It’s not uncommon for people become a prisoner of the moment, especially when those moments include national championships. And while there’s no question that Ohio State had an incredible playoff run en route to claiming the national championship in 2024, it would seem that Big Ten commissioner Tony Petitti definitely fell victim to becoming a prisoner of the moment.
Following the Buckeyes’ win on Monday, Petitti had this to say about the Ohio State’s national championship run: “That’s the greatest run in college football history.”
Impressive run? Sure. The greatest run in college football history? Absolutely not.
It’s worth reminding Petitti and those who agree with him that the Buckeyes wouldn’t have even qualified for the playoff if not for expansion in 2024. In previous seasons, Ohio State’s 10-2 regular season record would have resulted in a random bowl game invite as opposed to a playoff spot. Not only did Ohio State lose to Oregon back in October, but the Buckeyes also lost to a 6-5 Michigan team at home as a three-touchdown favorite. As a result, Ohio State failed to even qualify to play in the conference championship game.
So to recap, Ohio State lost multiple games in the regular season, lost to rival Michigan as a three-touchdown favorite, and failed to qualify for the conference championship game. Hardly ingredients that make for the “greatest run” in college football history.
Ironically, Petitti wouldn’t have to look all that far back to find a better example for the greatest run in college football history, considering it happened just one year ago in his own conference.
In 2023, the Michigan Wolverines went on an incredible run that included a perfect regular season record (12-0), a win over Ohio State, a Big Ten championship, a win over Alabama in the Rose Bowl, and a national championship victory over Washington. The end result was a perfect 15-0 championship season, cementing that 2023 squad as one of the greatest in college football history.