Ohio State Football: 2019 stings, but still huge success for Buckeyes

2019 will forever have an asterisk, but overall it was still an incredibly successful and record-breaking season for the Ohio State football team.

The ending to the 2019 season for the Ohio State football team was thought to be in mid January after hoisting the National Championship Trophy. It would’ve tied Clemson and Alabama for most titles in the CFP era. But life and football don’t always going according to script or plan.

Sometimes that is to our benefit while other times it delivers a gut-wrenching blow to the midsection. The latter is how the result of the Fiesta Bowl feels for the Buckeyes whether coaches, players, or fans. While arguing the officiating has been the forefront of postgame conversations, lack of execution in critical moments ruled the day.

Criticizing the referees and replay officials is well warranted, but those calls were out of the control of Ohio State and a part of the game so you have to roll with them. Though the heavyweight bout resulted in a feeling that you’ll never quite understand how or why it happened so you’ll never forget it, Ohio State still accomplished incredible feats in Ryan Day’s first year.

QB Justin Fields accounted for 51 total touchdowns with only three interceptions while RB JK Dobbins broke Eddie George’s single season rushing record and finished with 2,003 yards. Dobbins became one of the most beloved players in Buckeye history this season and was the first to ever rush for over 2,000 yards in a season.

WR KJ Hill also surpassed David Boston for most receptions in a career while his counterpart Chris Olave tied the school record for touchdowns in a season with twelve. Chase Young now holds the single season sack record with 16.5 and was a man among boys in some of the biggest games of the season.

All of these great accolades propelled Ohio State to a +470 scoring differential margin before the CFP and a final of +464 after the Fiesta Bowl. Buckeye Nation seems to have forgotten this group won the grueling Big Ten conference for the third straight season.

The standards are so high at Ohio State and from the fanbase that we aren’t quite sure if the sun will rise the day after a loss. But following the Fiesta Bowl, it didn’t feel like we’d ever see it again because of how the game played out. Ohio State has a fanbase that uses “we” when referring to the Buckeyes because of the tradition and culture that have been created over time.

Though the team is who plays the games, Buckeye Nation wins together and we lose together. We are the most passionate fanbase in sports and our love for the Buckeyes will never waiver or wander.

I don’t know if I’ll ever forget this season because of how special it truly was, but I’d be remiss to say the Fiesta Bowl loss will forever be the asterisk on the 2019 Buckeyes. Regardless, this season was full of monumental highs and we could not be more proud to be a part of Buckeye Nation as we continue to embrace the Ohio State against the world mindset.