In a sense, Ohio State was beaten by a method that had formerly been their own. They allowed LSU to place themselves into too many third-and-shorts offensively, resulting in an incredible third-down conversion rate. What is more, anyone with casual familiarity with Tiger football in 2007 knew that club goes to Jacob Hester off left guard whenever short-yardage is needed, much as they repeatedly did last night.

The conclusion has to be that OSU also knew what to expect but was powerless to prevent it. They were simply overpowered, in no small part due to LSU featuring at that left guard position the huge (6-7 356) Herman Johnson, an apparently dominating run-blocking force.

This had once been Buckeye football: "Three yards and a cloud of dust," facilitated by having at its disposal the superior linemen. What transpired last night was appropriate, given that Tigers' head coach is an Elyria  native and a Bo Schembechler protege. Schembechler cut his coaching teeth under Woody Hayes, the longtime Buckeye head coach, who was synonymous with that above-quoted expression. It was Miles who had the better linemen this time. 

But, like Bo, Les Miles had more available to him than merely power football. That final TD toss to TE Richard Dickson, his second of the evening, may well have been just to demonstrate that OSU still had not solved how to cope with what LSU was doing schematically, particularly where Dickson was concerned.

That the TE factored so significantly in the outcome from the LSU perspective is so ironic given that OSU refused to employ its own TE.

What seriously hurt the Buckeyes was the non-play of their DTs. Many were the occassions when the OSU edge defenders---DEs and OLBs---penetrated and forced Tiger runners back into the interior, only to find the going easy. No Buck DTs impacted on this day. OSU got nothing from the DTs last night. Unofficially, those who appeared at the position last night in OSU scarlet totalled two tackled and two assists---in 76 scrimmage snaps.

The manner in which the LSU secondary outplayed OSU's was also dramatic. It did not help, of course, that the Buckeye schemes seemed to restrict themselves to slow-developing fly patterns, as if the coaches were delusional enough to think the OSU receivers would merely streak by the unsuspecting Tiger backfield. As if they were delusional enough to imagine the Buckeyes could also provide its QB the requisite time. Adjusting to reality never seemed to occur.

On the subject of reality, it is time to acknowledge I'd picked the Bucks in a narrow victory going in. I'd maintained the SEC's supposed conference and speed superiorities were mythical. I was half right. Speed was not so much a factor last night---though the OSU offensive coaches made it one by insisting on trying to have its wideouts attempt to outrun the Tiger DBs. It was the big boys who won last night for LSU. It was the superior physical dominance of their linemen that allowed LSU to win last night.

That and better scheming. Perhaps it is also appropriate to drop the presumed game-day excellence of the near-legendary Jim Tressel. For the second successive year, the Buckeyes did not make a good showing in the National Championship game. What is more, adjustments again appeared to be few---or at least largely ineffective. And the losers played to that term by committing senseless and self-destructive roughness penalties. These were not supposed to be Jim Tressel football ingredients.

Sure, it can be stated that this OSU ballclub arrived at least a year early, coming off the immense roster turnover experienced after the Florida disaster. Only three senior starters. Many first-time regulars. It can also be argued that a few key plays, were their outcomes slightly different, might have made for a much different game.

Maybe. Then again, isn't this region known for its consolation strategies, intellectualizations intended to help with resiliency, to aid in our bouncing back from yet another very disappointing showing when the prizes are the largest? Discussing the Robiskie endzone drop, the near-miss on the punt-block, the blocked FG---these are moot and pointless to contemplate.

More indicative were these disparities: 12 LSU rushing first downs to six; Five sacks to one; 36 penalty yards to 83; the third-down conversion rate of 11 for 18 instead of 3 for 13.

It may be that OSU's reputation caused both SEC opponents to come with their "A" games; but it cannot be said the Buckeyes delivered their own, on either occassion. Last year may well have had aberrational qualities, but last night's was inexplicable---except for that LSU was clearly and unmistakably better.

Hail to the victors. This was a deserved title. Congrats to LSU, its followers and fans.

Serious reflection for OSU.

They don't deserve national grief and ridicule. That must stem from jealousy or misguided residue attributable to the long-deceased and polarizing Hayes. The Buckeyes have an enviable, clean, outstanding football program, the likes of which no one needs be ashamed of on any count.  

Yet they will be accused of being undressed, exposed, overmatched, inferior. Dinosourish to the point of fossilization. There will be growth from self-evaluation. And they will be back, welcomed by America's football critics or not.

They will be back.