparents in San Diego to visit for Xmas vacation.  I imagine that locale alone provided a source of fabulous holiday memories.  

Coming back to San Diego sports: so, for those who think Buckeyes fans have suffered, consider the following—San Diego fans who just attained eligibility to collect Social Security will have no memory of the Chargers’ sole AFL title in 1963.  And of course, no one has ever witnessed a San Diego World Series title.
 

LCB: the good news for fans now is that, especially with the upcoming CFP format, I highly doubt there will be anything close to a 34-year drought from the 2014 season.

The 1969 Rose Bowl was the first championship for the teams I followed when I was young; I was 15 at the time and it was indeed incredibly special.  But, I have to tell you, watching Ohio State beat Miami and win another national title after a 34-year-wait was incredibly meaningful in its own right.

A couple of things: first, it was 34 years since the last national championship victory I had witnessed—and so it was just such an amazing feeling after the near-misses and all that time.  

If you had told me right after the 1969 Rose Bowl that I would not be watching Ohio State finish as the #1-ranked team after its final game of the season for another 30+ years, I would have thought that impossible.

Second, I find it interesting that the two times the Buckeyes have finished #1 in the past 20 years, they  were the underdogs.  Perhaps that made both of those titles even more rewarding, if possible.  In any case, the game against Miami, like that season, had you sitting on the edge of your chair at so many moments.  That team was truly clutch.

Incidentally, it was Jan 2003, right?  Thanks for helping us all relive those wonderful memories.

Ohio State has won three national championships in my lifetime.  I, of course, loved what Rex, Craig, and Cardale did to help make that happen.  

But, the fact is, none of their performances rivaled what CJ did Saturday night.  

CJ delivered big-time against Georgia; football is not Wimbledon so, unfortunately, CJ’s greatness alone was not enough to put the Buckeyes over the top. Wishing CJ nothing but the best on Sundays and hope he gets at least one Super Bowl ring.

“Not every throw needs to be a 35-yard rope into a slightly-cracked window - he can save a lot of those for the combine. Don’t ride the gas and brakes at the same time. Be the bully again.”

You should do a how-to book on quality sportswriting. Great stuff (as always)!

Georgia is unquestionably an outstanding team and rightfully ranked #1.  But, keep in mind, so was Bama in the first CFP.

I certainly hope JSN is able to play.  And having both TreVeyon and Miyan back at full strength—that would be HUGE!

Will be delighted to play TTUN whenever and wherever.

That should read “…I was typically on the lookout for our best players…”

I admittedly never played football—but I did play soccer in high school on state championship squads and in college on a team that went to the NCAA tourney.  

I played forward in high school and mostly midfield in college.  I was a complementary player and, especially in big games, when I had the ball I was always on the lookout for our best players (to get the ball to them).  

I realize the offensive strategies in football and soccer are not exactly analogous.  But I always believed  you maximize your chances of winning by making sure your best players are in the best position to influence the outcome of a game.

So, please, if the Buckeyes wind up in the CFP: hopefully there will be a plan in place to utilize MH more effectively.
 

Harbaugh and his staff absolutely deserve credit for their game plan (and their second consecutive victory in The Game).  Harbaugh’s overall record in The Game though is still a miserable 2-5—something no coach would ever aspire to.  

As Humphrey Bogart once said, “We’ll always have Pasadena.”  Seriously, I have zero issues with CJ. He is not the reason the Buckeyes came up short two years in a row.  And he is the finest passer I have seen for Ohio State going back to the 1960s.  I guess my only question is: do you need more of a dual-threat QB in this day and age against the toughest opponents?  I don’t know the answer to that.

Ramzy, I have always thought that you are a helluva writer.  I hope you have the same level of ability at being a prognosticator.  I, for one, am very nervous.  But, if the O line can provide ample pass protection for CJ, I think CJ can lead the offense even beyond 35 points with today’s weather.

Berry: if that is directed at me, how did I “mock someone for taking Covid seriously…”?  I was merely pointing out the fact that, if The Game had been played, we all know what the likely outcome would have been (and that, implicitly, Ryan Day would not be facing quite the same kind of pressure today),  That is a dramatically different take than your post.

   Very true.  What’s also true is that, if The Game had been played in 2020, Day’s record would be 2-1 right now (with a rout that might have set a record for margin of victory in the modern era).