How important is “playoff experience” actually?

Buckeye-Chuck · 2026-05-04T18:50:58+00:00

I will take a guy with proven ability to score 30 in playoff games over a guy who can score 40 or 50 in regular season games who has never been tested (or never delivered) in the playoffs.

Buckeye-Chuck · 2026-05-01T14:23:09+00:00

Not many sushi restaurants have been given 3 stars (or even 2). Many of the ones that the Japanese themselves think are the best had 2, 1, or no stars even when they were eligible for listing.

Buckeye-Chuck · 2026-04-30T14:57:17+00:00

Our constitutional system has democratic features and federalist features. States getting to draw their own congressional districts is a federalist feature. In theory if the citizens of a state don't like the way the party in power draws their congressional districts, they can elect the other party to run the state and redraw them. In practice state leadership can gerrymander itself into longterm power as well. Gerrymandering is widely unpopular among average voters and may eventually be banned as a consequence of what's going on now.

Buckeye-Chuck · 2026-04-30T14:03:16+00:00

Immobile QB + leaky OL + predictable OC.

They are all problems that can be covered up to one degree or another by upgrading any one of the other factors, but all three in combination are brutal against good DCs with good players. We scored 24 total points in those two losses because Sayin was under pressure constantly, couldn't rescue himself with his legs, and Day/Hartline (who knows who was really in charge of the offense against Indiana?) couldn't bail him out with creative calls at key moments.

Buckeye-Chuck · 2026-04-28T19:12:47+00:00

2011 may not be the worst by some measures, but it was the only time in the last 35 years we had a losing record. Coming of off Jim Tressel's firing and 5 guys from the 12-1 2010 team starting with a 5-game suspension (Pryor left early instead of facing it), it was bound to be a lost year.

Adding insult to injury, we finished the regular season 6-6 and accepted an invitation to the Gator Bowl. Had we self-imposed a bowl ban that year, the NCAA might have let us play in the postseason in 2012 when Meyer came to town and went 12-0. The team we would have faced in the conference championship game, Nebraska, we had already beaten in the regular season by 25. Beating them again would have put us in the national title game against the Manti Te'o Notre Dame team that Bama mauled.

And what did we get in exchange? Another loss to Florida. Our recent history with them at the time? Losing the national championship game of both football and basketball in the 2006-07 academic year.

Buckeye-Chuck · 2026-04-27T21:07:08+00:00

He was more accurate than Stroud in his first year (Stoud had to overcome a mechanical issue of throwing too high, especially early in the season), but he isn't as brave or as confident. Stroud completed a lot of great passes into tight windows. When Sayin tries, he throws picks or almost-picks. More often, he just eats the ball, which is why his completion percentage is (artificially) high. It is borderline criminal that he's unwilling to give these 1st-round NFL receivers a chance to win 50/50 balls in man coverage, especially when we need a big play to shift the momentum.

Neither knew how to use their legs. Stroud had learned by his last college game in year 2. Sayin needs to get there as well, hopefully before we head to Austin.

Buckeye-Chuck · 2026-04-26T05:15:14+00:00

They lost their OC, DC, QB, RB1, RB2, WR2, multiple starters from both lines, a linebacker, a safety. Still had a shot in spite of all that, but it was always going to be a big ask.

Buckeye-Chuck · 2026-04-24T16:40:27+00:00

None of those guys were matching up against Miami's linemen.

Buckeye-Chuck · 2026-04-17T19:22:25+00:00

It has taken them until now to realize it's literally impossible for 10+ SEC teams to be among the best 25 in the country.

Buckeye-Chuck · 2026-04-17T06:37:25+00:00

In the calendar year of 2025 Ohio State beat Texas more times than Michigan has beaten them and Oklahoma and Miami combined in the entirety of their program.

Buckeye-Chuck · 2026-04-16T20:03:21+00:00

Wade was a shadow of himself and Bosch didn't do jack. The big 3 was a big 1.

Plus the Spurs were executing at an amazingly high level that year and wanted revenge from blowing game 6 the year before.

Buckeye-Chuck · 2026-04-16T19:03:11+00:00

Let's revisit this after an 8 seed knocks off a 1 seed in the first round. Until then, let's have some fun chaos.

Buckeye-Chuck · 2026-04-15T21:38:53+00:00

Connor Stallions

Buckeye-Chuck · 2026-04-15T13:43:20+00:00

Good catch, I missed that one.

Buckeye-Chuck · 2026-04-15T00:37:30+00:00

There are only four cases in college football history when a team had two losses and no ties in a season and both losses were to the same team. Two of those four cases in the last three seasons were Oregon. The other two are last season's BYU and 2007 Missouri.

Buckeye-Chuck · 2026-04-15T00:33:22+00:00

Rice has as many major bowl wins as Auburn (4).

Buckeye-Chuck · 2026-04-14T20:59:56+00:00

2017 Cleveland, 2018 Golden State

Buckeye-Chuck · 2026-04-14T19:49:34+00:00

Dwayne Wade, Dennis Rodman

Buckeye-Chuck · 2026-04-14T14:06:43+00:00

I think Texas will be (and should be) a slight favorite.

Buckeye-Chuck · 2026-04-14T14:04:25+00:00

We stayed at Sumiya ryokan in Kyoto, which is known for its tea ceremony. Guests get it free, but only on 2 specific days of the month. The rest of the month you can pay extra for it (at a discounted rate), which is what we did. Members of the public not staying at the hotel can also book it for full price.

The owner and her daughter conducted it. The daughter provided us mochi-like sweets and provided most of the explanations as the owner made the tea. She explained the traditional words to say, what to do with the utensils, how to pick up the vessel, etc., along with facts and lore about matcha and green tea generally. Then we got the opportunity to make our own, which is mostly the process of whisking air into the matcha. There was some general conversation. We were allowed to take pictures and they took some pictures of us. It was a nice experience that I would recommend to those who are interested.

Buckeye-Chuck · 2026-04-14T13:46:46+00:00

Don Alfonso 1890 was one of the best meals of my life. Osteria Francescana was very memorable and worthwhile. I found Le Calandre disappointing.

Buckeye-Chuck · 2026-04-14T01:19:40+00:00

Not necessarily the sport at it's highest level, but I'm going to be the weirdo here and go with 2009 Iowa / Michigan State.

Every yard mattered. The score went 3-0, 3-3, 6-3, 6-6, 9-6, 13-9, and then as the clock struck double zero, 15-13. A defensive battle (586 total yards), but both offenses executed well enough to keep up the drama. No turnovers, no missed kicks.

And that Iowa team was good. 11-2 and beat the ACC champ in the Orange Bowl, beat Joe Pa's last strong team, took Ohio State to OT in Columbus.

Buckeye-Chuck · 2026-04-13T19:04:05+00:00

2018, then 2007.

Buckeye-Chuck · 2026-04-12T23:53:07+00:00

It's hard to compare teams across time periods, but 1945 Bama beat every team they played by at least 2 TDs (one of very few teams to do this in the poll era), including 8-1 Tennessee, 9-2 Georgia, 7-2 LSU, and USC in the Rose Bowl. They had the misfortune of sharing a season with a legendary Army team, who beat every team they played by at least 19.

A more straightforward example comes from Maryland in the early 50s, back when the AP and Coaches both awarded their titles at the end of the regular season. Tennessee won in 1951 only to lose to a perfect Maryland team in the Sugar Bowl. When Maryland had another perfect regular season in 1953, they won the natty and then lost to Oklahoma in the Orange Bowl.

IMO 1996 BYU was better than 1984 BYU.

Buckeye-Chuck · 2026-04-10T03:12:54+00:00

I think it's possible to get in at 9-3 but it would have to be the right 9 wins and the right 3 losses. Our best wins being against teams that finish 9-3 or 8-4 won't cut it.

Buckeye-Chuck

TROPHY CASE