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On May 29, 1953, Sir Edmund Hillary and climbing companion Tenzing Norgay became the first to scale the summit of Mount Everest. It took the two men 15 hours to reach the top. They got to enjoy the view for only 15 minutes before heading back down.
Ryan Day knows the feeling. For Day and Ohio State, the view from the mountaintop of college football was spectacular. No team had ever ascended to a national title having won four playoff games against top-10 opponents. Standing atop the world, the Buckeyes could see in every direction. Below was South Bend, Indiana. Texas to the south. Oregon to the west. Further off, the foothills of Tennessee. At its peak, Georgia rose in the distance, but like Alabama no longer could lay claim to No. 1. Somewhere, Michigan was attempting to scale the summit by helicopter, naturally.
Ohio State stood tallest. But even as the rarified air filled their lungs, the Buckeyes knew that staying on top would be more challenging than getting there in the first place. As with Sir Edmund and his sherpa sidekick, there was nowhere to go but down.
The test was, and is, to delay the descent for as long as possible. And it is possible, if improbable. Only 12 teams have won-back-to-back titles since 1936. Georgia won consecutive national championships in 2021-22. Bama did it in 2011-12. Georgia returned its starting quarterback, Stetson Bennett, when it repeated, as did Alabama with A.J. McCarron. Ohio State does not enjoy the same luxury. Last season’s starter, Will Howard, is off to the NFL, leaving Lincoln Kienholz, Julian Sayin and freshman Tavien St. Clair to compete for the starting job.
So how do the Buckeyes do it again? It would make sense if they retrace the steps that led them to the summit last season, but just as mountain climbers cannot take the same exact step-for-step path to the…
Source link : https://www.dispatch.com/story/sports/columns/2025/04/08/ohio-state-football-faces-challenge-repeat-cfp-national-championship/82968449007/
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Publish date : 2025-04-08 10:02:00
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