Expectations weigh heavily on every team, coach, and player from every sport. Pressure builds based on predictions, assertions, and the ideology of consistency before the season even begins. This past season the Ohio State Football team was the first ever Associated Press unanimous pre-season number one ranked college football team in America. They were expected to dominate every team they played and have at least three players on their roster in the running for the Heisman Trophy. Yet, halfway through the season the Buckeyes have looked slightly above average against pedestrian teams. Most critics say it is a crowded roster, a lack of passion, or just having to play with a target on their back but, in reality, college football is just in a world of chaos. Who really is the best team in college football? Rankings and predictions pop up everywhere around the country every week, yet nobody appears to have anything set in stone. In week one, Ohio State was a surefire favorite after TCU slid past Minnesota and the Buckeyes dominated Virginia Tech. Fast forward two more weeks and the country is demanding Ole Miss jump eleven spots after knocking off #3 Alabama with the argument that they also surpass Ohio State, Baylor, and TCU for the number one ranking. Fast forward another two weeks and the country watches Ole Miss get stomped on by a Florida Gators team that won its three previous games against unranked opponents by 14 total points. The same can be seen in the rise of Utah. …
Continue Reading: Examining Ohio State football’s war against expectations
