Right On Schedule

E. Gordon Gee, The Ohio State University’s animated, opinionated president, created a stir last week when he declared Boise State and TCU don’t play schedules worthy of consideration for the BCS Championship. Boise State made Gee’s statement a bit moot when it lost to Nevada.

But TCU remains undefeated and in the mix, pending the outcome of Oregon’s visit to in-state nemesis Oregon State and Auburn’s rematch with South Carolina in the SEC Championship game. If the Ducks or Tigers lose, that could launch TCU into the crystal football tussle, to Gee’s chagrin.

We need a major college playoff. It’s time for academics to give up the hypocrisy, admit major college football is big business, select the best four (or eight) teams each year and set up a playoff system, somehow incorporating the traditional bowl system.

But Gee has a point. Imagine if Alabama, Southern Cal, Texas, Ohio State (or name your favorite big-boy college football team) were to announce the following schedule for 2011: Wyoming, New Mexico State, Toledo, San Jose State, Louisiana Tech, Hawaii, Idaho, Fresno State, Nevada, Utah State, Virginia Tech and Oregon State. Except for the last two entries, even ardent fans would have to admit that’s cupcake city. Exactly what Boise State’s 2010 lineup looked like!

Or what if your team had the following slate for next year: Tennessee Tech, Baylor, SMU, Colorado State, Wyoming, BYU, Air Force, UNLV, San Diego State, New Mexico, Oregon State and Utah. Not your basic “murderers’ row,” but funny thing – that was TCU’s schedule this year.

Besides BYU, a lot of those games were the equivalent of BYE (as in, “bye week”).

Granted, Ohio State scheduled Ohio University and Eastern Michigan, a couple of cream puffs, as did all the traditional powers. But they also played a number of games against formidable opposition.

So in one sense, Gee was right. But in opposing a National Champion determined by playoffs, Gee is very wrong.

Bouncing Down Buckeye Memory Lane: Clarett and Tatum

Reading this week’s sports section has been almost like being visited by ghosts of Buckeyes past.
Maurice Clarett, who largely contributed to Ohio State’s 2002 BCS Championship Game victory over Miami, is back on campus in Columbus. Having served several years in prison for armed robbery, Clarett again is a student at The Ohio State University, although his football eligibility is long gone.

I’m sure there are those who question what right he has to set foot on campus again after putting the football program into disgrace, but head coach Jim Tressel has welcomed Clarett, still a young man. Personally, I think “Mo” has done the time for the crime. If he’s trying to get his life back on track, why not? Too often prison sentences are only about punishment, and not about restoration and rehabilitation.

One other Buckeye was sadly in the news, Jack Tatum, who died of a heart attack at 61 after years of other health issues. Supposedly nicknamed “The Assassin,” which apparently was not true during his pro career, Tatum is infamously remembered for the savage hit he made as an Oakland Raider on New England receiver Darryl Stingley in 1978, leaving him a near-quadriplegic.

“A bad guy” is the instant assessment of many sports observers. But in 1969, while I was a reporter for Ohio State’s student newspaper, The Lantern, Tatum struck me as anything but that. He had been a member of the National Championship team the preceding year, the centerpiece of a fierce defensive backfield for the Buckeyes. Experts say that had he played on offense, Tatum could have been a stellar running back, but Woody Hayes liked to keep his best athletes on defense.

I spoke little to Tatum, because he was a quiet guy. He would stroll through the locker room hallway in pads and cleats, look you in the eye and offer a slight smile, then move on. Like me, he had come to OSU from New Jersey, but from a background very unlike my own.

What Tatum was really like, I can’t say. Without question, despite his NFL celebrity – and notoriety, his life wasn’t an easy one. Since I just turned 62 myself, I can honestly say that 61 seems too young to leave this life. My only hope and prayer is that he has found peace and joy in the next.

You Can’t Go Back to College

Evan Turner, Ohio State’s outstanding point guard, faces a difficult decision. A junior All-American and odds-on favorite for college basketball’s player of the year, he’s projected as one of the top picks in the upcoming NBA draft. With millions of dollars beckoning, why would he consider returning for his senior year with the Buckeyes?

But he says his decision isn’t cast in stone. Now that OSU has cinched at least a tie for the Big Ten championship, Turner said he’s focused on the Big Ten tournament and then the NCAA Tournament. Then he’ll weigh the alternatives.

Again, why would Turner even think about remaining in college when he can become an instant millionaire? There are two reasons: Right now, even with hours of practice and conditioning, coupled with classwork, he’s still having fun playing a game he enjoys. Once he gets into the NBA, even if he becomes a star, it’s business, a job.

There’s also the reality the collegiate experience is once in a lifetime. A former Buckeye who gave up eligibility to turn pro, then returned to finish his degree, reportedly made this sage observation: “You can go back to school, but you can never go back to college.” In other words, once you assume adult responsibilities, you can’t go back to being a kid.

Even today, nearly 40 years later, I cherish my college years. I was young and stupid, but in the process of learning – and growing up. Sure, if the New York Times or Washington Post had made a generous offer for me to “come out early,” I would have considered it. Fortunately, I wasn’t an All-American – even in journalism school – so that temptation never arose. But my years at OSU will always stay with me.

Being young, there’s a tendency to see life in the short-term, seeking instant gratification. The perspective of years helps us to appreciate special times, thankful we didn’t toss them away.

The Bible tells us, “This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it” (Psalm 118:24). If Evan Turner does elect to turn pro, good for him; I hope he does well. But I also hope he takes his decision seriously, valuing the moment, rather than rashly opting for the obvious. After all, you’re only a kid once.