Judged by both the enormous expectations outside the program and the exacting standards within it, Ohio State’s season has to be considered a disappointment.
So it goes when a program is unanimously voted the No. 1 team in the preseason and brings back a roster loaded with talent and experience that has already won a national title and is aiming to claim another one. But looking at what the Buckeyes actually accomplished, it feels at times to be a stretch to call them underachievers.
Ohio State lost only once and is still headed to a New Year’s Six game, a fascinating matchup with Notre Dame in the BattleFrog Fiesta Bowl, and its large collection of talent did little to hurt its chances of turning the NFL draft next spring into a celebration of the program.