The world has been waiting all season for the real Buckeyes to show up, and for their biggest game to date they appeared in black and red uniforms that seemed wholly appropriate in a menacing stadium dressed either for a funeral or a Marilyn Manson concert.
Are these the real Buckeyes? None of this seems even vaguely familiar. What the heck is this, a Goth convention?
And then again, “real” has always been a bit of a misnomer to tack on this No. 1 Ohio State squad. It has been defined by a first-ever unanimous No. 1 pick in the Associated Press preseason poll, which was based on a strong returning cast from last year’s impressive three-game run at the end of the season and the resulting national championship.