Ohio State Football on the Brink of History

The Buckeyes will try to win a fourth consecutive Big Ten title on Saturday, something which has never before been accomplished.

Considering how successful the Ohio State Buckeyes have been in recent years, it's becoming fairly common to associate OSU successes in an historical context.

But considering how often the Buckeyes have been in the national conversation over the last few years, the attention has warranted reflection and comparison.

The fact is, what this program has accomplished since the turn of the century is remarkable. You often hear how hard it is to get to the mountain top, but it's even harder to stay there.

Well, Ohio State has a chance on Saturday to do something that no Big Ten team has ever done before. A win over Northwestern on Saturday would give Ohio State an unprecedented fourth consecutive league title.

Ryan Day Not Worried About Style Points

I think that potential accomplishment deserves some attention because it really is something to be celebrated.

Yes it's been a weird year and the team has played half as many games as it would normally have to in order to get to a conference championship game. But in my opinion, it doesn't lessen the accomplishment. Everyone has been dealt a tough set of cards this year and Ryan Day often talks about handling adversity better than their opponent.

We live in an era where the national championship and the College Football Playoff take center stage. And for good reason - there's a boat load of money tied into it, it's a far bar system than the old BCS computer points system (even though I think the current version of the CFP has it's flaws), and frankly the Buckeyes have brought that measuring stick upon themselves.

By winning league title after league title, by being consistently mentioned with the likes of college football's elite programs, and by consistently bringing in the best high school players in the country sets an extremely high bar. Perhaps that bar is unfair - national championship or bust every single year doesn't feel attainable. A team shouldn't be considered "under-achieving" if they don't win a national title, but that seems to be the perception these days.

Ohio State Won't Make Excuses for Their Lack of Games Played

And again, the Buckeyes have played so well for so long and have been on the verge of winning another national championship for several years that they've brought those expectations on themselves. The margin for error in college football is so small - upsets happen on a near weekly basis - because the talent pool is as deep as its ever been in the sport's history.

But even as a fan, if you only take pride in outcomes, you'll be too easily disappointed. It's about the journey, not the destination. Part of that journey is taking care of the first order of business: building a team that can consistently compete in the oldest and wealthiest conference in college football.

Winning the Big Ten should matter, even in an era where it's easy to look past that feat. And if the Buckeyes beat Northwestern on Saturday to win a fourth straight conference title, that should be celebrated.

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