11:00 AM ET It’s the day before New Year’s Eve in Memphis, Tennessee, and no one from Ohio State wants what’s about to happen. The team that tied for the Big Ten championship and is ranked 15th in the AP Poll has somehow wound up stuck in the 1981 Liberty Bowl. The matchup against unranked Navy isn’t inspiring. The weather isn’t even nice: 30 degrees at kickoff with rain on the way. The coaching staff can see it in some of the players’ eyes that they don’t want to be there, struggling to find their footing, slipping on the turf as well as their pride. A long season is about to get longer. Ohio State is supposed to beat Navy handily, but it doesn’t work out that way. The Buckeyes’ struggling young secondary hits a new low, allowing an offense that couldn’t muster more than 50 passing yards per game during the regular season to amass 240 yards and two touchdowns through the air. A blocked punt and three fumbles save the Buckeyes from embarrassment. Final score: Ohio State 31, Navy 28. Coach Earle Bruce is already fuming over his team’s sloppy play as he leaves the field when he…
Continue Reading: Ever hear the one about that time Nick Saban was fired?
