School favors OSU

88% of School Likes OSU; Troy Earns Respect of Michigan Fans

By: Andrew Smith


Emmanuel Christian Academy clearly and undeniably bleeds scarlet and gray Buckeye blood. In a recent study conducted by the Connection staff (my special thanks to Mrs. Acker for allowing us class time), it was discovered that 88% of the school’s college football-watching student body roots for the Ohio State football team. This is a staggering, but not surprising number- especially considering the Buckeyes’ recent success. The Ohio State University football team has steamrolled to a stellar 5-0 record and number one ranking through the month of September, all the while looking every bit like the nation’s top team they are proclaimed to be. Optimism rules the hearts of Buckeye believers, as 80% of our school’s Ohio State fans believe that Ohio State will run the table and finish the year with a spotless 12-0 record, including a season-ending win against archrival Michigan. Only 7% of our high school students predict a season-ending loss to the Wolverines, including just one professed Buckeye fan. After seeing what the Ohio State offense can do to poor opponents down the road like lowly Indiana and Northwestern, many people don’t see Ohio State losing at all this year. Obviously, most students here agree with that sentiment. The fact is obvious and undeniable: Ohio State has the ability to become a great (as in national-title great) football team. There are a few things that compose a great team, and Ohio State has most, if not all of them. Great defense: check, they lead the Big Ten in interceptions. Great coaching: check, Jim Tressel is one of the country’s best. Then there are super playmakers, and Ohio State has no shortage here. Troy Smith, Ted Ginn Jr., Antonio Pittman, and Anthony Gonzalez are just a few of the Buckeyes’ game breakers. Of all these solid attributes that Ohio State boasts, nothing is more important than having a great quarterback. Ohio State has a gem in quarterback Troy Smith, the Heisman frontrunner and arguably the most dangerous player in the game. For all the talent at Ohio State, 78% of the survey participants considered Troy Smith to be the Buckeyes’ best player. Of the Michigan fans who were surveyed, every one said Troy Smith was the best player on the Ohio State roster. This is an interesting statistic that reflects Smith’s games against the Wolverines- the best respective performances of his career, both victories. But the question remains, can the Buckeyes, with all this talent, sustain this level of play for seven more games? A team’s fans are often referred to in football circles as the “twelfth man”; a clear advantage for the team who’s fans show their support in greater proportion to their opponent’s. If this really does help, then Troy’s Boys are in good shape through Emmanuel’s vibrant and vocal fan base.